#judahellis

Finaly, after a long trip, Deborah stood with her children before the appartment building her grandparents used to live in. She looked around the neighborhood. So many days she had walked around to pass the time or think. She knew the first time she had walked there with her grandfather who showed her everything. Now she walked there with her children. It was weird to think about it.

They walked inside, took the elevator upstairs and stood for the door she had entered so many times. She hadn't explained yet where they were going to not confuse the children or disappoint them. Now that they were close she didn't know what to say anymore. Judah asked who lived behind the door. Deborah was quiet and pressed the doorbel. The tension she felt was almost unbearable.

Deborah walked towards a taxidriver. They couldn't fit in a taxi with all of them. Besides, she didn't have any seats for her children to sit in while in a car. They had to take the bus. But Deborah had a problem. She had always driven with her grandparents everywhere. She knew the way but not how to get there with the bus. Nor did she know the streatname or part of town. She needed to know more before she could figure out which bus to take. A taxidriver might know where she had to go.

She found a female taxidriver who wanted to help her out. Deborah explained her problem to the taxidriver who took out her phone to look at the map. Deborah explained how you would get to her grandparents apparement. It didn't take long until the taxidriver showed her the building she recognised. The lady even knew how she had to get there with the bus. She didn't seem to mind that Deborah didn't want to take her taxi. Once again Deborah thanked the Lord in her head for his grace.

Then they stood by the bus stop, waiting until the bus would come. While waiting her children starting to become fidgety. It was a long day for them. Deborah started to panic about what she had to do when her grandparents weren't home, didn't live there anymore or didn't want to let her in. Her children had to sleep somewhere tonight.

Later that afternoon they arrived at the trainstation of the city Deborahs grandparents lived in. Deborah wasn't stressed as much as earlier while unloading from the train. They didn't need to catch another one. They could walk out of the station any time they wanted.

While walking out the trainstation to the square Deborah remembered how she walked there years ago on her own looking for her grandmother. Now her grandmother didn't know she would come. The square wasn't changed much. It seemed kind of familiar to her. It felt a bit like coming home. Her children looked and looked at all the different things there were to see. They started to ask her question were they would be going to now. Deborah didn't answer immediatly. She took it all in too, just like the children, before deciding what her next step would be.

In a hurry, Deborah, packed all the bags for her and the children. She put clothes for all of them in them and some toys for the children to play with, some food for their trip and put them in the car with her children. She ran back inside to write a note for Anna:

Dear Anna, Thank you for all your care for me and the children. We are on a little trip. Go back home, we will be fine. Love, Deborah

Then she ran to her closet and took the stuff she had from Evan from way back in her closet. Then she ran back to the car and drove away. Away from her house. Away from the village she lived in, had grown up in. She drove through the country to the nearest big city with a train station. Neat the station she parked the car. She took out the bags from the bag of the car. She orded Andrew to take Camilla from her carseat and Malachi to help Israel. She helped the other children herself. Then they all had to come after her while she walked towards the trainstation. She bought tickets for all of them. Deborah was glad she still remembered the city her grandparents lived in.

After waiting a few more minutes Deborah decided it was time for them to go eat. Then Aidan had to be angry for not waiting. He was late and that was it. She called everybody to come at the table and put down the food.

Aidan was still not home when they were all done eating. She read a story from the childrensbible. Aidan didn't want her to do that after diner but when he wasn't around she made the rules. He wouldn't know it after all. She cleaned up afterwards on her own and then started to bring the children to their beds. One by one she changed them and put them down.

Israel was already in his crib when she was reading a little goodnight story to Joel and Priscilla. In the middle of the story the doorbell rang. Deborah sighted. That was goodbye to a peacefull night routine. And therefor a goodbye to having the children in their bed on time. She told them to wait as she stood up to open the door for whoever was at the front door waiting for her to answer the door.

Deborah took it easy the next morning. They put away all the presents her children had recieved before getting into any schoolwork. Back in the day helping her siblings with schoolwork was tough. Now that she had her own children it was still a bit tough but with the organisation. She didn't have a child old enough to watch the little ones while she was buzy teaching. The matter her children had to learn was easy. Andrew was, as the oldest, the most advanced. But she had grown with him as he got older. That was a way more comfortable way of starting to teach as in the old days back at home. She always tried new techniks to teach her children the matter they had to learn. Making it fun made it all easier. For her, the older ones but also the younger ones. They could parcipate in their own way in the fun. Most of the time she taught them to play while she was buzy teaching. Israel was still too young to comprihend it but he would learn it just like the others had done.

Whenever they were done it was always a big relieve, for the children both young and old, but also for her. The biggest task of the day was done. Now she could do the other stuff, the laundry, groceries or cooking. Ofcourse spending time with the children was also part of the day. But with every child she got the time she got to spend with them was even more slimmed down. She hated that.