A Matter Of Trust

by Sherrilyn Polf

  “Thank you for reminding me. I guess I have been self-centered and a bit prideful. I’ve neglected inviting God into my decisions. Sometimes it is …” Aunt Doreen’s voice trailed off as she laid her hand gently on Mother’s arm. Her mother nodded. Dena hadn’t missed a word of the conversation, and she saw how smart her mother was. She must always remember to invite God into her thoughts and decisions.

  “Hey, Dena,” Emily called. She looked up just as Emily and Susan ran through the hot sand. “How about playing the next game with us?”

  “Let’s eat, girls,” Aunt Doreen said while pulling out wrapped sandwiches.

  “I don’t think so. A dip in the water will be just enough I believe. Besides, I really like being your audience.” Dena said, laughing. Susan plopped down beside her, spraying sand over her legs as she reached for something to eat.

  “Oops.” Emily merrily apologized for Susan, grabbing one of the colas. “Want one?”

  “Sure!” Susan spoke up. Dena nodded. Emily pulled out two more colas before she sat on the other side of Dena.

  “Say, Dena, I know you are starting a new job and everything, but I was wondering if you might like to take a couple of drafting classes with me.” Emily looked at her cousin as she popped off the lid and handed her the bottle.

  “Well… ”

  “A typing career is great, but a typing and drafting career is better, much better,” Emily rushed on, wanting to convince her cousin. Taking a bite of her egg sandwich, she chewed for a moment. Besides, it will be fun to study together.”

  “And you could sign up tomorrow when we go over for the job interview,” Aunt Doreen cut in, pleased with her daughter’s suggestion.

  “You know that would be an opportunity dear,” her mother said.

  “Well …” Dena puckered her brow. She hadn’t thought of a career beyond typing. I need time to think over this new idea. I need … well, time with God. Yes, isn’t that just what I had said a few minutes ago? Dena disguised her thoughts by sipping her cola.

  “Oh there’s another game starting. Come on, Susan." Emily laid down her partially eaten sandwich beside Susan’s crust and turned to Dena, “You sure you don’t want to play?”

  “No. I’m fine,” She spoke slowly. Her mind whirled. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the extra studies and a new job. High school and the advanced typing course had been easy. Dena turned her head to watch the girls knock the ball back over the net. With her eyes closed and head slightly down, she quickly asked God for guidance.

  “Again tell me exactly what does Walter do in Virginia?” her mother asked. She knew it seemed to be hush-hush for Walter hadn’t said too much when he stopped to visit.

  “As I understand, he’s in the engineering department, the wind tunnel division, to be specific, as well as overseeing all of the drafting plans and checking all of the formulas and equations.

  He’s actually at Langley Field in Virginia, just outside of Hampton. He said it’s all connected with Hughes Aeronautics. Mr. Hughes, who is owner and president, is working with the military on this project. And it excites Walter because he’s actually getting to put his education and teaching skills to work.”

  Dena knew her mother heard the same note of pride in her aunt’s voice, for a flicker of a smile showed in Mother’s eyes, but it didn’t reach her mouth.

  So Uncle Walter’s job uses drafting. Dena was beginning to like the idea better and better all of the time.

  “It’s not like Walter doesn’t have a job here. He has a standing teaching position in the engineering department at Stanford. He is tenured you know. I guess maybe he just needed a break,” her aunt continued. Then she smiled warmly at her sister-in-law. “I have a lot to think about, Judith. Thank you.”

  Giggles and sand spilled over into the conversation as Susan and Emily came up. Another game was over.

  “The cola really tastes great. Thank you Mother!” Emily picked up her half-empty cola bottle and swirled it, trying to act grown up by imitating a movie star. Then she took another drink before looking around and checking out the new game of volleyball. Dena and Susan watched. Emily saw some boys from high school playing in the game. The sun looked lower in the sky now. She had to shade her eyes to see. How the afternoon had sped by. Maybe it was because the girls enjoyed entertaining her with several more games.

  “Oh my,” Aunt Doreen said, glancing at her watch. “It’s already time to leave. Where did this day go? We must be leaving if we want to catch the bus and be home in time for dinner.”

