Overwhelmed in Oklahoma

by Elissa Strati

  He rescued the newspaper and studied the letters, then sat down and wrote:

  Dear Lovelorn,

  I met a girl who is as big as a man, dresses like a man, and works like a man, but when I look at her my heart sees all woman. However, she does not even see me as more than just one of the boys. How can I get her to notice me and accept me as a suitor?

  Very truly yours,

  Overwhelmed in Oklahoma

  ~~~

  He was stunned when he went by the post office not a week later and found a reply:

  Dear Overwhelmed in Oklahoma:

  Treat her like a lady. Open doors for her, bow, speak politely, bring her flowers. If you want her to think of you as a suitor then act like one.

  Yours Truly: The Lovelorn

  ~~~

  Oh! But was he chagrined when he realized his letter had also made it into the newspaper! Fortunately, the signature “Overwhelmed in Oklahoma” did not identify him personally, although they had his state down. One or two of the fellows even joked that meant the girl in question had to be Charlie, but no one pointed fingers his way as being the fellow in love.

  Well thank heaven for small favors, he thought. But the problem was, the advice was exactly what he had been doing all along, treating her like a lady. Well, he would simply have to redouble his efforts.

  CHAPTER 15 – Flowers

  Once the letter came out and the teasing began, one of the fellows got the bright idea to bring her flowers. Figuring out this was meant as a practical joke, Charlie dropped into a curtsey and acted as if she were at a ball, receiving a gift from a favored suitor. Everyone had so much fun with the act that the next day three of the fellows had flowers for her.

  “Oh, dear,” she cried in a falsetto, “my dance card is full. And I can only wear one corsage.” She then selected one flower from each of the bouquets and tucked them into her braids, curtsied, and walked away, turning her head as she did so and winking at each of them.

  Mentally, poor Clint was wringing his hands, because clearly anything he did would be looked upon as more of the same lighthearted teasing. However he continued to be his sweet, polite self, escorting her, offering his arm as he always had, and occasionally murmuring a soft compliment.

  By now Charlie was quite aware that Clint had a tendresse for her, which, she had to admit, made her very happy. She’d always liked him, too, and the age difference was no longer a real issue. After all they weren't 8 and 10 anymore. But she knew that any courting would have to wait until this project was complete, if the men were to remain loyal to her.

  She was a good boss after all. She was strict but fair and gave lavish praise when due, but tended to make criticisms privately, suggesting rather than demanding. When she saw lazy or incompetent work being done by someone she knew was capable of better, she had a knack of calling the person in question out to the side and saying things like, “You know, somehow this doesn't quite look right. What do you think? How can we fix it?”

  Sometimes seeing the overall picture of what careless work created was enough to straighten out the work ethic. Of course, one or two man had to be dismissed. But in short order the framing was complete and they were ready to close in the building.

  ~~~

  On the third day, Curtis was the one who brought her flowers.

  With the stares from everyone focused on them, Curtis smiled up uncertainly and gave a stiff bow before handing the flowers to her.

  “These are from my little girl, Marie. I was telling my wife about the letter and how everyone was teasing you and all the fellows were bringing you flowers, and what a good sport you’d been about it and how it kind of made us all look up to you even more. Marie just understood they were from all the men working for you and she thought that I should bring you flowers, too.”

  He was blushing, and dropped his head, shuffling his feet before looking back up.

  “She's only three, so she doesn't have the idea that flowers are for courting and that I'm already married to the woman I love. But my wife, Hedy, she said I should bring them too, because I was still here and working even after my stupid stunt the other day. As a thank you.”

  Charlie swept him a full court curtsey as if she were in a ball gown and not men's trousers, while accepting the bouquet and pressing it to her heart.

  “Please tell your ladies how much I appreciate their support.”

  Her cheeks glowed as she smiled brilliantly on Curtis. He was taken aback. He hadn't realized what a looker his boss was, although he had rapidly come to appreciate that this was probably the best job he had ever had.

  “Will I be seeing them at church on Sunday? I would like to thank Marie and Hedy in person. Oh, and thank you, too. It was very brave of you.”

  He swallowed hard. Hedy was always asking him to take them to church but he usually claimed he needed his rest.

  “I'll make a point of bringing the family this Sunday to meet you,” he said.

