The Lilac Bush Is Blooming

by Jan Surasky

  I took a long look at the beautiful creature beside me and wondered how she couldn’t see it too. But, I didn’t have time to figure that out. All I could do was think about what I should say to a person whose thoughts had become so scrambled.

  “Carrie, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. And you know so much about fashion you can run circles around all of us there. You put up the best bread and butters in the county.” I took a deep breath as I was about to continue.

  “I know you are confused about Jamie. But, you have to have faith in Jamie, too. He seems very stuck on you, Squirrel. And, I think the year will show his character, too. Whatever he does it is better to know it now than find out later.”

  We both stood up from our log perch at the same time. The sun was setting and Mama would need help in the kitchen. It was baling time and the men in the family along with Will and a few hired hands were busy baling the hay and putting it out to cure in our largest and farthest field. There was nothing prettier than a field of round hay bales bound with twine amongst the gentle hills of central New York and the brilliant colors of autumn.

  As we headed toward the house, its clapboards settling from almost a century of use, its shutters faded by the strong rays of the sun and its tarnished screen doors swinging on their hinges, we could hear the laughter and grunts wafting on the wind coming toward us from the barn. Haying was hard work and the men were determined to make it as light as possible. Mama always warned us that their jokes were not for our ears.

  As we passed the barn, with Jester chasing the barn cats, his anxious barking a staccato to the unintelligible banter of the men, we knew we would be useful. Mama had promised Uncle John and the hired hands a hearty supper.

  Chapter Six

  W inter came with a huge snowfall in November. We had enjoyed a nice Indian summer until then, with the sunniest October skies, the mildest of days, and the lakes the bluest they’d ever been. Though the trees were now bare, the balmy weather made us forget the foreboding of an expected onslaught of the snow, icy roads, and just plain bitter cold that marked winter in central New York.

  Georgie was happy because now he could use the new sled he had gotten last birthday, which came in May. Though Mama generally didn’t get birthday presents of that nature, Georgie had had his eye on it in the Sears catalogue for months, so she decided not to wait until the next Christmas.

  Farming was over but not the work of keeping the machinery and vehicles in good repair. Uncle John was over almost every day, his energies spent in cursing the trucks that wouldn’t work and finding parts for the ancient tractor, spreader, baler, and whatever else he could find around the barn.

  Will came over to help him when he could. But, for Will, school came first. Will was an A student and he looked forward to college and a chance to pull himself and his parents out of the poverty they had locked themselves into.

  Georgie followed Will around everywhere, anxious to learn the secrets of making the old tractor start up without a fuss, or the old Ford truck purr like it did when it was new. But, he had homework too, and Will made sure that Georgie reported to him every day that he could when it was done.

  And, Will was patient with Georgie. He wanted him to learn. If Georgie had a math problem he couldn’t handle, or a science concept he couldn’t understand because Mr. Miller was too lazy to improve his teaching methods, Will was right there to show him. It was many a day when I went to get something Mama needed out of the barn that I saw them engrossed with their noses in a book or Will drawing pictures or numbers on a pad while Jester lay at their feet, bored but happy. The barn cats had retired for the winter so he had nothing to chase but a few mice trying to make their way into the haystacks.

  “Hey, freckle-face,” Will called, as I entered the barn.

  “Hey, Will.” I answered, as I searched for the purple cabbages Mama swore were in the barn.

  “How about helping me with this math?”

  “You know I can’t do that math yet.”

  “I know. But you can help me with the calculations and I can do the rest.”

  “Where’s Georgie?”

  “Up in his room doing his science homework. He’ll be back for me to check it over.”

  “Okay, but it better not take too long. Mama’s got me on kitchen duty because Carrie’s got so much homework.”

  “Gee, thanks, Annie May. I have to ace this test. It’s a big one.”

  “What are you going to do when you ace this test and leave us all to go to a big university?”