  Putting away the empty wrappers and bottles, Dena and Emily grabbed the ice chest and followed Susan and Mother who were toting a small chest with food. Aunt Doreen carried two blankets, hurrying them so they would get to the bus on time.

  Dena pushed her large, floppy hat down as the breeze tugged at the brim. Susan had braided her hair. At the house, Susan pushed the door open with her foot and waited for her mother.

  “Thank you dear.” Her mother smiled as she lugged the small food container. Dena and Emily followed tugging the ice chest.

  “You have a letter from the Philippines, Ms. Doreen.” Polly said as she met them at the door wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Oh my,” Aunt Doreen dropped the quilts on the floor and picked up the letter. “It’s from Bill.”

  Who’s Bill? Dena wondered. Uncle Walter and Aunt Doreen only have one boy. Mother continued to the kitchen with the girls following.

  ***

  “What time do we need to be at Stanford today, Doreen?” Dena heard her mother asked as she sat down to breakfast. Dena buttered her small stack of pancakes.

  “Pancakes, bacon, and juice—breakfast can’t get any better than this,” Stuart mumbled as he stuffed a bite into his mouth. “Mmm.”

  Watching her cousin from across the table eating like an ill-mannered boy, Dena scowled, however she nodded in agreement. The pancakes were good.

  “We should be leaving here in thirty minutes or so,” Aunt Doreen said.

  “Good morning you two,” her mother said smiling. “There may be some breakfast left if Stuart hasn’t eaten it all.” The girls glanced at him as he held his fork in the air, motionless.

  “Aw, Aunt Judith,” Stuart grumbled with affection. He was on his second helping of everything. Dena giggled, putting the last bite of pancakes into her mouth and patting her lips with her napkin.

  “Mother, Emily said we received a letter from Bill yesterday. What did he have to say?” Stuart asked.

  “He’s still in the disease ward on the islands. Mmm, let me see … oh yes, he’s now considered a short timer. He has ten months left. Then he’ll be coming home. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Is Bill the one in the navy?” Mother asked. Aunt Doreen nodded.

  “He’s Phyllis and Tom’s boy,” she added. Aunt Doreen nodded again.

  So Bill is my cousin; my dad’s nephew, Uncle Tom’s boy.

  “May I be excused?” Dena asked, rising.

  “Why yes, dear.” Mother watched her eldest daughter hurry into the hallway.

  Wanting to take one last look in the mirror, Dena pinched her cheeks and smoothed her long, curly blonde hair. The California humidity curled her hair more than the arid air in Colorado. She wanted to make sure she looked her best for her interview; she then ran her hand down her navy blue skirt, carefully studying the soft white cotton blouse. Gosh, I do look businesslike.

  “Dena, we should go,” Aunt Doreen called from below, “Don’t forget your typing certificates.”

  Oh gosh, where’s the envelope with my certificates! Dena gulped, digging around in her bag for the envelope. There it is! With the envelope in one hand and her purse in the other, Dena hurried down the stairs, two at a time.

  Ladies never take two steps at a time, her mind silently scolded. She stopped so suddenly she almost fell. Dena grabbed the rail. She blushed as she looked around fearing someone read her thoughts. Her mother was waiting on the
landing with that knowing look on her face. Dena slowly reddened. The telephone rang just as the four women were leaving. Aunt Doreen picked it up and listened for a moment. “Stuart! It’s for you.”

  “Thanks, Mother.” A chair scraped across the tile as her cousin got up to answer the telephone.

  ***

  “It’s several blocks to Stanford University—more than I want to walk every day. So I’ve gotten us all bus passes,” Aunt Doreen confessed hurrying to the bus stop with everyone trailing after in single file. Dena figured they looked like a mother duck and her ducklings going to the pond. Aunt Doreen seemed to be still considering, still arranging a schedule in her mind when the group boarded the bus. “Emily, are you enrolled, or will you need to enroll on the twentieth when Stuart does?”

  “I’m enrolled. All freshmen enrolled last spring. Though I do need to confirm that I got into the classes I need. Maybe I can do that today when Dena enrolls.” Then Emily turned to Dena. “You are going to take drafting with me, aren’t you?”