  ~~~

  On the first day, the flowers were a bit worse for the wear by the time she had gone back to the house and gotten a jar to put them in. She had found a few flat stones that she put under her favorite tree, and rested the jar on top of them. Seeing them sitting there, a decorative spot of beauty in one of her favorite places, somehow just lifted her spirit.

  After she had plucked the three blooms from the bouquets of the second day, the men had looked at each other and just stuffed their flowers into that same jar. Now, holding the new bouquet, she directed the men to their projects for the morning, then took the jar down to the creek where she filled it with fresh water and, leaving those blooms which were still doing well added the new bouquet. Of course with wildflowers, some were too fragile to survive the night, but the combined offering was cheerful and set a bright mood on the site.

  She didn't know if the fellows had drawn straws or how they did it, but every day thereafter, a fresh bouquet of flowers was set under the tree.

  ~~~

  Joe had seen the letter in the paper, too. And he kind of had a sneaking suspicion it might be Clint who had written it. He didn't want to embarrass his cousin, but started thinking hard about what he could do to encourage the suit.

  Confiding in Cynthia, Joe made her swear not to talk to anyone else about it, especially his sisters.

  “Besides,” he mused, “I'm only speculating. I haven't said anything to Clint. But even if it's not the two of them that the letter is about, I sure would like to see them together. I think they suit like two peas in a pod.”

  Cindy, who had become very fond of Charlie, concurred, and they started doing a little behind the scenes plotting themselves.

  CHAPTER 16 – Marie

  After church the next Sunday, Curtis brought his wife and daughter to meet his boss.

  Marie stood at Charlie’s ankles and looked up. The lady was as tall as a tree, just like daddy had said. Shyly she proffered the somewhat wilted bouquet she had plucked as they were walking over to church that morning.

  “You're the lady that likes flowers!”

  Charlie crouched down beside her and said, “Absolutely! Thank you so very much for these beautiful blooms! When you come by to visit you will see that we have flowers every day next to the new house. I think they bring us good luck.”

  She opened her arms and heart to the adorable tyke who wrapped her own arms around the lady, giving her a big hug. She sniffed at Charlie's hair.

  “You smell good, just like the flowers!”

  Laughing, Charlie started to stand, but Maria clung around her neck, so she picked her up as she stood. Marie was beaming and so was Hedy.

  “Curtis said you were pretty special,” declared Hedy, “but this just goes to prove it. Maria's usually pretty shy around people she doesn't know and here she is clinging to you like a limpet!”

  “Now that's a strange phrase to hear in Oklahoma,” laughed Charlie.

  Hedy laughed, too.

  “Oh, I come from near Boston. My dad was a fishe
rman. But as much as I miss the water, there is a beauty out here, too, with the wide open spaces and the clean air.”

  Joe and Cindy had just joined them and he joked, “As long as you're not siting your house right next to the stables!” They all laughed.

  Bowing over Mrs. Smoke’s hand as introductions were performed, he explained.

  “Until Charlie came along and explained a few of the logistics to me, I had situated my house-to-be right next door to the homestead, and behind the stables. My sweet cousin kindly pointed out that my pies would be tasting of horse dung, but did it in such a delicate matter that I was charmed and not insulted.” More laughter ensued.

  “And I believe she has come up with yet another clever idea,” he added.

