Winters Daughter

The Early Years

"Eddith. Come say goodbye to your father."  My mother's shrill voice called out. I instantly dropped the crayon I had in my small hand and rushed to the door where my father stood in his army green uniform. 

"Goodbye Eddiee." He said bending down to give me a hug. I wrapped my arms around him not wanting him to leave. 

"Promise you'll come back?" I asked knowing the answer.

"I promise Eddiee." He smiled down at me. I still had my hand wrapped around his finger. 

"James-" My mother began but he cut her off. 

"Don't worry about me Lucie. I'll be back before you know it. Take good care of Eddiee." He said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and left. His finger was ripped from my grasp. I started crying and quickly ran over to where I had been coloring. I picked up what I considered one of my better drawings that had taken a lot of patience to draw and ran as fast as my little feet would carry me to the front door. My mother grabbed for the back of my dress but I snuck past her out onto the front steps. The car was beginning to leave but my daddy saw me, I knew he would. He rolled down the window of the now stopped car. It was a shiny new red, one of my favorite colors. 

"Wait." I wailed. Almost tripping down a step. 

"What is it, Eddiee, I really have to go and as much as I wish you could come you just can't." He said a hint of agitation in his tone. 

"I forgot to give you this." I said handing him my picture of us. 

He took it and then said, "Thank you, I'll be back." He leaned out the window and waved bye to me and I waved back, even long after the car was gone. I was dragged back inside my mother. 

"Eddith!" She yelled. "Don't you ever do that again. That is dangerous and no place for you to be. Now go clean up your mess and wash your hands before dinner." 

I felt tears stinging the back of my eyes. I hated disappointing my parents, I really did try hard but sometimes my priorities where just different from theirs. 

I went to the sitting room where I had left paper and crayons everywhere and put them back in the tote and then carried them to my room and put them back on the shelf. I went to the bathroom and with much effort moved a stool in front of the sink. I sang myself happy birthday while I washed them just like I was taught. I raced around the house flying like an airplane simply out of impulse and ran into my best friend. 

"Scout!" I shrieked with happiness. He's a big Saint Bernard and makes for a great napping buddy.  No sooner had I just tried to climb up onto his back to ride him like horsey, my mother came and scooped me up. 

"Are you being naughty again? You are very curious." 

"I was just playing." 

"You also missed a crayon." 

I frowned. " I'm sorry." She only smiled at me. She set me down in a chair and put a bowl of soup in front of me. I picked up my spoon and started flying it around making airplane noises. 

"Eddith, please don't play with your food, here let me get you a napkin." 

"Mother, why don't you ever call me Eddiee?" She dropped the napkin in her hand and looked at me with sad eyes but then regained control of her emotions and picked up the cloth and laid it out across my lap. 

"Oh Eddith, what did you do to your dress?" She exclaimed. 

"You didn't answer me." I said in my best grown up voice. 

"Nevermind that finish eating." She said playing with a golden lock of her hair. So I did, I ate in confusion. I always managed to mess something up. 

"Your nightgown is on you bed." She instructed me when I was done eating taking the bowl from in front of me. 

"Come on Scout." I said pulling him along with me, "Our next mission is to go to bed." I poked him in a droopy eye. "Don't be so down my comrade, I'll make it fun." 

"Eddith!" My mother yelled. "Stop playing with the dog." 

"He's not a dog, mother, he's my friend." I said and disappeared into my room. 

I crawled into bed and awaited my mother's return. I got very tired of waiting so I got back out of bed and went to the kitchen. She stood at the sink, her hands gripping it so hard her knuckles where white and her eyes gazed out the window. 

"Mother?" I said quietly so I didn't startle her. 

She turned to me, "Eddith where did you learn the word comrade?" 

I cocked my head like I've seen Scout do when he was confused, "Daddy calls Steve his comrade, doesn't it mean friend?" She smiled and said, "Let's get you tucked in." And then she did something she never did she started chasing me, I started laughing and running my little legs struggling to keep up with me. 

"Goodnight, Eddith." She said kissing my forehead. 

"Night, mother." When she left and closed the door I got out of bed and crawled next to Scout dragging my blanket with me. 

"Goodnight Sergeant Scout!" I whisper yelled and laid down on top of him finally ready to sleep.