Escape From Purgatory

by Scarlet Darkwood - BooksGoSocial Historical Fiction

  “Can I help you cut, Miss Claire?” Anna reached for the scissors.

  “No, darling. Those scissors are too sharp for little girls.” She grinned. “But you know what else you can help me do?”

  “What?” Anna peered up. The eyes which had filled with a sad expression twinkled into excitement.

  “You can help me lay all this out and pin the pattern down. You’ll have to be careful with the pins and not stick yourself.” Claire cast Anna a solemn glance. “Can you promise me you’ll be easy and not hurt your fingers?”

  “I’ll be real careful, Miss Claire. “I won’t stick myself.” She got up and whispered in Claire’s ear. “And if I do, I promise I won’t cry or say anything.”

  “You’ll do a good job.” Claire reached over and hugged the little girl. She loved moments like this, when Anna responded with a firm hug right back. These moments were not only growing more frequent, they were becoming a habit, a gentle routine filled with a certain understanding. Though she had to almost pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, she sensed a certain love growing between her and the little girl.

  “Let’s get to work, then. Here, grab this corner and let’s lay this out on the bed.” For the next several minutes, Claire and Anna worked on spreading out the cloth. She taught Anna how to use a thimble and showed her a technique for pinning the pattern to the fabric. Luckily for Claire, she’d taken some time after arriving home from work to cut out the pattern pieces she’d be using. This saved considerable time. Anna watched, wide-eyed as Claire cut out each section of the costume.

  “We’re lucky this is a simple dress, Anna. I thought it might take me longer, but it seems like we’ll get it done today.”

  “Yeaaa! I’ll have all week to wear it. I have to practice being the best witch in the whole wide world.” The little girl bounced up and down, clapping. “How long will it take for my hat to dry?”

  “It’ll take a few hours, and then we’ll add this pretty piece for an accent.” Claire fingered the black chiffon. Anna picked it up, fluffing the edges, cooing with satisfaction.

  “I’ll be queen of the witches.” Anna whirled around the room, flinging out her arms, and spreading her fingers. From her lips tumbled out an odd assortment of mumbo jumbo words. Claire laughed to herself, focusing her concentration on cutting out the dress parts. She moved the scissors carefully over the fabric, taking great care not to cut the bedspread.

  “Looks like you’re making pretty good progress. You might be finished with this dress today, if you keep at it like you are.” George lounged easily against the doorframe, smiling. “Anna, are you behaving so you don’t bother Miss Claire?”

  “I’m helping her!” Anna twirled her way to George, nestling against him with affection. “I’m casting spells so she makes the prettiest dress in the world.”

  George’s face took on an expression of solemnity like his daughter’s. “They must be very powerful spells, because she’s making good time with your outfit.” He grinned at Claire.

  “Look at this.” The little girl ran over to a chair and pulled off the black chiffon, trailing it around her head. “This is going in my hat. That makes me the queen. I don’t ever see witches with these.”

  “Then you must be a very special witch to wear that.” George hugged his daughter, placing a light kiss on the top of her head.

  “Claire, can you and Anna can take a break for lunch? Edna made some sandwiches and some of the best butternut squash soup.”

  Claire glanced at her watch. “Goodness. Where did the time go? Give us about twenty more minutes, and we’ll be ready.”

  “And good appetites too, I hope.” George tapped the door frame and walked away.

  Anna settled on a small stool by the sewing machine. “Hurry up, Miss Claire. Will we have all this cut and ready to sew before we eat?”

  “Maybe not all of it, but we’ll get this one sleeve cut out.”

  Twenty minutes later, Claire and Anna seated themselves at the kitchen table. Edna stood by the stove, ladling soup into bowls. She’d already placed the plates of chicken sandwiches on the table.

  “Edna, can I help you pour tea, or make myself useful?”

  “No, dear. I’ve got it. You just sit right down and relax.” Edna turned around and grinned at Claire.

  “You two girls have been going at it?” George smiled over at Claire. “Again, this is so nice of you to come over and spend your weekend doing this for her. It takes a load off me, that’s for sure.”

