. . . Little Redheaded White Girl Melani April 12, 2008 (1302)

Chapter 4

Who is the Ellis Family?

By the time the girls reached the house, they were out of breath and could hardly speak. "What's going on?" Sally gasped to her grandfather, grabbing his arm.
"Nothing, honey, Tom's come to visit."
Instantly the fear melted from her face. Her eyes lit up with pure delight. "Tom? Where is he?"
"In the house with Grandma drinking coffee and having a piece of apple pie," the old man told his granddaughter. Sally burst through the door and rushed to the big kitchen in the back of the house yelling, "Tom. Tom."
"Where have you been, Sis?" the tall, thin dark haired man asked as he turned and grabbed the young girl and lifted her off her feet.
"Down by the river walking with Lena, when did you get here and where are Maggie and the kids?" she inquired while remaining the tight bear hug.
"Maggie is upstairs getting them settled. We'll be here for a week or so because we are going to build a house on Daddy's old farm." He set her on her feet but kept his arm around her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. " It's so good to see you."
"You haven't been home in over a year. I was about to forget what you looked like," she teased. "Oh, I forgot about Lena. Let me go get her."
Lena was sitting on the porch talking to one of the neighbors when Sally returned.
"I'm sorry, Lena," I was so excited to see Tom that I ran off and left you.
"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad there was nothing wrong. I'm going on home since everything is all right. Go back in and talk to your brother."
"See you tomorrow," Sally called as Lena stood to leave in the darkness.
* * *
Sally's happiness was a good thing to see. It must be different to only have one brother and no sisters. There was always one of the siblings showing up at the White place.
Lena's mind returned to the skating ring as she walked the few houses to her parent's place. She wished she could skate like some of those ladies, but she knew she would never even attempt it. If she got out there and fell, she would be mortified. No, she would not risk the possibility of embarrassing herself in front of all of those people, but she could very much enjoy watching others perform their laps around the rink.
"I'm back, Mother," Lena said as she came through the front door slipping out of her coat and went into the parlor.
"I thought I told you to get back before dark. Did you have a good time?" her mother asked, turning to look at her daughter.
"Oh yes. I very much enjoy a walk to the river. Did you know that Sally's brother and his family came in? I've been over there for a few minutes."
"Yes, they got here about an hour after you left. I haven't met them but the Caldwells were all excited to see them by the looks of them running out on the porch and hugging them so much."
"Did you see anybody you knew at the skating ring this morning?" She reached up to reinsert a pin in her severely pulled straight back dark hair.
"Just a couple of kids that we go to church with, but I didn't get to talk to them. Some man stopped and talked to us a little bit. Mother, do you know the Ellis family?" Lena asked as she hung up her coat.
"No, but I've heard of a Doctor Ellis, but he died three years ago. I heard he had a couple of sons. I think one was named John, but I can't remember the other one's name right now," her mother told her as she took a sip of coffee.
"That is the family. A couple of the men were skating really well. They could go backwards and everything. Sally said they were George and French Ellis. The man who stopped and talked to us said that he was their brother." Lena avoided meeting her mother's eyes, lest she might read her mind all spinning with pictures of a man's face.
"What was his name?"
"He said he was Joe Ellis. He only talked a few minutes," the young woman replied. "Is there any more coffee?"
"Probably a cup or two if your father hasn't been back down to the kitchen."
After talking to her mother about plans for the next day, Lena excused herself and went to prepare for bed in the back bedroom. Homer and the borders slept upstairs and they would be back in about daylight. Only Oma, Homer and Lena remained at home, so they each had a small bedroom now.
She knocked on Oma's door and entered to see her little, chunky sister sitting by the window. The two youngest girls were very close and enjoyed each other's company.
"Nora came and visited today." Oma said defiantly with her mouth a hard line. "She said I was too young to have a boyfriend and I shouldn't talk about him so much."
"Just because she's our oldest sister doesn't mean she knows everything."
"Well, she acts like she does." Oma's little eyes spitting fire. "She makes me so mad that I just walked off and left her sitting at the table."
"Nora has been gone so long that I hardly know her," Lena whispered to her little sister. "And that long nosed thing is not going to come back here and tell me what to do."
Oma's laughter rang out, "Me either. She can just take her bossy ways somewhere else." Lena moved over and gave Oma a warm hug and said good night.
Oma giggled and said, "I heard you met a man up town this morning."
"Who told you that?" Lena spun around at the door.
"You did." Oma was hugging a pillow and making kissing sounds.
"I did no such thing." All laughter gone, she stomped back over to stand in front of Oma. "Who told you, I said?"
"I heard you talking to Mother, so you told me." She leaned back and drew both feet up under her as she sat upright in the bed, her long light brown hair spilling into her face. "You said his name was Joe something. I heard you. Don't deny it."
"You little sneak. Don't you hang around trying to listen in on people. Mother taught you better than that." Lena stood before her breathing deeply.
"I didn't. It was an accident. I went in the parlor and heard you talking plain as day." Oma bounced some more, her big eyes wide. "Is he good looking?"
"Oma! I'm not going to discuss him with you any more. Good night." She slipped silently down the hall to her room with a smile on her face in spite of her words.
She took off the bright yellow dress and hung it up very carefully the way she did all of her clothing. After putting on her long white gown, she climbed into the three/quarter four poster beds that her grandfather had made. The bed required 75 feet of rope to strengthen it to hold the feather bed mattress that her mother had brought from the farm.
Even though the bed was soft and warm, Lena's sleep was impossible because of a vision of a strong face and soft blue eyes. She didn't even know of him this morning and now he dominated her thoughts.
The fragrance of the vase of spring lilacs on her dresser mixed with the memory of Maudie's bitter voice as she eventually drifted into a restless, troubled sleep.

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