Read Online I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes - Free Book Online

expecting to feel anything...I mean, I was only eleven, and both he and Robert were my best friends in the whole world. But when he kissed me, stars lit up behind my eyes...and for the rest of that summer I thought I was in love. Robert said it was the most boring summer—watching me and Levi make googly eyes at each other. My mother put a quick end to that childhood romance as soon as his letters started arriving at Astor House from Rockport in the fall. “He’s not one of us, and you are nothing but a child. If you write back to him I won’t let you see him at ALL next summer, believe me.” And I did believe her, so I never wrote him back. I believed my parents with my whole heart. And I believed that if I listened well enough, behaved enough, that they’d notice me a little more.
    I’ve been looking at photographs of them (my parents) all afternoon. I’m tucking a picture of them in with this letter. That’s me when I was a baby. I look just like Corrine. Or she resembles me. How does that work, anyway? They looked so serious for well-off people, didn’t they? Sometimes I wish I’d known them better. Really known them. What they thought on the inside, behind all the gloss. I’m also including a recent picture of the kids and one of my wedding day. Isn’t Robert handsome? Please send me your picture, Rita. Maybe one of you and Sal and Toby all together? I’d love to put faces to all these names. Especially yours.
    I wonder what my mother would think about me now. Stockingless. Cleaning my own house and making my own food. (That recipe was divine, by the way. Send more!)
    I wonder if they’d be angry with me. Or disappointed. So much to wonder about.
    Oh, dear. There’s the baby. See what happens when I think I’ll get five minutes peace? Marie tries to soothe her, but this baby of mine wants me and only me. “Born into an insecure world,” says Anna. Maybe my mother’s ghost just pinched Corrine on her chubby thigh as a sign.
    Also, I’ve copied a recipe for you out of our local newspaper. Anna started a column to help women use their rations better. She’s an inspiration. Honestly. Enjoy!

    With much love,
    Glory

    Vegetable Scrapple
    (I don’t like the way the word scrapple sounds, do you, Rita? Doesn’t change the fact that it’s a satisfying dish, though.)

    Ingredients:
    1/4 cup finely diced celery
    1/3 cup diced onions
    1/2 cup diced carrots
    2 tablespoons diced green pepper (My fingers hurt from all the dicing!)
    1 teaspoon salt
    3 cups boiling water
    1 cup wheat meal (Or corn meal. Even flour works as a thickening agent.)

    Preparation instructions:
    Add vegetables and salt to boiling water and cook until vegetables are tender (not too long or they’ll get mushy!) Drain; measure liquid and add water to make 3 cups. Combine liquid and vegetables and bring back to a boil. Add wheat meal gradually and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into greased 9x4x3-inch pan. When cold, slice and sauté in small amount of fat until lightly browned.
    If you want to, substitute 1 1/4 cups chopped leftover cooked vegetables for raw vegetables in above recipe. Or, if you prefer a little meat, you can turn to a recipe which extends the meat. (Serves 4 to 6, but keep it in the fridge and have lunch for a week!) I like it with gravy!

  
    August 2, 1943
    V-mail from Gloria Whitehall to Sgt. Robert Whitehall
    Darling Robert,

    How are you? I hope you are keeping yourself safe and warm. Everything is good here, so I don’t want you to worry about one little thing. The kids and I are fighting a little summer cold. Sweet Corrine looks so cute with her red nose! The garden is beautiful. I’m so happy I struck up this friendship with Rita. You remember, the woman from Iowa? She’s giving me such good advice about all sorts of things. Mostly it’s nice to have another woman who’s waiting and worrying to talk to. I know there are plenty of women in town, but there’s something about Rita. I trust her.