  “I think so. But only if I can work it out with my job.” She caught her mother’s look of approval and knew she’d made a good choice.

  “Stanford.” The driver announced at the same time the bus lurched to a stop. Everyone stepped down; they followed Aunt Doreen towards several ivy-laden buildings.

  “Where’s your building, Aunt Doreen?” Dena asked a bit shriller than she meant to. Her stomach had started to hurt. She was definitely getting nervous.

  “It’s the large building at the end of the street. One of the nice things about it is we are on a cul-de-sac, which makes it quieter. Even though we have students in and out, the main bustle is elsewhere. Some of the engineering classes meet in that building.” Aunt Doreen pointed at a massive four story building on the right. Dena nodded, watching Emily and Susan whispering and giggling. She sighed. She envied them—no, at this minute she hated them. This sudden thought and the switch of her emotion surprised her causing a pang of guilt. Her stomach ached from it. Again, she sighed. It’s not their problem that I have a test to take.

  “Here we are. My office is on the second floor. We’ll take the stairs on the right.” Aunt Doreen directed. Dena noticed stairways curving up on each side of the main entrance.

  “Now I understand how you stay slim, Doreen.” Her mother laughed just as they reached the second floor. Aunt Doreen chuckled, leading the group to the third door on the right. College buildings didn’t look much different from high school...long corridors, walls covered with bulletin boards and posters. Dena caught sight of Aunt Doreen just as she went through the third door on the right. The room was elegantly decorated in a pale mauve, accented with cream and walnut; Mother stopped next to her, nodding her approval. A woman slightly older than Dena stood next to the desk.

  “Jane, this is Dena. She’ll be testing for the typing position.” Jane was a little taller than she with steel blue eyes and straight brown hair, pulled back and knotted at the neck. She knew it was shoulder length because a few stray strands hung loose around her face. The young women smiled at each other.

  “We’ll wait in the hallway while you’re taking the short test and having your interview,” Aunt Doreen said. Dena suddenly felt unsure.

  “Come with me … Dena is it?” Jane smiled, wanting to put her at ease. Following her into another office, Dena’s head bobbed back and forth, taking in everything she could. This must be Jane’s office. Her eyes widened and her cheeks became warm. Did I say that out loud? I hope not!

  “Doreen mentioned a typing certificate?” They stopped in front of a typing table that was set up for the test.

  “Yes.” She dug in her purse and pulled out the envelope, handing it to her. “Excellent. Now if you will have a seat, we’ll get started.”

  Dena sat down and looked at several sheets sitting on the letter stand. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She hoped that Jane hadn’t heard her.

  “When you’re ready, we’ll start,” Jane’s soft tone sounded reassuring. She wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. Jane glanced again at the small table to make sure everything was in proper order, and then she looked at Dena, “Ready?”

  God, guide me and help my stomach. Dena nodded, muttering silently.

  “You may start.” With a firm chin, Dena slipped the paper in the typewriter, winding it down the proper distance and quickly checking the margins before her fingers flew across the keys. It was a three-page letter with two columns of numbers on the second page. She sped through the letter. Typing the closing remarks, Dena sat back. Her shoulders dropped, and air wheezed out softly. No mistakes, at least, she hoped there were none. Thank you, God!

  “Mr. Graves wants to talk to you,” Jane said pleasantly. Dena jumped. She hadn’t heard Jane enter the room. She didn’t think she had ever been so out of control, so unsure of herself. It wasn’t that she couldn’t type the letter, just the fact that it was a timed test. Timed tests bothered her, period. And this, applying for a job, that would affect her whole future. At least her next stop was only two doors away.

  “Mr. Graves, this is Dena Caulter. She’s here for the typing position.” Jane smiled, handing him her typed test and certificates. “Dena, Mr. Graves.”

  “Miss Caulter. Have a seat.” He spoke in a pleasant manner, quickly studying her as she sat down. Then he reviewed her test and certificates. “Have you filled out an employment application?”

  “No.”

  “Then we’ll do it as I interview you. Jane …” Jane laid the application before him and then disappeared into the outer office. When Mr. Graves finished with the application, he examined her typed test. “I understand that you would like to take a couple of courses?”