  “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. She’s so happy.”

  Edna came by and set bowls of soup next to each person. A few seconds later, she added the glasses of tea. “Sorry, I didn’t have all this ready earlier, but the soup took a little longer than I’d planned.”

  “We understand, Edna. You can go rest in your room for an hour, if you like. We’ll be done by then.”

  “Yes, sir.” Edna nodded at George.

  Anna ignored the adults, blowing on her spoon and swallowing a few bites of soup. She savored the flavor, closing her eyes and running her tongue over her lips. Satisfied with the nutty taste, she dipped her spoon into her bowl for another bite.

  “You’ll stay for dinner, too, won’t you?’ George placed his hand lightly on Claire’s.

  “Dinner too? Aren’t you tired of me?”

  “I’d never grow tired of you. You’re not an imposition in the least.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Claire said, “I can’t stay much longer. I really need to get some more looming done.”

  “True. But you’ve been working hard every night, and there’s tomorrow. Surely missing one night won’t hurt.”

  “I don’t know, George. I’d really like to get some other work done this weekend. How about another time?”

  “No, Miss Claire.” Anna had put down her spoon. Her face exhibited one huge frown. “Stay here. After we finish my dress, we can play a game.” She tugged on Claire’s sleeve. “Or you could stay ’til bedtime and read me a story. I’d like that.”

  Claire’s eyes remained fixed on Anna. How could she get out of this without hurting the little girl? Maybe one day of not looming wouldn’t throw off her plan too badly.

  George cleared his throat. “Um, Anna, don’t you think that’s a lot to ask Miss Claire, when she has other things she needs to do?”

  “No.” Anna glared. “She always leaves too early. Why can’t she stay until bedtime at least once?”

  “Anna!” George’s voice dropped a couple of octaves.

  The sharp tone startled Claire. She looked over at the disapproving father and placed a hand on his arm. “Oh, George, she doesn’t mean any harm. Anna, darling, I can’t stay until bedtime, but I know we can at least get that witch costume made. Maybe another time we can read a story before bed.” She glanced up at George, and lightly shrugged her shoulders.

  “Honey, just be quiet and eat your lunch. Like Miss Claire says, we’ll deal with this another time.” His face had returned to calmer state, along with his tone.

  Anna’s lip puckered out. “Promise?”

  “We promise, darling.” Claire squeezed George’s arm, indicating he remain silent.

  The remainder of lunch passed with the conversation a little strained between the adults. Anna’s sulked, barely eating her meal.

  When everyone finished lunch, Claire and Anna retreated to the sewing room and went at the costume with gusto. Anna helped unpin the patterns from the fabric, contenting herself with folding each one neatly and placing it back in the pattern envelope.

  “We may use these again next year, Miss Claire. Maybe we can make something else with them.”

  “Good idea, dear. You’re so smart.”

  Anna watched with intense interest as Claire pinned the dress parts so she could sew the edges together. Claire worked with the machine and expertly sewed the sleeves in. Around five o’clock, the dress was made. All the costume needed now was the bottom and sleeves hemmed. The hat continued drying and
held its shape without any drooping or sagging in places. Claire felt the fabric. It was solid and would hold up nicely. This would be a good time to stop and go on home. Edna could hem the dress and finish the hat.

  The incident at lunch still bothered her. The storm brewing in the little girl’s eyes showed an anger she’d not seen before, and the energy and passion unnerved her a bit. She almost felt guilty leaving this time. What did Anna think about alone in her room, just her and her dolls, no one to talk to? What did she really wish for as she played her games on the porch? Did she wake up every morning and feel like something was missing from her life? When Claire left with George to go home, Anna hugged her hard, face buried in Claire’s skirt as she poured out a series of tiny heart-wrenching sobs.

  ***

  Halloween night was in full swing. Mr. Hyde had set up everything in perfect order. Several tables had been set up, and all of them laden with food brought by guests. A huge bonfire blazed several yards away, orange flames licking the air as if it wanted a taste of the night. Children squealed and chased each other, the girls sometimes chasing the little boys, who yelled and tried to run to their buddies for safety.

