Nadine’s Quilt
The day was a long, quiet and sleepy kind of day. The sun was out and shining as brightly as ever. The small white house cast a dark shadow across the front lawn hiding the small girl sitting just under the window. She was looking very intently at the crickets hiding under the thick green bushes. Their shiny black bodies glistened as the sun hit them through the leaves. The dirt was cold and hard, it felt really good when she put her small hands against it. When she did, the crickets hopped away. She hoped she would find them again later. They were so pretty.
The wind began to stir just enough to tousle her long brown hair. She looked through the trees up at the sky. It was like a kaleidoscope. It seemed like a good idea to lie on the grass at that moment, so she did and let the cool air blow across her face. She grabbed a handful of grass and rolled it back and forth across her fingers. She was wearing her favorite clothes, and she remembered that at this moment. Then she thought, my skirt is green, and my blouse is green too, so maybe it would be alright if she lay here because the grass is green too. So, she did. Just then she heard her mother come from the side of the house. She sat up quickly and looked over her shoulder.
“Nadine. Hurry up and get on over here. It’s lunch time and we got to get over to Mrs. Deck’s house in a little while. Come on now.”
“Alright mama, I’m comin’,” she got up and brushed off her clothing. She picked a couple of dandelions and ran to the side door of the house. She remembers when she first came to this house. She and her parents had lived with her grandma in a small trailer for a whole year before this. That place was on a lot of land. There was a cattle farm in the back yard and on the side the secrets of the woods called to her. She talked to chipmunks and searched for blackberries. When it rained, turtles would climb up out of the ditches and crowd the yard. Black snakes were her best friends.
It was kind of exciting moving here, but she missed sharing a bedroom with her grandma. Grandma Esther used to walk up and down the trailer crooning “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” while she made biscuits and gravy. She kept bacon grease in a can on the stove and used another can for her cigarettes.
The first time they came through this door, the lights were off. When they walked into the kitchen and turned the lights on, the walls were covered with little brown cockroaches. Nadine watched as they scattered, making the walls look like they were moving. The landlord made sure it was fumigated, but like her mother always said, “You can never really get rid of cockroaches, ever.” And, they never went away.
As she entered the bright kitchen, she put the yellow flowers on the counter and went to her room. She had a wonderful room. It was right next to the kitchen. Her mother had set up the dining room to be a bedroom. It had two long, thin windows that let in so much light. She loved to watch it play on the wood floor. Her bed sat right between these two windows.
She went to her closet, which was really a pantry, and climbed up to grab her jewelry box. One time she had to hide in the very top of the cabinet. Her mother put blankets over her so her father wouldn’t find her. She pulled down the small box wrapped in pink and white paper. Inside it had a ballerina that danced when you opened it. This box held her most prized possessions. Inside it had her prettiest barrettes. One of them was shaped like a rainbow with colored ribbons threaded through it. It also had her girl-scout pins, buttons from church, and a few coins. She grabbed the rainbow barrette and put the box back on one of the shelves. She put the barrette in her hair and headed back for the kitchen. Something smelled really good.
She was especially excited because today she would get the special quilt for her bed from Mrs. Deck. Her mother had been taking quilting lessons from Mrs. Deck. This quilt was beautiful and her mother had finally finished quilting it. It was pink and blue, yellow and green — just so pretty and Nadine couldn’t wait to see it on her bed. She had never had anything that beautiful.
Ramona, Nadine’s mother, was in the kitchen singing. She couldn’t sing very well, but she didn’t care. She sang to the radio playing old Christian hymns. That radio was always on. It was kind of soothing and gave the house a very warm feeling. Nadine went to the table and waited for her mother to finish lunch.
“What have you been doin’ out there?”
“Oh, I was just lookin’ at some crickets. But…they ran away.”
“What are you doin’ playin’ with bugs? You better go wash your hands young lady.” She put a steaming grilled cheese sandwich on a small white plate and put it near Nadine’s arm on the table. “Go on, go wash those hands.”
“Oh…I didn’t touch them. I said I just looked at them,” she cried. Her mother gave her a look that must have scared her because she didn’t say another word and got up very quickly, hopping to the bathroom. She ran back to the kitchen and grabbed her drink. “Man, it’s milk. I hate milk. Do I have to have milk?”
“Yes you have to have milk. It’s good for you. Now drink it. You make sure you drink it all.”
So, Nadine and her mother sat together to have lunch. There were crisp, sweet pickles, which Nadine also hated, and green onions, and tomatoes. Ramona poured a small circle of salt on the table and then over the sliced tomatoes. Nadine’s eyes and nose wrinkled as she watched her mother dip the onions into the salt and then eat them whole. She looked the other way each time her mother took a bite.
The grilled cheese was like heaven. Her mom got special food each month from the government. Everything was always wrapped in brown wrapping. The government cheese was the best. It tasted so good, especially in grilled cheese sandwiches. Nadine lifted the bread apart from the thick, gooey orange cheese, and blew inside of the steaming sandwich. She then pushed the bread back together and quickly ate her food. Last, she reached for the dreaded milk and drank half of it.
“Do I have to drink all of this? Look how much I drank.”
“Little girl, do you want to go get your quilt?” Her mother threatened.
Nadine sighed and reached again for the tall faded pink cup and finished her milk. Ramona quickly cleaned up the mess and put all the food away. She wiped the table and stove down as Nadine collected her shoes and doll. They surveyed the house, looking for any other mess, and prepared to leave. Together, holding hands and talking, they walked the three blocks to Mrs. Deck’s house. It was a really nice day for a walk.
Mrs. Deck always had cookies and soda. Sometimes she even had frozen pizzas. She was a really sweet woman in her late sixties. She was like a grandma that all the kids in the neighborhood shared. Her smile was soft with many lines and her eyes were always welcoming. She made quilts for a living and there were baskets all over her house containing the elements for all different kinds of quilts. Her quilts were so beautiful. The colors always went together so well and the patterns were amazing. She had quilts with Bible stories. She had quilts with baskets and kittens on them, rainbow colored quilts, quilts with lots of different shades of just one color. She really was an artist.
She handed Ramona the quilt and Nadine’s eyes sparkled with delight. After a few snacks, a little conversation, and plans for the next quilting project, the two left for home.
Ramona was excited because this time she got to start the quilt from scratch. This time she would pick the material, cut it, sew it together, and quilt it. Nadine would also get to help. They talked all about it the whole way home and Nadine fondled the corner of the quilt as they walked. Once home, they went straight to the awaiting little bed. Nadine removed the pillow and made sure the bottom corners were just right. Together they opened the quilt and spread it evenly over the top of the bed. It was everything she hoped for. She carefully picked up the pillow. It had a pretty lady sewn on it with a long yellow gingham dress. Nadine fluffed the pillow and smoothed out the dress. She gently placed it at the top of the bed and then placed her doll on the pillow.
Her heart swelled with pride and so did Ramona’s as they just stood there and stared at the pretty bed. The sunlight from the windows slowly moved across the floor and eventually left altogether. Ramona hugged her daughter and left to the kitchen to cook dinner. Nadine sat down on the floor in front of the bed and put her arms behind her to hold her up.
“Hey Nadine, you might want to put a light on. It’s getting dark.” Her mother began her nightly ritual. She pulled the small green bottle out of her purse. She was whispering as she walked to each doorway. She tiptoed to reach the top of each doorway. Nadine watched while she brushed the doll’s hair.
Ramona carefully made the shape of a cross with the oil. Nadine could make out the stain made from so many other nights. Her father still wasn’t home. Again. She glanced over at the closet. It was time for bed.
