Higdon's Corner a novel by Lois Higdon Rice Chapter Three Moving In
	"What is so rare as a day in June?" That must have been written about Oklahoma, Mary thought to herself as she walked from the shed to the new house where she would be living in a few days. The sun was warm but not hot yet. There was just enough breeze to gently caress her face and arms as she walked to the south side of the two-story white house to join Robert where he was helping the Thompson men put up the gingerbread trim on the house. Mary sat on the long south porch and gently kicked her legs as she watched the men. She basked in the warm sunlight and pinched herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming. Robert interrupted his concentration long enough to wink at his little Irish wife. She had worked long and hard to see this dream become a reality and seeing her joy was a moment he would forever hold close to his heart. Just as he suspected she would not be content there very long and soon she was taking another tour through the house. She walked in the south door into the dining room and then through to the big kitchen on the west side of the house, on to the west porch where she circled back to look at the bathroom and pantry which were side by side along the north wall of the kitchen. Then she went through the dining room again and envisioned seeing her family sitting at the table next to the north window. As she toured on to the master bedroom she could only imagine how great it would be to be able to open the big windows wide and feel the north and east winds blow through. As she came back through the dining room and walked on to the formal living room her heart sang. Just imagine having a room that was just for company and could always be kept nice and ready, she pondered, and oh, the nice big windows to bring in the sunlight. Mary looked out the east door and she could see Robert and herself sitting on the big east porch in the evenings when their work was done, watching the children play in the encompassing yard. She didn't go out but instead took yet another turn toward the dining room and the stair well that led to the children's bedrooms. The girls would fit beautifully in the south bedroom, which would easily accommodate two big beds and Lawrence would be so pleased to have the big north room. Mary was brought back to reality when she heard Robert calling to her to bring the workers and himself a drink of water. "Well, Mary, it's all done," Cliff Thompson remarked as he accepted the water she offered him. "You can start moving in right now if you like." "You won't have to tell me twice. You men did a beautiful job. Thank you so much," Mary said in her friendly Irish way. "It was a pleasure to work for you and Robert. It's going to be hard to go back to ordinary food. You've got us so spoiled with your fine cooking," Ed returned. "Thank you, Ed. You feel free to come by and eat with us sometime. Now we will even have a dining room to serve in," Mary responded happily. No sooner had the two men collected their wages and left than Mary began engaging the children to help her carry the boxes she had not opened since the temporary move. How proud she felt as she sat the jars of canned food on the pantry shelves. Her stock was getting low, but her garden was starting to produce and she would soon be restocking. "Are we sleeping in here tonight?" Margaret asked, being as eager as her mother about the new house. "Not tonight, but tomorrow night for sure. We will do as much as we can before dark. Oh Children, isn't this the most beautiful house you ever saw?" They had all caught her enthusiasm and agreed it was the best house they had ever seen. No one drug their heels on this move. They all scurried from the shed to the house as fast as their legs could carry them, carrying as much as they could manage and sometimes even a bit more. When the move was finished and they were comfortably established Mary thought sometimes her heart would burst with joy. She could stand on her back porch and watch her garden grow, or look out the south window and see George Jensen, in his buggy with the white canvas top marked U S Mail, pull up and stop at the mail box. It was always a special day when he dropped off a letter from her mother and she would draw her family around and read it over and over. Mary's eyes filled with tears as he shared the news from the home she had left and would rarely ever get to see again. "Why does she worry that we care about her spelling and handwriting?" Mary would ask aloud as she read the predictable last line in every letter--"Excuse my poor writing and spelling." The house was all and more than either Robert or Mary had hoped for and they both worked hard to make it a home. When Robert and Lawrence returned from the fields each evening Mary always greeted them with a scrumptious meal. They would sit on their south porch and enjoy the summer evenings, watching the children catch fireflies and put them in a jar. On one such evening Mary seemed a little concerned. "What's on your mind, Mary. You seem a little preoccupied?" "Oh, nothing too important. But don't you think it seems a little strange that our closest neighbors have never called on us?" she asked. "I hadn't wanted to tell you this, Mary, but I don't think we can expect a visit from them," Robert responded hesitantly. "Why do you say that? They even go to the same church we do, and heaven knows there are precious few of us Catholics in the area." "Well, Mary, I had wondered too, why they were so unfriendly. Then the other day when I was working off my road tax helping to grade