Higdon's Cornera novel by Chapter One1907 |
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The reluctant adolescent left the cement roof of the old dug-out which had been his first home in Oklahoma and relinquished the day-dreaming he had been indulging in to go help his father. He shuffled his feet and held his head down as he walked slowly toward the front porch of the white bungalow where his impatient father waited for him. "Get a move on or we won't get to the new place before dark," Robert urged his son on. "I don't know why we have to move in the first place. This place is a lot better than that new one," Lawrence grumbled as he reached his dad. "I know you don't want to leave here, Lawrence, but there are some things in this world that we have to do, whether we want to or not, and this happens to be one of them. Now dry those tears and come help me. You are getting to big to bawl like a calf that's being weaned," Robert said, trying to control his impatience a bit as he put his arm around the boy's shoulders. He knew the young lad would soon surpass him in size, being built big and stocky like his wife's brothers rather than small and wiry like himself. As soon as they took the last mattress from the bedroom, Mary Higdon was right behind them with her mop. "We don't want let the new owners say we left the place dirty," she said to her daughter Margaret, who was helping make sure that didn't happen. "I believe that's about got it. Here, take this mop to load on the wagon and then go tell Loretta and Mildred to come along." When the dutiful thirteen year old was gone, Mary walked through the three bedroom house for one final inspection. When she was sure it met her critical standards for cleanliness, she picked up the coal-oil lamp she had wrapped carefully in a kitchen towel and left unpacked for fear it might get broken in the move. Then for the last time walked out of the door of the little white bungalow that had been her home for the last few years. She was the one person in the family who had no regrets about leaving. "Mama, I can't get them to come," a distressed Margaret reported to her mother after unsuccessful attempts to get her little sisters to leave their 'play house' on top of the old dug-out roof. "Here, hold this lamp and I'll get them myself. Be careful not to break it. I'd sure hate to be without light tonight," Mary said, though she knew it was probably unnecessary to caution her conscientious oldest daughter. Mary hastened the short distance to the dug-out roof where the girls were playing and said, "Come now, girls. Daddy is ready to leave." Loretta picked up the play stove and Mildred picked up the smaller toys. Mildred made a make-shift basket to hold them by gathering up her little skirt in one hand as she had often seen her mother gather her apron to pick eggs, then used her other hand to hold on to her mother. Loretta clutched the play stove close to her with one arm and accepted her mother's other hand. The three walked toward the wagon. When they reached the loaded flat-bed, Lawrence had already situated himself in the place his dad had carefully left for the children to ride. After handing her mother the precious lamp, Margaret climbed in and took her place in the wagon. Robert picked up Loretta, toy stove and all, and after giving her a hug deposited her between the two older children. He lifted the tiny Mildred high, gave her a kiss, and then placed her snugly among the others saying, "Here we go, Little One, to our new home." After Robert checked once more to be sure the last load of furniture was tied securely so it wouldn't fall on the children, he took his place in the driver's seat next to Mary, who had managed to get herself and her lamp settled while he lifted up the little girls. "Giddy-up," he said to the waiting horses as he gave them a slight tap with the reigns. The well-trained team responded immediately and slowly the wagon wheels began to roll. "I can't believe we are finally on our way," Mary said as they pulled out of the short drive onto the road and headed west. "I wish the rest of the family shared your enthusiasm," Robert replied as he glanced back at his disgruntled children. Tears were streaming down Margaret's face as she cried quietly and Lawrence's chin was quivering. The little girls sat soberly and showed no interest in the toys they had brought along for the trip. All four were straining to see over the furniture to take a last look at the first home they had been old enough to build memories in. Mary was agitated by the despondent group and said to them, "You all look like you are going to a funeral. Get a smile on your faces." Her words fell on deaf ears and she chose to disregard their bad moods. "I don't understand how they can be so upset when we are moving less than three miles away. They won't even have to change schools," Mary said to her husband. "Well, Mary, you must admit our old place was a children's paradise, with all the trees to climb and the river so near," Robert spoke quietly to his wife. "Don't even mention that river to me. That's the thing I am most happy to get away from. First the mildew in that old dug out nearly drove me crazy and it wasn't a whole lot better when we moved into the house. I for one am happy to get away from it." "I know how happy you are. I was getting pretty nervous at the bank the other day. I was almost afraid the people who bought the place would back out when they saw how anxious you were to get rid of it," Robert said. "The important thing is that they didn't and we are on our way at last," Mary said, undaunted by his teasing. When the wagon had gone a half mile west and turned north for the last two miles the children could no longer see their old home and began to fuss over the little stove they had brought. "I'm the one who brought it," Loretta said as she tried to take it from Mildred. "That doesn't mean she can't play with it," Margaret said as she took the stove and held it out of Loretta's reach. "She did have it first," Lawrence chimed in and tried to grab it away from his sister. As he attempted to pull it away from Margaret they both lost control and it tumbled out of the wagon and into the bar ditch. Robert started to reign in the horses to retrieve the toy but Mary said to him, "No, just let it go. It's probably broken to smithereens and it will teach them a good lesson." Turning to the children she scolded, "Now I expect all of you to settle down and stop that fighting. Save some of that energy for the work we must do when we get there." The unhappy children sat soberly for the remainder of the short trip. Their moods did not improve as their father turned the loaded wagon into the drive and brought it to a stop near the crude shed that would be their home for the next few months. "You mean we are going to have to live in that place?" Margaret asked. "Just for a little while until the men get our new house