Vivian

from Children of Hooverville by Hollie Michaels

Genre: Drama

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Vivian, 14 years old, confronts Elsie for having abandoned her and her sisters on Route 66, instead of waiting for Vivian’s father to come back.

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VIVIAN
What’s the matter with me?  With me?  You’re the one that left me and my sisters stranded!  We had no food, no water!  We walked for miles after waiting.  Nobody ever came back for us.  You had to nothin’!  You could have taken us with you.  Was that furniture worth more than our lives?
(Elsie tries to speak but doesn’t.)
Some people passed.  One offered us a ride but could only take one of us.  So we kept on walking until our heels bled.  And then finally we got to that great big mountain and some folks said we could ride with them if we helped carry their furniture up the side of the mountain by foot.  So we did and they nearly drove off but we jumped on and held on for dear life.  Just went from caravan to caravan like beggars!  Then, a few towns from here, we saw him, our Pa.  Said he thought you all would look after us.  He didn’t have much else to say.