included recycling my mother’s pastry slab into the countertop, and from the moment the new kitchen was unveiled, it had remained unused. Good as Eliza was, her biscuits came from a tube in the dairy section of the grocery store. My family seldom ate carbohydrates. The slab would be ceremoniously rechristened by the hands of Pearl.
“There are some things I think I’d like to do myself,” she said. “Feels good to have my hands in the dough.”
Using her fingers, she crumbled the cold butter into the flour with a dash of salt, and when it looked like gravel, she made a well and poured in cream. As though she was preparing clay for a sculpture, she worked it all together, flopping it over and kneading it several times.
“Why don’t I set the table,” I said. I’ll admit I was thinking more about the rumble in my stomach than the desire to be helpful. “You make the manna.”
Pearl giggled, arched one eyebrow, snapped her fingers over her head (a little bit of dough flew in space and disappeared), and she said, “Done! Table’s set!You sit and talk to me! Carrying dishes ain’t the best use of your time. So, tell your Pearl everything else what’s on your mind, Ms. Theodora.”
I sighed, loving her more than ever. How long had it been since anyone really cared what I thought about, worried about, or desired? On occasion, Eliza and Barbara did.
“Well, you have seen for yourself, haven’t you? I am heartsick about my family. First, there’s Barbara and Cleland. I don’t know what really goes on between them, but they surely don’t seem happy. Barbara is as sweet as pie, but maybe the problem is that she doesn’t take command . A stronger stance. With all of them. The mother has to be the mother to the whole family, not stand by while they all ride roughshod over each other. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do. Haven’t you told her that?”
“Well, not exactly, but I have surely indicated it! Gosh, Barbara seems so afraid that, I don’t know…who knows? Maybe she thinks Cleland might run off and leave her or something…”
“No man evah done leave a good woman when he gots a reason to stay. She gots to give him reasons to stay, ’eah?”
“You’re right, of course. You know me. I always think he married her for her money.”
“Hmmph. Maybe true, maybe not. He’s still here,though, and that don’t mean she cain’t be spinning a spell to show him why he should love her, does it?”
“His career at the bank never amounted to much…”
“Well, you know men. They judge they own success by they family, they money, and how they friends see them as manly. Iffin he ain’t earning what he thinks he should and his wife be a little dormouse, then how’s he supposed to look in the mirror and think much of what he see?”
“No. That’s right. He can’t.” I took another sip of my tea and watched Pearl’s hands as she shaped the biscuits into perfect mounds. She was a marvel! “He’s just so sarcastic with her. It’s so disrespectful, especially when it’s in front of me.”
“He’s only like that because she lets him get away with it. You know, you could tell him to hush his mouth, too.”
“I’m not getting in the middle of my daughter’s marriage. She’s so depressed I don’t even think she knows she’s depressed.”
“So are you!”
“By golly, Pearl, you’re right! I’m depressed and so is she! And you’re right again! She allows him to behave the way he does! I’m going to speak to her before this day is out.”
“So that’s one thing. Now, what else we got to do?”
“There’s George and Lynette and that—heaven help me…”
“That’s why I’m ’eah!”
“Right! I mean, forgive me for the thoughts I have about that child of theirs. Now, George is a handsome devil…”
“Yes’m, he looks like Cary Grant!”
“He does but he’s terrible. He’s competitive with everyone, and he’s judgmental…”
“His Lynette needs to be growing some
“There are some things I think I’d like to do myself,” she said. “Feels good to have my hands in the dough.”
Using her fingers, she crumbled the cold butter into the flour with a dash of salt, and when it looked like gravel, she made a well and poured in cream. As though she was preparing clay for a sculpture, she worked it all together, flopping it over and kneading it several times.
“Why don’t I set the table,” I said. I’ll admit I was thinking more about the rumble in my stomach than the desire to be helpful. “You make the manna.”
Pearl giggled, arched one eyebrow, snapped her fingers over her head (a little bit of dough flew in space and disappeared), and she said, “Done! Table’s set!You sit and talk to me! Carrying dishes ain’t the best use of your time. So, tell your Pearl everything else what’s on your mind, Ms. Theodora.”
I sighed, loving her more than ever. How long had it been since anyone really cared what I thought about, worried about, or desired? On occasion, Eliza and Barbara did.
“Well, you have seen for yourself, haven’t you? I am heartsick about my family. First, there’s Barbara and Cleland. I don’t know what really goes on between them, but they surely don’t seem happy. Barbara is as sweet as pie, but maybe the problem is that she doesn’t take command . A stronger stance. With all of them. The mother has to be the mother to the whole family, not stand by while they all ride roughshod over each other. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, I do. Haven’t you told her that?”
“Well, not exactly, but I have surely indicated it! Gosh, Barbara seems so afraid that, I don’t know…who knows? Maybe she thinks Cleland might run off and leave her or something…”
“No man evah done leave a good woman when he gots a reason to stay. She gots to give him reasons to stay, ’eah?”
“You’re right, of course. You know me. I always think he married her for her money.”
“Hmmph. Maybe true, maybe not. He’s still here,though, and that don’t mean she cain’t be spinning a spell to show him why he should love her, does it?”
“His career at the bank never amounted to much…”
“Well, you know men. They judge they own success by they family, they money, and how they friends see them as manly. Iffin he ain’t earning what he thinks he should and his wife be a little dormouse, then how’s he supposed to look in the mirror and think much of what he see?”
“No. That’s right. He can’t.” I took another sip of my tea and watched Pearl’s hands as she shaped the biscuits into perfect mounds. She was a marvel! “He’s just so sarcastic with her. It’s so disrespectful, especially when it’s in front of me.”
“He’s only like that because she lets him get away with it. You know, you could tell him to hush his mouth, too.”
“I’m not getting in the middle of my daughter’s marriage. She’s so depressed I don’t even think she knows she’s depressed.”
“So are you!”
“By golly, Pearl, you’re right! I’m depressed and so is she! And you’re right again! She allows him to behave the way he does! I’m going to speak to her before this day is out.”
“So that’s one thing. Now, what else we got to do?”
“There’s George and Lynette and that—heaven help me…”
“That’s why I’m ’eah!”
“Right! I mean, forgive me for the thoughts I have about that child of theirs. Now, George is a handsome devil…”
“Yes’m, he looks like Cary Grant!”
“He does but he’s terrible. He’s competitive with everyone, and he’s judgmental…”
“His Lynette needs to be growing some
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