  “I don’t think I’ll be going away. My folks need me here and I’m trying for a scholarship at Syracuse. That way I can commute.”

  I settled next to Will as he pulled out some paper and pencils to hand me for the calculations. He still looked like a blond god who was oblivious to his physique, muscles rippling from endless farm work, his good looks made ruddier by so many days in the hot sun, the wind, and sometimes the rain, driving the tractor in the spring, the reaper in the fall, coaxing the plants to grow with whatever fertilizer Matt down at Agway recommended, or spraying the latest herbicide to chase the insects away.

  “What will you take at Syracuse?”

  “I don’t know yet. But, I will take a lot of science. I plan to be either pre-med or pre-vet. I love animals, but I know being the people doctor could pull my family out of the hole a lot quicker.”

  “Then, we won’t see much of you, will we?”

  “I don’t think you can get rid of me so fast. I plan to help John out if I can. I’ll need the money and he’s always short-handed. But, Georgie’s getting to be a big help. He’s got a knack for farming that I’ve never seen in a kid his age.

  “But, things are changing. I’ve got to realize I’ll be the sole provider for my family. I’ve got to do a good job at that. My folks have sacrificed everything for me.”

  “I know they’re crazy about you, Will. They brag about you all the time.”

  “I’ll miss the days we’ve spent together, Annie May. You and Carrie and Georgie have been so kind to me. Taking me into your family like you have. I get so lonely sometimes being an only child.”

  “Well, you’ve got Jester. And, those other strays you bring home and mend.”

  “That’s true. I don’t know what I would have done without them. Dogs can be great friends.”

  As Jester heard his name, he perked up, scratching his ear as he woke, making both of us laugh as we realized he had just put an end to the most serious talk Will and I ever had with each other.

  “Let’s get on with the calculations.”

  I obliged, since whatever Will wanted I was bound to do since I worshipped him from the beginning. But, I also somehow thought that it was my job to keep him from getting a swelled head, so I proceeded. We finished as the sun began to set and I realized Mama was sure going to wonder about those cabbages.

  Chapter Seven

  It was November and the hills of central New York were covered with snow. The pastures and the fields were covered as well. The pristine whiteness formed a monochromatic backdrop to the very misty grey beyond.

  The barn was locked and the chickens were in their coop. It was strange to see the hub of our usual activities so still and idle. But, it was in the winter that I found my greatest peace.

  Mama was busy preparing for Thanksgiving when all the relatives were coming to our house. Although it was the most work she relished when everyone showed up at our farm, about every third year since Uncle John and Aunt Mabel hosted one and Aunt Maybelle and Uncle Elbert a third year. It made her feel just as important as before Papa died and besides, she liked to decorate with straw turkeys and the orange and brown coasters she had crocheted so many years ago.

  Since it was a Saturday and all the chores were finished, I decided to take a stroll. Or maybe, a brisk walk. I decided on the latter.

  As I set out for the back hills, a walking stick in hand, more for effect than necessity, I ambled about taking in the scenery. I
was alone among the quiet, blanketed farmland. A very small cold figure humbled on very flat land that stretched for miles into what seemed to be nowhere.

  I stopped and stretched. I breathed a deep sigh and exhaled. I could see my breath form a puff in the ice cold air.

  I searched for the old barn of falling down timbers on the neighboring Taylor farm that housed their few animals and was only visible in the winter. It was a speck in the very far distance but I congratulated myself on finding it.

  The snow crunched beneath my feet. It was a hard, crisp snow and very good for walking.

  As I headed for the hills that rose behind our fields I saw a bright red figure pulling a sled with a dog trotting beside. Georgie. I only hoped that he had finished his homework or he would be in for a lot of caterwauling from Mama. But, Georgie knew his limits. Though he hated his homework, he tried to please Mama as much as he could, because out of all of us, Georgie had the most empathy. He knew Mama had it hard since Papa had died. And, Mama in turn had a glow of pride around Georgie that no one could mistake.