the road the old man was there too. When he saw me he came at me with his shovel, shouting and screaming that I was a land hog and had rented that east field and pasture out from under him." "Well, did you tell him that land belongs to my brother John and he just wanted to rent it in the family?" Mary spoke defensively. "No, Mary, I didn't tell him anything. The other men on the crew had to restrain him or I believe he would have killed me. I don't think I've ever seen any one so angry. I really felt bad. I didn't know the land was so important to him." "I can't believe it would make that much difference, but at least I now understand why they don't speak to me. Isn't there something we can do?" "Not this year. I've already got my crops in. I'll talk to John, but I think the damage is already done." Changing the subject Mary said, "Let's go see if the rose bush has any more blooms." "Good idea," Robert replied eagerly and they walked hand in hand out to the northeast side of the house. In the far corner of the lot was a tiny little seven sisters rose bush, proudly bearing its first and only bloom for the season. "It's got a ways to go yet before we can boast of this one. But I think it will make it. I'll throw some manure on it tomorrow when I clean the barn. It will be pretty when it gets big and your idea to put it at the beginning of the drive was a good one. It will be a friendly greeting for our guests one day." Mary stooped to smell the single blossom and optimistically shared Robert's hope. "I'm going to the well to get a bucket of water for it," she said. "I'll come help you. It could probably stand two buckets." As they neared the well he pointed to a spot up toward the house. "Next spring I am going to plant two lilac bushes so you can smell the fragrance when you go out the back door. They had some beauties at the nursery when I bought the rose and the trees but I couldn't stretch my money any further." "I will like the lilacs, I'm sure, but I'd certainly be ungrateful not to be content with all you have done in these few short months," she praised him as they lovingly poured their water on the thirsty little plant. "I'm glad you are pleased, Mary. It will be even more fun after we have shared our new home with family and friends. Did you say Frank and Delia were coming for dinner Sunday?" "Yes, the children were so excited when they heard. They will have such a good time playing with their cousins. I'm excited too. I've got some fryers that are ready and I am going to make a big meal," Mary continued. She and Robert looked at each other and then at the small elm trees and tiny box elder and without a word willingly proceeded to carry buckets of water to each tree before retiring for the evening. * * * * * * Sunday morning was a bustle of activity. Robert and Lawrence did the milking and fed the stock. Mary fed them breakfast and quickly cleared the dishes with help from the girls. She then went to check to see that the beds were properly made and walked through the living room to inspect it. She looked lovingly at the center table that held her prized globe lamp and was surrounded with even more precious pictures of her and Robert's family. With no time to tarry she went to the kitchen to begin the big meal. After Robert finished his chores he went as always to the bedroom and put on his Sunday Best clothes. He then took his Sunday Missal and proceeded to the quiet of the seldom used living room where he read the mass prayers from beginning to end. This was a ritual he heeded without fail when he was unable to attend a real service. The circuit priest from El Reno only came only once a month to offer Mass at the mission church in Calumet. "I wish I had the time you do to indulge in prayer," Mary said jealously as she moved past the living room door toward the kitchen to prepare the meal. "You really should take time, Mary," he responded sincerely and without malice. "That's easy for you to say, but I'm the one responsible for the meals around here," she answered without waiting for another response. "Man may work from sun to sun, but woman's work is never done," she mumbled as she began to peel the potatoes. Mary's feelings of martyrdom were short lived as the aromas began to fill the house and she felt nothing but joy when her brother Frank and his family arrived. She hugged the four little stairsteps, baby John, two years old, Catherine, three, Teresa, seven and Catherine, the oldest, eight. Mary proudly showed them through the spacious new house. The warm June sun shone though the wide windows and enhanced the shiny new woodwork. The meal was perfect and it always gave Mary such pleasure to see her brother eat heartily, just as they once did at her mother's table. When dinner was finished the adults sat on the front porch and talked and the children played everything from tag to 'button, button , who's got the button'? The Higdon children did not complain that the Friels were younger than they, but just adjusted their games for the little ones. They were delighted to have company, no matter what age. After a lovely day and an early evening snack Robert and Mary and their children stood waving good-bye as the wheels of the Friel's wagon turned past the tiny seven-sisters rose bush and began the long seventeen miles back to El Reno . When they were out of sight on their way to their home in El Reno the Happy Higdons went inside together. "Now that we have shared it with someone else, it is no longer just a house, but a real home," Mary said as she gave her husband a grateful hug
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