Little Adeline Kinder

This is the story's end but starting this Saturday I will start posting Trapped in Skorrgatory. Thanks for checking in and I hope you like my stories even though they are still in need of polishing.

Chapter 7

       A glorious sight met their grumbling tummies. Momma’s oil lamp illuminated a well-dressed table. One platter held a mountain of biscuits while on the other side of the lamp held a large bowl of sopping white peppery gravy. A smaller bowl of fried meat lit up the middle of the table along with some mulberries. 

       Suspiciously Geraldine asked, “How’d you manage that and where’d you get that meat from? Have you been out pilfering the neighbor’s houses while Lourie’s takin’ her nap?”

       “Course not sis, God done went an brought us supper through the cat.” Adeline replied while swiping her strawberry curls back out of her eyes again as she put her momma’s fan back on the shelf.

       “Oh no, Adeline you didn’t kill the cat for supper did you? Eww! Mom’s gonna be mad” cried Delphine.

Laura pulled out a kitchen chair almost ready to pass out claiming “I’m not hungry anymore.”

       While picking up Lourie, Adeline broke out into a hysterical laughter. She swung her sister into the high chair proclaiming “stop acting ridiculous.” The cat peeked out from under the sofa sniffing the air and crying “meow.”

       “So what’d ya fix?” they all asked.

       “I’ll tell ya, that’s the best darn cat God’s given us. God had him to bring us a rabbit. It’s written in the good book that He’s gonna take care of us, isn’t it?”

       Geraldine quickly pulled up a chair to sit down. “Delphine, time to say grace, I’m starving and thank you Jesus.”

Chapter 8

       When supper was finished they worked together to get the dishes cleaned up. The gravy bowl had already been wiped clean thanks to Laura’s appetite and an extra biscuit. Adeline made enough biscuits to carry them over till breakfast. That left only a few scraps of meat. Just enough to season a nice sized pot of beans.

       Laura had already retired for the night leaving Geraldine to fetch the beans from the barn. “Delphine, why don’t you and I snap these beans up and let Adeline put Lourie to bed.”

       “Sounds good to me since Lourie smells like she pooped. She been hidin' over on the end of the couch an being too quiet.”

       “It’s alright; I don’t think it’ll be long before she’s out anyways.” Adeline scooped Lourie up and as she walked into the bedroom she said, “Come on stinky.”

       Lourie simply cooed and played patty cake before reaching to pull her sister’s dangling hair.

       Adeline didn’t return to the kitchen that night. Delphine and Geraldine finished snapping the beans. They added the leftover meat to the pot with a little water and salt. Then set it on the stove with a lid to simmer for the night. After throwing away the stems and sweeping the floor they both turned out the light.

       “Night Geraldine.”

       “See you in the morn sis.”

Chapter 9

      

All the girls got up early at daybreak. Laura had been commenting whining since 6 a.m. “Mrs. Harris didn’t come by last night. I wonder if she got a hold of pa. I hope she’s alright. Why didn’t she come by, she promised?”

Geraldine, Delphine, and Adeline had been pulling the clothes off of the laundry line the whole time while Laura complained and bounced Lourie on her knee. The girls also had to wash their dresses from the day before and hang them to dry along with freshly clean diapers.

Delphine quickly spat at her sister “Maybe you could shut up and help out just a little more Laura?”

       “Can you two stop whinnin’ and a fightin’ for two seconds “Cried Geraldine.

              “Eww, you can tell it’s about mid-morning. Lourie’s pooped again. Adeline, could you?” Laura pleaded.

       “Yea, but momma’s gonna be mad cause you’ve not helped.”

       “I’ve helped. Why can’t you guys understand that I get light headed and have to sit down a lot? Besides I spent all afternoon and evening picking beans.”

       “Don’t forget about going swimming too.” Delphine added.

       “Hey, someone’s commin’ down in the holler. We got company. Geraldine excitedly called.

       Two figures in a wagon gradually emerged out of the thicket. Adeline walking back out on the porch with a freshly changed Lourie quickly recognized the grey and chocolate horses right away. “Papa’s back. Papa’s back and he’s got momma with him.

       All the girls tossed aside everything that they had been attending to and quickly ran to greet their parents. Of course they all wanted to hear momma’s story and how papa had gotten home. That is another tale to be told some other time.