he answered, ‘Esther, you are still ignorant of the Rule or you would not suggest such infamy. We wear plain clothes. We do not decorate ourselves, for that is frivolous and unseemly and directs our thoughts away from the Lord.’
So we all got plain, black, heavy, hot, lace-up shoes. Apparently the school I was going to had black lace-ups as part of the uniform. ‘But there must be a summer uniform,’ I protested.
‘Sandals do not cover your feet decently,’ Uncle Caleb said. ‘You will wear shoes.’
And if I could kick you with them, I would .
Next we went to a big department store and bought the boys more horrible grey trousers and horrible grey shirts and horrible knee socks. Grey, of course. Poor little Maggie stared round her at dresses on racks. They were actually really gross — all frills and nylon lace and shiny buttons — but her soul was in her eyes. She was dying from greyness.
The twins didn’t need new uniforms because they were in their second year at intermediate. While my uncle and aunt were busy with the boys, Rachel and Rebecca managed to survey the entire floor of the shop. ‘I have chosen the denim shorts and the brightpink halter top,’ Rachel hissed.
Rebecca waited until Uncle Caleb had gone with the boys into the fitting room, and Aunt Naomi had taken Maggie to get some plain white socks. ‘I will have the short purple skirt and the white T-shirt with the space cadet on the front,’ she whispered back. They giggled.
‘We do this every year,’ Rachel murmured to me.
‘Then when it gets boring in church, we can imagine what would happen if we actually wore such clothes,’ Rebecca said quickly, watching for the fitting-room door to open.
‘Would you like to?’ I asked.
They looked surprised. Rachel glanced over her shoulder to where Aunt Naomi was starting back towards us. ‘We have never thought about that, have we?’
Rebecca shook her head.
Aunt Naomi was carrying a pale blue knit shirt and a tartan kilt skirt. ‘This is your uniform, Esther. Please try it on.’
The skirt came halfway between ankle and knee.
‘Hmm,’ said Aunt Naomi when I waded out of the dressing room to show her, ‘it is a little short.’
‘Short?’ I squeaked. ‘You’ve got to be joking!’
Uncle Caleb said, ‘The women of our faith always dress with modesty.’
‘Not at school!’ I gasped. ‘Please!’
Aunt Naomi tweaked the waistband. ‘This will have to do. The next size would be much too big.Perhaps I can let the hem down.’ She examined it. ‘Not enough fabric available there, I am afraid.’
I shut my eyes. I was going to die of embarrassment turning up at school like this. Only geeky dorks wore their skirts down round their shins. Rebecca came with me into the changing room. ‘Do not worry,’ she whispered. ‘You just roll it over at the waist on the way to school. See?’ She flicked her own waistband so neatly she must’ve done it hundreds of times.
‘Thanks!’ I whispered back. I’d not paid much attention to the twins before today. They were always there and always being good. Today had surprised me more than just a bit. Rebecca just grinned, took the uniform and left me to get back into my ‘seemly’ clothes.
Daniel didn’t get any clothes. ‘Your uniform still fit you?’ I asked.
Sadness crossed his face but he said calmly, ‘My father feels I have had sufficient schooling. I am to work with him now.’
Poor Daniel. Why did he stay? I wouldn’t, if I were him. Except that I was staying. Should I just walk out? And if I did, where would I go? How would I find Mum again? The old questions kept revolving in my head.
We went to the lake for lunch. ‘We do it every year,’ Rachel said. ‘We buy school shoes and any uniforms, then we go and have lunch at the lake.’
‘Always on the Thursday before school starts,’ Rebecca added.
We got into the van and trundled off to the lake. It’d be nice to have some cafe food again. I’d get a
So we all got plain, black, heavy, hot, lace-up shoes. Apparently the school I was going to had black lace-ups as part of the uniform. ‘But there must be a summer uniform,’ I protested.
‘Sandals do not cover your feet decently,’ Uncle Caleb said. ‘You will wear shoes.’
And if I could kick you with them, I would .
Next we went to a big department store and bought the boys more horrible grey trousers and horrible grey shirts and horrible knee socks. Grey, of course. Poor little Maggie stared round her at dresses on racks. They were actually really gross — all frills and nylon lace and shiny buttons — but her soul was in her eyes. She was dying from greyness.
The twins didn’t need new uniforms because they were in their second year at intermediate. While my uncle and aunt were busy with the boys, Rachel and Rebecca managed to survey the entire floor of the shop. ‘I have chosen the denim shorts and the brightpink halter top,’ Rachel hissed.
Rebecca waited until Uncle Caleb had gone with the boys into the fitting room, and Aunt Naomi had taken Maggie to get some plain white socks. ‘I will have the short purple skirt and the white T-shirt with the space cadet on the front,’ she whispered back. They giggled.
‘We do this every year,’ Rachel murmured to me.
‘Then when it gets boring in church, we can imagine what would happen if we actually wore such clothes,’ Rebecca said quickly, watching for the fitting-room door to open.
‘Would you like to?’ I asked.
They looked surprised. Rachel glanced over her shoulder to where Aunt Naomi was starting back towards us. ‘We have never thought about that, have we?’
Rebecca shook her head.
Aunt Naomi was carrying a pale blue knit shirt and a tartan kilt skirt. ‘This is your uniform, Esther. Please try it on.’
The skirt came halfway between ankle and knee.
‘Hmm,’ said Aunt Naomi when I waded out of the dressing room to show her, ‘it is a little short.’
‘Short?’ I squeaked. ‘You’ve got to be joking!’
Uncle Caleb said, ‘The women of our faith always dress with modesty.’
‘Not at school!’ I gasped. ‘Please!’
Aunt Naomi tweaked the waistband. ‘This will have to do. The next size would be much too big.Perhaps I can let the hem down.’ She examined it. ‘Not enough fabric available there, I am afraid.’
I shut my eyes. I was going to die of embarrassment turning up at school like this. Only geeky dorks wore their skirts down round their shins. Rebecca came with me into the changing room. ‘Do not worry,’ she whispered. ‘You just roll it over at the waist on the way to school. See?’ She flicked her own waistband so neatly she must’ve done it hundreds of times.
‘Thanks!’ I whispered back. I’d not paid much attention to the twins before today. They were always there and always being good. Today had surprised me more than just a bit. Rebecca just grinned, took the uniform and left me to get back into my ‘seemly’ clothes.
Daniel didn’t get any clothes. ‘Your uniform still fit you?’ I asked.
Sadness crossed his face but he said calmly, ‘My father feels I have had sufficient schooling. I am to work with him now.’
Poor Daniel. Why did he stay? I wouldn’t, if I were him. Except that I was staying. Should I just walk out? And if I did, where would I go? How would I find Mum again? The old questions kept revolving in my head.
We went to the lake for lunch. ‘We do it every year,’ Rachel said. ‘We buy school shoes and any uniforms, then we go and have lunch at the lake.’
‘Always on the Thursday before school starts,’ Rebecca added.
We got into the van and trundled off to the lake. It’d be nice to have some cafe food again. I’d get a
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