Housekeeping Page #2

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I don't want to sleep.

If you plan

not to sleep, we could play cards.

I don't think they'll

ever be happy here.

What's going to happen to us?

I don't know.

Well, it can't get much worse.

We could build a moondial

tomorrow in the snow.

Yeah.

Maybe Mom's sister

could come back home.

Maybe.

"Dear Mother,

"I can now be reached

care of the Lost Hills Hotel,

"Billings, Montana,

"or the Myrtle Rooms,

Portland, Oregon.

"Hope you are well.

"Write this time. S."

An itinerant.

She might've changed.

Improved?

It's possible. People do.

Perhaps some attention

from her family?

A family can help.

Responsibility might help.

A sense of home.

It would be home to her.

Yes, it would.

It would.

She should be told

about her mother.

We began to anticipate

the appearance of mother's sister

with all the guilty hope

of Lily and Nona.

Sylvie would be

our mother's age,

and might amaze us

with the resemblance to her.

They'd grown up

in the same house,

eaten the same casseroles,

heard the same songs.

I bet her hair will be

brown like mother's.

Hers wasn't brown.

It was red.

No, it wasn't.

Ruthie...

Oh, let me take that.

Must be heavy, dear.

Oh, so cold.

You walked?

You're Ruthie, and you're Lucille.

Lucille has lovely red hair.

Take off your coat, my dear.

You'll warm up faster.

Erm, I'll poach you an egg.

Or I could boil one.

Either way would be fine.

Oh, my, what a lovely dress.

Yes. You look

very nice, my dear. Very well.

So, was Mother's

funeral nice?

Oh, yes, very nice.

Very small, of course.

You should've seen the flowers,

the house was full of them.

Oh, she didn't want flowers.

She'd have called it a waste.

She didn't want a service.

I see.

We'll put you

in the hall bedroom.

It's a little close,

but that's better than a draft.

Oh, thank you.

Do you remember

Danny Rappaport?

No.

Well, he died.

I don't know how.

The newspaper didn't say.

Just a photograph.

Not a recent one, either.

He looked barely nineteen,

not a line on his face.

The next morning,

Lucille and I were up early.

We shouldn't

wake her up too early.

It felt

a little like Christmas.

And we always prowled

the dawn of any significant day.

We can take her

coffee at nine.

It was nicer

with the light off.

Isn't that nicer?

D'you want a cracker?

Sure.

Thank you.

I can hardly believe

I'm here.

You know, I was on

the train for eleven hours?

We just crept along,

through the snow,

for hours and hours.

Have you been on a train?

You haven't?

Oh...

I love to travel by train,

especially the passenger cars.

Maybe I'll take you

with me sometime.

Where to?

Wherever.

Where would you

like to go?

Spokane?

Oh, someplace better

than that! Farther away.

Like maybe, erm...

Like Seattle?

Oh, but that's

where you used to live.

With our mother.

That's right.

Will you tell us about her?

Well, er...

She was nice.

She was...

She was pretty.

People liked her.

But what was she like?

Don't you remember?

We were little. Grandma wouldn't

talk about her.

Nobody would.

Well, she was very quiet.

She...

played the piano.

She collected stamps.

I dunno, it's...

It's hard to describe

someone you know so well.

I didn't really see much of her

after she was married.

Tell us about the wedding.

Oh, that was very small.

She just did that

to please your grandma.

All right, erm, let's see...

She wore...

a sundress

made of eyelet lace,

and a straw hat.

See, she'd already been married by a

Justice of the Peace somewhere in Nevada.

Your father was from Nevada.

What was he like?

Erm...

He was tall.

He wasn't bad looking,

it was just that he was...

awfully quiet.

I think that he was shy.

I think he sold some

sort of farm equipment.

I don't know.

I, I only saw him that one day.

Do you know

where he is?

Nope.

Mother got a letter once,

but she torn it up.

She never even read it.

Well, what would you girls

like for breakfast?

- We'll make it.

- Yeah.

Okay.

You like oatmeal?

Erm, I'm gonna

take a little walk around town.

I'll be back soon.

She should've borrowed a scarf.

She's not coming back.

I bet they told her to leave.

It'll be all right.

I know it'll be all right,

but it makes me mad.

You left your stuff

at our house.

Oh, no, I just came in here

to get warm.

Nothing else is open.

I forgot how early

the sun rises these days.

Whoo!

It still feels like winter,

doesn't it?

- Why don't you wear your gloves?

- Left 'em on the train.

Oh, boy, there's a newspaper.

Look.

Why don't you wear boots?

Well, I suppose I should.

I think maybe I should

stay for a while.

You know,

the aunts are so old, and...

Well, I think probably it's best

for now, at least.

- What d'you think?

- All right.

Okay.

First thing we do

is get some pie at the caf.

Then, when the store opens,

you're gonna help me

pick out a scarf,

and maybe some gloves,

If I have the money.

Just a second.

Will you hold out your hands?

- Oh...

- Wow!

Is that a candy wrapper

or a dollar bill?

It's a dollar bill.

Hmmm...

Looks like I need to do

some spring cleaning.

Oh, I have something for you.

Oh!

This is for you.

Oh, thank you.

And this is for you.

Thanks.

Ah!

We're loaded!

Look at all this!

Do you still have friends here?

Well, the truth is, I never

did have many friends here.

We knew who everyone was,

that's all.

When's your birthday?

April. When's yours?

June eighth.

I'm November twenty sixth.

Really?

That's was my cat's birthday.

Here you are.

What a day to go walking.

And hardly dressed!

Oh, well, Ruthie and I woke up early

and decided to go out

to see the sun come up.

We went clear downtown.

Sylvie got worried,

so she came out looking for us.

Oh, I'm surprised at you girls.

I hope Sylvie gave you

a good talking to.

Poor Sylvie.

Come into the kitchen

and warm up, my dear.

Goodbye.

That same evening,

Lily and Nona fled.

You better go inside.

You'll catch your death of cold.

Okay.

Sacrificing

their savings in rent,

they were taken by a friend of

my grandmother's back to Spokane,

and we and the house were Sylvie's.

The very next day

it started to rain.

The ground and the lake

were still frozen solid,

and the water

had nowhere to go.

Rain just then was a disaster.

It rained for four days.

Grandmother had always boasted

that the floods never reached our house,

but that year they did.

Hi.

The photographs!

Oh!

I hardly know any of them.

I don't even know her.

This is how we used to kept warm

when I sold Xmas trees in Denver.

We'd take these big hot rocks

and put them in our pockets.

Everybody but Alma.

She wore two shirts and three coats.

She was always trying to impress people.

- Was that your real job?

- One of 'em.

Oh, boy.

I haven't been in here in years.

- Was this your room?

- Uh-huh. And your Mom's.

Sylvie and Helen.

We had both the beds

by the window.

Oh, it's so funny being in here.

Uh-oh! There it is.

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