Battle of Fear and Trust

A Scary revolution

All these dresses are lovely, I tell myself while looking at a dark blue dress with white pock-a-dots. Which is only one of the many dresses in the shop. My time in America has been even more exciting than I'd originally thought. I've been to a lot of shops like this one and seen different sites around New York City that are simply breathtaking.

"Oh, that dress would look beautiful on you, darling. You must try it on," I hear Martha Jones say. She is the wife of the Dean at the university, and she has taken it upon herself to buy me the best clothes New York has to offer. She told my parents, 'A young lady who looks beautiful as your daughter deserves a life of luxury.' Of course, I don't completely agree with her and neither do my parents, but that didn't stop her from buying me a whole new wardrobe.

I turn to see her and my mother watching me. My mum always accompanies me on these shopping trips and tries to remind me not to take advantage of Martha's generosity. I listen and try to choose simpler outfits. But Mrs. Jones said that she wouldn't dream of buying me something so cheap and she was all too happy to dress me up. I think she is doing this because she doesn't have a daughter of her own.

I go to the dressing room and change into the dress. I look in the mirror studying my reflection seeing the little bit of makeup mum let me wear and a drake blue dress. Mrs. Jones was right; the dress does look nice. A year ago, I would never have imagined I'd have on a dress like this. Nor did I think I would have a chance to come to America. I didn't even think my father would be home from the war.

It's unbelievable how much can change in a year, I tell myself before leaving the dressing room. Mum and Mrs. Jones stand there with smiles on their faces, though Mrs. Jones is practically jumping with the same excitement Lucy has on Christmas morning. "I knew that dress would look gorgeous on you," She says, and turns to my mother. "You're lucky to have such a beautiful daughter, there's no doubt she'll marry well one day."

"Yes, I suppose so, but I think we still have years before that," Mum states. Her and Dad have told me during my time here they think I'm still too young to go study with any boys. Not that it stopped any of my Dad's colleagues from setting me up with their sons.

"Trust me, Helen, someone as lovely as her will have a husband before she turns twenty," she says. I feel myself tense up at her words. It's not that I don't want to get married someday, but I've told myself I wouldn't marry someone who only loves my beauty. Truly, there is more to me than just a pretty face.

"Well, I think any man who can't see past my daughter's face is not one who should have her hand in marriage." I hear a hint of anger in my mum's voice. Although she was trying her best to hide it. "Thank you again for buying these outfits, but It's time Susan and I thought about going home." I'm guessing she's had enough of this shopping trip.

After Mrs. Jones buys me the dress, plus a few other outfits. Mum and I take a cab to our temporary home, which is a small two-room flat. I walk in to see Dad sitting at a small desk smiling as we walk in. "How did it go?" He asks as I put my bags down.

"It was wonderful, Mrs. Jones brought me this new blue dress at a new shop," I say taking out the dress to show him. "She also got me these other outfits and matching shoes for each of them," I add.

"I've tried telling her she already bought too much. But Martha insists on buying her more." Mum says as she looks through a stack of letters she grabbed on her way in.

"Hopefully this will be the last shopping trip. If either of you gets any more new clothes the boat we take home will end up sinking from all the weight of our cargo," He jokes although it's as bad as that. "What did we get in the mail?"

"There's a letter from your sister," Mum says handing him the letter. "There's also one for you, Susan. It's from Lucy." She hands me the letter and I sit down to open it. Hopefully, it's better than the last letter I got from her, which was basically her trying to convince me of how much fun she and Ed were having in Cambridge. She really had to try considering the most exciting thing in it was how much she and Ed like some painting of a ship.