by Read, Calia
My shoulders sag, and I sigh heavily. I don’t need a reminder of the past. “Yes, because of that.”
“Then why are you goin’ to work there?”
That’s a question I asked myself repeatedly before I fell asleep last night. If I wanted a job, I am certain I could’ve found one elsewhere. With enough coaxing, perhaps Étienne would have given me one at EAL Corporation. So why become a Hello Girl?
I do not have a clear answer.
But I think as much as I want freedom from parts of my past, I crave portions of it as well. The pieces that had Asa. And since I can’t have that, I want to be close to him. Because I haven’t felt safe in so long, and when I was around him, I did. His equanimity to all things in life is something I’ve always admired in him.
But this job, as exciting as it is, can be a dangerous risk.
“Are you ready?” Livingston asks.
Standing from the table, I place my napkin on the table. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“There is no placing your elbows on the desk. Space is limited when you’re taking the calls and you need to be mindful of the ladies next to you,” Louise says in a strict tone that bodes no room for interrupting.
I follow behind her, watching the ladies move to answer calls. This close to them I’m more than a little browbeaten. I’m terrified. How can I be expected to do what they do when
I don’t even know the locations of the jacks?
“If you must use the lavatory, please raise your hand and ask for a reprieve,” Louise continues.
I haven’t raised my hand in order to use the restroom since I was a child. The idea seems rather preposterous, but this is Louise and, for her, nothing is ludicrous.
Louise stops in front of a pretty girl who is settling into her station for the day. When she sees Louise approaching, she straightens her shoulders, as though a general is approaching.
“You’ll sit next to Leah Frances and listen to how she answers each subscriber. You will not say a word to one another.”
At first, I don’t think I’ve heard her correctly. How can I sit next to these ladies, day in and day out, and not speak to them? I take a closer look at the ladies and notice none of them interact with one another. It’s almost as if they all don’t realize the others’ existence. What’s so fascinating is even without words, they work in harmony. There’s a unity between them in how they move their arms, unplug each cord, move it to a new jack. Even to the melodious tones of their voices.
Wordlessly, Louise walks away. I take that as my cue to sit beside Leah Frances. I fidget nervously in my chair, staring at the headset in front of me.
Should I put this on now or later?
I look around at the other ladies. They’re wearing their headsets. I cast a glance at Leah Frances and see she’s still making herself comfortable.
The silence becomes unbearable to me, so I hold my hand out between us. “I’m Nathalie Claiborne.”
“I know. I saw you yesterday while Louise measured your arm span.”
My lips curve into a smile.
“I’m Leaf Inglenook,” she says.
Surely, I didn’t hear her correctly. “Leaf?”
“Yes. My real name is Leah Frances, but my momma calls me Leaf. And don’t worry. Louise has done that with everyone.” Leaf points to my headset. “Before we start, I should explain the switchboard. Unless you’re already familiar with it?”
Leaf talks quickly. For a moment, I stare at her in a daze. It takes me a minute to realize she asked me a question, so I quickly shake my head.
Leaf points to the section of the switchboard in front of her. “These jacks serve as local outlets to your subscribers. Each jack has its own lamp.” Leaf then points to the desk in front of us and the rows of switches. “When a subscriber calls, the lamp turns on. You then take the cord in the back row and place it into the correct jack.” She taps one of the toggle switches directly in front of her. “It’s important to know that these switches in front of each column serve a purpose. When you place the cord into the correct jack, you must make sure you flip the proper key, from the correct row, forward.” Leaf blinks at me. “Do you understand?”
I understood the cords gave her the ability to connect callers to anybody of their choosing, but all the information she gave me is overwhelming and a lot to process. And when I look around at the ladies and how quick and efficient they are, it feels as though I’ll never understand this. Nonetheless, I smile and nod, as though I’ve done this before because I’ve never been one to give up and walk away without a fight.
As though she can sense my confusion, Leaf smiles and begins to adjust her headset. “You just need to watch me until lunch. You will learn in no time.”
Her faith in me is admirable. At least one of us has it. For a moment I stare at her, and a thought occurs to me. “A Weissman purchased the Pleasonton home.”
“Yes, that’s my daddy. I live there with my parents and seven sisters.”
“Seven,” I repeat in awe. “That’s a lot.”
“And I’m the oldest.”
“My word.” I take a moment to regard Leaf. Her dark red hair is elegantly pulled back. And her pale skin is perfectly flawless. Apart from the freckles scattered across her pert nose. The disparity between her hair and black brows is apparent. But her bold brows only make her light green eyes more prominent. She doesn’t have a single chipped nail, and her clothes are freshly ironed.
And it leads me to one conclusion. Before this job, she hadn’t seen a day of work in her life.
“What prompted you to work here?”
“What prompted you to work here?” Leaf asks, turning my own question on me.
Before I can stumble my way through a reply Leaf says, “I remember hearin’ about a grand weddin’ several years ago between a Lacroix and a Claiborne. That marriage didn’t happen to belong to you, did it?” She finishes her words with a wink.
Rather than take offense, I dip my head. “Touché.”
