by Mary Salyers
“It’s not anything you did, Mr. Moore. She wants us girls to be what she calls ‘Bible women.’”
“What does she mean?”
“Not sure I know exactly, but she thinks the Bible teaches a woman is to be a helper to her husband. She thinks I should get married and start having kids like she did. I don’t like to upset my mother, but I plan to get all the business skills I can in school and get a job when I graduate.”
“I like your spirit, Maggie. I wish you well with your courses, and I hope that you can carry out your dream without damaging your relationship with your parents.”
“Thanks, Mr. Moore. And thanks for asking me to play on the team. I’d really like to play basketball, but I guess it’s not going to work out.”
“Is your father as set against your playing as your mother?”
“He doesn’t believes it’s a sin like Mama does, and he lets us girls play with my cousins and brothers at home, even when Mama thinks we shouldn’t. But he won’t overrule my mother on this.”
“Oops, there’s the bell. Must go to teach that geography class. You take care, now.”
* * *
Maggie took her sausage and biscuit sandwiches to the back corner table in the cafeteria where Mary Ann sat with Annie Marie and Ronnie.
“Hi, you all.” She sat across the table from them.
“Are you ready for that big English test we have today?” Mary Ann asked, nodding toward Maggie.
“I studied until Mama made me go to bed last night. I have trouble remembering all those authors’ names. You ready?”
“I ain’t never going to be ready to pass no English test,” Ronnie announced and took a big swig from his milk carton.
Kathy and Billy Ray brought their cafeteria food and joined them. “I think I just flunked my math test,” Kathy confessed. “I should of studied last night instead of going to the movies.”
“I’m glad you went to the movies,” Billy Ray said, and Maggie noticed he had his hand on Kathy’s thigh.
“What you doing Saturday, Maggie?” Mary Ann asked. “If Daddy’ll bring me over to your house, can we cut a Christmas tree?”
“Yes, Daddy can help you find a tree, so come on over. Betty Lou and I are supposed to help Mrs. Lewis do some painting.”
“I thought you did that last Saturday.”
“We did, but we didn’t get done. You should have seen us. We had more paint on us than we got on the woodwork, I think. We’re supposed to finish this Saturday.” Maggie turned to Kathy, “How’s basketball practice going?”
“Awful. We have our first game tonight. I bet we get beat by twenty points. I wish you could play with us. At least we’d have someone who can hit the basket.”
“I wish I could play too, but you know how it is.”
“Listen, Maggie. Do you think you could at least practice with the team?
“Yeah, Maggie,” Mary Ann said, “if we had a good forward to practice with, we might get better. You know, you wouldn’t have to tell your parents since we practice during school hours.”
Kathy begged, “It would really help us out. You think you might do that?”
“My mother’d never forgive me if she found out.”
The bell rang and everyone stood to carry back trays and throw away trash. “Will you at least think about it?” Kathy said over her shoulder on her way out the door.
* * *
On Saturday morning, Mrs. Lewis came to pick up the girls. Betty Lou opened the door when Mrs. Lewis knocked. “Good Morning, Mrs. Lewis.”
Corie Mae came from the kitchen drying her hands on her apron. “Good Morning, Mrs. Lewis. Do you think you all will get the room finished today?”
“That’s why I came in to talk with you, Corie Mae. James helped me this week, and we have finished all the painting. I’m quite pleased with it. The girls did a very good job last week. I couldn’t have done it without them. I thought today I’d go to Knoxville and get some new curtains and a bedspread. I wondered if Maggie and Betty Lou could go with me. I’ll have them back by suppertime.”
Corie Mae had a puzzled frown. “But if the room’s finished, do you really need them again today?”
“I’d like their help in choosing the curtains and bedspread. I’d really appreciate it if you’d let them go.”
“I guess.” Corie Mae still seemed confused. “If you really need them, I guess it’s okay.”
Once in the car, Maggie said, “Thank you, Mrs. Lewis. We never dreamed we’d get a chance like this. We’ve never gone to Knoxville.”
