Read Online The Family Greene by Ann Rinaldi - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann Rinaldi
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comfort to her, she said.
I had not realized I had been a comfort. What had I done? All I had done was speak to her, listen to her.
I was to remain friends with Lucy Knox most of my life, and as I did not know I helped her, she did not know she helped me that evening.
I learned that once I started speaking to her I never minded at all that she was so fat. I learned that sometimes all you have to do to be a comfort to someone is to speak to them in their moment of anguish, to listen to them.
I learned to control my tears. Anyone, after all, can have tears come to their eyes, but not everyone can keep them from falling over.
It took me a few years, but I learned how to do it. And I am ever grateful to Lucy Knox for showing me the way.
PART TWO
Cornelia
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nathanael Greene's Plantation, 1786 Mulberry Grove Fourteen miles north of Savannah, Georgia
"C ORNELIA ? CORNELIA Greene, if you don't come out of hiding this minute and make me stop chasing you like a fool, I'll fetch your father. You hear me?"
Mama was running after me, chasing me. I knew it was not good for her to run seven months into her time, but I also knew that if she caught me, I'd get swatted good and proper. Mama swatted. Pa didn't. And I'd skipped class again this morning. I deserved a swatting.
I hid behind the dry sink in the kitchen. Only my older sister, Martha, who was nine, saw me go behind the dry sink. Would she tell where I was? Likely she would. She was a water snake, Martha was. She never let me forget she was named after Martha Washington, as if a hundred other girls weren't. She was always besting me for Pa's attention and love. She'd even lie to get it. I was always in trouble because I wouldn't lie.
Pa hated liars like he hated "little dirty politicians."
"She's behind the dry sink, Mama!" Martha yelled.
Mama ran into the kitchen after me, then of a sudden there came a thump and a distressed cry. "Oh!"
It was not good. Peeking out from behind the sink, I saw that she fell.
Martha was beside her at once.
I got up from my hiding place and went to her. "Here I am, Mama. Are you all right?"
"How can she be all right?" Martha snapped. "Can't you see? She's bleeding!"
I saw. Blood was seeping out of her, dark and evil, through her dress and onto the floor. She was biting her lip. I knew we couldn't get her up.
"We need help," Martha said. "The servants are never around when you need them. Not even Eulinda." She sounded just like Pa.
But she was right. Old Eulinda, the only paid black servant on the place, who'd been with Mama since the beginning of the war at Cambridge and was usually always at her side, was nowhere to be seen this morning.
"Go and get Pa," Martha said. "I saw him headed toward the coach house."
I ran. Out the back door, down the brick path, past the kitchen garden, and through the yard. Pa was in the coach house, overseeing the brushing of his horse, Tommy.
He looked up as I came in. "Good morning, Cornelia. Where have you been? Mr. Miller said you were not in class this morning."
"Pa, Mama is hurt. She tripped in the kitchen. She's on the floor and she needs you."
The look in his eyes told me he was in the kitchen with Mama already. He brushed right past me and, with long, purposeful strides, walked to the back of the house, giving orders, for there were servants everywhere of a sudden.
"Charles, fetch Dr. Kinney quicklyâmy wife has trouble. Alice, bring some warm dry blankets to the kitchen and get two other women."
Before going in, he stopped and looked at me. "Where's Eulinda?"
"Don't know, Pa. She's not around."
"How did your mother fall?"
There was no lying to Pa. He'd been a general in the war. An assistant to General Washington. "She was chasing me." I suddenly found the hem of my dress very interesting.
His breath came in spurts. "We'll talk, then."
"Yes, sir," I said.
He went inside. I followed. Martha was still kneeling over Mama, comforting her.
Mama, white-faced, with dark
I had not realized I had been a comfort. What had I done? All I had done was speak to her, listen to her.
I was to remain friends with Lucy Knox most of my life, and as I did not know I helped her, she did not know she helped me that evening.
I learned that once I started speaking to her I never minded at all that she was so fat. I learned that sometimes all you have to do to be a comfort to someone is to speak to them in their moment of anguish, to listen to them.
I learned to control my tears. Anyone, after all, can have tears come to their eyes, but not everyone can keep them from falling over.
It took me a few years, but I learned how to do it. And I am ever grateful to Lucy Knox for showing me the way.
PART TWO
Cornelia
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nathanael Greene's Plantation, 1786 Mulberry Grove Fourteen miles north of Savannah, Georgia
"C ORNELIA ? CORNELIA Greene, if you don't come out of hiding this minute and make me stop chasing you like a fool, I'll fetch your father. You hear me?"
Mama was running after me, chasing me. I knew it was not good for her to run seven months into her time, but I also knew that if she caught me, I'd get swatted good and proper. Mama swatted. Pa didn't. And I'd skipped class again this morning. I deserved a swatting.
I hid behind the dry sink in the kitchen. Only my older sister, Martha, who was nine, saw me go behind the dry sink. Would she tell where I was? Likely she would. She was a water snake, Martha was. She never let me forget she was named after Martha Washington, as if a hundred other girls weren't. She was always besting me for Pa's attention and love. She'd even lie to get it. I was always in trouble because I wouldn't lie.
Pa hated liars like he hated "little dirty politicians."
"She's behind the dry sink, Mama!" Martha yelled.
Mama ran into the kitchen after me, then of a sudden there came a thump and a distressed cry. "Oh!"
It was not good. Peeking out from behind the sink, I saw that she fell.
Martha was beside her at once.
I got up from my hiding place and went to her. "Here I am, Mama. Are you all right?"
"How can she be all right?" Martha snapped. "Can't you see? She's bleeding!"
I saw. Blood was seeping out of her, dark and evil, through her dress and onto the floor. She was biting her lip. I knew we couldn't get her up.
"We need help," Martha said. "The servants are never around when you need them. Not even Eulinda." She sounded just like Pa.
But she was right. Old Eulinda, the only paid black servant on the place, who'd been with Mama since the beginning of the war at Cambridge and was usually always at her side, was nowhere to be seen this morning.
"Go and get Pa," Martha said. "I saw him headed toward the coach house."
I ran. Out the back door, down the brick path, past the kitchen garden, and through the yard. Pa was in the coach house, overseeing the brushing of his horse, Tommy.
He looked up as I came in. "Good morning, Cornelia. Where have you been? Mr. Miller said you were not in class this morning."
"Pa, Mama is hurt. She tripped in the kitchen. She's on the floor and she needs you."
The look in his eyes told me he was in the kitchen with Mama already. He brushed right past me and, with long, purposeful strides, walked to the back of the house, giving orders, for there were servants everywhere of a sudden.
"Charles, fetch Dr. Kinney quicklyâmy wife has trouble. Alice, bring some warm dry blankets to the kitchen and get two other women."
Before going in, he stopped and looked at me. "Where's Eulinda?"
"Don't know, Pa. She's not around."
"How did your mother fall?"
There was no lying to Pa. He'd been a general in the war. An assistant to General Washington. "She was chasing me." I suddenly found the hem of my dress very interesting.
His breath came in spurts. "We'll talk, then."
"Yes, sir," I said.
He went inside. I followed. Martha was still kneeling over Mama, comforting her.
Mama, white-faced, with dark
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