Norma and Macky had been married less than a year when he was drafted and sent to Korea. A week later, Norma was out at her aunt Elner’s farm, sitting on her porch. “I hate changes. I wish everything would stay the same.”
“Well, honey, lots of things do,” Elner replied. “No matter what little old man does, the sun will come up in the morning, and the moon and the stars will always be there. No matter how many of us humans come and go, nature stays the same. Isn’t that some comfort to know you can count on spring every year?”
“I guess.”
“You need to get yourself a kitten to keep you company. That will get your mind off your troubles.”
“Aunt Elner, if Macky gets killed like Gene did, I swear I won’t be able to stand it. I’ll…well, I don’t know what I will do.”
“Now you just stop with all that worrying. Little Macky is not going to get killed, and besides, you’ve got a baby on the way. Don’t be thinking sad thoughts. You need to think happy thoughts, so the baby won’t be nervous. I told your mother, I said, ‘Ida…I think your being so nervous is what makes poor Norma nervous.’?”
“Well, I know I’m nervous now.”
“Oh, honey, you were always nervous. You were a nervous baby. So you’d better watch what you think. You don’t want a nervous baby, do you?”
“No.”
“Besides, worries will give you wrinkles. Look at me. I’m an old woman, and I don’t have any wrinkles. Why? Because I don’t worry.”
—
DRIVING BACK INTO TOWN, Norma realized that her cousin Gene had been on her mind a lot lately. His parents had never really gotten over losing him. None of them had. She remembered the time he came to one of her dance recitals. She had been lead tulip and had messed up her steps. Of course, her mother had not been happy about it, but after the show, Gene had put his arms around her, told her she was “the prettiest one up there,” and slipped her a Hershey bar on the drive home. When she was six, she’d had such a crush on him and told him she wanted to marry him when she grew up. He had laughed and said, “Cousins can’t marry, but you just wait and see. Some boy is going to come along and steal you. And if he isn’t good to you, I’ll poke him in the nose.” She wished he could have lived to see her married. If the baby was a boy, they were going to name him Gene.
Losing Gene had been difficult for everyone. A family is like a puzzle, and now there was a big piece missing. There would always be an empty space.
Seven months later, Norma gave birth to a little girl named Linda. And the good news was the baby wasn’t nervous at all, and Macky came home safe and sound.
* * *
THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING
* * *
by Mrs. Ida Jenkins
The whole town’s talking about the attractive new stand-up console television set in the display window at Morgan Brothers.
Also happy to report that the annual Easter egg hunt was made special this year by the personal appearance of the Easter Bunny, who delighted the children.
Thank you to all who came early and hid the eggs. Lots of pretty polka dot and striped pails were supplied by Warrens’ Hardware. Don’t forget, next week the pony man comes to town, so be sure to get your child’s picture taken on the pony. I still have one of Norma and on that very same pony, I believe.
Now that Easter is past, time to gear up for Mother’s Day. Next week, the Garden Club is preparing to make corsages for all of our mothers and grandmothers out at Happy Acres Nursing Home.
You know I do not like to be the town naysayer…but…I saw the new Western movie High Noon, starring Gary Cooper as a sheriff, with the beautiful Miss Grace Kelly taking the role of Mr. Cooper’s long-suffering wife, while in reality, Miss Kelly should have been cast as his daughter. Here is my question: Who is doing the casting for these films coming out of Hollywood lately? Methinks it must be old men, blinded by a lot of wishful thinking. I do not recommend this film for that reason.
Also hate to end on another sad note, but we lost our beloved citizen Olaf Olsen last Wednesday. Condolences to his wife, Helga Olsen, and his daughter, Beatrice Swensen. Our younger readers may not remember Olaf, but for those of us who grew up seeing his friendly face in Morgan Brothers’ shoe department, he will be sorely missed.
* * *
Ida failed to mention that the Easter Bunny had been her sister, Elner Shimfissle, dressed in a homemade bunny outfit with big fluffy ears and feet.
In November of 1952, Katrina’s younger brother, Olaf Olsen, came up to Still Meadows and was overjoyed to see Katrina again. He said, “Katrina, you wouldn’t recognize the dairy anymore. It’s so big.”
“How is my darling niece, Beatrice? Still happy?”
“Oh, yes. She and Ander are doing so well and so is the dairy. I think they are the richest people in town. They live in a big two-story brick house. Can you imagine, Katrina? From where we came from, so poor, and now one of our family owns the biggest house in town with heat and hot and cold running water. Wouldn’t Momma be so proud? And you won’t believe this….After I retired, Helga wanted to move back to the country, so we moved into your old farmhouse.”
“Oh, Olaf, I’m so glad. I was afraid somebody might have torn it down.”
“Oh, no…it can never be torn down. You know how Ander loved you and Lordor. He pulled a lot of strings and had that house declared a state historical monument. He said, ‘I had so many happy times in that house, I couldn’t bear to lose it.’?”
“Oh, what a sweet boy.”
“He is. And did you know that you now have a grandniece named Hanna Marie?”
“Yes, it’s wonderful.”
“Yes it is….The sad thing is, Katrina, she was born deaf.”
“So I was told, the poor angel.”
“But I must say, she does very well in spite of it. I know she’s my granddaughter, and I’m prejudiced. But Katrina, I think that little girl really is an angel. A real one. There’s just something about her. She has this way. You can’t help but love her.”
Just then, Gene Nordstrom called out, “Hey, Uncle Olaf! Guess who this is.”
Olaf called back, “You don’t fool me. It’s my nephew, Gene Nordstrom, with the big giant feet….”
“That’s me. Glad you’re here, Uncle Olaf.”
—
AND WHAT OLAF SAID about Ander was true. He had idolized Lordor, and had learned everything he knew from him. One afternoon, when Ander was about sixteen, he and Lordor had been headed over to the barn at milking time, when Lordor said, “Ander, I’m going to tell you the secret of what makes for a good dairy farmer.”
Ander was all ears. “Yes, sir?”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Keep your cows happy, and they will make you happy.”
“Oh…but how, Mr. Nordstrom?”