  George and Claire took their time, slowly picking their way through the grass toward the tables. Anna spied the group of children and ran with all her might, yelling as loud as her lungs allowed. Claire inhaled a long, deep breath, taking in the scent of hot dogs cooking, smoke, and the woodsy scent of leaves. The breeze had kicked up tonight, the chill nipping with no remorse.

  “She’s so cute, George.” Claire laughed as she watched Anna with the others. One of the classmates, a charming little girl in a princess outfit, engrossed herself in Anna’s hat, pulling the tassel in the top so she could see it float back into place.

  “Miss Claire made it for me.” Anna fairly crowed with delight.

  “Is she your mom? I didn’t think you had a mom.” The little princess stared at Anna.

  Anna hung her head, the brief moment of happiness snatched away. “No.”

  “Oh,” said the girl, who now seemed at a loss for words. “She still did a nice job with your hat and dress. I wish I had it.”

  “Miss Claire’s the best.” Anna perked up a bit.

  “Come on, let’s go see the fire.” The little girl grabbed Anna’s hand and pulled her along.

  George shifted a large bowl of potato salad to his other arm, and took hold of Claire’s. Claire held tightly to her bag of marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers.

  “I’m so sorry about Anna. I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately. She asks about you all the time now.”

  “Oh. Really?”

  “Yes. I don’t know what to do with her.”

  His body heat radiated out to hers despite the chill. If she had no propriety, she would have thrown down the bag, flung her arms around him and shed a few tears, right there on the spot. As much as she wanted a perfect night, seeing Anna’s face saddened her.

  “George, I’ve been thinking. Would it be best if I stopped coming around so much, or maybe we stop—?“

  “Absolutely not.” His tone of voice took on the same admonition he used with Anna when he tried to maintain discipline.

  Claire swallowed hard, blinking back some tears. Was it the chill in the air stinging her eyes, or did she really need a little cry? “I just thought if my not coming around gave you some peace, maybe it would be better for all of us. Especially her. I seem to just rile her up, that’s all.”

  “You’ll do nothing of the kind.” George slowed his pace. “She needs to learn how to get on in life when things don’t go her way.”

  “Oh, George. She’s a little girl and she wants what every child wants. Parents. Both of them.”

  “Sometimes you just can’t have what you want, plain and simple.”

  She glanced over at George. His face turned down in thought. The gruffness surprised her. His words chilled her almost as much as the night air. What did he mean by his comment, exactly? Did this mean he preferred staying single, rearing Anna alone?

  Voices grew louder as they neared the tables. A few of the employees from the store milled about, chatting. Women and men, many she didn’t know, stood in small groups, laughing at the occasional story. Claire pushed the conversation with George out of her mind. She’d have to revisit this when she was alone, tucked away in her house, perhaps while she loomed. Too much to take in now.

  “Claire, you’re here.” Ruby walked over with an outstretched arm, landing it easily on Claire’s back. “So glad you got out tonight. Mr. Parker, nice to see you.” She grinned from George to Claire. “Here, honey, let me help you find a spot for your bag.”

  “I thought the children would like s’mores, so I brought everything for making them.”

  “Children, my foot. Adults like ’em too.” Ruby laughed, taking the bag from Claire and landing it in a small empty spot on the table. George had found a cozy vacant area for the potato salad. The smell of food hit full force, and Claire’s stomach growled.

  “Looks like you got that dress made.” Oma came up to Claire, smiling and glancing in Anna’s direction.

  “I worked all last Saturday on that dress. George’s housekeeper finished the last touches.”

  “George’s housekeeper? George has one of those?” Ruby had joined them.

  Out of the corner of her eyes, Claire caught Oma frowning at Ruby to be quiet.

  “Mr. Parker has a lady named Edna who helps. She’s so nice.” Claire turned to Ruby. “So what did you bring for tonight?”

  “I brought a salad, and Oma brought some of her famous peanut butter fudge.”