  Turning to his fiancée, Cindy, he asked, “What do you say we have a picnic for our building crew and their families next Sunday after church?”

  Cindy lit up at the idea. In the first place, of course, she loved a good party. And besides she would be delighted to get to know the women and children supporting these men who were making her dreams come true.

  Charlie and Clint thought it was a fine idea as well, so they started making plans.

  Turning to Mrs. Smoke, Cindy asked, “Do you think if I sent a buggy around you and one or two of the other ladies might like to come over so we could make plans?”

  Hedy was flabbergasted. Miss Knowles was society folk and they didn’t usually have much of anything to do with working people, at least not socially.

  “Well, I would be honored,” she said. “How many would you like?”

  “All of you, if you can make it; I would love to get to know you and your families—the more the merrier! But I do know how busy you are, so I won’t be offended if people can’t make it until Sunday. Oh, I hope that will actually work for everyone!”

  A full social calendar is not usually a concern among working class women, thought Hedy, just whether the kids have the croup or measles or something. Bet she’s never even been in a house like mine. But aloud she said, “Just let me know when and where you would like to meet, and I’ll arrange for the other ladies to join us.”

  Since Cindy’s dad was the local doctor, she had a better idea of what the inside of Hedy’s house looked like than Hedy would have realized, having only recently come into town. Cindy had gone with her father on house calls from the time she was old enough to help carry his bag until she left for school to become a teacher.

  CHAPTER 17 – Picnic

  Curtis was not the only one paying off a debt to Joe.

  It seemed Joe hid his light under a bushel. He had, in fact, been saving every penny he made doing odd jobs for others, since he was very young. Someone had drummed into him the notion that he had to have a bankroll in order to ask a woman to marry him, and he had set his sights on Cindy Lou from about second grade.

  And so he had made himself useful wherever he could, collecting nickels and pennies as well as fruit and vegetables or butter and eggs. But he somehow figured out a way to make that profitable too. Thus he found himself in a position to be able to help out when his friend with the sawmill needed some cash to get a new blade. He wasn't sure how, but somehow he ended up being half partners in the mill.

  This all came out in private talks between Charlie and Joe as they were discussing the house and the details to be added. Knowing that most people worked very close to the bone on expenses, she was always quite forthright on how much things cost and where money could be saved, trying to maximize convenience with cost-effectiveness.

  Joe had finally broken down and said he was in fact a silent partner in the mill and might have an interest in one or two other businesses in town as well. And, in fact, he was paying the men, although some of them were working off debts at an hour a day. “Because a man don't feel valuable if he ain't paying off his debts,” had declared one of the souls thus aided.

  All three of her male cousins were delightful, but she had always been closest to Joe. His cleverness, industry, and modesty had merely made him rise even higher in her estimation.

  Thus her initial vision of a smallish house suitable for newlyweds had been rather greatly expanded by Joe’s ideas of making a house as comfortable as possible for Cindy Lou. He had insisted on glass windows, and lots of them, so they would have plenty of light.

  And Joe appreciated that Charlotte continued to watch expenses as carefully as ever, for precision was in her nature. Her goal was to finish each project on time and under budget, whenever possible.

