My name is Sue Ellen, I’m seventeen years old and I am alone. I left Des Moines, Iowa on September 20, 1931. I thought I had everythin all figured out, boy was I wrong. My boyfriend, Johnny and I were goin to be happy. We were leavin this sorry little town and never lookin back. Johnny was my hero, my protector, he promised me he was all the family and I would be needin. He lied. At home, I cried myself to sleep every night. I can still hear the angry yells of Ma and Pa. Pa hated us kids. He always was sayin, “ Too many damn kids, too many mouths to feed not enough food.” I heard that same sorry song night after night. Pa started drinking after he lost his job at the store. He got mean and loud. When he started hitting Ma and my brothers, I knew it was time for me to get out. That’s how Johnny convinced me to leave with him. We was goin to hop the rails and head out to California. California was goin to be great, sunshine and warm weather all the time. Johnny said we could get jobs working on a farm. He said he had friends that did that. We were going to be all set. We would start our own family. Johnny said we would be happy. Johnny lied. I snuck out late one night after Pa had passed out from drinkin too much whisky. The house was quiet. I left with the clothes on my back, some socks, a pair of worn out brown pants and a black shirt all rolled up in an old tattered blanket. I stole the $2.47 that Ma had hidden in the cookie jar. She always said it was there for emergencies, I figured this was one. I left her a note. I told her I loved her and I was sorry; but, I wasn’t coming back. Johnny was my family now. He told me we would need that money to start our new life together. He lied. We walked to the railroad, holding hands in the moonlight. This was our fresh start; all those bad memories were in the past. That night we jumped a freight headed for Kansas City. We sat huddled together to keep warm. There was about ten other kids already in that same boxcar. They called themselves the Boxcar Boys. They had lots of stories, some were funny, some were sad, some were exciting; but, some of their stories scared me to my toes. They told us all about the railroad bulls, how we had to be careful so we wouldn’t get caught. They told us how to steal food so we wouldn’t go hungry. They told us how to jump the rails and hang on so we wouldn’t end up like so many of their friends who had died. I was scared but Johnny said it would be okay. He lied. We made it to Kansas City. Johnny liked being with the Boxcar Boys. They laughed, talked, and told each other stories. They played cards to pass the time. I tried to get Johnny to talk to me or just sit with me but he pushed me away. We were staying in the railroad yard. I was hungry, dirty, and tired. I cried myself to sleep. It brought me back to my narrow bed listening to Ma and Pa fight again. I missed my Ma and my brothers. Johnny told me to shut up. I woke up just as the sun was coming up. I looked around no one was there. Johnny and the Boxcar Boys were gone. I quickly grabbed for my pack, looked for my socks. They were gone and so was my $2.47. I had nothing, I am alone. I cried for that whole day and the next four. Waiting, watching, lookin for Johnny. I told myself Johnny would come back for me, He wouldn’t leave me like this, but Johnny lies. That’s when I started walkin. My name is Sue Ellen, I’m 17 years old. I have no home and nowhere to go. I am alone.
ALONE (SARAH)
My name is Sue Ellen, I’m seventeen years old and I am alone. I left Des Moines, Iowa on September 20, 1931. I thought I had everythin all figured out, boy was I wrong. My boyfriend, Johnny and I were goin to be happy. We were leavin this sorry little town and never lookin back. Johnny was my hero, my protector, he promised me he was all the family and I would be needin. He lied.
At home, I cried myself to sleep every night. I can still hear the angry yells of Ma and Pa. Pa hated us kids. He always was sayin, “ Too many damn kids, too many mouths to feed not enough food.” I heard that same sorry song night after night. Pa started drinking after he lost his job at the store. He got mean and loud. When he started hitting Ma and my brothers, I knew it was time for me to get out. That’s how Johnny convinced me to leave with him.
We was goin to hop the rails and head out to California. California was goin to be great, sunshine and warm weather all the time. Johnny said we could get jobs working on a farm. He said he had friends that did that. We were going to be all set. We would start our own family. Johnny said we would be happy. Johnny lied.
I snuck out late one night after Pa had passed out from drinkin too much whisky. The house was quiet. I left with the clothes on my back, some socks, a pair of worn out brown pants and a black shirt all rolled up in an old tattered blanket. I stole the $2.47 that Ma had hidden in the cookie jar. She always said it was there for emergencies, I figured this was one. I left her a note. I told her I loved her and I was sorry; but, I wasn’t coming back. Johnny was my family now. He told me we would need that money to start our new life together. He lied.
We walked to the railroad, holding hands in the moonlight. This was our fresh start; all those bad memories were in the past. That night we jumped a freight headed for Kansas City. We sat huddled together to keep warm. There was about ten other kids already in that same boxcar. They called themselves the Boxcar Boys. They had lots of stories, some were funny, some were sad, some were exciting; but, some of their stories scared me to my toes. They told us all about the railroad bulls, how we had to be careful so we wouldn’t get caught. They told us how to steal food so we wouldn’t go hungry. They told us how to jump the rails and hang on so we wouldn’t end up like so many of their friends who had died. I was scared but Johnny said it would be okay. He lied.
We made it to Kansas City. Johnny liked being with the Boxcar Boys. They laughed, talked, and told each other stories. They played cards to pass the time. I tried to get Johnny to talk to me or just sit with me but he pushed me away. We were staying in the railroad yard. I was hungry, dirty, and tired. I cried myself to sleep. It brought me back to my narrow bed listening to Ma and Pa fight again. I missed my Ma and my brothers. Johnny told me to shut up.
I woke up just as the sun was coming up. I looked around no one was there. Johnny and the Boxcar Boys were gone. I quickly grabbed for my pack, looked for my socks. They were gone and so was my $2.47. I had nothing, I am alone. I cried for that whole day and the next four. Waiting, watching, lookin for Johnny. I told myself Johnny would come back for me, He wouldn’t leave me like this, but Johnny lies.
That’s when I started walkin. My name is Sue Ellen, I’m 17 years old. I have no home and nowhere to go. I am alone.