Early Morning Thought

6:44 a.m. Thursday September 21, 2023

The pin girl

As the white ladies entered the camelback house on the Avenue, Kelly Saunders scrambled to get under the dining room table. She didn’t worry about getting dirty or mussed, she was the one who’d dusted every detailed leaf in the elaborate furniture. With its white shag carpet on the floor, the five year old was only allowed in the front two rooms of the house when company came. On Sunday’s, she came in to watch the television in the living room. Today she was the pin girl.

         Kelly listened as the ladies exchanged greetings and small talk with her mother. She knew they were setting their handbags down on the Victorian sofa and covering them with their overcoats and scarves. Politely, they waited for her mother to usher them through the French style doors into the dining room. Kelly rolled onto her stomach and elbows under the table trestle, admiring the shining heeled pumps the ladies wore.

         Oh, Patti, one of them exclaimed, it looks just like the one in Gus Mayer. How do you do it?

         Kelly sat on the trestle and peeped through the table legs as the woman reached up. Her mother was faster and took care as she removed the hanger. She used both hands to lay the dress on the padded table.

         Bitsy, unzip me, the excited woman told her friend.

         Kelly heard the zipper, then saw a dress fall onto the carpet. A heeled shoe kicked it to the side.

         Patti asked, why don’t you take your shoes off? You can step into the gown without mussing your hair.

         Bitsy said, this velvet is so plush and violet is truly your color. It looks royal. Do you need me to help?

         No, Patti said, I’ve got it. You can have a seat over there by the radiator. She pointed to an upholstered wingback chair under a painting of a magnolia flower.