“You’re welcome, girls. You did a good job helping me last Saturday. Now today, we’re going to have a good time. Here’s your pay for working last Saturday.” She handed each girl a ten-dollar bill. “You can spend it however you wish.”
Maggie looked at the crisp bill. She had never had that much money to spend as she pleased. She folded it carefully and put it in her coat pocket.
“Actually,” Mrs. Lewis said as she pulled onto the highway, “I didn’t really tell your mother the whole story. Several women from the Women’s Missionary Society wanted to do something for your family for Christmas. The women made up some money and said for me to take you girls on a shopping trip for the whole family.”
“You mean, we’re going to buy presents for everybody?” Betty Lou’s eyes seemed big as saucers.
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do. Maggie, get that tablet and pencil in the seat between us, and let’s make a list of what we should buy for everyone.”
“Could we get Mama a new dress?” Betty Lou asked from the back seat. “Hers are so shabby.”
“Maggie, write down ‘dress’ for Corie Mae. This is so exciting. I haven’t enjoyed the idea of shopping so much in ages.”
By the time they reached Knoxville, they had completed the list. The girls found the sights of the big city fascinating, but felt a little apprehensive about the traffic moving so close to their car.
“When we get the shopping done, we’ll take all the gifts to my home,” Mrs. Lewis explained. “James and I will bring them to your house on Christmas Eve. I hope you won’t tell your family so we can surprise everyone. I think we’ll start here at Sears.” She turned into the parking lot. “Then go downtown so you can see all the Christmas decorations.”
The girls became impatient when it took so long to find a parking place, and as soon as the car stopped, they jumped out and rushed for the nearest door of the huge store, forgetting to wait for Mrs. Lewis.
* * *
The sun had already set when Mrs. Lewis pulled up to their house. The girls thanked her profusely and got out. As the girls climbed the steps to the house, Maggie reminded Betty Lou to be careful to keep Mrs. Lewis’ secret.
“I know that. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I know how hard it is to keep a secret. When you’re excited about something, it’s easy to slip.”
“If anyone tells the secret, it won’t be me.”
The family had eaten most of their supper when the girls came into the kitchen. “It’s about time you got here.” Corie Mae took their plates of food from the warming closet. “We thought you wasn’t going to get here, so we went ahead and started eating.”
Betty Lou, ignoring her mother, sat down and launched into a detailed account of their day. Her brown eyes shone with excitement, and Maggie noticed her father watched her intently with that twinkle in his eye.
“First, we went to this big Sears and Roebuck store. The parking lot’s bigger than our playground at school, and so many people had come, we like to never found a parking place. Mama, it’s so big you could buy everything there that’s in the catalog. We saw dresses, shoes, clothes for babies, furniture, all kinds of tools, Frigidaires, stoves, washing machines...”
“Did they have toys?” Johnny Ray interrupted.
“You should have seen all the toys, and the most wonderful thing was a television.”
“What’s a television?” Jeannie asked.
/> “It’s like a radio except it has this window-like thing.” She held her hands about a foot apart to indicate the size. “It lets you see the people doing the talking and singing. We saw Roy Acuff and Grandpappy doing their show.”
“You mean they was in the store?” Johnny Ray asked.
“No, we could see them in the window on the television.”
“I don’t believe such a thing,” Corie Mae said.
“Mama, it’s true,” Stuart said. “We read about that last year in our Weekly Reader. Mr. Moss told us the waves that carry the pictures through the air bounces off the mountains. He said we probably wouldn’t have no television around here for a long time cause we’ve got so many mountains.”
“Well,” sniffed Corie Mae, “I won’t believe it till I see it.”
“Did you buy anything there?”
Betty Lou swallowed the food she’d just put into her mouth. ”We had a long list...”
Maggie quickly interrupted and punched Betty Lou with her elbow. “Mrs. Lewis bought her bedspread and curtains there. Mama, you should see them. We picked out pink curtains and a white bedspread. They’ll be so pretty in the bedroom with the new wallpaper.”
