She knew that she was giving a convincing story because Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins’ had just lost their middle son, Alan, to a freak accident with a piece of farm equipment.Had someone been trained, according to the city doctor, he wouldn’t have died from excessive blood loss.
“I don’t know, Saylor.You’ve never been out in the world and seen what it’s like other than going into town a few times and playing soccer with the other kids.Your mother and I want what’s best for you.We think that one of the Yeager boys will make a fine husband for you.”
James and Thomas Yeager were big, strong, stupid, and mean as a den of snakes.She would never allow one of them to touch her.
“Dad, just let me do this and I’ll come back.You have my word.”
“Maybe she’s right, honey,” said her mother.“Maybe we should let her have this time to see how she can help us.She could come back here and be the doctor or better yet, the nurse.It would take less time to go to nursing school than medical school.”
“That’s right,” nodded Saylor.“It could be done in four years, instead of ten or twelve.”
“Let me think on it,” said her father.
It would be nine long, agonizing days before her father made up his mind.She knew that he was probably seeking counsel with the other fathers and families in the compound, although she didn’t know why it was any of their business.Then her answer came.
She could go to college but she had to return during holiday breaks and summer breaks.
“I promise I’ll return, Dad.I mean, Kansas City isn’t that far away,” she smiled hugging her parents.She hated that she lied to them but she also knew that if they knew where she was really going, they’d come for her.
Saylor knew she wouldn’t return.She’d secured scholarships on her own and would be attending a radiology school in Cincinnati.She lied to her parents.In fairness, they had lied to her as well.
Earlier that year, in the fall when the harvest was done and they’d canned everything they could, Saylor helped the other kids take the food to the cellars.They weren’t cellars.She knew what that now.They were bunkers and they didn’t just have food, they contained weapons and radio equipment she’d never seen before.
Knowing she had to pretend, she ignored all of it, biding her time until it was the right time to get away from all of them.
With a bus ticket to Kansas City, she waved goodbye to everyone and left them in Nebraska.In Kansas City, she got off, bought another ticket to Cincinnati and kept going.
That first year was the hardest for her.She wrote to her Aunt Nell in Louisiana several times but never told her the whole story, worried she would tell her parents.
Other young women knew their minds and their bodies.Saylor only knew what her parents had told her.She’d never paid much attention to the way she dressed or her hair.
“Saylor, why don’t you come with us for a girls’ day today,” smiled her classmate.
“A girls’ day?” she said with a wrinkled nose.
“Yes,” she laughed.“We’re going to get manicures and pedicures, we’re getting our hair cut and styled and then do a little retail therapy.”
Saylor knew what those things were because she’d heard them talk about them before.But she was very careful with her money and didn’t want to spend unnecessarily.
“The nails are on me,” smiled Bridget.“I promise you’ll love it.”
“And the hair salon is owned by my aunt,” said Kerri.“She’ll give you a discount.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” she frowned.
“Honey, your hair is beautiful but we’ve heard you talk about your upbringing on a compound.You just need a good cut and style.It will be so much easier to deal with than all that hair.It gets in your way.”
“It does,” she nodded.She remembered seeing someone on television with a beautiful cut that framed her face yet was still long.“Okay.Okay, I’ll go with you.”
That day changed everything for Saylor.Suddenly, she was the girl in the room everyone turned to stare at.Her big green eyes were more pronounced with the make-up the girls had picked out for her.Her lips, full and pink, and her skin suddenly felt like silk.
When they picked out a few new dresses and outfits to go out, she couldn’t believe the difference in the way she looked and felt.But there was no one to share it all with.No one except her mother’s sister, her Aunt Nell.
They hadn’t been close when growing up, because of her parents, but as a teenager, she’d reached out more often, writing to her and e-mailing her secretly behind her parent’s backs.
In all the time at university, Saylor never went back home.When her parents wrote for her to return for the summer or for holidays, she made excuses of having classes or class projects or wanting to take additional classes to end early and be able to come home sooner.
It was all a lie.
