Summer of the Redeemers Read Online Free

flows over the top with the sound of a mountain stream.
    Old and dilapidated, the bridge is dangerous. Since it only leads to the church property and that’s been vacant for the last ten years, no one worries much about it. Vines growing over the side of it made a good place to hide for me and Alice and Maebelle. The baby was sleeping soundly as we crouched down by the bank and peered through the honeysuckles.
    The buses were all parked side by side to the left of the old parsonage. The church folks, seemingly mostly grown-ups, were milling about the grounds, staring up at the sky or into the trees, looking everywhere but at each other. No one seemed to be in charge.
    Undisguised by the dirty bus windows they were even scarier than I first thought. Especially the children our age. They reminded me of winter trees, still and solemn and asleep, as if their faces and minds were dormant and waiting for spring. I could not imagine those children playing football or hide-and-seek. I hadn’t caught a glimpse of the really young children yet.
    “Creepy,” Alice whispered.
    “Zombies.”
    “I wonder what they’re going to do down here at the end of this road.”
    I couldn’t imagine; but then I did, fevered images of singing andchanting and snakes. Embellished by my imagination, the churchers were frightening—and compelling. “Wonder if those kids are going to school with us? Mama Betts said no one in Mississippi had to go to school. She said we were one of the only states without mandatory attendance.”
    Alice jiggled the baby as she leaned on one elbow and held her with the other arm. “Not likely. The old church set up their own school, or at least that’s what Mama remembers. She’d never just come out and say it, but I heard her whispering with old Mrs. Shoals that the people from that Life church sold their babies for money.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “The girls who had the babies were almost slaves.”
    “Selling babies?” It was an incredible idea. Who would buy one?
    “Yeah, like puppies or horses. Girls in the church would have a baby, and then they’d sell it to someone who couldn’t have one.” Alice tickled Maebelle and was rewarded with a few healthy kicks and a lopsided grin. “I’d like to sell a few of ours.”
    “Alice!” I wasn’t really shocked ‘cause I knew she was just talking. “Look.” Several of the men had gotten together and were talking and pointing around the church grounds. It wasn’t clear what they were saying, but words like nursery and housing and duties were part of it. They called one of the women over, and she nodded her head and then went into the old parsonage.
    “They’re acting like they don’t know what to do.”
    Several of the men walked over to the buses and began to unload suitcases from the back.
    “They’re going to stay here.” Alice inched up the bank for a better view. “They’re going to all sleep in the church.”
    She was right. The men were moving the suitcases into the sanctuary. There was only the church building and the parsonage. By my guess there must have been fifty or sixty families. As the men worked, the women began to form a line. The lack of laughter or conversation made it eerie.
    “Let’s get out of here before they see us.” Alice inched down the bank toward the creek. Maebelle shifted in her arms and let out a small cry.
    The closest group of Redeemers turned our way. I was still at the edge of the creek, buried in honeysuckle, I hoped. I waved Alice back into the protection of the vines in case anyone came over to look.
    Maebelle gave another gurgle. Sweat trickled down my cheek. A middle-aged woman and two girls were looking our way. The woman stepped forward, her eyes scanning. The first sign of life shifted across the faces of the girls. One had long brown hair that hung, uncurled, down her back. The mother wore hers up, sort of like some of the high school girls did, but the effect was completely