working from his home, where everyone would know to go with or without a sign.
“He’s next door. He doesn’t have a sign up. Papa keeps telling him he needs to get one so he can get more business.”
“I see. Well, since we don’t have meat other than the salt pork, I’m just going to make beans and rice for lunch. Is that okay with you girls?” She hoped they enjoyed simple meals like beans from time to time.
Abbie nodded, and Georgie said, “Yes, Mama. I’m not picky unless I have to eat bacon all the time.”
Emily found a big pot and filled it half full of beans and added water from the pump. “I would rather soak them longer, but this will work.” She set them on the work table and turned to the girls. “We need to leave those to soak for an hour, and then I’ll boil them. Do you want to help me bake some bread while we wait?”
She spent the next hour working happily with the girls showing them just what ingredients to add to make the bread and how to knead it once it was mixed. Georgie wanted to make her own little pan again, so Emily agreed while she exchanged a look with Abbie. “Would you like to make your own as well, Abbie?”
Abbie nodded. “I want to make cinnamon bread like I did at Farmor ’s. It was delicious.”
“I think that’s a great idea. As soon as the dough is done rising, we’ll make the bread.” She thought about the other things she needed to do to get caught up. As much as Benjamin’s mother angered her, she was thankful the woman had kept them caught up on the major housework. She glanced at the clock on the wall. They still had thirty minutes before she needed to start boiling the beans. “We need to cut the salt pork for the beans. Do you girls know how to use a knife?”
She went to the work table and selected a knife for herself and two smaller, duller knives for the girls. Abbie’s eyes widened. “Mama never let me use a sharp knife.”
Emily wondered if she was doing the right thing, but she thought if she watched over them, the girls would do fine. “Well I’ll show you how to do it, and you have to promise to be very careful. Okay?”
The girls stared at her with wide eyes. “I promise,” Abbie said.
“I will be careful,” Georgie told her.
She gave them each a small dull knife and stood one on either side of her at the work table. Georgie had to stand on a chair, but Abbie was tall enough to reach on her own. She gave them each a small slab of the meat and showed them the correct way to hold their knives to cut it. She demonstrated the size she wanted for the beans and they all stood cutting together. She did three fourths of the amount on her own, but the girls did some. When they were finished, she put it all in a small pile.
“Now we need to drain the beans and rinse them, and then we’ll add water.” The girls watched as she showed them step by step how to boil the beans. Then she started a pot of rice to go with them. “There. Lunch will be delicious.” She walked to the table and checked on the bread, punched it down, and covered it again with a kitchen towel. She washed and dried her hands. “We have the ingredients for sugar cookies or a yellow cake. Which would you girls rather make today?”
Georgie started squealing jumping up and down. “Cake!”
Emily looked at Abbie. “Would cake be okay with you, too?”
Abbie looked at her sister and sighed. “Cake is fine.”
Emily tilted her head to the side. “Do you prefer cookies?” Abbie didn’t seem pleased at the idea of cake, and Emily wondered if she ever got to choose what she wanted.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, let’s let your little sister choose this time, but next time you get to choose. Would that be fair?”
Abbie nodded a smile on her face. It was obvious that because Georgie was more boisterous, Abbie was used to giving in to her wants and needs instead of
“He’s next door. He doesn’t have a sign up. Papa keeps telling him he needs to get one so he can get more business.”
“I see. Well, since we don’t have meat other than the salt pork, I’m just going to make beans and rice for lunch. Is that okay with you girls?” She hoped they enjoyed simple meals like beans from time to time.
Abbie nodded, and Georgie said, “Yes, Mama. I’m not picky unless I have to eat bacon all the time.”
Emily found a big pot and filled it half full of beans and added water from the pump. “I would rather soak them longer, but this will work.” She set them on the work table and turned to the girls. “We need to leave those to soak for an hour, and then I’ll boil them. Do you want to help me bake some bread while we wait?”
She spent the next hour working happily with the girls showing them just what ingredients to add to make the bread and how to knead it once it was mixed. Georgie wanted to make her own little pan again, so Emily agreed while she exchanged a look with Abbie. “Would you like to make your own as well, Abbie?”
Abbie nodded. “I want to make cinnamon bread like I did at Farmor ’s. It was delicious.”
“I think that’s a great idea. As soon as the dough is done rising, we’ll make the bread.” She thought about the other things she needed to do to get caught up. As much as Benjamin’s mother angered her, she was thankful the woman had kept them caught up on the major housework. She glanced at the clock on the wall. They still had thirty minutes before she needed to start boiling the beans. “We need to cut the salt pork for the beans. Do you girls know how to use a knife?”
She went to the work table and selected a knife for herself and two smaller, duller knives for the girls. Abbie’s eyes widened. “Mama never let me use a sharp knife.”
Emily wondered if she was doing the right thing, but she thought if she watched over them, the girls would do fine. “Well I’ll show you how to do it, and you have to promise to be very careful. Okay?”
The girls stared at her with wide eyes. “I promise,” Abbie said.
“I will be careful,” Georgie told her.
She gave them each a small dull knife and stood one on either side of her at the work table. Georgie had to stand on a chair, but Abbie was tall enough to reach on her own. She gave them each a small slab of the meat and showed them the correct way to hold their knives to cut it. She demonstrated the size she wanted for the beans and they all stood cutting together. She did three fourths of the amount on her own, but the girls did some. When they were finished, she put it all in a small pile.
“Now we need to drain the beans and rinse them, and then we’ll add water.” The girls watched as she showed them step by step how to boil the beans. Then she started a pot of rice to go with them. “There. Lunch will be delicious.” She walked to the table and checked on the bread, punched it down, and covered it again with a kitchen towel. She washed and dried her hands. “We have the ingredients for sugar cookies or a yellow cake. Which would you girls rather make today?”
Georgie started squealing jumping up and down. “Cake!”
Emily looked at Abbie. “Would cake be okay with you, too?”
Abbie looked at her sister and sighed. “Cake is fine.”
Emily tilted her head to the side. “Do you prefer cookies?” Abbie didn’t seem pleased at the idea of cake, and Emily wondered if she ever got to choose what she wanted.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, let’s let your little sister choose this time, but next time you get to choose. Would that be fair?”
Abbie nodded a smile on her face. It was obvious that because Georgie was more boisterous, Abbie was used to giving in to her wants and needs instead of
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