Lizzie and Emma by Linda Byler

Author:Linda Byler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Good Books
Published: 2018-07-08T16:00:00+00:00

chapter 13

Potato Soup

After the Jefferson County cousins left, Lizzie was often feeling restless, which she didn’t understand. She would soon be nine years old and school would be starting, but she felt bored, even with Dolly and the playhouse. Some days she even wished she did not have to go to school, because it was just the same as the year before.

Mam was busy sewing their new school clothes, even dresses and little black pinafore-style aprons for Mandy, because she would be in first grade this year. That was another reason Lizzie did not want to return to school in a few weeks. What if Mandy cried? What if she stood in singing class and burst into sobs like Lizzie had done? Mandy was so little, pale, and skinny that if she cried, there was just no way Lizzie could stand it. It just ruined Lizzie’s whole summer, worrying about Mandy entering first grade.

Not just that; there was another thing that really worried Lizzie. Mam spent longer hours in the harness shop and snapped at Dat more often, leaving Dat sighing at the supper table.

It was still warm in the kitchen at supper, with a hot, dry breeze blowing through the window. Mam’s face was flushed and perspiring, making her look more tired than ever. Lizzie figured their money from selling Teeny and Tiny was all gone, because they ate a lot of potato soup, and they got only one new school dress. The other dresses were old Sunday dresses that Mam lengthened.

She wished they could do something fun before school started. Her friend Betty’s family had gone to the zoo, and Betty told Lizzie it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. The elephants were as big as a house, and walked around grabbing people with their waving trunks. Lizzie asked Mam if that was true, and Mam said probably not the people, that Betty had meant they grabbed chunks of hay and put it in their mouth. Lizzie told Mam that Betty stretched the truth; anyhow she always did. Mam told Lizzie she shouldn’t be jealous—that was from the devil. Lizzie wasn’t jealous, really; she just wished with all her heart they could go to the zoo and see the elephants.

“Mam,” Lizzie said, leaning on the harness shop counter.

Mam didn’t answer, so Lizzie just watched them working for a while. It was almost time to close the shop after a long, hot day, and they were trying to finish an order of halters. Dat’s shirt was wet across his back from perspiration, and he was bending over his sewing machine as he sewed.

Mam had her back turned, snipping threads and riveting the halters on a machine. Her face was red and flushed, her mouth drawn in a tight line, her dark hair escaping the confines of her covering. They weren’t talking, bantering back and forth as they always did, and the shop seemed strangely quiet and hostile without Dat’s happy whistling.

Lizzie rested her chin on her hands and wished Dat would whistle.

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