Tuesday, April 06, 2004
STARTING OVER
With Rosie dead I would have to find another place to rent. Rosie’s son lived next door and told me I could stay where I was for a while. By word of mouth I heard about a woman looking for a room-mate who lived across from the bus depot. Her name was Jewel Pitchford and was working in one of the beauty shops in town. Jewell was in her late 20’s and much more experienced with life than I was She seemed a little rough around the edges but I needed a room in a hurry. She had rented a large room in the front part of a house and had her own heating stove, bed, a table and some chairs. When I went to see her she said I could room with her for $1.50 a week. I was happy with the price and thought it would be fine.
I moved my things in and continued working for the Martin’s at the ice-cream parlor. I had a letter from mom near Christmas and she told me they were moving to Willow Springs over the holidays. They sold the farm at Tyrone and dad was working for the Highway Department. She said they had a phone and gave me the number….several days later I took the bus to Willow and called them. Mom and dad picked me up and I spent Christmas time off from school/work helping them move. Dad never spoke to me the whole time but I expected that….it was enough to be there. I knew in time dad would work it out. His pride made it impossible for him to say he was sorry.
On one of the coldest nights in January I walked back to our room after I got off work. It was late and when I turned on the light the room had been practically emptied. The only things remaining were my clothes piled up on the floor. I was in shock. Jewel hadn’t said a word about moving. I knew she dated one of the bus drivers but that was about all I knew of her private life. As I looked around I began missing some of my jewelry and my clothes. The jewelry I had was simple and inexpensive. I couldn’t imagine why she would take it. Some of my best clothes were also gone.
It was too late to do anything about my trouble. With the stove gone the room was frigid. I would have to stay there until morning and then try and find another place to stay. I put what clothes I had left in a bed-like fashion on the floor and lay down with my coat on. I managed to stay there until about 2:30 am but by then I was so cold and sleepy I knew I had to do something different. I got up and decided to go over to the bus station. The lights looked warm and inviting so I went in and found a chair to sit in. I dozed on and off until morning and then ordered some toast and coffee for breakfast. In 1948 it cost 15-cents. The lady who ran the place was nice and friendly. I’m sure she was aware of my problem but didn’t ask questions. She was no doubt aware of Jewell’s hurried exit as the front of the Bus Depot faced directly across to the house where we stayed. In a small town everybody knows every ones business.
I decided I would go back and ask about another room Mrs. Shepherd had for rent that was now empty. I hoped it would be reasonable but when I inquired the rent was more than I had ever paid. It was a nicely furnished bedroom but I was not given bath-tub privileges so I could only wash in the sink. I was also told I could not do laundry there so I would have to have my clothes laundered elsewhere. The rent was $5.00 per week. I knew I could only stay there for a short while. I felt very much unwanted but I had no choice at the time.
It was about this time Mrs. Martin told me she was cutting my wages to 10-cents an hour. She had learned the reason I was not living at home and I knew she was taking advantage of my situation. When they bought the business she cut me down from 35-cents to 25-cents per hour and now this last cut was going to be impossible for me to make my rent. We were very busy one night when the movie crowd came in and I was in the kitchen trying to get out all the orders. She came back where I was and angrily told me to hurry up or she would find someone else for my job. She was loud and the customers could hear her.
When she left the kitchen the tears I’d been pushing back for months came flooding out. I was humiliated to have her speak that way to me in front of customer’s and I knew I was working harder than she was. I took my coat and went out the back way and walked home. She didn’t see me leave. I tried to seem normal when I went back to Mrs. Shepherd’s house but it was obvious I had been crying and I was home early. Of course she wanted to know what had happened. I told her the whole story and she was very sympathetic but angry at Mrs. Martin. While we were talking, a knock came at the door, and when Mrs. Shepherd opened it, there stood Mrs. Martin. She apologized and wanted me to come back to work….she promised it would never happen again. She even told me she would put me back to 25-cents an hour. I’m sure Mr. Martin made her do it because he had always tried to make up for her sharp tongue. He was a very quiet, very nice man.
