But Cassie begins to cry. It’s not the kind of crying I do. It’s loud and it grates on my ears. Joey looks at me. It grates on his ears, too.
But Pop feels sorry for her. He holds out his arms, and she runs to him. “Here’s the thing.” He pats Cassie’s back. “There’s a job. It’s a good job—”
“See?” Joey says. “I knew it would all work out.”
But something’s coming; I know it. Otherwise, what’s all this about?
“President Roosevelt wants everyone to get back to work,” Pop says. “And the town of North Lake will do what it can to help.”
“Nice,” Cassie says through her tears.
“They’re going to build a road straight over the mountain near Canada. And they need workers.”
I nod slowly. A job for Pop. But why would that make him cry?
Pop takes a breath. “A bus will take the workers up there.” He looks at the three of us and shakes his head a little. “They won’t come back for …” He hesitates. “A month. Maybe two months.”
I sit back in my chair. The breath goes out of me. I know it’s the only possible way we can get money. But still—being without Pop?
Cassie sees what’s happening, too. Her cries are even louder.
But Joey jumps right in. “That’s great, Pop. We’ll manage. We’ll get seeds going, the chicks hatched.”
Cassie looks at Joey as if he’s lost his mind.
Pop stares out the window. “How can I leave you alone? We have no neighbors nearby, and the town is far.”
Joey cuts in. “Not alone. There are the three of us. Fine and dandy.”
“I know you can take care of each other.…” Pop looks at each of us.
“I can’t take care of Rachel,” Cassie says. “And she can’t take care of me.”
“Cassie,” Joey and I warn her.
Nothing to fear.
But I’m afraid. I’m certainly afraid. We’ll have to stay here alone and, as Joey says, get things going.
I’m the oldest. I have to say something. “Don’t worry, Pop. We can do this.”
Joey and I glance at each other and then away.
Alone
.
What a terrible word.
Dear Miss Mitzi
,
I walked to town yesterday. It took all afternoon. I remember you said once that walking soothes the spirit
.
My spirit needs soothing
.
Pop is leaving next Monday for a job far away
.
In town I watched the train come in with a huge whoosh of air. It was a cyclone of wind!
A woman with an old straw hat ran up to the train
.
She handed the conductor a long cardboard box. It dripped all over him, but he smiled at her
.
The woman smiled at me, too. “Ferns,” she said, “to send to florists in the city.”
I thought of you, Miss Mitzi, with your jars of ruffled ferns in the icebox. It seems forever since we’ve seen you
.
Love
,
Rachel
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It’s lonely without Pop. I wander into his bedroom, halfway down the hall. He’s pulled the sheets up neatly over the mattress. Against one wall is a cabinet that he and Joey found in the cellar. On top is a picture of Miss Mitzi wearing her white straw hat. She’s looking up, probably at Pop, who must have taken the photo last summer.
I straighten the doily beneath the picture and realize there’s something under it. It’s a letter and I know I shouldn’t read it, but there are only a few sentences before it breaks off, and I see it all in one second.
Mitzi, my dear—
Every day I think of asking you to come. If only I could do that. I miss you more than I can say, and the children
I touch the paper. Then, feeling guilty, I go to my room, closing Pop’s door behind me. Later it takes me a long time to get to sleep. And then I feel myself dreaming. It’s something about a new school. It’s about a train and a box of ferns.
But then I’m awake. I tiptoe to the window. It’s inky black outside, not a light anywhere.
I lean against the glass. I want Pop. I want him to be here. I want Miss Mitzi. Even though it’s the middle of the night, I picture myself going to her flower shop. I’d sit in her back room, drinking sweet
But Pop feels sorry for her. He holds out his arms, and she runs to him. “Here’s the thing.” He pats Cassie’s back. “There’s a job. It’s a good job—”
“See?” Joey says. “I knew it would all work out.”
But something’s coming; I know it. Otherwise, what’s all this about?
“President Roosevelt wants everyone to get back to work,” Pop says. “And the town of North Lake will do what it can to help.”
“Nice,” Cassie says through her tears.
“They’re going to build a road straight over the mountain near Canada. And they need workers.”
I nod slowly. A job for Pop. But why would that make him cry?
Pop takes a breath. “A bus will take the workers up there.” He looks at the three of us and shakes his head a little. “They won’t come back for …” He hesitates. “A month. Maybe two months.”
I sit back in my chair. The breath goes out of me. I know it’s the only possible way we can get money. But still—being without Pop?
Cassie sees what’s happening, too. Her cries are even louder.
But Joey jumps right in. “That’s great, Pop. We’ll manage. We’ll get seeds going, the chicks hatched.”
Cassie looks at Joey as if he’s lost his mind.
Pop stares out the window. “How can I leave you alone? We have no neighbors nearby, and the town is far.”
Joey cuts in. “Not alone. There are the three of us. Fine and dandy.”
“I know you can take care of each other.…” Pop looks at each of us.
“I can’t take care of Rachel,” Cassie says. “And she can’t take care of me.”
“Cassie,” Joey and I warn her.
Nothing to fear.
But I’m afraid. I’m certainly afraid. We’ll have to stay here alone and, as Joey says, get things going.
I’m the oldest. I have to say something. “Don’t worry, Pop. We can do this.”
Joey and I glance at each other and then away.
Alone
.
What a terrible word.
Dear Miss Mitzi
,
I walked to town yesterday. It took all afternoon. I remember you said once that walking soothes the spirit
.
My spirit needs soothing
.
Pop is leaving next Monday for a job far away
.
In town I watched the train come in with a huge whoosh of air. It was a cyclone of wind!
A woman with an old straw hat ran up to the train
.
She handed the conductor a long cardboard box. It dripped all over him, but he smiled at her
.
The woman smiled at me, too. “Ferns,” she said, “to send to florists in the city.”
I thought of you, Miss Mitzi, with your jars of ruffled ferns in the icebox. It seems forever since we’ve seen you
.
Love
,
Rachel
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It’s lonely without Pop. I wander into his bedroom, halfway down the hall. He’s pulled the sheets up neatly over the mattress. Against one wall is a cabinet that he and Joey found in the cellar. On top is a picture of Miss Mitzi wearing her white straw hat. She’s looking up, probably at Pop, who must have taken the photo last summer.
I straighten the doily beneath the picture and realize there’s something under it. It’s a letter and I know I shouldn’t read it, but there are only a few sentences before it breaks off, and I see it all in one second.
Mitzi, my dear—
Every day I think of asking you to come. If only I could do that. I miss you more than I can say, and the children
I touch the paper. Then, feeling guilty, I go to my room, closing Pop’s door behind me. Later it takes me a long time to get to sleep. And then I feel myself dreaming. It’s something about a new school. It’s about a train and a box of ferns.
But then I’m awake. I tiptoe to the window. It’s inky black outside, not a light anywhere.
I lean against the glass. I want Pop. I want him to be here. I want Miss Mitzi. Even though it’s the middle of the night, I picture myself going to her flower shop. I’d sit in her back room, drinking sweet
Similar Books
