when the servant girl said something to her, she retorted sharply. Then they heard his step on the stairs, but it sounded funny, draggy. And he threw open the apartment door and strode in and slid on the floor and cursed, and Momma put her hand to her mouth in alarm, and stood very straight in front of the table. And Poppa came into the dining room, and his face had slipped, he was sneering at them, and he glanced around the room and peered at the table. âYou know I hate creamed spinach!â he roared and strode over and picked up the bowl of creamed spinach and hurled it against the wall. Then he turned around and strode out, and lumbered down the hall and out the door and down the stairs. They heard him slip and curse; then he began to descend again. Momma told the children to sit at the table. She went into the kitchen and found a rag and came back in and got down on her hands and knees and wiped up the creamed spinach. Bellaâs mouth was watering in frustration: she loved creamed spinach. She concentrated on the dinner they would eat as soon as Momma finished. Every dish on the table made her mouth water: the crispy brown chickens, the soft luscious potatoes, the tangy rutabaga with its sprinkle of dill. She wondered what there was for dessert. Maybe it could make up for the loss of the creamed spinach. She tried not to watch Momma, but she couldnât help it. Momma was hunched over, wiping up the gooey mess, her shoulders slumped. The servant girl, wide-eyed, was bringing her clean cloths, and taking away the ugly gooey greenish ones. Momma sighed hard. Slowly, she bent to pick up the pieces of the china dish. Quietly, the servant girl picked up those that had flown across the room. When it was all over, Momma sat down at the table and carved the chickens. She told the children to eat. Bella gobbled her food; she was so hungry she could not get full. She tried to savor the delicious tastes, but somehow, she couldnât. Maybe the dinner was too cold. As she spooned the food into her mouth, she kept seeing Momma on her hands and knees, with her back bent, wiping up the mess.
3
W HEN BELLA WAS FIVE and a half, Momma sent her to school. She had a new dress, and stiff new boots, and a pair of eyeglasses. Momma kept reminding her she was not to lose them or break them. Momma gave her directions, and kissed her, but only perfunctorily, for she worried about Euga, who had a cold. Momma was carrying her around, bouncing her, talking to her to keep her from crying, but she still cried.
Bella walked the streets very carefully, reaching up every few seconds to touch her eyeglasses, to make sure they were still on her head. She found the building, and went where Momma said, into the office. There a grey-haired woman looked up and spoke to her. Bella simply stood there. She could not understand what the woman was saying. It was some sound like âo,â but it meant nothing to Bella. Finally, the woman waved her hand at Bella, as if she wanted her to leave, and returned to her work. When Bella did not move, the woman came out from behind the high desk, and took Bella by the arm and thrust her out the door.
Bella sat on the curb and cried. She was afraid to go home, where the servant girl would mock her, or worse. She was afraid to go to Poppaâs shop, because she was not allowed to go there unless Momma took her. She stayed on the curb, lifting one foot, then the other, for her feet hurt in me stiff new boots. She watched the trolleys, the great drays that sometimes passed, the icemanâs wagon. She was hungry. She stayed until the school doors burst open and the children sprang out like peas ejected from a BB gun, and ran in all directions shouting, teasing, laughing. She stood up and turned around and looked at them. Why were they better than she was? Why were they allowed in the school and she not? She felt near tears again, but did not want to cry in front of them. She waited until most of the
3
W HEN BELLA WAS FIVE and a half, Momma sent her to school. She had a new dress, and stiff new boots, and a pair of eyeglasses. Momma kept reminding her she was not to lose them or break them. Momma gave her directions, and kissed her, but only perfunctorily, for she worried about Euga, who had a cold. Momma was carrying her around, bouncing her, talking to her to keep her from crying, but she still cried.
Bella walked the streets very carefully, reaching up every few seconds to touch her eyeglasses, to make sure they were still on her head. She found the building, and went where Momma said, into the office. There a grey-haired woman looked up and spoke to her. Bella simply stood there. She could not understand what the woman was saying. It was some sound like âo,â but it meant nothing to Bella. Finally, the woman waved her hand at Bella, as if she wanted her to leave, and returned to her work. When Bella did not move, the woman came out from behind the high desk, and took Bella by the arm and thrust her out the door.
Bella sat on the curb and cried. She was afraid to go home, where the servant girl would mock her, or worse. She was afraid to go to Poppaâs shop, because she was not allowed to go there unless Momma took her. She stayed on the curb, lifting one foot, then the other, for her feet hurt in me stiff new boots. She watched the trolleys, the great drays that sometimes passed, the icemanâs wagon. She was hungry. She stayed until the school doors burst open and the children sprang out like peas ejected from a BB gun, and ran in all directions shouting, teasing, laughing. She stood up and turned around and looked at them. Why were they better than she was? Why were they allowed in the school and she not? She felt near tears again, but did not want to cry in front of them. She waited until most of the
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