Dirty Faces - Book 2

Chapter 20: The Graduation Present

Chapter 20: The Graduation Present

The winter, and in the same respect the school year, had continued dragging on. Maybe if Jack had waited another couple weeks to enlist, Christmas at least would have been a little less abysmal. He sent letters, the same as Uncle Kent, always cheerful and filled with enthusiasm. And just like Uncle Kent's letters, the arrival of such in the crooked, rusty mailbox was like a little Christmas, bringing hope and smiles to an otherwise dreary time.

Ginny had taken to reading the newspaper when Kody and Adam were finished with it; the war in Europe and elsewhere was a regular topic of conversation now, not so much at home, but everywhere else. At home, little was mentioned of it, as if not mentioning it would somehow keep Jack and Uncle Kent safe and on American soil. And of course, there was the draft. Kody had registered, but had yet to be called up. Maybe if they just kept quiet it would stay that way.

Little by little, the hard freezes had become less and less frequent. The days had gotten longer, bright yellow buttercups had sprang up along the road into town, and Ginny regularly smelled honeysuckles on the days she chose to walk home from school. In only another week, she would be finished with her time at the school house in town, for the summer and for good. When school started again in the fall, she would catch the bus and go across the mountain to the county high school. Secretly, she was excited about that. She had always attributed attendance at the high school to be something only grown-ups did.

And something very few of those supposed grown-ups did was finish high school, which Kody had done. The evening after the graduation ceremony, Ginny helped Mama and Leslie in the kitchen as they got supper ready. As it was a special occasion, "helping in the kitchen", for Ginny, merely meant setting the table and washing dishes; no one wanted to risk a disaster this day. At the table, Kody and Adam talked about something that probably was of no importance, while Ralph sat quietly smoking a cigarette, maybe listening, maybe not.

These days, when Ralph was home, though no one would ever accuse him of being pleasant, he generally behaved himself. Ginny didn't know what it was that had come over him but she had theories. One was that Uncle Kent had made serious-sounding threats before he left. Another was that Kody was bigger than him now, and he daren't risk finding out the significance of that fact. Whatever the reason, nobody ever mentioned the change in her step-father's behavior, but rather took the good while they could get it.

Mama placed the casserole on the table next to the yeast rolls Leslie had made and insisted that their guest take the last chair at the table. Ginny went to Mama's bedroom and retrieved the vanity stool for Mama to sit on, but when she got back, Mama insisted she sit on it instead. "I've been picking and tasting the whole time I've been cooking. I'm not really hungry," she said, as Ginny reluctantly squeezed in between Adam and Leslie.

Whatever was in the casserole smelled especially tempting, but before anybody could even throw a roll on their plate, Mama cleared her throat and began, "Alright, well, since this is pretty much Kody's day, I think he ought to lead us in grace." She smiled proudly at her son, likely not noticing the tension in his jaw that Ginny did, nor understanding the awkward pause that was so graciously ended when Leslie spoke up.

"Oh, may I?" she asked, all her knowledge concealed by a sweet smile. "I would really like to say the blessing, if you wouldn't mind."

"She is our guest, after all," said Kody.

"Of course," Mama replied. "Go ahead, Leslie."

Leslie proceeded to lead them in a most eloquent blessing, unlike anything spoken by Ginny's family nor their preacher. It was the kind of prayer spoken only by a seminary-educated minister, of which Ginny had only ever heard a handful of times, when one served as a guest speaker at church. When she was finished, they all muttered 'amen', and began filling their plates. "Smells awful good. What is it?" Adam asked.