I Remember
By Ginny Dobbs
I am not exactly sure, I think
it was 1945, but I do remember it was exactly twelve o’clock noon when
the doorbell rang. I remember Mama wiping her hands on her apron as she opened the door and saw the somber-eyed messenger
with the telegram in his outstretched hand. I remember she took the telegram, put it in her pocket, and told me and the rest
of the kids to finish our lunch and get back to school so we wouldn’t be late for afternoon classes.
Mama perched on the high,
yellow kitchen stool and lit a Lucky Strike cigarette. We kids sat in complete silence, our heads down but our eyes up, staring
at our mother as she smoked. Her head tipped back and her eyes closed when she sucked in the smoke and inhaled deeply. Her
legs were crossed, with her right foot on the bottom rung and her left leg swinging back and forth. It seemed to take forever
for the smoke to come out of her mouth. I remember wondering if there was a place for the smoke to go, like food would go
into the stomach and stay there. When the smoke finally came out she stuck out her tongue a little and picked a piece of tobacco
from it. Then she rubbed the speck between her fingers before wiping it on her apron. She sighed deeply as she stepped down
from the stool.
Still not talking, Mama wiped my sister’s hands and face and lifted her from the highchair and stooped to clean
up the cracker crumbs Donna had thrown to the floor. She sighed as she rose and lifted the yellow envelope from her pocket.
She called my aunt Betty from the bedroom and told her there was a telegram.
We kids sat still and did not make a sound. I remember
feeling like I had to go to the bathroom, but I was afraid if I moved Mama would realize we were still at the table and not
heading back to school. Jim picked up Donna and bounced her on his knee and gently rubbed her back so she wouldn’t make
noise and break the awful spell.
Aunt Betty and Mama held their breaths as Mama opened the message. Mama read for a moment and silently
handed the paper to Aunt Betty. Suddenly, they had their arms around each other and they were crying. We kids began to cry
too, although we had no idea what was in the message.
Then it got crazy. Mama and Aunt Betty started to dance around the kitchen. They
started singing that happy days are here again song. Mama grabbed Jim’s hand and Aunt Betty grabbed my hand. Then all
the brothers and sisters were in a line and we were all dancing around the kitchen. I still didn’t know what was happening.
I didn’t understand why we were supposed to cry one minute and dance, laugh, and sing the next.
Mama sat down on the floor
and stretched out her arms so we could all gather ‘round her. Wiping her eyes on the corner of her apron, she opened
the message and read to us: WILL BE HOME THURSDAY STOP LAY OUT CLOTHES THAT DO NOT RESEMBLE A UNIFORM STOP. BILL. DADDY.
I peeked at the clock and knew we would be late
for school if we didn’t leave right that second, but I didn’t say anything and Mama seemed to forget we were still
at home. It was nice not going to school that afternoon.
I asked Mama why she and Aunt Betty were crying when it was such happy news.
She said someday I would understand.
[Ginny is a retired high school Media Specialist. She and her husband divide their time between North
Myrtle Beach, SC, and Venice, FL. She regrets that she did no writing until after she retired, and hopes to make up for lost
time in the next few years.]
