Page 15 of Hank and Elsie
Her father flushed. “You’re doing good by our girl. Only right, we do something for you.” He walked to the corner and picked up the crowbar. “Where would you like us to start?”
CHAPTER 6
After finishing the unpacking and lingering for tea and cookies—a rare treat for the Baileys, Elsie escorted her family down the stairs, feeling an odd mix of excitement to start her new life and sadness that she wouldn’t be seeing them for a while—maybe as short as three weeks, but depending on weather, perhaps longer.
As they reached the front doors, Ma clutched Elsie’s arm and pulled her to a stop.
Pa looked back at them with a questioning raise of his eyebrows.
With her free hand, Ma motioned for Pa to go on outside with Ricky and Mary. “I’ve a few things to say to Elsie.”
Elsie’s stomach tightened, wondering what was coming. “Bye Pa. Bye Ricky. Bye Mary.”
“Bye, Elsie,” her brother and sister chorused, before clattering down the stairs.
Her father hesitated, and then came back up. “I now feel more comfortable with you staying with Miss Taylor. So, depend on us coming into town for church in four weeks, barring bad weather. We’ll see about other Sundays but don’t look for us.”
For the first time in her memory, he leaned to press a kiss to Elsie’s forehead. “You’ll be missed, Daughter.”
Before Elsie could get words past the sudden lump in her throat, Pa clomped down the rest of the stairway and out the door.
Ma turned to face her. “Learning the dressmaking trade and bringing in some money to help out your family is all well and good. And the extras will surely be appreciated. But remember, you must be on the lookout for a husband.”
Elsie reared back indignant.A husband! I don’t want a husband!“Why, Ma?” She tried to moderate her tone, but some sharpness still edged through.
“You don’t want to dwindle into a lonely spinster.”
“You wanted me to find a husband because you couldn’t afford to keep me.”
Her mother’s thin cheeks flushed.
“But now I can keepmyself. There’snoneed to hurry into a marriage.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Ma said slowly, as if thinking. “You do have extra time to look around and pick out a worthy man. Give him a chance to court you, make sure he’s suitable—hard working, a good provider, temperate, will treat you well.”
Rebellious words wanted to boil up. But Elsie dared not risk angering her mother to the point of losing her newfound position. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Probably best that you’re a little older before you start having babies. Carrying them, birthing them, nursing them, is hard on a woman’s body.” What lingered unsaid was the memory of the women they’d known who’d died in childbirth.
“And losing those babies is hard on the heart,” Elsie said softly, conscious of the usually- unacknowledged grief her mother carried for the loss of her two infants.
“Yes.” Ma gave a decisive nod. “No need to rush.” She patted Elsie’s shoulder in an unusual expression of affection. “You’ll be missed, Daughter. But work hard for Miss Taylor and do well.”
“I’ll make you proud, Ma. I promise.”
Her mother’s smile warmed. “Don’t you think I know some of those highfaluting dreams you’ve carried in your head? They’re coming true. So, make the most of this opportunity.”
Wondering, Elsie tilted her head. “Did your dreams come true?”
“In all the main ways—a good husband, children, our own home on our own land.” Ma let out a sigh. “But…at times, it’s been harder than I expected. Let’s just say when you’re a child, you don’t understand about real life. Oh…growing up, I worked hard, of course, like you and Ricky and Mary do now. I lost a little brother due to a foolish accident. But still, I was a child. I didn’t realize the responsibilities there would be on my shoulders, sometimes ones almost too heavy to bear. That there will be…situationsyou can’t control, no matter how hard you work or fervently you pray.”
The unaccustomed vulnerability of her usual stoic mother made Elsie speechless. All she could do was reach for her mother’s work-roughened hand and squeeze.I had no idea all this was inside her.
Ma squeezed back, before releasing her. With another shoulder pat, she stepped through the doors and marched away, thin back ramrod straight.
Elsie stared after her, torn between feeling pleasure at her mother’s warmth and now knowing that she was going to miss her family even more.
Before going backto Miss Taylor’s apartment, Elsie stopped to use the bathroom, first running a hand over the smooth white tile, and then turning on the cold water faucet and dipping her fingers under the trickle, marveling at the ease of having water whenever she wished.Please, please may this job work out!
