The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress by Tam Francis

Author:Tam Francis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780692662724
Publisher: Indie Author Project
Published: 2016-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Violet ~ 1940s

18. Topsy

(Count Basie)

The days crawled by, and Violet made slow progress on her dress. She managed to keep her self-pitying to a minimum. Pop had been around the apartment more, too, no German lady. Violet didn’t think she could’ve handled that particular diversion.

The nights were the hardest. To have felt the warmth of waking in your love’s arms, to find yourself waking alone. You could never sleep properly again. Every bed was too big, every couch too wide, every space too open, every blanket too cold. It was much harder to contain her thoughts and fears in the quiet of night. She had horrible nightmares about drowning, dreams of bloodshed, bombs, sinking ships, and falling. She couldn’t focus on the dress.

She lay quietly on the couch and stared at the dark ceiling. Finally rousing herself with a pep talk. I will work hard and fast for Mrs. Peppy. Today I will start sewing on my dress. Jeannie’d badgered her to go to the malt shop, but she didn’t think she could get her legs to move to the music. And there was no one there she wanted to dance with.

The door rattled. Pop was home, later than usual. Before she could flop back down and feign sleep, he greeted her.

“Hey pumpkin,” he slurred. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No Pop, I’m awake.” She studied the shell of a man he’d become and felt a pang of love and sympathy. For the first time, she began to understand his pain, though she couldn’t understand how he could give up so easily. His apathy angered her. She ached and feared for Charles’s, but refused to give up living.

“Pop, you’ve got to get yourself together. It’s been almost two years. She’s not coming back. She’s never coming back.” If I were never to see Charles again, would I become my father?

“Come on Pop.” She tried to get him off the couch and into his bed. “You need to sleep it off. Go lay down. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

He wiped his soggy nose and eyes on his sleeve, not looking at her and stumbled down the hall. She swallowed any remaining emotion and launched herself into her morning routine.

* * *

Violet pricked her finger and immediately dropped her pattern pieces, bringing her finger to her mouth. She didn’t want to stain the white fabric. Her tongue licked the tiny poke of blood. She closed her eyes and imagined Charles’s mouth around her finger. Her pulse started to rise. She quickly opened her eyes before she fell further into her fantasy.

“Are you all right?” Mrs. Peppy asked.

“I poked myself with a pin is all.”

“So, that is dress for big contest?” Mrs. Peppy checked Violet’s handiwork.

“What do you think? Should I do two color trim or one?”

“You want classy or theatrical?”

“Classy, but I also want to stand out on a crowded dance floor.”

“Darling, you will always stand out on dance floor.” Mrs. Peppy shook her head and went back to work.

“Thank you.” Violet filled the two words with all the love and respect she had for Mrs.

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