“What else did Mrs. Lewis have on the list?” Johnny Ray persisted.
Maggie answered quickly before Betty Lou could say anything. “Mrs. Lewis had a list of presents to buy. She did a whole lot of shopping.”
“And,” Betty Lou added, “Mrs. Lewis gave both of us a ten-dollar bill for helping her fix up the bedroom. She said we could spend it however we wished, so I bought three pairs of anklets and a hair barrette.” Maggie noticed that Betty Lou didn’t mention the tube of lipstick she had bought.
“Did you buy us anything?” Junior asked.
“I bought a sack of balloons. When you finish eating, I’ll show you.”
Jeannie listened wistfully. “I wish I could have gone with you. Did you go to any other stores?”
“After we finished at the Sears and Roebuck store, Mrs. Lewis drove us downtown. We went through all these streets with red lights–you wouldn’t believe how big the city is. We found a place to park in a lot where Mrs. Lewis had to pay to leave the car.” Betty Lou took a gulp of her milk. “Then she took us to a place called the S&W Cafeteria to eat our dinner. They had this long counter with all kinds of food. You just walk along and pick out what you want. While we ate, a lady played an electric organ with all kinds of beautiful music.” Betty Lou stopped to take another bite.
“Then,” Betty Lou continued, “Mrs. Lewis took us to a whole bunch of stores all along the main street. The biggest store was called ‘George’s.’ Mama, you should see the Christmas decorations they had in that store. They had all these big blue, shiny balls about as big as a basketball. They had hung them up on the walls in a bunch with gold ribbons and silver holly leaves. They had this Christmas tree that was as tall as this house with lights and balls all over it. I just couldn’t stop looking at everything. It was all so beautiful. I wish you could go see it.”
The boys had finished and wanted to see the balloons Betty Lou had brought. After everyone else had gone into the front room, Maggie helped her mother clear the table and dried the dishes. Maggie swept the crumbs from under the table out the back door and off the porch. Corie Mae carried the dish water out to the back porch and poured it into the slop bucket, where they saved food scraps and waste water to feed to the hogs. When Corie Mae came back inside, Maggie handed her the ten-dollar bill Mrs. Lewis had given her. “Here, Mama, maybe this will pay some on the bills. I wish I had some way to make more money, but at least I can do this much.”
Corie Mae put the money in her apron pocket and walked into the front room without saying anything. Maggie stared into the darkness outside the kitchen window and listened to the wind whipping through the bare trees. I thought she’d at least say “thank you.”
* * *
The week before Christmas Maggie used every available minute to study for final exams. Midweek Miss Erickson told Maggie she had made a perfect score on her shorthand test. “I’ve never had a student who could do shorthand as well as you. I’m really proud of your progress.”
JD stopped by the office one day to chat. “Guess what.”
“I give up. What?”
“Aunt Lillian’s moving out.”
“What do you mean? She’s going to live somewhere else?”
“She got a job as the cook at City Café here in town. She’s going to live in the little furnished apartment above the restaurant. She starts the first of the year.”
“She’s not going to live at your house no more–uh, anymore?”
“She told Mama it’s time she got out on her own. Mama acted like she was glad, but I know she’ll miss the rent money Aunt Lillian paid her.”
“It’s hard to think about her living in town. She’s lived at your house as long as I can remember.”
JD noticed the big poster advertising the donkey basketball game the Friday after Christmas. “Do you think Aunt Corie Mae’ll let you and Betty Lou go to the donkey basketball game with me and Kenny?”
“Wouldn’t have the money for admission even if she let us go.”
“I’ll buy your tickets. Ask her. It’s sort of like going to a circus, you know.”
“Guess it won’t hurt to ask. Thanks for inviting us.”
“Better take off. Supposed to be in class. Let me know what Aunt Corie Mae says.”