  “Yes. If I can work it in and not endanger my job.”

  “No problem. Let’s get you enrolled; then we’ll set your work hours according to your class schedules. What classes are you considering?”

  “Drafting. Emily and I want to take the course together,” she said, not sure how much information Mr. Graves needed.

  “Yes, I knew Emily was leaning toward drafting, a good choice. Jane, take Miss Caulter down to registration and get her enrolled. Then we’ll set her hours.”

  “You mean I have the job?” Dena asked. She was surprised at how easy the interview had gone. Of course she had never had a job or an interview before.

  “Yes, you do.” Mr. Graves laughed. Dazed, Dena followed Jane into the hallway where her mother and Aunt Doreen were waiting. Emily and Susan were looking over the rail watching boys. Susan usually was never too far from their mother.

  “Doreen, Mr. Graves said to take Dena down and get her enrolled before we set her hours,” Jane spoke amiably to her coworker. “Mr. Graves said Dena’s hours could be set when you come to work on the seventeenth.”

  “I got the job!” Dena mouthed to her mother. Her eyes danced. She could see that Mother was pleased she would be working with Aunt Doreen. Dena knew it was a blessing from God. The small group followed Aunt Doreen to registration. She checked and double-checked the enrollment cards, making sure that Dena and Emily were in the same classes at the same time and with the same professor. Then she purchased two bus passes.

  “What about the tuition, Doreen?” Dena heard her mother whisper. A small frown creased her brow. “I’m not sure I brought enough money.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Judith,” Aunt Doreen assured her. “I’ll take care of it. Since Walter and I work for the university, our children attend tuition free. After—”

  “I don’t understand,” her mother broke in, half turning from the desk. “There will be no tuition?”

  “No tuition.”

  “Thank you.” Her mother stammered as she grabbed Aunt Doreen’s hands. Her face screwed up into a smile. Her eyes glittered Aunt Doreen handed her a handkerchief. Dena’s eyes widened as she glanced at Susan. Mother didn’t have a handkerchief.

  “With both Walter and I working for the univer
sity, the children are tuition free,” Aunt Doreen repeated. “Dena’s considered as one of ours since she’s related and her address is the same as mine. We’ll go back and get Dena’s work schedule set before we go home. I know Don said the day we come in, but I would like to know ahead of time. Wouldn’t you, Dena?” Dena nodded enthusiastically.

  “Thank you,” her mother murmured once again, her voice shaking. She continued stammering, “What with Brock’s tuition and Dena moving to California, well we knew things would be tight, but we would manage—”

  Aunt Doreen raised her hand, stopping Mother in mid-sentence, “No. Thank you, Judith, for allowing Walter and me to do something nice for you and Lawrence.”

  “Before we tour the campus, let's eat,” Aunt Doreen suggested, heading to the cafeteria where Emily worked.

  “Hey, Emily, when do you work next?” a girl asked as she walked by.

  “Not until the seventeenth. Had to get enrolled and all of that.”

  “See you then.” Emily nodded.

  “Hi, Emily, want to order?” asked another girl. Dena saw her mother’s frown. The girl was chewing gum. It was one of her mother’s cardinal rules: Ladies do not chew gum in public.

  After a light lunch, Aunt Doreen gave the group the VIP tour of Stanford University. While in the engineering department, Dena spotted one of the young men from the train—Clay she thought his name was. He was at the other end of the room, intently working with another young man. Dena debated whether she should say hello, but decided not to. She didn’t want to look forward. Dena glanced at a bulletin board next to the door as she left. A picture of a distinguished-looking man in aviation clothes stood in front of an airplane. Someone had scribbled H. Hughes in front of the H-1, 1938, on the bottom white border. A news clipping hung beside it: “Hughes broke another record.”

  “You will have your classes in the next building this semester,” Aunt Doreen said. She pointed to the building that housed English and literature along with freshmen drafting and engineering classes.

  “Let’s get your work schedule and then we’ll go home,” Aunt Doreen urged. “We can relax in the garden with refreshments.” Their bus pulled up just as they arrived.