Read Online Veda: A Novel by Ellen Gardner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ellen Gardner
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bit of ironin, I knew she was just bein charitable when she said she couldn’t keep up. Raymond could say what he wanted about the Burrises, but I thought they were the most Christian people I ever come across. Instead of thinkin themselves better than other people the way Raymond did, they helped folks out. Like givin Raymond the job in the first place. Givin us a place to live. Carin about us. I thought a lot about that, and about what bein a Christian meant. Was Raymond bein a good Christian by turnin down work in order to keep the Sabbath? By despisin folks that used tobacco and alcohol? By quittin a perfectly good job ’cause his boss blasphemed? Wasn’t providin for his children somethin a Christian ought to do?
Me and the kids started spendin a couple mornins a week in Dorothy Burris’s kitchen where I felt safe and welcome. While she made bread or pies, I ironed. I sprinkled the pieces with water from a Coke bottle and rolled em up. Then, pullin one piece at a time from the basket, I’d run the iron over it till I had it all perfect. I liked the hiss of the hot iron and the sweet, hot smell of steam. The radio would be playin and I’d lose myself in the back and forth rhythm. Smoothin, foldin, pressin, and foldin again. Rosalie got up on a stool beside Dorothy to help roll pie dough, and Bubby played on the floor with lids. Ever since Mr. Burris held him behind the steerin wheel of his truck, Bubby’s favorite game was pretendin to drive.
“Mithter Burrith is a blathphemer,” Rosalie blurted out one mornin. I stopped halfway up the side of a pillowcase, my face on fire, and tried to think of somethin to say. I couldn’t git after her, she was just repeatin what she heard.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to Mrs. Burris. “She’s just… Raymond didn’t… I mean… What he meant was…”
Dorothy wiped her hands on her apron and set down. She looked at Rosalie for a long time. Then she started laughin. She laughed and laughed till there was tears rollin down her cheeks.
.
15
December 7, 1941 (Sun.) [Max 48°, Min 37°.] Clear, fair and cool all day with chilly east-to-northeast wind, Clear and colder at night and still, wind has moved into the north so we will probably have a hard freeze before morning, Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, this morning.
I T WAS IN DOROTHY’S KITCHEN that I heard the news about Pearl Harbor. Me and her set at the table, leanin close to the radio, listnin to Edward R. Murrow and Gabriel Heatter, the hiss and crackle makin it seem like the war was right there in the kitchen with us. I kept thinkin how my troubles were nothin compared to all them women that lost their husbands and would have to raise their children alone. Or the ones plannin to be married that wouldn’t git the chance. I couldn’t git over how awful it was.
Raymond come back to the house a couple days before Christmas, out of work and with just enough money in his pocket for a few groceries. Mr. Burris must of knew he was there, but he didn’t come over. Dorothy did, though, and if it wasn’t for the presents she brought for the kids, they wouldn’t of had none. Raymond told me to send em back. Said he didn’t want his children gittin gifts bought with a blasphemer’s money. I asked him what he thought we were livin on all this time. “It’s Christmas,” I said, “and the kids are keepin these presents. If you take that little bit of pleasure away from em, I’ll never speak to you again.”
January 12, 1942 (Mon.) [Max 31°, Min 19°.] Severely cold again today, also rather cloudy and overcast, with wind, which makes this the bitterest cold spell I have ever experienced and it finds us without fuel, groceries or lights, even without water until 3 days ago.
The new year started off with a blizzard. Electric lines were down and the pipes froze. We were out of wood and the house was so cold I was havin to wrap the kids up in blankets. I begged Raymond to go up to Burris’s and borrow some
Me and the kids started spendin a couple mornins a week in Dorothy Burris’s kitchen where I felt safe and welcome. While she made bread or pies, I ironed. I sprinkled the pieces with water from a Coke bottle and rolled em up. Then, pullin one piece at a time from the basket, I’d run the iron over it till I had it all perfect. I liked the hiss of the hot iron and the sweet, hot smell of steam. The radio would be playin and I’d lose myself in the back and forth rhythm. Smoothin, foldin, pressin, and foldin again. Rosalie got up on a stool beside Dorothy to help roll pie dough, and Bubby played on the floor with lids. Ever since Mr. Burris held him behind the steerin wheel of his truck, Bubby’s favorite game was pretendin to drive.
“Mithter Burrith is a blathphemer,” Rosalie blurted out one mornin. I stopped halfway up the side of a pillowcase, my face on fire, and tried to think of somethin to say. I couldn’t git after her, she was just repeatin what she heard.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to Mrs. Burris. “She’s just… Raymond didn’t… I mean… What he meant was…”
Dorothy wiped her hands on her apron and set down. She looked at Rosalie for a long time. Then she started laughin. She laughed and laughed till there was tears rollin down her cheeks.
.
15
December 7, 1941 (Sun.) [Max 48°, Min 37°.] Clear, fair and cool all day with chilly east-to-northeast wind, Clear and colder at night and still, wind has moved into the north so we will probably have a hard freeze before morning, Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, this morning.
I T WAS IN DOROTHY’S KITCHEN that I heard the news about Pearl Harbor. Me and her set at the table, leanin close to the radio, listnin to Edward R. Murrow and Gabriel Heatter, the hiss and crackle makin it seem like the war was right there in the kitchen with us. I kept thinkin how my troubles were nothin compared to all them women that lost their husbands and would have to raise their children alone. Or the ones plannin to be married that wouldn’t git the chance. I couldn’t git over how awful it was.
Raymond come back to the house a couple days before Christmas, out of work and with just enough money in his pocket for a few groceries. Mr. Burris must of knew he was there, but he didn’t come over. Dorothy did, though, and if it wasn’t for the presents she brought for the kids, they wouldn’t of had none. Raymond told me to send em back. Said he didn’t want his children gittin gifts bought with a blasphemer’s money. I asked him what he thought we were livin on all this time. “It’s Christmas,” I said, “and the kids are keepin these presents. If you take that little bit of pleasure away from em, I’ll never speak to you again.”
January 12, 1942 (Mon.) [Max 31°, Min 19°.] Severely cold again today, also rather cloudy and overcast, with wind, which makes this the bitterest cold spell I have ever experienced and it finds us without fuel, groceries or lights, even without water until 3 days ago.
The new year started off with a blizzard. Electric lines were down and the pipes froze. We were out of wood and the house was so cold I was havin to wrap the kids up in blankets. I begged Raymond to go up to Burris’s and borrow some
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