Posted by Introspective Emily Watson was putting her mothers things together in boxes as her six year old daughter Josie was looking at her grandmothers old pictures. Josie was curious and kept running over to her mother with each picture, who is that mommy? Emily tried to hold back her tears as she looked at the old photographs of her family. It was a rough year for her and her daughter because her husband left her, the merging of two schools left her without a teaching Job and now the death of her mother has her feeling beaten down with an uncertain future. She remained strong for Josie because she felt her daughter is all that she has left in the world. Emily took a break from packing her mothers belongings and she looked at the old photographs with her daughter. The photographs reminded her of how hard her parents worked to provide for her. Emilys parents where polish immigrants and she told Josie the story of how when she was her age she couldnt speak English and her teachers thought that, I was so dumb in school, said Emily. Are we going to move in here now mommy? Josie asked her mother as she was looking through the old photograph album. Emily as she reminisced told her daughter how hard her Father worked in the coal mines, how her mother worked in a factory, cooked and sold food, baked and sold bread, along with making and selling homemade wine to get by and earn extra money so that, I could have a better life, said Emily. Emily showed Josie an old photograph of her stomping grapes for the homemade wine in a large barrel. The photograph was taken when she was Josies age and they both laughed at the picture. She told Josie like many times before how her Father was killed in the mines when she was seven years old and how the miners came to her home to tell her mother about the terrible mining accident. She can remember her mother collapsing to the floor upon hearing the news and the miners with tears in their eyes helping her mother as her mother wept and sobbed uncontrollably. Her father was laid out in the living room and she could remember the miners dressed in their Sunday suites coming to pay their last respects. Her father only had one suite that he wore every Sunday to Mass at Saint Georges Church and that was the suite he was buried in and she can also remember clinging to her mothers arm at the cemetery the day her Father was buried. Her earliest memory of her father was him reading a book to her every night that was written in Polish. Her father brought that book with him to America and she could remember her father telling her that his mother asked him why he was bringing that book to America and he told her, "for the Children." The book was about a baker that baked bread for orphans at an orphanage in Poland. The baker in the story placed small loafs of bread next to the orphans beds at night and in the morning he would tell them that an angel placed them there because the angel is watching over them and making sure they never go hungry. In the same story the baker told the children that the angel is with them because they have a special mission in life and that they only have to believe in their angel and everything will be alright. The baker also told the children the story of a donkey that complained about how hard his life is and that no one cares about how hard he works. He complained the whole time he carried this woman who was pregnant on his back along with her husband. At the time the donkey didnt know how important his mission in life was until he witnessed the birth of the baby Jesus. Emily searched for the book after her fathers death and cried when she could not find it and she remembers her mother searching for it as well. Her mother told her in Polish when she was a little girl, it will show up you will see. A few days after packing her mothers belongings Emily decided to move into her Mothers home because it was close to her daughters school and Josie could walk the four blocks to the school rather then riding on a bus. She also considered the fact that she was no longer employed and living there would make it a little easier on her financially. A few days after she moved into her mothers home she placed Josie back in school. Emily was concerned about how Josie was handling all the changes in her life, such as her father moving out, the death of her grandmother and the move into her grandmothers home. She was concerned about how her daughter was handling the stress. A few days later Emily decided to visit her daughters school and talk to her daughters teacher, Miss. Crone. Josie is such a bright little girl with an extraordinary imagination, Miss. Crone told Emily. My only concern said Miss. Crone, Josie has been sitting with the other children during recess rather then playing the games they normally play. When I questioned them about it Josie said a nice man is reading them a story. There was no man there reading a story to the children. Miss. Crone also told Emily, everyday during recess Josie and the other children sit all huddled together rather then playing their normal games. That is not normal, said Emily. Emily called Josie over to her and asked her, who is this man that reads you stories. He is such a nice man mommy, funny and kind, said Josie. He is teaching me Polish too, he reads the story to me in Polish, and then he explains the story to me in English. That is what I mean, said Miss. Crone, your daughter has an extraordinary imagination. What does this man look like Josie? said Emily. He has a brown suite with strips and a purple hanky sticking out of his pocket, Josie went on too say he wears the same suite everyday but he doesnt smell like uncle hank. Tears began to swell up in Emilys eyes and as she knelt down to talk to Josie. It is normal for children to make up stories, said Miss. Crone. What story does he read to you Josie, Emily asked her with tears in her eyes. Dont cry mommy it has a happing ending, you find out in the end of the story that the baker was only seen by the children, said Josie. Wait here mommy, said Josie, as she ran over to her desk and grabbed her book bag. She then ran back to her mother and pulled a book out and handed it to her. This is what he has been reading to me Mommy it is about a baker at an orphanage, said Josie. Emily began to cry and she said to Miss. Crone, this is the book my father read to me when I was a little girl before he was killed. I searched and searched for this book and I was looking for it in my mothers attic after my mother was buried. Where did you get that book Josie? At your nanas house? asked Miss. Crone. No the nice man gave it to me and he told me not to lose it like he did, said Josie. Mrs. Watson I am so sorry I will get to the bottom of this and find out who that man is, said Miss. Crone. That is quite alright I know who that man is and he could visit Josie whenever he wants, said Emily. As Josie was walking home with her mom Emily, she said, Mommy that is pappy that comes to my school isnt it? Yes it is, said Emily. You are so lucky to have him as a daddy, said Josie. Introspective
on 9/20/2004, 9:17 pm
64.12.116.195
The Book.......
Message Thread:
« Back to thread