"You wish you could come?" I ask ta Mary, who is starin' out the window- watchin' Lloyd an' Mista Johnston out on the horses. She in her own little world today, missin' nearly everythin' I say- jus' noddin' or murmurin' a yeah- when it ain't even a yes or no question.
I wanna ask her where she is. Wha' do she think 'bout? Am I in there with her? She don' respond to my question, an' cause it the second time I ask- I jus' let it drop. Maybe she hear an' she jus' don' wanna answer.
***
"Well, don' you look pretty," Miss. Lizabeth say to my backside. An' she right- I do look pretty. My dress is sparkly blue- matchin' pins in my hair. I normally blonde- but today I golden. My jewelery is my mothers- silver an' shiny. Like they perfectly new. Diamonds line the inside, an' there a big diamond stud in the middle. It real pretty- no, mo' than it. It real beautiful.
"Thank you," I say, 'stead of I know- which is wha' I really thinkin'. Sometime it best to hold in the truth. I turn 'round to face her- 'cause it ain't polite to force someone to talk to yeur backside.
"You are welcome Corinne, now please sit up straight. You slouchin'," She snap, makin' me sigh. Every time you start to like her- she go an' do sompin' like that- it really ain't fair.
"When you leavin'?"
"Soon, I guess," I say. "Why- you change you mind?" Oh please, let her have change her mind. I don' think I can handle the Misses by myself. I really don' think I can.
"No- I was jus' wonderin."
"Oh."
"Is Lloyd comin', then?" She ask, comin' to take a seat next ta me. I wish she would jus' leave already. I don' wan' her here no mo'.
"No- he stayin' here with his daddy. But it ain't like I gonna meet no future husban' at the ball. I probably end up marrin' Lloyd, this jus' fo' fun- really."
Miss. Lizabeth nod an' finger my diamond necklace- probably rememberin' how my mother used to wear it. It weird that they was friends, once, an' it weird that she kno' her better than I do. An' she my own mother.
"Have fun Corinne," she say, standin' up. "See you when you get back."
I nod, "I will."
I wanna ask her where she is. Wha' do she think 'bout? Am I in there with her? She don' respond to my question, an' cause it the second time I ask- I jus' let it drop. Maybe she hear an' she jus' don' wanna answer.
***
"Well, don' you look pretty," Miss. Lizabeth say to my backside. An' she right- I do look pretty. My dress is sparkly blue- matchin' pins in my hair. I normally blonde- but today I golden. My jewelery is my mothers- silver an' shiny. Like they perfectly new. Diamonds line the inside, an' there a big diamond stud in the middle. It real pretty- no, mo' than it. It real beautiful.
"Thank you," I say, 'stead of I know- which is wha' I really thinkin'. Sometime it best to hold in the truth. I turn 'round to face her- 'cause it ain't polite to force someone to talk to yeur backside.
"You are welcome Corinne, now please sit up straight. You slouchin'," She snap, makin' me sigh. Every time you start to like her- she go an' do sompin' like that- it really ain't fair.
"When you leavin'?"
"Soon, I guess," I say. "Why- you change you mind?" Oh please, let her have change her mind. I don' think I can handle the Misses by myself. I really don' think I can.
"No- I was jus' wonderin."
"Oh."
"Is Lloyd comin', then?" She ask, comin' to take a seat next ta me. I wish she would jus' leave already. I don' wan' her here no mo'.
"No- he stayin' here with his daddy. But it ain't like I gonna meet no future husban' at the ball. I probably end up marrin' Lloyd, this jus' fo' fun- really."
Miss. Lizabeth nod an' finger my diamond necklace- probably rememberin' how my mother used to wear it. It weird that they was friends, once, an' it weird that she kno' her better than I do. An' she my own mother.
"Have fun Corinne," she say, standin' up. "See you when you get back."
I nod, "I will."