  “Let’s eat. I’m starved.” Oma tugged on Claire’s sweater, and all three ladies fell in line, picking up plates, silverware, and cups for drinks. Several chairs surrounded the bonfire, and the ladies moved three close together so they could chat. Jack and Roy had engaged in a lively conversation with Mr. Hyde, while George straightened up Anna’s cape that had twisted with all her running.

  Casting a sideways glance at Ruby, Claire said, “So Ruby, did you bring a friend, by any chance?”

  “Not this time. Just me. I thought why not just get out of the house for a bit and have a fun evening? I don’t know about you, but there’s still a little girl in me. I love the holidays.” She smiled.

  “I don’t think we ever get rid of the youth in ourselves, no matter how old we are.” Oma took a bite of the potato salad. “Gosh, this is so good. Did you make this?”

  Claire nodded.

  “Claire, you look like something’s on your mind. Are you all right?” Ruby leaned forward in her seat.

  “Oh, I’m fine. I’m just enjoying the night. It’s so clear and starry.”

  Ruby continued, “So did you and George—or Mr. Parker, I should say—come together? I thought I saw you two get out of his car.

  Oma chimed in. “I think it’s kind of nice, you two living so close together. It’s kind of handy at times, don’t you think?”

  “Handy?” Claire wrinkled her brow in Oma’s direction.

  “I mean, if either one of you needs anything, or just . . . I don’t know. I think it’s nice to have neighbors who can help or just be there. You know what I mean.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.” Ruby took a sip of tea from her paper cup.

  “Yes, he and I came together. And if you must know, I spent all Saturday at his house making Anna’s dress. We had lunch and everything. I would have read Anna a story at bedtime, but I left after dinner.” Claire looked at Oma and Ruby. “I didn’t want to wear out my welcome too much, so he took me on back to my house. He left, and I spent my time working on some crafts. I spent Sunday alone. Then it was work, work, work for the week, until today.”

  The two ladies stared at Claire, Ruby nodding slowly as she chewed her food. Oma dropped her fork on her plate.

  Ruby broke the silence. “I’m glad you made Anna’s dress. She’s just adorable. And asking you to read to her at bedtime. Clair
e, that’s really sweet when a kid asks you to do that, you know.”

  “Yeah, so I hear.” Claire focused on consuming a few bites of food.

  Just as the women finished up their conversation, the men joined them. George sat a few chairs away from Claire, striking up a chat with Minnie, who’d just arrived. Mr. Hyde now took the time to load his plate up with food and soon joined the group. Ruby quickly got up from her chair and went back to the table, where she loaded some food on a paper plate.

  She joined the group and handed the plate to George. “Here, Mr. Parker. You haven’t had a bite all night.” George smiled and nodded his appreciation as he took the plate from Ruby. Claire and Oma exchanged quick glances as their co-worker sat down in her chair. Ruby turned her head away, speaking amiably to another lady.

  The children had moved closer to the adults, their cries and squeals of laughter being shushed by parents.

  “Can you tell us some ghost stories?” Anna slid on George’s lap.

  “Go on, George, tell us a couple of stories.” Jack spoke up, patting his boss on the arm. “Nothing like a couple of good ones to spook us.”

  “I’d love a good ghost story, Mr. Parker. Do you know any good ones?” Oma re-arranged her chair for a better view of the fire.

  Ruby piped up. “I think we should at least let Mr. Parker finish his food. A master story-teller needs his strength.”

  Ignoring his employee, George placed the plate of half-eaten food beside his chair. “Well, I guess I could tell a couple of short ones,” he said. “Let me see, which ones would be good? How about The Black Cat and The Old Mansion?”

  Ruby clapped her hands. “Do those, Mr. Parker. I love Edgar Allen Poe’s cat story. And you’re so perfect at telling anything. I look forward to it every year.”

  Claire winced in the darkness.

  “Sure, I can do those two. I’m sure there are some here who haven’t heard them yet.” George sat straight up in his chair, Anna balanced on one leg, while the children gathered around his feet. The adults pulled their chairs closer. For the next hour, George told the stories, using his best story-telling voice, along with some added sound effects. The children sat listening, wide-eyed.