  ~~~

  The picnic was a rousing success.

  Cindy had invited the women to tea at her father’s house, telling them to go ahead and bring any children for whom there was no caretaker. Her mother’s maid and the housekeeper would take care of them in the nursery while cook saw to bountiful platters to tempt the daintiest appetites. Most of the women had known Cindy and her mother for years and, while never before invited guests, were able to overcome any discomfort in the unusual situation. Before long the group resembled any other tea party held at the house, and conversation quickly came around to what would be best served and quantities.

  Cindy had no trouble skewering Joe’s lack of concern for logistics in declaring a large event with a sennight’s notice, even though she’d initially been equally enthusiastic. But, not to be a snob, these ladies had far less wherewithal to provide foodstuffs outside of daily meals. Their men were working now, but there would inevitably be spaces between jobs with what they did, and it was wrong to ask them to contribute from their meager larders.

  But she was also not insensitive to pride.

  “You know Mrs. Moffett and her assistants cannot put together an event this large with no notice and still run the household for the doctor. And Mr. Coulter’s sisters similarly would be taxed beyond measure to try to take on additional preparation beyond feeding their menfolk. But if each of us pulls together and prepares one dish, then the burden becomes not much more than we would have expended on Sunday dinner anyway.”

  Since most social gatherings involved contributions from all, this practically went without saying, but there was, after all, the suddenness of it all.

  “I have enlisted Mrs. Moffett to provide the desserts,” she waved toward the trays in the room, “as I suspect the children, especially, will enjoy the sponges. I will be helping her by not sampling as I frost.” This evoked a few titters.

  “I have some sacks of flour for the rolls, but considering quantities, please let me know how much salt and other ingredients you will need. Mrs. Bea, you know I am partial to your honey loaf, but I haven’t eaten at any of your houses that I wasn’t sent home full and happy,” she added, glancing around at each of them.

  They’d always made sure Doc and his daughter were well fed when on a house call. Often that was all they could provide in recompense but each gave what she could.

  The ladies discussed a menu and decided which ingredients were ready to hand and in good supply and which would need to be acquired. Cindy had already met with the greengrocer to ensure availability and directed the ladies away from dishes for which the ingredients might not be available. Joe’s brothers had been put in charge of the barbeque and were already preparing a contest for several of the gentlemen’s special recipes. Both beef and pork were on the menu.

  ~~~

  Clint had acted as spy to determine who was making what particular type of barbeque, and supplied the list to Joe, who had blue ribbons made up for each category: best dry rub, best hot sauce . . . but, wait, there were two red sauces listed. A bit more digging and it turned out one was sweet and one tangy.

  The women weren’t competing but were able to take pride in the numbers of refills and groans from overeating the delicious repast.

  And Jeff discovered the blacksmith’s daughter.

  ~~~

  The blacksmith, Mr. Shelby, and his family were new to town and he’d been at the new house delivering hinges and hasps while the fellows were discussing their v
arious barbeque recipes while nailing on roofing shingles.

  “I have to say I’m partial to dry rub,” said Mr. Shelby.

  “Can’t say as I’ve ever had any,” exclaimed several of the men. Clint had climbed down from the roof to check the new hardware.

  “We, the building crew, are planning a picnic to be held here after church on Sunday.” He looked at the hinges, admiring their utility and beauty, then up to the blacksmith, holding one of the hasps. “Clearly you are part of the crew and should plan to bring your dry rub!”

  Cries of “Hear, Hear,” echoed through the glade.

  “Mrs. Shelby’ll be right glad of the opportunity to meet some of her new neighbors!”

  “Be sure to bring your family as well so your children can also meet new friends.”

  “Aye, I’ll do that,” he grinned.

  ~~~

  At the picnic, Joe stood up to address the group gathered on the lawn in front of his nearly finished house.

  “I have begun to realize that this house has taken on a life of its own. Originally I was just thinking of it as mine and Cindy's, but now I realize it actually belongs to every one of you here. You are each putting a little of your heart and soul into it, making it even stronger than mere boards and batten.”

  “Well, when you have a really good work crew,” Charlie interrupted, looking around and smiling at each of them, “then what you get is a labor of love, not just ‘someplace I have to be if I want to eat dinner tonight.’ And that love shows in every nail driven and crack chinked.”

  “Hear, hear,’ agreed Joe, who then turned to his fiancée and assisted her to stand. Putting an arm around her waist he pulled her toward him, maintaining a modicum of distance for the sake of propriety as he smiled into her eyes.

  “Cindy and I want to thank you all for what you are creating. Please know our gratitude comes from the bottom of our hearts.”

  Cindy beamed out at the assembled crowd and added. “Now I know the men are thinking they are the ones doing all this hard work, but I think most of them will admit that the only reason they can is that their wives and families support them in their endeavors. So I want to make it a point to thank not only you gentlemen, and Charlie!” a quick ripple of laughter flowed through the group, “but your families who are here with us today. Ladies, thank you for your strength and help as well. Without your assistance there could have been no picnic and probably no house.”