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Authors: Dorothea Benton Frank
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an armload of goblets and heard what Camille said.
“Pearl’s right,” I heard myself say. “Anyway, you can’t buy new. That china belonged to my mother. Isn’t that so, Barbara?”
Oh, please stand up for this one small cause of preservation, I thought.
“Well, actually, Camille, they did belong to my grandmother. Aren’t they pretty?”
“Yes, they really are,” she said, and looked at the apple green border, pin-striped and edged in goldleaf, as though she were seeing it for the first time. “Just FYI, George’s upstairs hollering his head off at Lynette.”
“FYI?” Pearl said.
“It’s an abbreviation meaning ‘for your information’…do you want me to go have a word with George and Lynette?” I said. “See if I can help them cool off?”
“No,” Barbara said, to my surprise. “I imagine that’s my job.” Then her self-doubt and hand-wringing returned. She said, “Actually, Cleland can make him behave better than I…”
Pearl shot me a look. The moment for my maternal lecture had arrived.
I lifted my chin, stared at Barbara directly in the eye, and said, “I think you should be the one who runs this house and sets the tone. Cleland has a bank to run and you’re supposed to be in charge here .”
Barbara looked from me to Camille.
“Lots of luck, Mom. They’ll never change. He’s just mean because he can be, and she takes it because she’s afraid of him. Sick,” Camille said, and took a bite of the dough. “Hey! This is fabulous! Y’all need help?” She went to the sink and washed her hands.
Camille was right, or at least it seemed to be a plausible explanation.
“Well, it’s almost Christmas and stranger thingshave happened,” Pearl said, referring to the surprise of Camille pitching in. “Go show them who’s the boss, Ms. Barbara, and don’t take no gruff from them.”
“Well, I’ll try. Dinner was delicious, Pearl. Thank you.”
“You are entirely welcome,” Pearl said.
Minutes later, the noise overhead became louder. Next we heard Barbara yelling from afar, then Cleland. Doors were slamming, feet were stomping, and it went on and on. It was very upsetting for all of us. Except Pearl, who had a cool demeanor.
“Why can’t they just get along?” I said to no one in particular.
“I hate it when they fight,” Teddie said, and a sudden flood of hot tears streamed down her scarlet cheeks. “I just hate it. It makes me so mad.”
Perhaps the fact that her parents fought all the time was at the root of Teddie’s poor behavior. I had not given it much thought until then. It was true that she was constantly being manipulated to choose her father’s affection over her mother’s.
Out of the mouth of Andrew came, “Maybe they don’t know how to.” We all looked at him and he added, “Get along, that is.”
Camille looked up and smiled at Andrew and her love for him was apparent to Teddie, who seemed tosulk as she noticed it. She was jealous. I did not blame her. That child needed some affection, and heaven knew, she needed a lot of guidance.
I took a tissue from my pocket and wiped Teddie’s face. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s not cry.” I felt enormous sympathy for the poor little wretch.
“Well, maybe we’re gonna teach them how to behave, Teddie,” Pearl said. She reached over and rubbed Teddie’s back. “It’s all gwine be fine, honey. Don’t you worry.”
“I sure wish somebody could,” she said, and she stopped crying. “I wish I could believe you.”
I felt deeply sorry for the child. She was certainly entitled to a peaceful home. They had no real problems that I knew of except for George’s bullying and churlish ways.
Wait! I had almost overlooked the obvious! We were in the kitchen doing something together and it was a start. In fact, it was a marvelous new beginning!
Dozens of sands were baked and rum balls were rolled. Toward the end of it all, the children understandably became antsy and we told them they could scamper
“Pearl’s right,” I heard myself say. “Anyway, you can’t buy new. That china belonged to my mother. Isn’t that so, Barbara?”
Oh, please stand up for this one small cause of preservation, I thought.
“Well, actually, Camille, they did belong to my grandmother. Aren’t they pretty?”
“Yes, they really are,” she said, and looked at the apple green border, pin-striped and edged in goldleaf, as though she were seeing it for the first time. “Just FYI, George’s upstairs hollering his head off at Lynette.”
“FYI?” Pearl said.
“It’s an abbreviation meaning ‘for your information’…do you want me to go have a word with George and Lynette?” I said. “See if I can help them cool off?”
“No,” Barbara said, to my surprise. “I imagine that’s my job.” Then her self-doubt and hand-wringing returned. She said, “Actually, Cleland can make him behave better than I…”
Pearl shot me a look. The moment for my maternal lecture had arrived.
I lifted my chin, stared at Barbara directly in the eye, and said, “I think you should be the one who runs this house and sets the tone. Cleland has a bank to run and you’re supposed to be in charge here .”
Barbara looked from me to Camille.
“Lots of luck, Mom. They’ll never change. He’s just mean because he can be, and she takes it because she’s afraid of him. Sick,” Camille said, and took a bite of the dough. “Hey! This is fabulous! Y’all need help?” She went to the sink and washed her hands.
Camille was right, or at least it seemed to be a plausible explanation.
“Well, it’s almost Christmas and stranger thingshave happened,” Pearl said, referring to the surprise of Camille pitching in. “Go show them who’s the boss, Ms. Barbara, and don’t take no gruff from them.”
“Well, I’ll try. Dinner was delicious, Pearl. Thank you.”
“You are entirely welcome,” Pearl said.
Minutes later, the noise overhead became louder. Next we heard Barbara yelling from afar, then Cleland. Doors were slamming, feet were stomping, and it went on and on. It was very upsetting for all of us. Except Pearl, who had a cool demeanor.
“Why can’t they just get along?” I said to no one in particular.
“I hate it when they fight,” Teddie said, and a sudden flood of hot tears streamed down her scarlet cheeks. “I just hate it. It makes me so mad.”
Perhaps the fact that her parents fought all the time was at the root of Teddie’s poor behavior. I had not given it much thought until then. It was true that she was constantly being manipulated to choose her father’s affection over her mother’s.
Out of the mouth of Andrew came, “Maybe they don’t know how to.” We all looked at him and he added, “Get along, that is.”
Camille looked up and smiled at Andrew and her love for him was apparent to Teddie, who seemed tosulk as she noticed it. She was jealous. I did not blame her. That child needed some affection, and heaven knew, she needed a lot of guidance.
I took a tissue from my pocket and wiped Teddie’s face. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s not cry.” I felt enormous sympathy for the poor little wretch.
“Well, maybe we’re gonna teach them how to behave, Teddie,” Pearl said. She reached over and rubbed Teddie’s back. “It’s all gwine be fine, honey. Don’t you worry.”
“I sure wish somebody could,” she said, and she stopped crying. “I wish I could believe you.”
I felt deeply sorry for the child. She was certainly entitled to a peaceful home. They had no real problems that I knew of except for George’s bullying and churlish ways.
Wait! I had almost overlooked the obvious! We were in the kitchen doing something together and it was a start. In fact, it was a marvelous new beginning!
Dozens of sands were baked and rum balls were rolled. Toward the end of it all, the children understandably became antsy and we told them they could scamper
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