Read Online Flowers in the Snow by Danielle Stewart - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Stewart
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throwing a smile at Alma. “I was being kind of a pain asking all those questions but never really getting to know you. I’m sorry for that.”
“Making bracelets helped,” Alma added, showing her mom the matching bracelets they were both wearing.
Winnie looked down at their wrists pressed together, showing off what they’d done like it was a badge of honor. “Look at you two. Look at this right here.” She held both their wrists as her eyes began to well with tears. “How come two little girls can figure this out but the whole country can’t get it right?”
“Mama, why are you crying? What happened?” Alma’s face filled with worry at the sight of her mother’s show of emotion.
Winnie moved over toward the table and gestured for them both to sit down. “I’ve told you a lot over the last couple of weeks. You understand now the difference between what the government is insisting on versus what’s actually happening in places like Edenville. But certain things, like segregation of the schools, can’t go on anymore. They’re cracking down. They’re forcing it. I’ve told you about how it’s been in other places. I was hoping they’d keep it at bay a while longer here though.”
“Wouldn’t you want Alma going to our schools? We have all new books and they just built a whole new music room.” Betty cocked her head to the side looking thoroughly confused.
“It’s not safe,” Winnie sighed, dropping her head down. “She wouldn’t be safe there. But it’s nothing to fret over because I worked it out. She doesn’t have to go.”
“I don’t? Thank you, Mama. I don’t wanna go through all that. I’ve seen what they do to us. How did you work it out?”
“I promised to teach there instead,” Winnie announced, turning her chin up as though it was an unavoidable truth.
“No,” Alma cried, her face crumpling. “You can’t, Mama. You can’t go into that school and try to teach. You know how bad it will be.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. It is what it is. I’ll start there next quarter, and as long as I do, you won’t have to go there. We’re nearly out of here anyway. You know that.”
Betty’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of them leaving. “What do you mean you’re nearly out of here? Where are you going?”
“You think we live in squalor for nothing? Every dime we don’t spend on fancy things and a decent house has been saved so we can move from this hateful place. Since the day Alma was born we’ve been just biding our time until we can get somewhere safer. My husband’s mama just passed on a few months ago, and she was the last of our kin. We’ve got nearly enough to leave,” Winnie explained, noticeably unable to meet Betty’s sad eyes.
“You can’t just leave. For weeks you’ve been telling me all about these people trying to make things better. They’re fighting against this and being brave. How can you want to run away? Don’t you want to be a fighter?” Betty furrowed her brows as she tried to make a case for her new friends to stay in Edenville.
Winnie’s face hardened in a way that made Betty’s stomach flip over with anxiety. She did her share of making grown-ups angry, but so far Winnie had been immensely patient with her.
“I am not a fighter because I am a mother first. Do you know what kind of hellfire would rain down over this family if we went and sat at a lunch counter and waited to be served? I won’t do that to my child. It’s not fair,” Winnie shot back angrily. “My job is not to fix the world, it’s to keep her safe while it’s broken. You are damn lucky you aren’t my child right now.”
Betty’s head drooped and tears filled the corners of her eyes as she realized how badly she’d hurt Winnie.
“She means if you were hers she’d be whooping you right now,” Alma interjected but quieted quickly when her mother shot her a look.
“I’m sorry,” Betty whispered. “I don’t think you’re a coward. I
“Making bracelets helped,” Alma added, showing her mom the matching bracelets they were both wearing.
Winnie looked down at their wrists pressed together, showing off what they’d done like it was a badge of honor. “Look at you two. Look at this right here.” She held both their wrists as her eyes began to well with tears. “How come two little girls can figure this out but the whole country can’t get it right?”
“Mama, why are you crying? What happened?” Alma’s face filled with worry at the sight of her mother’s show of emotion.
Winnie moved over toward the table and gestured for them both to sit down. “I’ve told you a lot over the last couple of weeks. You understand now the difference between what the government is insisting on versus what’s actually happening in places like Edenville. But certain things, like segregation of the schools, can’t go on anymore. They’re cracking down. They’re forcing it. I’ve told you about how it’s been in other places. I was hoping they’d keep it at bay a while longer here though.”
“Wouldn’t you want Alma going to our schools? We have all new books and they just built a whole new music room.” Betty cocked her head to the side looking thoroughly confused.
“It’s not safe,” Winnie sighed, dropping her head down. “She wouldn’t be safe there. But it’s nothing to fret over because I worked it out. She doesn’t have to go.”
“I don’t? Thank you, Mama. I don’t wanna go through all that. I’ve seen what they do to us. How did you work it out?”
“I promised to teach there instead,” Winnie announced, turning her chin up as though it was an unavoidable truth.
“No,” Alma cried, her face crumpling. “You can’t, Mama. You can’t go into that school and try to teach. You know how bad it will be.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it. It is what it is. I’ll start there next quarter, and as long as I do, you won’t have to go there. We’re nearly out of here anyway. You know that.”
Betty’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of them leaving. “What do you mean you’re nearly out of here? Where are you going?”
“You think we live in squalor for nothing? Every dime we don’t spend on fancy things and a decent house has been saved so we can move from this hateful place. Since the day Alma was born we’ve been just biding our time until we can get somewhere safer. My husband’s mama just passed on a few months ago, and she was the last of our kin. We’ve got nearly enough to leave,” Winnie explained, noticeably unable to meet Betty’s sad eyes.
“You can’t just leave. For weeks you’ve been telling me all about these people trying to make things better. They’re fighting against this and being brave. How can you want to run away? Don’t you want to be a fighter?” Betty furrowed her brows as she tried to make a case for her new friends to stay in Edenville.
Winnie’s face hardened in a way that made Betty’s stomach flip over with anxiety. She did her share of making grown-ups angry, but so far Winnie had been immensely patient with her.
“I am not a fighter because I am a mother first. Do you know what kind of hellfire would rain down over this family if we went and sat at a lunch counter and waited to be served? I won’t do that to my child. It’s not fair,” Winnie shot back angrily. “My job is not to fix the world, it’s to keep her safe while it’s broken. You are damn lucky you aren’t my child right now.”
Betty’s head drooped and tears filled the corners of her eyes as she realized how badly she’d hurt Winnie.
“She means if you were hers she’d be whooping you right now,” Alma interjected but quieted quickly when her mother shot her a look.
“I’m sorry,” Betty whispered. “I don’t think you’re a coward. I
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