American Girl

Oklahoma

The road seemed longer than normal. Sadie Miller walked along it, kicking at the dust with her broken shoes. The lonely farmhouse in the distance looked deserted, yet it was Sadie's home. Her father and mother, along with her brothers Michael and Bradley, still lived there. Recently, her sister Margot returned with her husband, Willie, and their newborn baby Kezzie.

Kezzie was weak and small, a preemie baby from the beginning. The infant wailed all day and all night long. Sadie wished they had stayed away, but Margot and Willie had nowhere to go. Willie lost his family farm six miles on the other side of Wilmont. They arrived unexpectedly and moved in without asking.

Sadie looked down at her faded dress. Once, it was a bright blue with red roses scattered amongst the flounces. When it was new, Sadie was proud of it. It was her Sunday dress. Now, it wasn't good enough for an everyday dress. The rose dress and a gingham were all she had left. They couldn't afford new clothing or new shoes. They couldn't afford to feed themselves in the barren Oklahoma land. They definitely couldn't afford to feed Margot, Willie, or a half-dead infant.

Sadie couldn't understand why her sister had to have a baby. Margot was married for less than a year, and times were tough in Oklahoma. Nothing grew because of the dust. The land lay farrow, and speculators were buying up all the land. Father wanted to stay. He was born and bred in Oklahoma, like the rest of them. His stubborn pride kept him from selling out and moving to California.

The Yanks from up the road were gone. They disappeared without saying goodbye. Sadie had walked to their farm to see Millie that morning but found their farmhouse deserted. They could have stopped no matter what time. Without a goodbye, Sadie felt empty. Millie was her best friend. They knew each other long before they went to school. A day never passed when they weren't together. Now the Yanks were gone.

The empty farmhouse felt cold inside. A few broken pieces of pottery scattered the floors and kitchen counters. A pair of curtains hung at a slant in the open window, their tails blowing in the slight wind. Sadie wandered around, righting tipped-over chairs and walking around an old sprung mattress in the upstairs bedroom. Discarded mementos of a happier time lay scattered about the floors. A time before the dust took over everything and destroyed the crops.

The Yanks went to California along with the rest of the Sooners. The Millers would go too as soon as Papa made up his mind. They would have to sell, pack their belongings onto the old truck, and go to California, too. Sadie hoped to see Millie there, but she doubted it.

Willie talked about grapes. Sadie grew tired of grapes. It was a long time since she had tasted a grape. Since Willie started talking about them, she thought she never wanted to see one again. Margot and Willie dreamed of growing grapes in California. Day after day, they tried to convince Papa with their complaints.

Mama looked worn out. Her faded dress didn't help her dour looks. Her rich black hair disappeared practically overnight. It was now dishwater gray. Sadie hoped her hair wouldn't fade and crackle beneath her fingertips like Mama's. Although she knew she wasn't, she wanted to think she was still pretty.

Bobby Crown thought she was pretty. He told her in the schoolyard after school closed for the year. They held hands on the way home and kissed on the road. Two days later, Bobby was gone. His family moved away. Another friend gone without a goodbye. There was no one left other than the Cramps. Old man Cramp refused to leave. A speculator offered him money for his worn-out farm. He declined with a shotgun pointed at the speculator's gut. Sadie thought he could die on his dusty old land. No one liked the Cramps. The old man and woman kept to themselves even before the dust. Their mean old hound, Butch, bit her once while she passed. She was not on their land but in the middle of the road when the dog appeared. He hunkered down and growled at her. Sadie threw a rock at him, catching him in the shoulder.