Jennifer Robins (2 page)
Authors: Over the Mistletoe
All evening Rachael could think of nothing else but Stan and her date for lunch with him the next day. After dinner with her parents, she retired to her room to choose what to wear and take inventory of what funds she had left from the pay she’d received two days ago. She opened her pocket book and took out her little change purse. It didn’t feel very heavy. When she opened it and turned it out on her bed, she saw she had all of fifty-two cents left until payday next week. She’d already bought eggs for eighteen cents and a loaf of white bread for eight cents. She could make egg sandwiches with a little of her mother’s homemade catsup and a slice of the cheese they still had from the previous week’s groceries. There had been nothing left over to bring home from the market for the past week, so what she had in the house was going to have to do. She couldn’t spend any of what was in her purse because she would need it for transportation and coffee at work.
The chill in the air brought her to the dresser where she pulled out one of her flannel nightgowns and a pair of warm socks.
It wasn’t Saturday, so she would have to wash at the sink with the smelly red soap, instead of soaking in a nice hot tub. Heating water took a lot of gas and her parents tried to keep the budget of their household expenses at a sensible level. Oh, how she wished the depression would end and everyone could go back to work and live better, but there was nothing in the forecast for anything good coming along soon.
Her wardrobe was another issue. She hadn’t bought a new outfit for a couple of years and that was only a dress from the Salvation Army ─ forty-five cents. Never mind all that, she thought as she opened her closet door.
The little cotton blue dress seemed to jump out at her as being the right one for sure. When she looked at it, she thought of Stan’s deep blue eyes. She took it down from the hanger and walked to the mirror over her dresser. Holding it up to her body, she admired the way it looked and was convinced it was the right one.
The flurry of snow outside her bedroom window caught her attention.
If this keeps up, I may not even get out of this house by tomorrow.
She clucked her tongue and went back to the closet to hang the dress up. Tomorrow was important to her. It was a date with a handsome guy and she didn’t want anything to spoil it. Like most young girls at the age of nineteen, Rachael dreamed of a romance and a grand wedding some day. Finding the right life partner was what she worried about, but she was not about to pass up an opportunity to date a seemingly nice person like Stan, even if she didn’t know much about him…yet.
Excitement flowed through her as she undressed and readied for bed. The clanking noise coming from the basement told Rachel that her father was loading the furnace with coal for the night. When the cold weather set in, all he would talk about was converting to oil, which also was not in the budget. How often she watched him come up those basement stairs with black hands and a sober look on his face, and go to the kitchen sink to wash up before doing anything else.
At least they were better off than some in the town. They had food and a roof over their heads which was not the case with so many unfortunate others.
Rachael had a high school education and wanted to go on to college but that would have to wait. Not many young women went on to higher learning but this was another one of her dreams. She wanted to become a teacher.
In her long flannel nightgown, she went downstairs to say good night to her parents, who sat in the living room listening to the radio. Her mother sat with her knitting needles clicking, busy at work constructing a sweater for her in her favorite color, blue. She laid the knitted wool piece down in her lap when she saw Rachael coming down the stairs. “I see you’re ready for bed. It’s a little early but I’m sure you’re tired after working today. Come give Momma a kiss.”
“Yes, I’m pretty tired, all right, and I want to get up early tomorrow. I’m going to pack a lunch for me and a friend so I need a little extra time. I hope this snow stops before morning or I’ll never get downtown if the streetcars stop running.” She walked over to her mother and bent down to give her cheek a kiss.
Her father looked over at her from the overstuffed chair he loved so much.
Rachel glanced back at him and laughed. “Don’t worry; I’ll give you a goodnight kiss too.” She wondered when she would ever grow out of the need for her parents. She figured she was getting too old to have to kiss her parents goodnight all the time, but so what, she thought. Smiling she strolled over to her father.
Andrew was a loving man who did everything in his power to keep his little family well taken care of. A little gray around the temples and slightly overweight, he still was a handsome man.
Grace, on the other hand, still had her girlish figure and her bright red hair. She always looked wonderful, even with her cotton house dress and an apron tied around her waist.
Rachael went back upstairs to wind up and set her alarm clock and then climbed into bed under the heavy quilt and warm blankets. How good it felt! She pulled her pillow up under her head and closed her eyes.
****
The annoying sound of the alarm clock had her pulling the covers up over her head in an attempt to avoid it, but once the thought of her lunch date entered her mind, she threw the blankets off and sat up. A little shiver and then she rose from the bed and went quickly to the window.
Morning light had just begun to show its face off to the east and the skies were clear. Below, the snow had not accumulated more than another inch so she was sure she’d be off to work and her date with Stan. With a smile and a sigh, she pulled off her nightgown and began to dress.
Her mother had a pot of oatmeal waiting on the stove with a pitcher of milk on the table.
Rachael reached up in the cupboard above the sink for a bowl and went directly to the stove for her share of the hot breakfast. As she scooped some up she noticed her mother had added some raisins. “Umm, I love it when you put something extra in our cereal. It’s so good, raisins are the best.” Then she joined her father at the table.
She still had to fry up two eggs and make those sandwiches she would take for the lunch with Stan. She never mentioned to her parents that she had a new friend who happened to be a man. That could wait. She was glad her mom and dad didn’t question her about it. She took the eggs out of the ice box and brought them to the stove.
As she went on frying the eggs, she looked over at her mother. “Mom, did the ice man come yesterday? These eggs feel a little warm.”
“Yes he did, but he was late getting here. That old mare he has pulling his wagon had to have a nail pulled out of her hoof. It turned out he had only a small piece of ice left for us, so that will have to do until he comes again. Its’ a good thing you mentioned it. I’ll have Dad bring in some snow to keep the icebox cool until the ice man comes back.”
