The bus picked us up
and dropped us off.
Our school was small
only 11 kids in sixth grade with me!
But I liked it.
People talked to me
and the teacher welcomed me
and nobody knocked me off the swings.
I met Fern there.
Now the last thing I wanted to do
was make Vera mad
because she was my best friend
and I loved her
So when I asked her how she felt about me having a friend
in sixth grade
she said
"Well, I am a year older than you
and I have a friend in my class
so I guess I'll let you have one too."
I curtsied.
"Thank you Ma'am,"
I said
and we both laughed.
I hoped that wasn't hurt I saw in her eyes.
Mom let me spend the night at Fern's
even though they didn't go to our church.
That was my first experience with rich people.
Fern showed me her new bike
which was purple
and had ribbons dangling off the handlebars.
"You can ride my old bike," she said
pulling a sparkly blue one out of the garage.
It looked brand-spanking-new to me!
I didn't want to admit that I didn't know how to ride a bike
because I never had one
and nobody I knew had one either.
So I jumped right on and fell right off.
Her father pulled into the driveway just in time to see me
splat on the blacktop.
"You need to get into some slacks"
he said, helping me up.
"Can't ride a bike in a dress."
Well, there was no way Mom would let me wear slacks
so I just watched as Fern rode up and down the street.
She finally got too hot
and we went inside
and her house was dark and cool
and her Mom was on the couch
under a pink and white afghan
and she waved at me
and Fern went over and dropped a dainty little kiss on her cheek
and we went to Fern's room
where she had piles of clothes
and games
and two little beds made up with sunflower comforters
which I immediately began to covet
even though the Ninth Commandment says not to
covet thy neighbor's goods.
Dark was coming on
and we still hadn't eaten
so I said
"What time does your Mom serve supper?"
and she said
"I don't even know if Mother can cook.
Daddy generally gets something together for us."
so we fooled around playing Parcheesi
and after a long time
her father brought us some sandwiches and milk
and we ate in her room
and he ate in the kitchen
and I don't know if her Mom ate at all.
Later we went into her parent's bedroom
and she got a five-pound box of chocolates
out of her Mom's dresser drawer
and we each ate a lot of that
which then made me feel sickish
and I hoped I wasn't going to upchuck in this spotless quiet house.
We got into our nighties
and I crawled into a pretty bed
with yellow sheets
and a printed pillowcase
and I said
"This bed is beautiful!"
and Fern said
"I saw these sheets in the Sears Roebuck catalog
so Daddy bought them for me."
"Well, my Daddy wouldn't do that in a million years!"
I told her
and she said
"As long as I don't bother my Mother I can have anything I want."
"Is she sick?"
I asked.
and Fern said
"I don't know what's wrong with her.
I just know she can't be bothered."
"My Mom is busy all the time"
I said
and Fern said
"Well, I'm glad I don't have any brothers like yours
because they are big fat pests on the schoolbus."
"Besides, I like having whatever I want."
she said, and switched off the lamp.
One thing I did do that night
is sleep like a log.
I didn't hear any baby making little noises in his sleep.
I didn't hear Daddy give out a big sigh
and then start snoring.
I didn't hear Jimmy and Wes arguing
in their bed.
I didn't hear Mom coughing
or getting up to get a drink of water.
I didn't even dream
it was that cool and quiet.
On Sunday Vera came prancing down the aisle
to sit with me
and her Mom was trying to grab ahold of her
to fix the rip in her sleeve seam
and saying
"Dorothy Mae, didn't you see this rip when you got dressed?"
and Vera sassed
"How could I see it, Mom, it's behind me!"
and her Mom said to my Mom
"Whatever am I going to do with this child?"
and Vera sat down beside me
and tossed her pigtails
and I was so happy to see her!
I decided to put Fern in my back pocket
for just a school friend
and keep messy sassy Vera
in my heart.
