Dorsai - Taxi

"And the other choice?"

"The other thing I thought of could be a whole lot harder on you, and in a different way. But it might be easier on you, and make you happier, too – there's simply no way of telling. And that would be for at least you, and maybe Todd, to get completely out of this particular situation and into another one where you've got more options. The way it looks to me, the less likely the first one becomes, the more certain the second seems."

"What do you mean out of this situation and into another one?"

"I mean that you at least get out of your folks house and go live somewhere else: an aunt and uncle, a cousins, some other family member's place, or even the family of one of your friends. The farther from your folks the better, I think. I don't know the particulars of yours and Todds families and friends, of course, but it occurred to me that if you had to move very far away, it might be possible for Todd to move, too, so that you two don't get broken up. From what you said, it sounded like both of you pretty much figured to get married some day, and I don't know of any reason why that shouldn't be given a chance. But like I said, if you and Todd had to move away, you'd still have each other – which would maybe make it easier, and both of you happy – but you'd likely lose all the friends you have now, and maybe some of your family, which would be the hard part."

"Neither one of them's easy; they're just hard in different ways, and I can see that", she told me, then saying "Like I told you when you got home, I really thought about all this stuff this afternoon. I mean, I'd kinda thought about a lot of it after I left home and was on my way here – but not really putting my mind to it like I did today. What you told me in your cab, you were right. I don't like it, but the truth of the matter is that I am still too young to be trying to make it on my own. As mad and hurt as I am about how Momma and Daddy talked to me, and him hitting me, I've got to admit that they did love me – at least, the way they think of love. And it sure as hell was a lot easier living at home and going to school and such than it's been since I left! Thing is, church and the Bible was what mattered in our house, and I don't know that Momma and Daddy would even have me back. I'd be willing, if they'd have me; I'm just not too sure they would, truth be told. If they told me they didn't want me going out with Todd any more, well, I reckon me and Todd could learn to live with it. I mean, I expect we'd still be able to see each other at school, and we'd just have to learn to live with that."

Both of us sat quietly for several minutes; then Jill told me "I reckon you're right, about the best solution being for me to go back home. I don't much care for it, but it's a load better than NOT doing it. If you think you can help, I'd sure appreciate it."

Knowing that no 'possible' solution would work unless she signed off on it, I'd been waiting for her to decide which way she wanted to go. Hearing her choice, I nodded in acknowledgment and said "Then if you'll give me your folks phone number, I'll call them and see if we can't get you home. If money's tight, I'll pay your bus fare home, and you can pay me back a little at a time, if you like."

She nodded, and got up to get a piece of paper and pencil from the small desk I had. A few moments later, she handed me her home telephone number.

As I started dialing the number, it crossed my mind that with her sitting there, she'd be able to hear my side of the conversation – and pretty much know what was being said on the other side, for good or ill. But I was damned if I was going to treat her like a child by sending her out of the room, either. I finally decided that if she'd had the guts to stand up to her parents, and then take off to try and make it on her own, she deserved to know how things went.

My thoughts on the matter were interrupted by the sound of the distant phone being answered with a woman's polite "Hello?"

I quickly introduced myself, and told her that I was calling about her daughter, Jill.

Much to my surprise, she didn't ask a single question: no 'where is she', no 'is she all right', nothing. All she said was "Jill doesn't live here any longer."

"Yes, Ma'am, I know that. That's what I wanted to speak with you about. I've met Jill, and I was hoping that it would be possible for her, and you and your husband, to work things out."

"Well, I couldn't say anything about that. You'd have to talk to my husband."

"If he's home, could I speak with him, please?"

"Just a moment while I check…"

Several seconds went by before I heard a man's voice say "Hello? Who is this?" in a rather aggressive and demanding tone.

I introduced myself again, and said "Mr. Nordberg, I've met Jill…" only to have him interrupt and say "Jill? She left. Snuck out one night, like a thief. What about her?"

"Yes, sir, I know she left. As I said, I've met her, and after talking to her some, I think she'd like to come home."

"There's no home for her here!" he declared before telling me "We're decent God-fearing folks, mister, and she was caught with a boy. Naked as jaybirds, both of 'em. My wife saw 'em, and told me what they was doin'. Sinning! And not just sinning, but giving in to sins of the flesh – and perverted ones, at that! She ain't nothin' but a painted whore, a Sodomite, livin' in sin and wickedness. A harlot is what she is, and we got no use in this family for such folk, even if she is our blood. We tried to raise her up to believe in the Bible, just like us, but all she is now is a heathen sinner, going straight to the fires of hell and eternal damnation."

Hearing that, I figured that Jill going home was pretty much a lost cause – but I still spent the next hour trying to find out if there wasn't some way that he'd let her back into the house.

The conversation finally ended with him telling me "Mister, me and my missus, we been going to Sunday church near to thirty years, and praying to God for salvation every night. Jill, she done made it plain as day that she ain't worried about the hereafter, and we ain't going to have her sinning ways here in our house of the Lord! She left us, and we don't want her back. If somebody else wants to take her in, that's up to them – but we ain't doin' it."

Hearing that, I asked "If someone IS willing to take her in, would you let them take responsibility for her? Let them be her legal guardian?"

At that, he mellowed enough to tell me "We could do that. It ain't that we don't love her, mister; just that we won't have a sinner in our house. Now you're gonna have to excuse me; I got to get up and go to work in the morning."

"Of course, sir. Thank you for your time. I expect you'll be hearing from someone about becoming Jill's guardians."

"I'll sign whatever papers is needed. Good night."

"And good night to you, sir" I said, hanging up.

When I looked over at her, I could see that Jill had been able to keep up with the conversation. No surprise, really; I had to figure she'd know what her father was likely to say. Still, I could see that she was saddened and hurt that the conversation had gone the way it did: it was all she could do not to burst into tears.

I could only admire the strength of spirit and character that had gotten her that far in life, with the kind of home life she must have had. I put my arm out, and she readily closed the gap between us so that I could comfort her as she quietly cried.

When she was done, she tried to apologize before I simply told her "It's okay. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to hear all that, and that it had to have hurt, even though you told me yourself that you didn't think they'd let you come home. I'm just glad I was here so you'd know that you aren't alone."

At that, she seemed to realize that she was leaning against me, and I had an arm around her. Suddenly nervous and embarrassed, she hesitantly started to move away from me again. I readily took my arm from around her, and she quickly moved to the other end of the couch again.