I knew I would have to go back for I had no other option but I also knew that the first chance I got I would find other work. Thankfully there were forces in play that I knew nothing about at the time. My life was about to take an upward turn.
I never knew where Jewel went or why. She was never seen or heard of again.
I just supposed she ran off with the bus driver.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
I moved my things in and continued working for the Martin’s at the ice-cream parlor. I had a letter from mom near Christmas and she told me they were moving to Willow Springs over the holidays. They sold the farm at Tyrone and dad was working for the Highway Department. She said they had a phone and gave me the number….several days later I took the bus to Willow and called them. Mom and dad picked me up and I spent Christmas time off from school/work helping them move. Dad never spoke to me the whole time but I expected that….it was enough to be there. I knew in time dad would work it out. His pride made it impossible for him to say he was sorry.
On one of the coldest nights in January I walked back to our room after I got off work. It was late and when I turned on the light the room had been practically emptied. The only things remaining were my clothes piled up on the floor. I was in shock. Jewel hadn’t said a word about moving. I knew she dated one of the bus drivers but that was about all I knew of her private life. As I looked around I began missing some of my jewelry and my clothes. The jewelry I had was simple and inexpensive. I couldn’t imagine why she would take it. Some of my best clothes were also gone.
It was too late to do anything about my trouble. With the stove gone the room was frigid. I would have to stay there until morning and then try and find another place to stay. I put what clothes I had left in a bed-like fashion on the floor and lay down with my coat on. I managed to stay there until about 2:30 am but by then I was so cold and sleepy I knew I had to do something different. I got up and decided to go over to the bus station. The lights looked warm and inviting so I went in and found a chair to sit in. I dozed on and off until morning and then ordered some toast and coffee for breakfast. In 1948 it cost 15-cents. The lady who ran the place was nice and friendly. I’m sure she was aware of my problem but didn’t ask questions. She was no doubt aware of Jewell’s hurried exit as the front of the Bus Depot faced directly across to the house where we stayed. In a small town everybody knows every ones business.
I decided I would go back and ask about another room Mrs. Shepherd had for rent that was now empty. I hoped it would be reasonable but when I inquired the rent was more than I had ever paid. It was a nicely furnished bedroom but I was not given bath-tub privileges so I could only wash in the sink. I was also told I could not do laundry there so I would have to have my clothes laundered elsewhere. The rent was $5.00 per week. I knew I could only stay there for a short while. I felt very much unwanted but I had no choice at the time.
It was about this time Mrs. Martin told me she was cutting my wages to 10-cents an hour. She had learned the reason I was not living at home and I knew she was taking advantage of my situation. When they bought the business she cut me down from 35-cents to 25-cents per hour and now this last cut was going to be impossible for me to make my rent. We were very busy one night when the movie crowd came in and I was in the kitchen trying to get out all the orders. She came back where I was and angrily told me to hurry up or she would find someone else for my job. She was loud and the customers could hear her.
When she left the kitchen the tears I’d been pushing back for months came flooding out. I was humiliated to have her speak that way to me in front of customer’s and I knew I was working harder than she was. I took my coat and went out the back way and walked home. She didn’t see me leave. I tried to seem normal when I went back to Mrs. Shepherd’s house but it was obvious I had been crying and I was home early. Of course she wanted to know what had happened. I told her the whole story and she was very sympathetic but angry at Mrs. Martin. While we were talking, a knock came at the door, and when Mrs. Shepherd opened it, there stood Mrs. Martin. She apologized and wanted me to come back to work….she promised it would never happen again. She even told me she would put me back to 25-cents an hour. I’m sure Mr. Martin made her do it because he had always tried to make up for her sharp tongue. He was a very quiet, very nice man.
I knew I would have to go back for I had no other option but I also knew that the first chance I got I would find other work. Thankfully there were forces in play that I knew nothing about at the time. My life was about to take an upward turn.
I never knew where Jewel went or why. She was never seen or heard of again.
I just supposed she ran off with the bus driver.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
