the rain creates a certain ambience
brings a sense of peace.
but too much rain is never good for you;
what happens if you start drowning?
a small dip in the ground; the rain starts to accumulate
turning into a puddle, a pond, eventually a lake.
afte...
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july 6th, 1957.
a 7-year-old elizabeth mathews sits on the floor of the curtis living room, observing. her older brother, keith, sits in front of the television, watching his saturday morning cartoon. mickey mouse. ponyboy and johnny are sitting in front of the coffee table, adding different hues and tints to a coloring book. mr curtis was in the front yard with his older sons darry and sodapop, and soda's best friend steve, tossing a football around. mrs. judy curtis and ms. mary mathews are at the kitchen table, discussing something in hushed voices as they watch the children with warm smiles. it was almost routine, for everyone to show up and hang out here.
elizabeth was never a talker. she preferred to listen. around those she was comfortable with, she'd have a nice conversation, sure. but she found it easier to soak in words rather than spill them. so there she sat, withdrawn from everyone else, listening in on her mother's conversation with her friend.
"judy, can i talk to you for a minute?"
"of course, mary. what's on your mind?"
mary mathews took a deep breath, wondering how to properly frame what she was about to say. she had known mrs. curtis and her family for years, and had spent many afternoons chatting with her over tea and baked goods. but this conversation was different. "mary, i wanted to share something with you about elizabeth. something that has been worrying me for a while."
elizabeth kept her eyes glued to the tv screen, not wanting to make it obvious she was eavesdropping. no matter how loud things were, she was able to tune it out, as if her brain held a remote control for all of the different channels simultaneously playing in the depths of her mind.
ms. mathews paused, taking a few deep breaths as she gathered her courage. "she's been spending a lot of time with your children, particularly the boys. but... i don't know... with the way things are now, it's not really safe for children to be hanging out with greasers. especially not for a girl. i know she's technically a greaser herself, but..."
mrs. curtis was silent for a moment, considering this information. "i see... and what exactly are you worried about, mary?"
"well, i don't want her to get hurt, or get in trouble."
"i understand your concern, mary. but those boys are elizabeth's friends, and she's known them for her whole life. besides, i think hanging out with them actually reminds her of how loved she is. they're kind boys, and i know they genuinely care about elizabeth."
ms. mathews was silent, considering this information. "you're right... they're her friends. so i shouldn't be so worried about them. i just didn't want her to get caught up in the whole greasers vs socs thing. you can never be too careful."
"they're good friends, they've been coming over for years. nothing has happened. and elizabeth has a big heart. she's not going to get into any trouble, or hurt. she's just a little girl." mrs. curtis sounded confused, but at the same time, she understood ms. mathews' fears.
