Bye-bye."
Letitia moved closer and put an arm around her mother's shoulders. "She'll never call you about that circle, will she?"
"No." Mother sighed. Tish followed her gaze toward the door, where Pastor Archer stood with his wife at his side, shaking hands with people as they left. He looked up, and for a moment his gaze fixed on them and froze, as if time had stood still. Then he lowered his eyes and turned a brilliant smile on Philip Dorn and Marcella Covington, clapping Philip on the shoulder and giving Marcella a kiss on the cheek.
Mother looked around. The fellowship hall had begun to empty out, leaving behind a litter of punch cups and napkins and crumbs from the petit fours. "Someone else can clean this mess up," she muttered under her breath. Then she took Tish by the elbow and headed for the side door.
"Where are we going?" Tish whispered. In all the years they had been attending Downtown Presbyterian, her mother had never left the fellowship hall until the last plate had been washed and the last crumb swept away. "The fellowship hour isn't over yet."
"It's over for us," her mother hissed through gritted teeth. "It was over the minute your father died. Now come onâwe're going home."
11
COMMENCEMENT
May 18, 1930
L etitia stood next to Adora Archer and adjusted the neckline of her new dress. Mother wasn't nearly as adept at the treadle sewing machine as she was in the kitchen, but she had done an admirable job, all things considered. The dress was just a shade off white, with a lace-overlaid bodice and cap sleeves.
"That's a beautiful dress, Tish," Adora said.
"Thank you. Mother made it." Tish offered the confession boldly, without a twinge of embarrassment in the admission. Time was, and not so long ago, that she wouldn't have been caught dead in a dress of her mother's making, or at the very least, would never have admitted it. Now, it seemed, her mother's ingenuity was a source of pride, not shame. Things change, Mother said. Indeed they did.
Adora reached up and adjusted the gold locket around Letitia's neckâa graduation gift purchased with her mother's hard-earned money. "I've missed you at church."
"You're no doubt the only one." Tish smiled to take the edge off her caustic reply. "Sorry. I just meantâ"
"I know what you meant, and you're right. I wouldn't want to go there and be snubbed every Sunday, either. But I miss you, all the same."
"Ellie and her mother haven't come back either, have they?"
Adora shook her head. "Big Eleanor never leaves the house, and most of the timeâwhen she's not in school, anywayâEllie is stuck there with her. Daddy went to visit a couple of times, but apparently his efforts to get Big Eleanor out of her depression didn't work. Besides, he's got his hands full with everything that's going on."
"Such as?"
"You wouldn't believe it, Tish. All sorts of people are coming, more of them every Sunday. People in rags, practically, who stand in the bread lines during the week. Some of the ladies have actually come to Daddy to complain about the smell."
Letitia suppressed a laugh. She could just see Alice Dorn holding a lace hankie over her nose and trying to escape before her designer dress was soiled by brushing shoulders with the unwashed multitudes. The past few months had instilled in Tish a sense of empathy with the poor souls who had no jobs, no food, no decent place to live. And she rather enjoyed the idea of Alice's discomfort at being forced to fraternize with the down-and-out in the name of the Lord.
"Tish! Adora!" Ellie and Mary Love appeared, as if from nowhere. "You both look so beautiful! Are you nervous?"
"Nervous about what?" Adora asked. "You go up, get your diploma, and that's all there is to it. I was nervous about final exams. Once you get past them, graduation is a cakewalk."
"Well, I'll be nervous next year when it's my turn," Eleanor admitted.
"That's because you'll be valedictorian and have to give a speech."
"Oh, but it's
Letitia moved closer and put an arm around her mother's shoulders. "She'll never call you about that circle, will she?"
"No." Mother sighed. Tish followed her gaze toward the door, where Pastor Archer stood with his wife at his side, shaking hands with people as they left. He looked up, and for a moment his gaze fixed on them and froze, as if time had stood still. Then he lowered his eyes and turned a brilliant smile on Philip Dorn and Marcella Covington, clapping Philip on the shoulder and giving Marcella a kiss on the cheek.
Mother looked around. The fellowship hall had begun to empty out, leaving behind a litter of punch cups and napkins and crumbs from the petit fours. "Someone else can clean this mess up," she muttered under her breath. Then she took Tish by the elbow and headed for the side door.
"Where are we going?" Tish whispered. In all the years they had been attending Downtown Presbyterian, her mother had never left the fellowship hall until the last plate had been washed and the last crumb swept away. "The fellowship hour isn't over yet."
"It's over for us," her mother hissed through gritted teeth. "It was over the minute your father died. Now come onâwe're going home."
11
COMMENCEMENT
May 18, 1930
L etitia stood next to Adora Archer and adjusted the neckline of her new dress. Mother wasn't nearly as adept at the treadle sewing machine as she was in the kitchen, but she had done an admirable job, all things considered. The dress was just a shade off white, with a lace-overlaid bodice and cap sleeves.
"That's a beautiful dress, Tish," Adora said.
"Thank you. Mother made it." Tish offered the confession boldly, without a twinge of embarrassment in the admission. Time was, and not so long ago, that she wouldn't have been caught dead in a dress of her mother's making, or at the very least, would never have admitted it. Now, it seemed, her mother's ingenuity was a source of pride, not shame. Things change, Mother said. Indeed they did.
Adora reached up and adjusted the gold locket around Letitia's neckâa graduation gift purchased with her mother's hard-earned money. "I've missed you at church."
"You're no doubt the only one." Tish smiled to take the edge off her caustic reply. "Sorry. I just meantâ"
"I know what you meant, and you're right. I wouldn't want to go there and be snubbed every Sunday, either. But I miss you, all the same."
"Ellie and her mother haven't come back either, have they?"
Adora shook her head. "Big Eleanor never leaves the house, and most of the timeâwhen she's not in school, anywayâEllie is stuck there with her. Daddy went to visit a couple of times, but apparently his efforts to get Big Eleanor out of her depression didn't work. Besides, he's got his hands full with everything that's going on."
"Such as?"
"You wouldn't believe it, Tish. All sorts of people are coming, more of them every Sunday. People in rags, practically, who stand in the bread lines during the week. Some of the ladies have actually come to Daddy to complain about the smell."
Letitia suppressed a laugh. She could just see Alice Dorn holding a lace hankie over her nose and trying to escape before her designer dress was soiled by brushing shoulders with the unwashed multitudes. The past few months had instilled in Tish a sense of empathy with the poor souls who had no jobs, no food, no decent place to live. And she rather enjoyed the idea of Alice's discomfort at being forced to fraternize with the down-and-out in the name of the Lord.
"Tish! Adora!" Ellie and Mary Love appeared, as if from nowhere. "You both look so beautiful! Are you nervous?"
"Nervous about what?" Adora asked. "You go up, get your diploma, and that's all there is to it. I was nervous about final exams. Once you get past them, graduation is a cakewalk."
"Well, I'll be nervous next year when it's my turn," Eleanor admitted.
"That's because you'll be valedictorian and have to give a speech."
"Oh, but it's
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