We both have our reasons for being here that neither is willing to share. Although I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to know Leaf’s story.
“Ladies, there is no talking,” a strident voice says behind us.
I turn to say sorry, but by the time I twist in my chair, Louise is already striding in the other direction, her sharp gaze taking in the other ladies.
Once Leaf places her headset on, the lamps begin to light up. Her hands move swiftly across the switchboard, doing exactly as she told me, but with an efficiency that’s more than intimidating. Quickly, I grab the headset in front of me and put it on.
Leaf flips the toggle switch forward and says, “Number, please.”
She can’t possibly do this for hours straight without a break. Can she?
It turns out, Leaf truly can.
And she’s exceptionally good at what she does. I know why Louise placed me with her today. Once we remove our headsets and stand from our chairs, I realize how sore my backside is. My eyes are burning from the intense focus it takes to stare at the board. A small headache is building, making my temples pulsate, and the silence in the large room doesn’t help the situation. It’s rather severe. Every movement sounds far too loud.
If I wasn’t so focused on watching Leaf and learning everything she did, I would’ve fainted out of fear for breathing too loudly. But not once did I think of the past or look for Asa. So I’ll take my watery eyes and headache and wear them like badges of honor.
I follow Leaf down the first-floor hall. We pass numerous closed doors. One has Louise’s name on it, although I don’t know why she has her own office, considering she appears to spend the majority of her time on the floor, slowly walking up and down observing the ladies with a sharp eye.
“You’re very good at what you do,” I say.
Leaf beams. “Thank you. It’s exhaustin’, but I enjoy makin’ my own money.”
I nod. “How long have you worked here?”
“Six months.”
/>
My eyes widen. I was expecting her to say something different; she controlled the panel as though she’s been here since the building opened.
“I’m not certain I believe you,” I say with a hint of humor.
She shrugs sheepishly. “I’m quite fascinatin’ by the mechanics of objects. I took apart my first clock when I was nine.”
“My goodness.”
With earnest eyes, she looks at me. “I’d love to be a technician for Southern Bell.”
I nod at her, my eyes just as earnest as hers. “That’s wonderful.”
“I heard someone from the second floor say that by 1921, the first Bell Laboratories Panel Switching System will be installed. It’s a technical wonder. It will greatly help the dial system.”
I don’t know what she means, but, once again, I nod. The two of us are quiet for a moment, with only the sound of our heels clicking on the ceramic tile floors. The ivory walls are bare, with only cast iron radiators placed against the wall.
The environment in this location of the building is peaceful. People walk at a slower pace; smiles are earned far easier.
Leaf stops in front of a door that has papers taped to the frosted glass. One is a poster from World War I of a woman holding a receiver to her ear. She has a golden crown on her head and is draped in a Grecian robe. In bold font are the words: HELLO! This is Lady Liberty Speaking.
Another is a handwritten sign that says NO SMOKING.
Leaf spots me reading the posters and sighs and says, “Oh, you will want to smoke after a long shift here. Trust me.”
She breezes into the room, and wordlessly, I follow her. The sitting room where the ladies come to relax and eat is surprisingly nice. There are tables and chairs scattered throughout and a single couch in front of the one lone window.
I’m surprised to see there’s close to thirty ladies sitting in the room. Most are quietly talking to one another. Others nibble on their food while they read books or newspapers. I can’t say that I blame them for wanting a bit of silence. My brain feels so contorted; I don’t think I could carry longer than a five-minute conversation even if I had to.
Upon entering the room, Leaf goes directly to the table pushed against the left wall. Spread across it is a humble assortment of food and drinks. Sweet tea, water. There are beans, bread, grits with butter right beside the large bowl.
I could eat the grits alone and be plenty full.
I follow behind Leaf, grabbing one of the plates stacked on the side.
“The ladies will usually bring dishes in each day. So there’s a variety of food to choose from.”
I nod, my gaze on the food. The amount of food is surprising and makes my stomach grumble. I make my plate and follow Leaf to a table where two ladies are eating.
Rather than sitting down to eat, Leaf walks over to a board that’s covered in pages and intently stares at a paper in front of her while she slowly chews on a piece of bread.
“What is that?” I ask.
Leaf never takes her eyes from the board as she replies, “If you want to keep this job, watch this board.”
“Why?”
“Because you discover what rule the last girl broke that led to her bein’ fired,” a lady says to my right as she places her plate on the table.
She holds her hand out for me. “I’m Susan.”
“I’m Na—”
“Nathalie,” Susan interjects. “Yes, we all know. Louise informed us yesterday that you would be joinin’ us.” As she sits down, she gestures to the lady beside her. “This is Judy, my cousin.”
The girl next to Susan nods, eyes wide. “We like to call that the warnin’ board.”
“The warnin’ board,” I repeat.
I want to laugh, but the way Susan and Judy solemnly nod at me make me think better of it. Leaf snorts and walks back to the table.
“What was the infraction?” Susan asks.
“Two minutes late to her shift,” Leaf says.
Susan and Judy exchange looks, before Susan looks at me. “There is leniency. A five-minute grace period, but Louise has become less tolerant, and firin’ this last girl is an example.”
