Momma's Calling

This story is based on a family story that has been passed down. I remember sitting around with my aunt who loved trying to spook us, and this was one of the stories she told. Her story wasn't quite this long, I added some details. But I didn't change any of the basic story.

The Wednesday evening service had ended. Kizzie Ann and her little sister Delilah donned their overcoats and headed for the door. They stood in line as the preacher shook the hands of every member of the congregation on their way out. 

Delilah looked up at her sister. They were standing on the small porch on the front of the church. The sermon had run over, which was typical for the long-winded preacher. The late October sun was just dipping below the ridge of the mountain. Magenta and orange made for a beautiful sky, but it was already dark enough that she knew they would be walking home in near or complete darkness.

Kizzie Ann smiled down at her, reassuring her that things would be fine without saying a word. She was only ten years old, but had a maturity beyond her years. The six-year-old at her side trusted her with everything she had.

“Come on, Sissy,” she said to the little girl. “Momma’s gonna be worried if we don’t get home soon.” Delilah nodded and smiled as they took the first step down the stairs. The little girl loved the clacking sound her hard-soled shoes made against the wooden plank steps. Part of it was the fact that she actually got to wear shoes. The poor Appalachian family couldn’t afford to buy more than a pair at a time for the girls, and they had to last. Most of the time, they went barefoot.

The weather had remained warm late into autumn, but was now beginning to cool down. As the pair of girls walked along the dirt road, the chill in the air began to nip at their cheeks and the tips of their noses, leaving them red. They walked along the same road as everyone else, and the crowd had slowly withered away. Their home was further than most of the others. Delilah never liked this path at this time of year. The sun had fallen behind the mountains, leaving them alone and in the dark. The ghost stories their grandpa shared by the hearth always came flooding back into her mind.

The sound cut through the dark. The girls couldn’t understand the words, but they knew it was their momma yelling from somewhere in the distance. Sure, she worried about her girls walking home in the dark, but she never came looking for them. Something must be wrong.

“We’re comin’ Momma!” Kizzie Ann yelled.

“Why’s she hollerin’ Kiz?” Delilah asked as her brow furrowed.

“Somethin’ must be wrong. She never came hollerin’ for us before. She knows the preacher don’t shut up and we get out late.” Kizzie Ann shrugged. “We better pick up the pace.” Delilah nodded and the sisters walked a little faster.

“I wish she just came with us,” Delilah said.

“I know,” Kizzie replied, “but you know she had to start takin’ in extra laundry since that ol’ chicken quit layin’ eggs. She’s gotta make up the money somehow.”

“I know,” said Delilah. “I would just feel better if she was here.”

Their mother yelled again. They yelled back and walked a little faster. Each time their mother yelled, they quickened their pace until they finally came running up to the fence. Kizzie Ann threw open the gate and they ran to the porch, letting it bounce back and latch itself closed again.

“We’re here Momma!” she yelled as her mother came out the front door to see what all the commotion was about.

"I see that," their mother said as the girls ran up the steps, boots clunking on the wood. "What is all the fussin' about?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"We heard you hollerin' for us," Delilah replied. 

"I didn't do no such thing," her momma said.

"But we heard you," Kizzie Ann said. "We heard you from down the way."

"Get on in the house, girls," momma said, looking out toward the gate. Her words were quick as she put her hands on the girls' shoulders and stared pushing them through the door. 

Kizzie Ann glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the panther that had followed them home and cried out along the way pacing the fence in front of the house. Then her momma shut the door.