Finding Eliza Read Online Free PDF Page A

and would show Lizzie one more time how to execute the troublesome stitch. Just before her death, Grace had begun teaching her daughter how to knit. Unfortunately, Lizzie wasn’t meant to master that craft. She couldn’t bring herself to pick up a pair of needles after losing her mother.
    Lizzie hung up her coat and wound the scarf around the neck of the hanger. She picked up her worn leather messenger bag and headed toward the tables set up for the event. In preparation she had filled it with notebooks, pencils, and sticky notes. Coming prepared was her way of trying to toss an olive branch to her grandmother. Jack was right. She had to at least feign interest so that Grandma Tru could feel as though someone in the family would one day care for the work that she had done. Because their family was so small, that someone would have to be Lizzie whether she liked it or not.
    As a child, Lizzie learned not raise her voice or run in the sanctuary of the church. It was for reserved, polite, and respectful behavior. It was appropriate for worship times and altar calls to get emotional. Hands could rise while the choir sang and the Spirit took hold, but it was not a place for childish exuberance. The Fellowship Hall was a different world for a Southern Baptist child. It was one of her favorite places. The hall was where events filled with dancing and laughter took place. Wedding receptions and baby showers built memories through unrestrained happiness and joy. It was the area where kids ran at birthday parties when the weather kept them from being outside. This space was meant for celebrations.
    Lizzie stood looking around at the aged room. Though important, the hall wasn’t gorgeous. A thick coat of old pale blue paint covered the cinder block walls. Secretly Lizzie always wondered if Miss Blue had something to do with that. Much to Blue’s chagrin, this was one room that Tru was lobbying to change. She wanted to breathe happiness and joy into the space. Looking around, Lizzie could understand why. The dark brown carpet showed wear from years of use and carried the stains of red punch from celebrations past.
    The Gals were the main cornerstones of the Tuesday Night Genealogy Gathering. The number of regular attenders was small, but each meeting usually saw a few additions from the congregation. Judging by the number of chairs available, it looked like there would be around fifteen coming tonight. It would be the perfect size for lively conversation while not being too intimidating for new attendees. As promised, Claud had set out a spread. A small table in the back presented bite-sized double chocolate brownies, salty pretzels to balance the sweets, and the same two drinks that showed up to every church function in the South: sweet tea and lemonade. The snacks and drinks were light by Claud’s usual standards. Even though she was new to the group, Lizzie knew that you didn’t have a lot of food or drink at a gathering like this. There were too many opportunities for accidental spills around valuable family history documents. Her grandmother would never stand for that.
    Lizzie spied Gertrude setting up a display on a table in the front of the room.
    “It looks like a decent turnout tonight, Gran. I guess I picked the right night to come.”
    “Hey there, sweetie. I’m so glad that you came!” Like always, Tru was her bubbly self. She gave her granddaughter a tight squeeze and then continued to arrange brochures and slips of paper on the table in front of her. “Are you looking forward to it?”
    “You know what, Gran? I am. It took me a little bit to give in to your guerrilla tactics, but I think tonight will be fun.” Lizzie smiled a big smile and hoped that her grandmother believed every word that she said.
    “Jack made you promise to say that, didn’t he?” Nothing slid past Gertrude Hines.
    “Let’s not split hairs. I’m here. That’s all that matters, right?” Lizzie flashed a cheeky grin. She wasn’t about