  As I called to Georgie, Jester tried to answer. As I neared them, he stopped his incessant barking.

  “Jester, what are you trying to say?”

  “He doesn’t want to ride on the sled, Annie May. Every time I put him on it, he jumps off.”

  “Well, he’s just his own dog, Georgie. Jester likes to do what he wants. He’s very independent. And, that’s a good trait.”

  “Will said I could have him for the day. I thought we could go sledding together.”

  “It looks like he likes the snow. Maybe he’ll give in and ride down the hill with you.”

  “Maybe if you’re here, Annie May. I know Jester likes you.”

  “I know he likes you, too, Georgie, but I think he likes to run around in the snow and look for all the places he buried his bones.

  “Okay. You get on the sled and I’ll coax Jester onto it and you hold him while you steer. I’ll give it a little push to get it started.”

  As I watched the two of them whiz down the hill, their pleasure obvious as the runners of the sled blew up the snow around them, Georgie’s laughter and Jester’s occasional barking, I thought how lucky we were. A lot of kids in the village had to look for places to sled. For us, we had our pick of hills. And, I knew how hard Mama worked to keep the farm.

  As they took their last ride down the hill, both of them tumbling off, Georgie doubling up with laughter and Jester running off to dig in the snow, Georgie pulled the sled up and plopped suddenly in the snow. I joined him.

  “Annie May, why is everyone leaving me? All Carrie can think about is getting married, and Will is going off to college.”

  “They’re not leaving you, Georgie. No one ever leaves anyone when they love them.”

  “Then why are they so busy they don’t have time to play like they used to?”

  “Well, they have lots of work to do to make sure their future is what they want it to be. I know it gets lonely sometimes. And, they probably aren’t remembering what it was like for them when they were fourteen.”

  “Could you ask Carrie to help me with the lamp shade Mama got at a garage sale for my room? I want an airplane on it but I can’t paint it. Carrie’s a really good artist but she never has the time. I know she can draw an airplane because she made me a paper one once.”

  “Sure, Georgie, I can ask her. And, about Will, I know he hasn’t forgotten you because he brought Jester over to play because he’s busy with his college applications.”

  “I know Annie May. But, Will always built his funny snowman with me and we always used coal for his eyes and begged a carrot from Mama for his nose. We used to skate on the pond when it was cold enough and make angels in the snow.”

  “I can make an angel in the snow with you Georgie. Let’s both jump up and down and see where we land.”

  As Georgie landed on the crunchy snow looking skyward, his arms making the wings of an angel, and I did the same, we both laughed. The clouds were beautiful as we lay there, the peace even more so. The vastness of the universe was ours just for a moment.

  As we rose and headed back toward the house, Georgie dragging his sled behind him and calling for Jester, then hanging his sled in the barn, the aroma of hot cocoa and apple pancakes seemed to be drifting toward us along the icy air seeping out of every crack in the wooden supports that held together the panes of the old kitchen windows.

  Chapter Eight

  T hanksgiving brought a snowstorm and anxiety to Mama since the back roads were often full of snow. But, Aunt Maybelle and Uncle Elbert arrived with their brood on time even though they had to stay over in a roadside motel the night before because of a whiteout. Uncle John and Aunt Mabel arrived later with Sailor who always begged at the table.

  Aunt Maybelle herded their four kids into the living room which she always called the parlor and set them up with games. She put the youngest in for a nap in an old crib we always stored in the basement for such occasions. Uncle Elbert made a beeline for the barn, even though the path was filled with snowdrifts.

  Uncle Elbert was a steamfitter by trade but had hated giving up the farm that he had rightfully inherited but had no gift to run. He had agreed to move into town in Ohio’s Putnam County with Aunt Maybelle on one condition. That he help out on the neighboring farms during planting and haying seasons.

  When he and Aunt Maybelle arrived every third Thanksgiving and occasionally at Christmas he was certain that he and Uncle John could repair our entire farm in one day. There was always much bantering out in the barn and some good-natured arguing but there was never much work to show for it.

