Chapter 6
Geraldine,
Delphine, and Laura were on their way home carrying the last of the beans that
they had gathered. The girls only managed to gather six large sized baskets
since Laura kept trying to sneak off under a shade tree and constantly
complained about how tired she was.
Delphine tried to make up for her
sister’s slacking off by challenging Geraldine to a bean pickin’ race. “Are you
crazy Delphine, my legs are already getting ate up by chiggers and you want me
to go kicking more of them up? Besides you need to slow down. You’re tearing up
the plants and there’s still one good harvest left in them before fall.”
Back at the barn they placed the last of
the baskets inside and all dropped to the floor to rest. Geraldine lifted her
soiled dress to wipe the sticky moisture off of her arms but only proceeded in
streaking them with more dirt. “That’s it, everyone to the pond to wash up.
Good thing momma did the wash this morning.”
“Delphine, keep your filthy hands off my
new dress. Momma made that for church,” yelled Laura with a renewed burst of
energy.
“I was just going to help you out since
you were just so tired in the field back there.”
Then they both cried, “Geraldine, are we
going to have to wait on supper and snap beans before we eat?”
“If you two don’t hurry up and wash your
going to find yourselves cooking your own supper too. Anyone want to race now?”
Not giving them a chance to answer, Geraldine darted through the trees figuring
she could change on the way back. Her legs were long, strong and fast. The two
sisters left behind didn’t have a hope of catching up.
Weaving in and out of sassafras, walnut
and pine she flew in the water head first. Shoes and all, Geraldine didn’t
care. Delphine splashed in beside her next and then came Laura. While scrubbing
down they also tried jumping on each other to see if they could be sunk like a
log. Poor Laura didn’t have a chance.
It was only after the bath that they
decided to strip down to their bloomers before heading back. The sky above
pulsated an orange hew as the wind swished and shook the tree tops.
Looking up at the sky, Laura commented,
“Looks like only an hour at best before sunset. We best hurry. Besides, I’m starving.”
They hung their wet clothes on the line,
grabbed some fresh linen and walked to the porch to set their shoes out to dry
overnight. The light inside was on and mosquito sheets hung in the open
windows. Delphine’s nose started to twitch. “What’s that smell?”
Then Laura commented, “Smells like
Adeline did well.”
Geraldine spoke up next. “Time to find
out if’n we’re going hungry tonight or not.” Pushing the door open they
scrambled inside.
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