I nod, eager to listen to whatever advice they might give me.
A short, skinny man with spectacles walks into the room. He has a frantic energy about him, as though he has so much he needs to do and far too little time.
Immediately, Susan walks right up to him. From the way his eyes bore into the assortment of food, I’m guessing this isn’t the first time Susan has accosted him and he’s doing everything in his power to avoid her.
“Floyd, I cannot work next to Holly. When she reaches for the switches, her elbow nearly takes my eye out.” To make her point, Susan points below her left eye. “I think I have a shiner. Right here.”
“I understand, but you’re such a great worker. No one can handle Holly like you.”
“But I’m takin’ less calls.”
“I understand, I understand. I want to speak about this more, but I have to go.”
“But—”
“Truly, we will discuss this. But for now, let’s just put a pin in this.” He pretends to hold a sewing pin between his fingers and stabs the air. “Boop. There we go.”
“But—”
“Boop,” he repeats louder, with the same wide smile on his face. It escapes none of the ladies that the entire time he’s slowly retreating toward the door.
Before Susan can state her case further, Floyd slips out of the room. He’s probably running down the hall, back to his office.
No one seems all that surprised by Floyd’s abrupt departure. Susan merely shakes her head, as though she’s a mother who’s disappointed in her child’s actions and everyone else continues eating.
“Floyd is Louise’s boss. But…” Leaf lets her words fade and shakes her head.
“He does nothin’,” Susan says, still smarting off for not having her objections heard.
“You’re better off goin’ to Mr. Calhoun,” Judy chimes in.
At the mention of Asa’s last name, my heart skips a beat. I turn my focus to my plate.
“If you ever have the opportunity to step inside his office that is,” Judy says.
“He scares me,” Florence says.
“He doesn’t scare me,” Susan replies.
I look up just in time to see her arch a brow, causing Judy to giggle. Slowly, I chew my grits and control my jealousy. I like to think of myself as a rather calm person, but I can feel my blood boiling the longer I sit here. Asa is mine. Asa has been mine. Asa will always be mine.
Yet, he’s married to another woman. Shares his bed with her every night.
It’s agony, and yet, it’s my reality.
“I saw you with Mr. Calhoun yesterday,” Susan says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I lift my head and find the ladies at the table staring at me. “Do you know him?” she asks.
I don’t want any of them to know that I’m familiar with Asa outside of the confines of work. I don’t want the ladies to look at me differently. It’s been a long time since I’ve had conversations that didn’t center around Matilda and one of her “spells” or Oliver. At Brignac House, my only companions were the servants. I have a real opportunity at creating friendships here. I know I have Rainey and Serene. But with these ladies, I can choose what they know and don’t know. If I want them to know I’m a widow or a single lady then I can do just that. There’s something very uplifting in that knowledge.
After several seconds, I answer, “A- Mr. Calhoun,” I quickly correct, “is a friend of my brother, Étienne.”
“Was your brother the tall intimidatin’ man here yesterday?” Susan blurts.
Next to her, Judy elbows her and whispers in her ear. I don’t hear everything, but just pieces here and there. “Stop it,” and, “I told you it was Étienne Lacroix…”
Susan’s question and Judy’s whispers are nothing new.
“Yes, that’s him,” I confirm.
&nb
sp; “And the red head?” Susan questions.
Leaf leans in. “Susan is awfully noisy if you didn’t notice.”
Susan scowls. “How else do you discover information?”
“By quietly listenin’?” Judy suggests.
Susan quickly waves her cousin’s words away and focuses her attention back to me. “So who was the red head?”
“That’s my brother’s wife, Serene.”
Susan nods and sits back, seemingly appeased with my answers.
“Are those all the questions you have for her?” Leaf asks with a smile.
Susan shrugs. “For now.”
“All right, ladies. Lunch is over.” Floyd is back and wisely keeps his gaze away from Susan as he points to the direction of the hall.
“Sweet Lord. Does he think we’re lost?” Susan murmurs beneath her breath.
“Apparently,” Judy replies.
“I think we can find our way back to our call stations just fine,” Leaf says dryly.
As we gather our food, I continue to listen to the ladies with the barest smile on my face.
You need to be cautious, Nathalie! You’ve only met these ladies!
However, I can’t help but hope I form lasting friendships with them.
The four of us are walking down the hall when Leaf looks at me then Susan with a twinkle in her eye. “Does Nathalie meet your approval, Susan?”
“I don’t know. Our shift isn’t finished yet.” Before we get to our call stations, Susan gives me a smile that borders on ominous. “We’ll see how you feel at the end of the day.”
After eleven hours of staring at only the switchboard, my eyes start to go blurry. I try my hardest to remember everything Leaf tells me, but she moves with a swiftness that is impressive, but also enviable. I want to scream in frustration that I can’t follow her when she moves that fast. I think she takes pity on me one time because she slows her movements, but Louise walks by and clears her throat. At once, Leaf sits straighter in her chair and begins to work even faster than before.
Louise has that effect on all the ladies. She is a puppet master. She pulls the strings, and the ladies do her bidding.