built," Robert spoke gently, trying to console his daughter as he helped her down from the wagon. "This is even worse than I thought it was going to be," Lawrence added as he saw there wasn't a tree in sight. "There's not one good place to play," Loretta spoke up. "I don't like this place, Daddy," little eight year old Mildred chimed in as her daddy lifted her to the ground. "Well, you will when we get it all fixed up. Let's get busy and get our beds set up before it gets dark. Here, you can help, too," he said as he handed each of the little girls a small item to carry inside. It wasn't long before everyone was too busy to complain about their temporary home, so intent were they in getting comfortable enough to spend their first night. Mary set her coveted lamp in the middle of the table they had brought over the day before and with Margaret's help set about getting the beds made up as Robert and Lawrence carried them inside. The little girls were kept busy carrying pillows and other light, small items from the wagon. The temporary dwelling was in pretty good shape by supper time. "Bless us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, amen," the six Higdon voices prayed in unison as they sat around the table and prepared to eat the hearty meal Mary had prepared for her hungry family. The glow of the coal oil lamp softened the harshness of their surroundings and the warmth of the wood cook stove took the chill out of the room-- and also their hearts. They eagerly ate the scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, home-canned green beans, and light bread and sand plum jelly their industrious mother served them. When Mary Higdon set a buttermilk pie before them for desert, Robert marveled at his wife's culinary abilities and remarked to the delighted children, "Your mama is the best cook in the country. I never dreamed she would have pie for us tonight, did you?" Before the children could respond, Mary interrupted, smiled her sweet Irish smile at the appreciative brood, and said, "You deserve it. I made it yesterday so I could surprise you, and after the way you all worked today I'm certainly glad I did. I am really proud of all of you." "So am I," Robert added. "And I'm proud of you too, Mary. You haven't complained once about having to move into this shed so you could cook for the carpenters. I'm a lucky man to have a family like this." The children responded to the praise and when the meal was finished they jumped up to take up their tasks as if they had never left their home on the river. The little girls carried the dishes to their mother and she washed them carefully in the water she had heated on the stove, then scalded them to be sure they were clean and Margaret dried them and tucked them under a clean towel to be sure nothing crawled on them through the night. Lawrence took the empty bucket to the well and pumped it full of water so it would be ready for breakfast next day. He carefully set it on the cabinet and, just as his sister had secured the clean dishes, he covered the bucket and dipper with a clean towel. When the children had said their prayers and were snug under familiar covers Robert and Mary sat for a few minutes at the table. "Well, Mary, I guess we are on our way. Cliff and Ed Thompson will be out tomorrow to set the foundation. I know you are in for a big job, cooking in this make-shift kitchen for all those men who will be working here. Do you think you have what you will need?" "I hope so Robert. I was as careful as I could be to keep out everything I thought I would need. I think I have plenty of canned goods from last year's garden to see us through, and the chickens are laying good right now and we have plenty of fresh milk. Yes, I'm sure I can manage fine," Mary assured him. "Good. Look at the children, Mary. They didn't waste any time falling asleep. I think if we are smart we will follow their example. It's been a long day," Robert spoke softly to his wife. "I can't argue with that. I'm more than ready for sleep." Taking no note of the rough flooring the couple knelt together to give thanks to God. It never crossed their minds to be too tired or too inconvenienced to pay homage to their Lord. When their prayers were finished, they stood together looking at their sleeping children. "It has been a hard day for them. I didn't realize they would take it so hard to leave their old home. I wish I could have been a little more patient with them today," Mary said to her husband. "Oh Mary, don't be so hard on yourself. It hasn't been easy for any of us, but we are all going to be fine. Look at them, Mary. Can you believe how big they are getting? Margaret is almost a woman at thirteen, so tall and fair, and such a responsible girl for her age. She didn't fuss a bit to have to sleep with those two little kicking sisters. They are something else again. I wondered if Loretta would ever see ten years old, as sickly as she has been, but I believe she is growing out of it. And I am so thankful that her feet aren't showing too bad effects from being frostbit," Robert said as he tucked the covers around the little girls. "And that little Mildred, so tiny she doesn't look her eight years at all. She is small, but mighty. Sometimes I think my heart will burst with love when she comes running up to give me a hug." "She certainly does enough of that. She is a daddy's girl for sure," Mary responded as she moved toward the cot that held Lawrence to pull the covers over his shoulders. "I sometimes think I worry the most about Lawrence. I so wish he had a brother. Sometimes I think he feels overwhelmed by so many girls. He seems rather alone." "He will never be alone as long as he has you," Robert couldn't resist teasing his wife about spoiling her only son. "We mustn't question the will of God, Mary. He probably knew you were much too frail to bear another child or he would have sent one. Now it's time for you to get some rest yourself. Jump into bed. I'll blow out the lamp and join you," Robert said as he kissed Mary sweetly. "Don't forget to set the slop jar where the children can find it if they awaken," Mary cautioned as she climbed between the clean sheets. When the porcelain pot was set in plain sight, Robert cupped the top of the lamp globe in his hand, blew gently to extinguish the light, then took his place next to Mary in their bed which was lined up next to the children. Thus the couple, Robert now forty years old and Mary thirty-five, who had started their wedded life in Nebraska, then moved to a dug-out near the North Canadian River north of Calumet Oklahoma, followed by a white bungalow on the same property, now slept for the first time at the site which would be their dream home-- Higdon's Corner. |
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© Copyright 1995 Lois Rice, All Rights Reserved.. If you have comments or would like to speak with the author, send email to lois@WildRice.com |