  “Annie May, how about getting in here and giving us a hand?”

  I swallowed hard and headed for the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about. Dishes were everywhere and Mama was trying to find platters and bowls to unmold the Jello and set out all the salads and sweet potato dishes Aunt Maybelle and Aunt Mabel had brought at the same time she was basting the turkey. Aunt Mabel was poking in all the cupboards, likely trying to find something to add to the gossip about us when she attended the quilting and garden clubs, and Aunt Maybelle was trying to find an opportunity to whisper to Mama without Aunt Mabel overhearing.

  “Annie May, you can find a place for the pumpkin pie Aunt Maybelle brought and the apple rhubarb pie Aunt Mabel baked this morning. It’s still warm.”

  “Yes, Mama,” I said, trying to sound demure despite the confusion. “Is it alright if I set them up alongside the coffee pot in the dining room and then we can serve them after dinner?”

  “Good idea, Annie May. Then we can pass all the bowls and the platters from the kitchen.”

  “How’s your school work coming?”

  “Good, Aunt Maybelle. I got honors in English.”

  “I always knew you were smart, Annie May. I’m so proud of you. You’re a credit to this family.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Maybelle,” I said, trying hard not to blush or wish I could fall through the floor. “Mama said you were good in English when you were in school.”

  “I was, Annie May. I loved English. The teacher always read my stories aloud to the class. I always thought I would do something with it, like be a reporter for the Newtown Gazette but I never went to college and then I met your Uncle Elbert and that was that.”

  “Well, you have a great family, Aunt Maybelle, and I bet they always like hearing you read a story to them.”

  “Oh, yes, they do. And, we make sure we read one every night. Why, Bessie’s already reading a passel of her own and Luther will learn to read next year.

  “Say, Annie May, can you find me a bowl for this cranberry sauce? It’s going to melt if I hang onto it much longer.”

  As I rummaged through the cupboards for the right-sized bowl I thought how I would word the list that I would have to write for Miss Rogers, the math teacher who always suspended her daily math homework for Thanksgiving to assign us the task of writing what we were thankful for. I decided to pu
t my list into a poem to please Miss Rogers because Miss Rogers was a gem. Although Miss Rogers never smiled, and was strict as the day was long, every kid who had her since the days she was fresh out of school passed the state finals.

  As I thought about what I was thankful for I was interrupted by a fair amount of squealing from the living room and a few screams of “gimme” from Bessie and Luther.

  “Annie May, would you see what that’s about? Aunt Maybelle and I need to warm up the sweet potato casserole and find some marshmallows to add to it. I think those little ones are tired. It won’t be long until dinner.”

  As I entered the living room, Carrie came in, a queen in a beautiful green dress and fashionably polished red nails. All activity stopped as the former foes admired Carrie’s outfit.

  “Carrie, can I touch your dress?”

  “Of course you can, Bessie. It won’t be long before you’re wearing one just like it.”

  “I’m not sure. Mama says she hopes I don’t grow up too fast.”

  “Well, you will anyway. And, then you can choose the color of your outfit.”

  “I’m going to choose red. I love red. Do you think Mama will let me have red?”

  “I think she’ll let you have any color you want. And, with your dark hair, red will be beautiful on you.

  “And,what about you Luther? What color suit do you want when you grow up?”

  “I want purple. Purple is my favorite crayon.”

  Carrie laughed. “Well, maybe you will find a purple suit.

  “Okay, who wants to play hide and seek?”

  Bessie and Luther jumped up and down and shouted “I do” several times. Lucy, the two-year-old, just sat in the corner.

  “Annie May and Lucy can hide together while you both look for a place where I can’t find you.”

  As Bessie and Luther ran off giggling, I knew one thing I was thankful for. That Carrie hadn’t run off to get married but had decided to stay and think about college. We would have her for one more year.