Look right thru me [open]
Mar 3, 2012 16:38:51 GMT -5
Post by imo on Mar 3, 2012 16:38:51 GMT -5
Bela Winn
The sun was out, rising higher and higher as morning came closer to noon. The roads were still wet from the early rain, the fog, that had come to settle in the night, was thinning, slowly retreating back into the trees and shadows, and the air was moist and light, cool from it yet being the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Grandmother Ester had given her a list and stuck it in her dress pocket. Chores, errands, responsibilities for her to deal with today and she was glad. She would get them done, finish everything, and make Grandma happy today.
With her tongue out and curled at the corner of her mouth, Bela wrapped the bunny ears, just as Ash had showed her, and pulled them tight. It had been a while since her big brother showed her how to tie her laces but Bells was determined to make them right, correct, nice every time. Ash would like that.
These were the pretty shoes and she would not scuff them up today. Grandma would like that too.
Bela pulled herself up from the steps of the house and patted her skirt down, like she was showed, and then her hair. She was already proud of herself today.
Grandma Ester let her use her momma’s blue dress with the little white flowers. embroidery.
It was a pretty sun dress Bela and Izza used to take turns dressing up in and play princess. It was so big before, but not anymore. Now Bela was a big girl. “Woman. I’m a big woman” She said, correcting herself. She wasn’t a little girl anymore. Grandma said she was a woman, now, and she needed to start acting like one. That was why the dress and the list and the pretty shoes.
’Women don’t play with dolls’ Her grandmother had said. ’They have lists, run errands. They go to the market and keep pretty’
Bela would keep pretty today.
She patted the list in her pocket, keeping it safe, picked up her basket from the step, and started walking into town. Grandma wanted some herbs for medicine and then she wanted Bela to stop at the Marshal’s home and drop off some other kind of medicine for their boy. two rabbits for payment. Then she would trade one rabbit for cheese, bandages, some other items, and Bela will sell the two bottles of her maple syrup.
Ashford had given her a drill and spout set for her birthday and these were the first two bottles of syrup she’d gotten from her trees. She was so excited.
As Bells walked along the road into town, her shoes crunched on the gravel, making music and she started to sing one of her momma’s songs.
Bela liked singing. It was so pretty.