Rachael finished making the sandwiches, wrapped them in waxed paper and put them in a brown paper bag.
As she went out the door, she yelled back to the kitchen where her parents were having a fresh cup of coffee, “Bye, see you later.”
A small pile of snow had blown against the door and when she opened it, she had to plow through it. The snow came almost up to the top of her boots. It was a good thing there wasn’t a heavy wind anymore to pile more of it against the door and over the steps to the sidewalk. She felt bad she couldn’t stay home a bit to shovel some of the snow away from the porch, steps, and sidewalk in front of the house. Her dad would have to take care of it.
On her way down to the pick up stop for the streetcar, Rachel noticed how many houses had Christmas decorations, some with green wreaths on their doors while others strung strips of garland from pine trees across the front railings of their porch. It would be great to put something up at her house, she thought as she trudged along, kicking at the snow under her feet. Rachael loved Christmas and wanted to enjoy everything about it. Gifts weren’t as important to her as being happy to have whatever came her way as part of the season’s most celebrated holiday.
Rachael stood at the pick up sign waiting for the sound of the streetcar, holding her coat collar up to her neck. Her free hand held the paper bag with the lunch she’d prepared. From down the street the bell rang, letting her know she would soon be out of the cold, into the car and on her way downtown to the market. With her nickel ready when the car stopped, she hurried to the open door and climbed the few stairs up and in away from the winter with its cold and snow. Luckily she found an empty seat right behind the conductor. That way she could watch out the large front window as the car traveled along to the next stop.
When the car came to a halt and the door opened, Rachel rose from her seat and stepped down into the cold morning air.
Thoughts of her impending lunch date swam in her head as she made her way to her job. The market was only a block away so she hurried along with so many others heading for their destinations. She glanced over at the skating rink as she passed by and couldn’t wait until noon when she would meet Stan and spend her lunch hour with him. The sidewalks had been cleared of the snow, making it easier to get around. She looked back at the crowd assembling in front of the department store window with its fine holiday display in full motion. Imagine, she thought, he had been watching her all the time yesterday when she stood with the others admiring the yearly display of toys and depictions of Santa and his elves ready to serve all who believed.
The market was full of prospective buyers, along with those who came looking for a bargain or a handout. People strolled up and down walkways lined with produce and food of all kinds. Children still not old enough for school hung fast to their mothers’ skirts and with wonder in their young eyes looked up at the people standing so high above them. Rachel imagined visions of candy sticks and sugar plums bounced around in their little heads as they had when she was a child.
Rachael took her place behind the meat counter where she was assigned for the day. She took a broom to sweep up the sawdust on the floor and replace it with a new clean batch. Then she would join the packers who wrapped the meat as it was ordered. She had hoped she would be working in produce that day so she could maybe snag an apple or two if any were about to hit the leftover box. There was never too much to be exported out of there to either the garbage or the churches but sometimes she made a deal with the owner of that booth. It would be nice to have a little extra something for the lunch with Stan. Maybe she would wander over there at lunch break and ask if there was anything they’d like to get rid of, something still decent enough to eat.
****
Stan arrived at the large department store with his stack of newspapers for delivery. He waited at the door for the manager to open while holding the bundle of papers in his arms. His truck was parked at the curb.
When Tom the manager, a short little guy with a mustache that extended out to the ends of his cheeks opened the door, Stan hurried in to make his delivery.
“How ya doing, Stan?” the man asked.
“I’m okay, but it’s awfully cold out there.” He set the stack of papers down next to the door where they would be displayed.
“You need a warmer jacket. That one looks like it’s seen better days.”
“Can’t afford another one right now. Maybe when things get better, I can find a job that pays more. Then I’ll buy a new jacket and new shoes.”
“What kind of work would you be looking for?”
“I’d like to do something with the news… like in advertising.”
The manager circled around him, his hand cupped around his chin. “Ya’ know what? I have an opening right now in our advertising department. The guy who worked there is moving to another state to help his family out. Would you be interested in giving the job a try? Can’t start you out with a high pay but after some training we can look at improving your wages.”
Stan stood back, amazed. “I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked. This is a real break for me. I can’t believe you’re making me this offer.”
“After meeting you on the mornings you come here, I’ve gotten to like you,” Tom said with a smile. “You seem like a nice young man who takes responsibility for his job. If you take the position, it will save me from the long line of people wanting it and having to go through all those applications. So how about it?”
“When do I start? I’ll have to let the newspaper company know I’m leaving.”
“Can you stop by later...maybe around noon? I need to check with corporate, but I’m sure it will be by the end of this week.”
Stan removed his cap and smiled. “I have a lunch date with this girl I met yesterday, right over there at the skating rink. Could we make it right after lunch?”
“Well, why not bring her here and use our employee lunchroom? No sense both of you staying out in the cold to eat… and you can have some of the coffee or tea in there; it’s free to our people, and you’re about to be one of us. The room is right next to the lavatories on the second floor. Be my guest, Stan, and then I’ll see you when your luncheon date is over.”
As Tom walked away, Stan stood there wiping his brow in utter astonishment. A new and better job and a place to take Rachael for their lunch date. Christmas had come early for him. This was the best thing that could have possibly happened and at the right time. Whatever they offered in the way of pay would be better than the measly little bit he got working part time delivering newspapers. And a chance at something he’d only dreamed of. A career in advertising had always been on his mind from when he’d been a small child.
His gait on the way out the door and down the sidewalk was more of a dance than a walk.
Wait ti
l
l I tell Rachael. She’ll be so happy for me, I just know it. And now I can ask her out on a real date.
He got in his truck and drove off, ready to take the vehicle back to the garage for the day and get ready for the best lunch hour he’d ever had.