All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg

Author:Sonja Yoerg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-04-11T14:21:31+00:00

20

Carole

Early the next morning, Carole awoke, confused at first by the too-heavy bedclothes and the strange angle of the light. Remembering where she was, she found her robe on a chair by the bed and ran downstairs to the breakfast room where Aunt Regina sipped her tea and Uncle Harold hid behind the Free Press.

Carole flew to her aunt’s side, her heart fluttering. “Is the baby here?”

“‘Good morning’ would be a better start.”

“I’m sorry! Good morning! But what about the baby?”

She set her teacup onto the saucer. “Late last night, your mother gave birth to a girl.”

Carole’s breath caught in her throat. “When can I see her? Can we go now?”

“No, we certainly cannot. Your mother needs to rest. Now get dressed and brush your hair. You look like a ragamuffin.”

Carole was trapped at Aunt Regina’s for three more nights before she decided to take charge of things. Even if her mother was tired, Carole knew she could help her, not add to her burden. It was Easter Sunday. She would have left first thing that morning, but missing church on Easter seemed a poor idea, adding to the deceit of leaving the house without permission. After church, she told her aunt she had a stomachache and went to her room. She put on her most comfortable shoes and a sweater and crept downstairs. The voices of her aunt and uncle came from the parlor, and someone clattered in the kitchen. She slinked down the hall and out the back door.

She knew the way home. It was far, maybe three miles, but she was determined to meet her new sister. She hurried along the sidewalk, leaping over mud puddles and making sure to watch for vehicles at the corners. The sun heated her back and the air smelled of garden soil and earthworms. Here and there, tender green shoots had appeared. Daffodils, maybe. Her stomach growled and she realized she hadn’t eaten since before services. Maybe, she thought, after she held the baby for a while and helped her mother, she could go to Aunt Bettina’s for Easter dinner with her father. Or they could save her a plate.

She entertained herself by picturing what the baby would look like. Her feet became sore—she wasn’t used to so much walking—and once she almost got lost, but soon the neighborhood became familiar and she knew she was home. Home free!

Carole ran up the steps but hesitated at the door. She would have to be careful not to be caught and sent back to Aunt Regina’s before she saw her mother and her sister. She opened the door slowly—it was always unlocked during the day—and was relieved to see the parlor empty. She headed for the stairs, listening for sounds from the kitchen or from the hall that led to her father’s office.

A grating noise—a pot sliding across the stove—came from the kitchen. Elsie, probably.

She must be quick! Her heart beat in her ears as she tiptoed up the stairs, scurried down the corridor to her parents’ room and listened at the door.

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