Recap: The Jacobsons kindly take Hope in and try to shield her from the bad news about the KKK possibly killing the three Civil Rights Workers in the South. Hope overhears them talking and realizes the danger she and her family are in.
“You peel these.” Rivkah handed me four potatoes.
The kitchen smelled of freshly baked challah, and chicken soup was bubbling on the stove. I loved this Friday preparation time. In this house, you felt the excitement of Shabbos coming.
Rebbetzin Jacobson was busy icing a banana cake, and two of Rivkah’s sisters were peeling apples.
The radio was playing soft classical music in the background.
“We interrupt this program to bring you an important news bulletin.” The music stopped and the radio announcer’s voice rose in excitement. “After weeks of fruitless searching for the three missing civil rights workers, a clue has accidently borne fruit.” I stopped peeling the potato I had in my hand, and it slipped to the floor.
“We now have word that the three were found. They were found buried under a mill in––”
I gasped. How horrible.
Rebbetzin Jacobson shook her head. “Two of them were Jewish. Andy Goodman and Mickey Schwerner. They were murdered.”
The announcer’s voice droned on. “The main suspect in the killings is a well-known KKK leader. Since this is an active FBI investigation, we cannot name the main suspect at this time.”
Rebbetzin Jacobson came over to me and put her arm around me. “I’m so sorry for you to hear this shocking news. I know it’s much worse for you, considering your situation.”
I didn’t know what to say. Fear gripped me. Those people were so wicked.
“It’s good that they found them, because now there will be justice, and your parents won’t be threatened anymore,” Rivkah said.
Rebbetzin Jacobson sighed. “I don’t know if justice will be served in Mississippi, Rivkah. There is a lot of prejudice there. We have to pray that it will.”
Rivkah interrupted her mother. “Excuse me, Ma. We’re out of eggs. I can’t make the kugel.”
“Oh, Rivkah, can you run to the store for me? I need some more apples, too.”
“Sure. Tikvah, want to come.”
I nodded. I needed to get out and walk around. I had to walk off this scary news story.
Rebbetzin Jacobson called after us. “Just stay together. I don’t want Tikvah walking alone right now.”
I tried to ignore the scary feeling in my stomach when she said that.
We headed out into the sunny afternoon. The sky was pure blue with tiny wisps of clouds.
The air smelled like fresh mown grass. I love summer, I mused. I wish it would stay summer all year long. I dreaded the fall this year. I didn’t want to go to school in a strange place where I didn’t know the other students.
“What are you thinking of?” Rivkah asked.
“Actually, I’m nervous about school.”
“Oh, well. I hope you’ll come to our school. I love my school.”
“Why?”
“It’s a Beth Jacob school. We have the best teachers and it’s just like a big family. You’ll see.’
“I doubt I could go there. It’s a private school. It’s probably expensive.”
“You could come. My father is a rabbi, and he would explain—
“Also, I have so little Jewish education. How could I go to a Jewish school?”
“We could catch you up.”
Just then, a lady approached us.
“Rivkah, I am so glad I saw you. I was going to call. Miri keeps asking for you. Could you come now to my house. She says she won’t take her medicine unless you come.” Rivkah glanced towards me. “I’m sorry Miri won’t take her medicine, but I can’t come right now. I have to get these apples and eggs back to my mother now for Shabbos.”
The lady pointed at me. “Your friend can take the bag back. It won’t take long, I hope. She has to take the medicine now. It’s serious.”
Rivkah stood still. “Tikvah, I’m not sure what to do. Mommy needs the ingredients right away to cook for Shabbos.”
“It’s not a problem,” I said. “I’ll take the bag. You go help this family.”
“I’ll just run over to the Myersons. I babysit there a lot and Miri is very cute, but she can be stubborn. I got her to take medicine last time she was sick, so I guess she’s remembering that.”
I watched Rivkah walk away with Mrs. Myerson.
I glanced around the empty street. There were no cars in sight. There was nothing to be afraid of. I headed down the street to the Jacobsons, carrying the bag of apples and eggs. I passed the park. I glimpsed children playing on the swings and slides. Their laughter carried through the air. I glanced behind me just to be sure no one was following me. “You’re fine,” I told myself. “No one is following you.”
It wasn’t until I reached the block near the Bowerses that I noticed a black car with tinted windows. It was driving slowly down the block. It wasn’t the white Cadillac. There was nothing to be afraid of. It was just a black car.
“Hope!” Diana called to me from in front of her house. She was playing catch with Bonnie. “I’m so glad you’re here. Maybe you can play with—”
Just then a car screeched and stopped beside me. I turned to see the black car. Alarm bells rang in my head, but I was frozen. A man jumped out of the car and grabbed my arm.
I screamed.
Diana screamed.
I bit his finger. I struggled to escape his grasp. He was too strong for me. He cursed and shoved me into the back seat. Another man in the back seat tied my wrists behind me. The rope cut into my skin. “Let me go. Let me out of here.”
“Hope Henner,” the man laughed. “She called you Hope. We got you now.”
I was shrieking. The man took a cloth or something like that. It smelled sickening. He shoved it over my mouth. I couldn’t breathe. The smell was awful. It made me dizzy.
The car zoomed away. I stared through the tinted window as Diana and Bonnie grew farther and farther away and then everything went black.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of the newly released historical fiction novel, Flight of the Doves (Menucha Publishers, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha Publishers, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha Publishers, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha Publishers, 2020), Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha Publishers, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, and “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021-2022).
