3

 

3

“Just think about it Girly, please.”  May implored her daughter. “We can’t afford to send you to college, and you are too young to wander off into the world on your own.”

“But I don’t like doing math, I don’t want to inherit your job.” May looked at her mom with more than a hint of stubbornness. “Doris at the coffee shop said I could start work with her on the weekends and when Lindy goes to have her baby, she will give me more shifts. I don’t want to sit in an office, I don’t want to be bored or boring.”

This had been an ongoing conversation for more than a week now.  School had ended, farmers had taken their break and the world as they knew it had returned to its daily cycle. Girly knew her parents couldn’t afford to look after her forever, and she knew that the offer to pay for her to do a correspondence course in bookkeeping, while not ideal, would give her grounding and direction. But she didn’t want to sit and do accounts or spend her days in an office with piles of paper she had no interest in. She wanted a window to see the outside world and she wanted people who would bring her news. Working for Doris would be ideal.

Life for Fred and May and been fairly run of the mill, few decisions and little hardship, but times were changing, and they were changing rapidly. May tried a final compromise. “What about doing the course on days you don’t work for Doris? You get to learn something useful, and you get to please yourself. It will take some organization on your part, but I know you can do it.” May sighed, “Please Girly. Dad and I won’t be here forever and prospects in town are not what they were when we were your age.”

Girly was looking at the brochure her mother had presented her with nearly a week ago. Gathering her thoughts and lining up her words she prepared to chase one of her dreams, or at least to set the wheels in motion. Making eye contact with her mother Girly said, “If I do this course you must promise to let me go into the city and do the exam there.” Always believing that life will work itself out May sighed, this was not a turn she had anticipated. “Why don’t we see what your father says.”

“I don’t see why we can’t plan for it.” Fred had given the request more than its share of thought. Though neither he nor May had left town for more than a few days when they were newly married, neither had ever visited the city. He felt trepidation, but he also felt that it was inevitable. At least this way he would have a hand in it and could be a buffer should it come to it. “We can plan to see your sister. I think we can make it work.” He turned his attention to Girly, “But you have got to give it your best. We don’t have much, so it will mean sacrifices from all of us. Even if you don’t end up in the office with your mother you will have learned something, and that sets you apart.”

Girly smiled to herself as she left her parents and went to her room. She didn’t like to think that she had been manipulative. Later she would remember this conversation and realise that she had learned that nothing just comes of its own volition, maybe her parents had learned it too.

Girly had taken the brochure with her and now she sat and diligently filled in the questionnaire which would set her on her course as a correspondence student shortly before she turned fifteen. And shortly before she turned 16 she would be off to write her exam. She had chosen a course that was affordable for her parents and would afford her time to save what she could from working at the restaurant. She would need a bit of money for her visit away. Reaching to the back of her wardrobe, she withdrew her moneybag. She had made it for herself from the remnants of yellow dress fabric. Peaking into the string tied top of the money bag Girly once again began to dream.