of smiles.
Ibby reached for a piece of cornbread. “What’s hereafter?”
Fannie stuck a spoon into the soup. “That’s what Queenie calls dessert. Doesn’t look like we’re going to need it today anyway.”
Ibby followed Fannie’s lead and tried the soup. It was cold and had floating chunks of onion and green pepper. She put the spoon down,hoping the oysters might taste better, but from the looks of them, she wasn’t so sure.
“I can tell by that look on your face that you’ve never had oysters.” Fannie picked up a three-pronged fork. “Use this oyster fork, and kind of jab at the oysters. They’re small this time of year, so just swallow them whole.”
The oysters were gray and blobby, and the thought of eating one made Ibby get that salty taste in her mouth, the kind you get when you’re about to throw up. Fannie was watching her with interest so she dropped a raw oyster into her mouth. When Fannie wasn’t looking, she spat it into her napkin.
“What have you been up to this morning?” Fannie asked. “Did you have a nice visit with Annabelle Friedrichs?”
Before Ibby could answer, Queenie burst through the door.
“Miss Fannie, I just wanted to remind you that Miss Ibby’s birthday is this coming Saturday. You made reservations at Antoine’s for lunch.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, ma’am. Eleven-thirty. Crow is coming by to wash the car on account he gone drive you to Antoine’s, then you gone come back here and have cake.”
“I see.”
“Yes, ma’am, then Doll and me, we most likely gonna take the rest of the day off, considering Saturday is the Fourth of July and all. That is, if that be all right by you,” Queenie added.
To everyone’s surprise, the doorbell rang.
Queenie shuffled into the hall. When she opened the door, a woman with a red bouffant hairdo burst through.
“Miss Fannie here?”
The screechy voice gave her away. Ibby stiffened as Honey Friedrichs pushed her way past Queenie and into the dining room. She stood at the end of the table holding a plate of cookies in one hand while attempting to adjust her close-fitting blue shift with the other,leaving Queenie standing by the front door with her mouth gaping open.
“Soooo nice to see you, Fannie. It’s been a while. I can see I’m interrupting your lunch so I won’t keep you. I have to rush out to a Junior League meeting, but not before I brought by this tray of cookies that Ernestine made especially for Ibby, to welcome her to the neighborhood.” Honey placed the tray on the table, then stood back with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot nervously.
Ibby noticed that Honey Friedrichs didn’t look the same as she had this morning when she came out into the backyard wearing black trousers with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Now her hair was so heavily teased and lacquered that it didn’t move when she spoke.
“Annabelle and Ibby had so much fun playing together this morning, didn’t you, dear?” Honey put on a thick smile, waiting for Ibby to agree. “Didn’t you, dear?” She widened her eyes at Ibby.
Miss Honey was trying so hard not to let her smile slip that the sides of her mouth began to quiver. Ibby was afraid if she didn’t answer soon, Miss Honey would burst and the truth about this morning would come spilling out.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ibby replied, trying hard to sound as if she meant it.
“Well, good, that’s all I wanted to say. I don’t want to keep you from your lunch. Ibby is certainly welcome to come over and play with my little Annabelle anytime she likes. We’re all good, right?” Miss Honey looked from one person to another, waiting for an answer. “Well, I’ll be off then. Don’t want to miss the baseball game I bet on this afternoon. Go, Cardinals!” She raised her hand in the air as if she were leading a cheer, then turned and trotted out the front door as fast as she’d come.
Queenie shut the door behind her and straightened her uniform.
“Mind telling me what
Ibby reached for a piece of cornbread. “What’s hereafter?”
Fannie stuck a spoon into the soup. “That’s what Queenie calls dessert. Doesn’t look like we’re going to need it today anyway.”
Ibby followed Fannie’s lead and tried the soup. It was cold and had floating chunks of onion and green pepper. She put the spoon down,hoping the oysters might taste better, but from the looks of them, she wasn’t so sure.
“I can tell by that look on your face that you’ve never had oysters.” Fannie picked up a three-pronged fork. “Use this oyster fork, and kind of jab at the oysters. They’re small this time of year, so just swallow them whole.”
The oysters were gray and blobby, and the thought of eating one made Ibby get that salty taste in her mouth, the kind you get when you’re about to throw up. Fannie was watching her with interest so she dropped a raw oyster into her mouth. When Fannie wasn’t looking, she spat it into her napkin.
“What have you been up to this morning?” Fannie asked. “Did you have a nice visit with Annabelle Friedrichs?”
Before Ibby could answer, Queenie burst through the door.
“Miss Fannie, I just wanted to remind you that Miss Ibby’s birthday is this coming Saturday. You made reservations at Antoine’s for lunch.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, ma’am. Eleven-thirty. Crow is coming by to wash the car on account he gone drive you to Antoine’s, then you gone come back here and have cake.”
“I see.”
“Yes, ma’am, then Doll and me, we most likely gonna take the rest of the day off, considering Saturday is the Fourth of July and all. That is, if that be all right by you,” Queenie added.
To everyone’s surprise, the doorbell rang.
Queenie shuffled into the hall. When she opened the door, a woman with a red bouffant hairdo burst through.
“Miss Fannie here?”
The screechy voice gave her away. Ibby stiffened as Honey Friedrichs pushed her way past Queenie and into the dining room. She stood at the end of the table holding a plate of cookies in one hand while attempting to adjust her close-fitting blue shift with the other,leaving Queenie standing by the front door with her mouth gaping open.
“Soooo nice to see you, Fannie. It’s been a while. I can see I’m interrupting your lunch so I won’t keep you. I have to rush out to a Junior League meeting, but not before I brought by this tray of cookies that Ernestine made especially for Ibby, to welcome her to the neighborhood.” Honey placed the tray on the table, then stood back with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot nervously.
Ibby noticed that Honey Friedrichs didn’t look the same as she had this morning when she came out into the backyard wearing black trousers with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Now her hair was so heavily teased and lacquered that it didn’t move when she spoke.
“Annabelle and Ibby had so much fun playing together this morning, didn’t you, dear?” Honey put on a thick smile, waiting for Ibby to agree. “Didn’t you, dear?” She widened her eyes at Ibby.
Miss Honey was trying so hard not to let her smile slip that the sides of her mouth began to quiver. Ibby was afraid if she didn’t answer soon, Miss Honey would burst and the truth about this morning would come spilling out.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ibby replied, trying hard to sound as if she meant it.
“Well, good, that’s all I wanted to say. I don’t want to keep you from your lunch. Ibby is certainly welcome to come over and play with my little Annabelle anytime she likes. We’re all good, right?” Miss Honey looked from one person to another, waiting for an answer. “Well, I’ll be off then. Don’t want to miss the baseball game I bet on this afternoon. Go, Cardinals!” She raised her hand in the air as if she were leading a cheer, then turned and trotted out the front door as fast as she’d come.
Queenie shut the door behind her and straightened her uniform.
“Mind telling me what
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