Pauline
“Are you sleeping now, lazy sister?” – Pauline page 46Carrie works the three machines just down from me. She ties up her long dark hair. At sixteen she is sweet on George, who works with Daddy and Josh in the carding room. George rushes over at dinnertime with his pail, and he and Carrie sit outside, apart from us. Sometimes I see George feeding Carrie a spoonful of pie. Carrie says they will get a four- room house someday and take in a boarder. That way they are still able to pay the rent the mill charges for the houses. They would love to get married but their parents say they are too young still. George is two years Joshes senior and I can not imagine Josh with a wife. A scream rings out close by. I feel a rush of air by my face and a thud on my foot. When I look down, Jimmy has crumpled on top of my leg, all his weight on my foot. I don’t want to kick him off, so I desperately try to push him off. I look at him, his eyes are closed, he is white as a bed sheet, and his mouth twists to one side as if the screams have fled, leaving him empty. I shout to be heard over the noise “Jimmy, get up your on my foot! Your hurting me!” I scream out. I try to push him again he is too heavy to move. I am furious that he does not move off my foot he does not even open his eyes. My foot starts to ache under his weight. You are not going to cry, don’t cry, I tell myself. He reaches up to cradle his hand, I see why he is on the floor. While I stare at his hand I notice there is something missing. His thumb it is reduced to a white bone, glaring at me through the dark sky. A spasm erupts in my chest. My mouth goes bone dry, I feel the cabbage from dinner coming back up. I force myself to swallow hard. I scream as loud as I can. “MR. GODBOLD! MR. GODBOLD! THE SPINNER HAS TAKEN JIMMY’S THUMB, COME QUICK!!!!!!!!! Blood runs down onto the dirty floor, soaking his blue sleeve and turning it red. I shout again at the top of my lungs. “MR. GODBOLD!” I am screaming so loud that I feel my lungs empty and I gasp for air, the air is stale and full of cotton. One of the sweeping boys turns and looks at me. He starts forward then his eyes land on Jimmy and the blood oozing out of his thumb should be. He froze. “Edwin don’t just stand there, get someone!” I shout at him. I try to move Jimmy with my foot but he is too heavy. I should bend down and move him with my hands, but I can not bring myself to touch him but a fear of touching the blood over comes me. I feel like the only real person in this room Jimmy and Edwin have turned to stone. “Mr. Godbold!” I scream my throat growing hoarse. I take a step forward with my good foot and slap Edwin hard. The blow connects with his hard little shoulder and stings my hand. Edwin continues to gaze at me as though he had got his thumb stolen from the spinner, he folded his thumb in that he sucks on and raped his finders around it. Edwin dashes off along the row. I stand there frozen, scared, the pain in my foot increasing steadily. It is Mr. Godbold that comes and soon two other men come and take Jimmy away. “ I can take over Jimmy’s job!” exclaims Edwin. “Did Mr. Godbold say?” I ask. “No.” he replies quickly. But before I can do anything he has whipped off his shoes and started to climb for the bobbins. It is almost dark and the ice particles are whirling around me making me shiver. Mama jostles my arm as we fall into step, but I am limping. “Pauline?” asked Mama. I try as hard as I can to make my steps even. My foot wants to stop this far from home, I will not let it. “Pauline is that you?” either Margaret and Katie had said as they skip by their arms linked. Daddy and Josh join us and pull ahead of us. As our house comes into sight I notice that there is no smoke from the chimney. Oh Arlene is going to be in trouble now, there is also no light on in the stove room. “ She must be sick.” Says Mama. Daddy and Josh have bounded up the stairs to the house Mama follows them and I follow Mama she is calling “Arlene! Arlene?” She is not home. Mama says I have to do the ironing. Why can’t my lazy sister do it? This is not my job I work and I do not do the laundry this is horrible, and of course we have to wait until Arlene comes home to have dinner, I think we should eat then when she get home she can go strait to bed . Mama is making dinner and the smell is making my mouth water. As I hobble into Mama and Daddy’s room I see Daddy lying on the bed his arm lying gently on his face. He may be sleeping I do not want to wake him. I lye his overalls on his bed and wonder just for a moment if he were awake would he thank me for ironing his clothes “ Thank – you so much Pauline for going to work all day and then come home and iron my clothes.” I think. I think not he would not say that to me, I am not his precious Arlene. Arlene is home and Mama makes me move for her so she can sit my the fire. She says that Mrs. Harrell had her baby and she was called away to help, she had another boy. “Ethel says Carrie and George ran away to get married but they came back because it was too windy and icy. But even if they had to wait ‘till spring they would find a way.” Says Arlene. “ We found a way.” Mama said looking fondle at Daddy. “Yes, we did.” Smiling back at her then looking at us for a second. “I’ll bank the fire when I go to bed.” Daddy says. This is the time to say what I need to say. “Arlene has to go to the mill tomorrow. “ I says aloud. Mama frowns “To work’? What do you mean?” Oh yes, your precious Arlene how do you like that? “Yes she must go to the mill.” Daddy looked puzzled. Yes! I have their attention. Mama’s forehead stays wrinkled. “But, why?” “ Mr. Godbold says. “But she can’t look at her foot.” Daddy says still puzzled. “They have the spinner covered but they need someone to sweep.” When we get to the mill Arlene starts to sweep and I start with the bobbins, I would like to play a game of jacks but I have to work. When it is dinner I am foolish and give my dinner to Katie and Margaret, Arlene looks at me and I wonder why she does, she knows I am a fool. But to my surprise she scores her biscuit in half and give a half to me. It is finally Saturday! As I pull on my sock and I see that where there was a purple line but it is now a sickly yellow. Arlene thumps around on the bed as she smoothes the linen on the bed. I answer her by thumping on the floor with my shoe. We laugh. “Mr. Godbold says Jimmy will be back on Monday.” Daddy says. “So soon?” Mama frowns “When I went over there he was complaining that his thumb was hurting him.” Mama says ladling out grits. Why would his thumb hurt him now for it is not there. “He will get used to it, for he is young.” He says closing his three fingers over the nubs. If Jimmy goes back to work, and my foot is well, all will be back to normal. We will have hot dinner ready for us and clean clothes when we come home. Arlene will see to that. I call for my hate. It does not answer me. I should like it close by if I need it, but this morning it has left me alone, I cannot remember where it is. I see that there is still crumbs in the baking tin. I slide my finger along them and then I see Arlene has spotted me. She does the same. “Get the other pan.” I say “This is mine.” I pop my finger in my mouth. Mama tries to take the pan but I grasp it. “No, Mama don’t wash it yet, please.” I tighten my grip on the warm tin. Mama laughs. “You two! Don’t get lost here and the Harrells’. If you do, I’ll now what happened to my cakes. When we leave the Harrells we see Jimmy he is attempting to chop wood with his left hand.” Hello, Jimmy.” I say. “Pauline who is who?” I step forward. His eyes light up when he sees the cake. “I’m trying to learn the other hand, I ain’t good at it yet.” He shrugs “They tell me I hurt your foot.” I remember the old shoe and look down. “It’s all right, It’s better now.” As we head to the store, a thought occurs to me: I have twenty- seven cents. I could get jackstones, put the rest on the books for next payday. Yes, I shall have my jacks. Today I shall have them. Money clinks in my pocket .I shall have them.
“Are you sleeping now, lazy sister?” – Pauline page 46Carrie works the three machines just down from me. She ties up her long dark hair. At sixteen she is sweet on George, who works with Daddy and Josh in the carding room. George rushes over at dinnertime with his pail, and he and Carrie sit outside, apart from us. Sometimes I see George feeding Carrie a spoonful of pie. Carrie says they will get a four- room house someday and take in a boarder. That way they are still able to pay the rent the mill charges for the houses. They would love to get married but their parents say they are too young still. George is two years Joshes senior and I can not imagine Josh with a wife. A scream rings out close by. I feel a rush of air by my face and a thud on my foot. When I look down, Jimmy has crumpled on top of my leg, all his weight on my foot. I don’t want to kick him off, so I desperately try to push him off. I look at him, his eyes are closed, he is white as a bed sheet, and his mouth twists to one side as if the screams have fled, leaving him empty. I shout to be heard over the noise “Jimmy, get up your on my foot! Your hurting me!” I scream out. I try to push him again he is too heavy to move. I am furious that he does not move off my foot he does not even open his eyes. My foot starts to ache under his weight. You are not going to cry, don’t cry, I tell myself. He reaches up to cradle his hand, I see why he is on the floor. While I stare at his hand I notice there is something missing. His thumb it is reduced to a white bone, glaring at me through the dark sky. A spasm erupts in my chest. My mouth goes bone dry, I feel the cabbage from dinner coming back up. I force myself to swallow hard. I scream as loud as I can. “MR. GODBOLD! MR. GODBOLD! THE SPINNER HAS TAKEN JIMMY’S THUMB, COME QUICK!!!!!!!!! Blood runs down onto the dirty floor, soaking his blue sleeve and turning it red. I shout again at the top of my lungs. “MR. GODBOLD!” I am screaming so loud that I feel my lungs empty and I gasp for air, the air is stale and full of cotton. One of the sweeping boys turns and looks at me. He starts forward then his eyes land on Jimmy and the blood oozing out of his thumb should be. He froze. “Edwin don’t just stand there, get someone!” I shout at him. I try to move Jimmy with my foot but he is too heavy. I should bend down and move him with my hands, but I can not bring myself to touch him but a fear of touching the blood over comes me. I feel like the only real person in this room Jimmy and Edwin have turned to stone. “Mr. Godbold!” I scream my throat growing hoarse. I take a step forward with my good foot and slap Edwin hard. The blow connects with his hard little shoulder and stings my hand. Edwin