On Friday, Mr. Adkins told Maggie to take down all the Christmas decorations in the office. “I like to get that done before vacation so when we come back we won’t have to worry with it. You’ll find the boxes in that cupboard. When you get them all boxed up, give them to Mr. Jones to put in the storage room.”
“Yes, sir.” She opened the cupboard to get the boxes.
“Oh, by the way, Maggie, Mr. Moore told me you are a great basketball player. He’d like to have you on the team. Is there any chance you might do that?”
“I’d really like to, Mr. Adkins, but I’m afraid my parents are against it.”
“That’s what Mr. Moore told me. Is there anything I could do to help persuade them?”
“If you said anything, it’d just make my mother more upset. But thanks for asking.”
Maggie took the boxes and began to take down the Christmas ornaments. She had tied the last of the boxes when Bud Summers walked into the office.
“Hi, Maggie. What’s happening?”
She smiled, “Packing up all the Christmas decorations. What’re you up to?”
“JD tells me you might come to the donkey basketball game next week. If you come, would you mind if I sat with you?”
“I’d like that, Bud. I hope Mama will let me come.”
“Just remember. If she does, we have a date! Anyway, Merry Christmas.”
* * *
Maggie and Betty Lou climbed to the top of the bleachers and sat with their backs against the wall. JD had dropped them off outside the gym and then left to pick up Wanda. Kenny sat with his friends on the opposite side of the gym, which was filling up fast.
“Looks like lots of folks wanted to see this game.” Maggie took off her coat.
Betty Lou nodded. “I never dreamt Mama would let us come.”
“We worked pretty hard helping can all that beef after Daddy and Grandpa butchered Curly. And then after Reverend and Mrs. Lewis brought all those gifts and Mama found out we knew about the secret, she probably felt guilty about saying ‘no.’”
“The church ladies were so nice to help us. I never expected Daddy to cry. He couldn’t hardly even talk. He just grabbed Reverend Lewis and kept hugging him.”
“What surprised me was how they brought presents you and I didn’t know about. I really like the sweater set she got you, and this skirt’s the nicest one I ever had.” Maggie smoothed the blue and red plaid material over her knees.
Soon Maggie’s friends joined them. Annie Marie and Ronnie sat on Maggie’s right, and Kathy squeezed into the r
ow in front of them. Then some of Betty Lou’s friends yelled for her to come sit with them. When Maggie saw Mary Ann and her father come through the door, she jumped up. “Hold my seat. Going to go get Mary Ann.”
As Mary Ann and Maggie made their way through the crowd, someone tapped Maggie’s shoulder. “Your mom let you come, I see.” Bud smiled at her.
“Wonders never cease.”
“Where’re you all headed?” When Maggie pointed to the top bleachers where her friends sat, Bud asked, “Is there room for me?”
Maggie grinned. “We have a date. Remember?”
By the time they reached their seats, the buzzer sounded and the handlers began bringing in the donkeys. “They’re so cute,” Annie Marie said. “Look, they’ve got leather shoes on.”
For the first game, the men faculty played the boys’ basketball team. The announcer explained the rules to the players and to the fans. Players can pass or shoot the ball only when seated on a donkey. If the ball gets loose, the player may get off to retrieve the ball, but must get back on the donkey before passing or shooting.
“Look at that cute little donkey Billy Ray’s riding.” Kathy turned to Bud. “How come you’re not playing?”
“I don’t much take to the idea of riding on a jackass, I guess.”
“Say, Maggie, have you thought about practicing with us?” Kathy asked.
“I told you I can’t do that.”
“I don’t see why not.” Mary Ann spoke up. “I talked to Coach about it. He said he’d never ask you because he knew your parents wouldn’t approve. But he said if you asked to practice with us, he’d let you. I think you should do it.”
“What’re you all talking about?” Bud asked.
“Mr. Moore asked Maggie’s parents to let her join the team and they said ‘no.’ We’re trying to talk Maggie into practicing with us.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Bud said. “Why don’t you do it, Maggie?”
Maggie shook her head.