Call Me Kat

A continuing story.

At 2 o’clock, the alarm bell rang loudly, marking the end of a busy day. It was time to go home. It was time to go home. Lucy was classified as a ‘walkie’ because she lived close enough to the school to walk home, and walkies could leave first. There were only four streets between the school and the street where she lived in the small red house. Walkies could leave first.

Lucy’s head was spinning with all the events of the day and all the new faces and names. Her new friends Susan and Laurent lived too far to walk and would ride the big yellow school bus to their homes.

There was Mr. Gagne’s Pharmacy at the corner of the school’s street. The two-story brick building was the first she would walk past on her way homeward. The boulevard was lined here and there with old oak trees which would be dropping their leaves and acorns soon. She loved collecting acorns, saving the best ones for her pocket, and would later gather colorful leaves when they fell.

The boulevard lay ahead, and the sidewalk led directly to her home. Along the way, she would walk past a few homes and the old Gulf gas station, which stood at the halfway mark on her path. There was only one more house to walk by. It was known as White’s house. Lucy knew this because her grandmother had spoken about the few years she and her family had lived there before buying their red house.

One more street to cross, and then she could step off the sidewalk into the big, grassy field. This field belonged to her neighbors, who lived in the big, three-story house across the street, yet on the boulevard from grandmother’s house. Lucy loved this expansive field of tall grass with a well-worn path that meandered through it until it continued beneath her street and down along grandmother’s field to Pumpkin Pond, which adjoined their field.

It was Lucy’s first time walking any distance alone. She knew she shouldn’t stop to play beside the brook today. Besides, she was hungry and eager to tell the family about her day. She ran the last short distance, up the porch stairs, and into the house, heading straight to her grandmother.

Grandmother sat in her rocker by the big kitchen windows, her gray curls neatly tucked under a hairnet. She wore a cotton print dress, protected by a floral apron, waiting for the children to arrive from school. She had baked cookies that day and had left a plate of still-warm cookies on the table with empty glasses alongside, ready to be filled with cold milk for Lucy and her brother.

Grandmother always welcomed them home with open arms, ready for a warm hug. Lucy, smiling broadly, ran into her arms and kissed her cheek. Then Lucy, not giving Grandmother a chance to say anything, began telling her all about her incredible day. Grandmother watched Lucy’s facial expressions as she raced through her story. Uncle Ted leaned against the kitchen sink, arms folded, his quiet grin showing how much he enjoyed Lucy’s stories.

Grandmother and Uncle Ted were Lucy’s favorite family members. She would spend as much time as possible with them, talking and asking many questions about each of them.

Lucy told them about all the children she had met and the Sisters, who she had always seen in church at Sunday morning mass. They always fascinated her as they entered the church as a group, each dressed in their long black habits, their heads covered by flowing veils. They would quietly walk to the front pews, genuflect before the altar, and then kneel in their assigned seats to begin praying.

She told about Sister Agnes and her big brass bell, and how one teacher was not a nun, Mrs. T, who was Lucy’s teacher.

Lucy mentioned the desk with her name written on the little paper for her to copy, though she already knew how to write it. Grandmother had taught her long ago. Lucy also knew how to read somewhat because her Grandfather would teach her while they were sitting in his big, red armchair watching baseball games on television. During breaks in the game, he would teach her to read the words on the signs along the outfield wall. Those were among her most favorite times spent with him. During those ball games, she didn’t have to share him with anyone.

She continued recalling her school day, briefly mentioning how most of the classrooms were teaching French, but hers was only English class. She told them she wished to speak French just like Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle Ted, and even her mother did. When the adults were gathered for family night, they would mostly speak the language, and Lucy had learned enough to understand much of what they said.

Then Uncle Ted poured a glass of milk and placed two home-baked cookies on the table for her after-school snack. She sat at the table in the center of the small kitchen and enjoyed the treat and rested. It had been a tiring day, but as Lucy sat at the table with her cookies, she couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.