continues to gaze at me as though he had got his thumb stolen from the spinner, he folded his thumb in that he sucks on and raped his finders around it. Edwin dashes off along the row. I stand there frozen, scared, the pain in my foot increasing steadily. It is Mr. Godbold that comes and soon two other men come and take Jimmy away. “ I can take over Jimmy’s job!” exclaims Edwin. “Did Mr. Godbold say?” I ask. “No.” he replies quickly. But before I can do anything he has whipped off his shoes and started to climb for the bobbins. It is almost dark and the ice particles are whirling around me making me shiver. Mama jostles my arm as we fall into step, but I am limping. “Pauline?” asked Mama. I try as hard as I can to make my steps even. My foot wants to stop this far from home, I will not let it. “Pauline is that you?” either Margaret and Katie had said as they skip by their arms linked. Daddy and Josh join us and pull ahead of us. As our house comes into sight I notice that there is no smoke from the chimney. Oh Arlene is going to be in trouble now, there is also no light on in the stove room. “ She must be sick.” Says Mama. Daddy and Josh have bounded up the stairs to the house Mama follows them and I follow Mama she is calling “Arlene! Arlene?” She is not home. Mama says I have to do the ironing. Why can’t my lazy sister do it? This is not my job I work and I do not do the laundry this is horrible, and of course we have to wait until Arlene comes home to have dinner, I think we should eat then when she get home she can go strait to bed . Mama is making dinner and the smell is making my mouth water. As I hobble into Mama and Daddy’s room I see Daddy lying on the bed his arm lying gently on his face. He may be sleeping I do not want to wake him. I lye his overalls on his bed and wonder just for a moment if he were awake would he thank me for ironing his clothes “ Thank – you so much Pauline for going to work all day and then come home and iron my clothes.” I think. I think not he would not say that to me, I am not his precious Arlene. Arlene is home and Mama makes me move for her so she can sit my the fire. She says that Mrs. Harrell had her baby and she was called away to help, she had another boy. “Ethel says Carrie and George ran away to get married but they came back because it was too windy and icy. But even if they had to wait ‘till spring they would find a way.” Says Arlene. “ We found a way.” Mama said looking fondle at Daddy. “Yes, we did.” Smiling back at her then looking at us for a second. “I’ll bank the fire when I go to bed.” Daddy says. This is the time to say what I need to say. “Arlene has to go to the mill tomorrow. “ I says aloud. Mama frowns “To work’? What do you mean?” Oh yes, your precious Arlene how do you like that? “Yes she must go to the mill.” Daddy looked puzzled. Yes! I have their attention. Mama’s forehead stays wrinkled. “But, why?” “ Mr. Godbold says. “But she can’t look at her foot.” Daddy says still puzzled. “They have the spinner covered but they need someone to sweep.” When we get to the mill Arlene starts to sweep and I start with the bobbins, I would like to play a game of jacks but I have to work. When it is dinner I am foolish and give my dinner to Katie and Margaret, Arlene looks at me and I wonder why she does, she knows I am a fool. But to my surprise she scores her biscuit in half and give a half to me. It is finally Saturday! As I pull on my sock and I see that where there was a purple line but it is now a sickly yellow. Arlene thumps around on the bed as she smoothes the linen on the bed. I answer her by thumping on the floor with my shoe. We laugh. “Mr. Godbold says Jimmy will be back on Monday.” Daddy says. “So soon?” Mama frowns “When I went over there he was complaining that his thumb was hurting him.” Mama says ladling out grits. Why would his thumb hurt him now for it is not there. “He will get used to it, for he is young.” He says closing his three fingers over the nubs. If Jimmy goes back to work, and my foot is well, all will be back to normal. We will have hot dinner ready for us and clean clothes when we come home. Arlene will see to that. I call for my hate. It does not answer me. I should like it close by if I need it, but this morning it has left me alone, I cannot remember where it is. I see that there is still crumbs in the baking tin. I slide my finger along them and then I see Arlene has spotted me. She does the same. “Get the other pan.” I say “This is mine.” I pop my finger in my mouth. Mama tries to take the pan but I grasp it. “No, Mama don’t wash it yet, please.” I tighten my grip on the warm tin. Mama laughs. “You two! Don’t get lost here and the Harrells’. If you do, I’ll now what happened to my cakes. When we leave the Harrells we see Jimmy he is attempting to chop wood with his left hand.” Hello, Jimmy.” I say. “Pauline who is who?” I step forward. His eyes light up when he sees the cake. “I’m trying to learn the other hand, I ain’t good at it yet.” He shrugs “They tell me I hurt your foot.” I remember the old shoe and look down. “It’s all right, It’s better now.” As we head to the store, a thought occurs to me: I have twenty- seven cents. I could get jackstones, put the rest on the books for next payday. Yes, I shall have my jacks. Today I shall have them. Money clinks in my pocket .I shall have them.
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