| Gratitude |
| Summary: | Jesse finds himself in the middle of the Wright sisters squabbling, and offers some sound advice. |
| Date: | 1942-10-12 |
| Related: | None. |
| Players: |
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Wright Residence, Higsi
Thu Oct 12, 1942
Built by the late Basil Wright, this beautiful Craftsman-style house overlooks the intersection of Cooper and Butler. A huge porch, flanked by two shade trees, is the first to greet visitors. It is set up seasonally with quite a few comfortable chairs and a large wooden table that looks rather archaic.
The immaculate interior presents a large kitchen with pantry, open dining room, den, full bathroom and two multi-purpose spare rooms. Closet-space is ample, appointed in nooks and crannies throughout the house and never given to clutter. A sturdy stairwell, with hand-carved designs set into the railing, ascends into a large second storey. There, one shall find a master bedroom, another occupied bedroom, a small bathroom and a large sitting room from which one can observe the street below through two large windows.
Departing the house and following a walkway around toward a fenced-in back yard, an addition from the late 1920s is accessible. There, two functional and comfortable rooms are located for usage as rooms-to-let to passing visitors. A large shed serves as a workspace for the home's owner.
Weather:
It is fall. The weather is cool and overcast.
It was a decent day busking, but not so fantastic that Jesse was unwilling to move along when he felt like it. The guitar was packed up and the few coins tucked into a pocket of his jeans as he made his way to the Wright residence. In addition to helping Kathleen out the following day, he wanted to ask her a couple of questions about a project he was tasked.
As he walks, he uses his walking-stick to make sure that nothing new is in his way as his other hand holds onto the worn out guitar case.
Ah, the task to come… worry not Jesse, it's nothing grueling. More work out at the Roberts ranch where old Ernie let some things slide in his homestead. Seeing as how the old man is half-blind and loves his shine, there will be no need to get him soused and compliant! Kathleen is not expecting young Walker until tomorrow, so if he does come by today if he is so inclined.. it will be a good surprise! Too bad her mood, however, isn't the best!
The Wright sisters are home in their vast house, one freshly departed from classes and installed in the den to gripe over homework… the other, the elder, cursing away in the kitchen. Kathleen is cooking and it's not going so well. Madeline flinches as she hears the woman in the kitchen snapping at something that didn't quite go her way.
"Want me to take over?" The younger girl hollers toward the kitchen, and Kitty snaps in reply.
"Ya keep to yer arithmetic! I got this!" Kitty bawls out from the kitchen, the smell of burning weaseling it's way into the den. The sound of windows being shoved open… poor Jesse.
The smell of burning does hit his nose and it wrinkles as he approaches. The sound of the window being thrown open just begs for a comment and he can't resist, "You know, you're supposed to stop cookin' before it burns…" not the best comment, sadly. He's had his days like that when he was required to cook so thank goodness for Ethel and Dot who seem to know their way around food better.
To further the hilarity, were Jesse capable of sight as he steps up to jest through the open window, he would see Kathleen fretting over an iron skillet bearing hamburger patties that are rapidly turning into charcoal. Or will if she doesn't flip them! Damnit this was the wrong pan to use for frying patties. Kathleen snarls out another curse and that's when the young fellow's words reach her. She pivots on a heel then, hair bouncing in a leonine mess against her neck, blouse and shorts covered in grease. Kitty is one of those people who will wear shorts til' the first snowfall, it seems. Her eyes flash, mouth keeping up. "Ya think, Captain Obvious?! Keep that up and I'll stuff each one right down yer throat." She snaps out, not meanly.. just… well, she's passionate.
Madeline comes in to survey the damage. "Kitty, one of them is on fire!" She cries out, and Kitty turns from Jesse in the window to the pan, seeing one burger indeed smoldering gleefully. "Fuck, fuck! Baking soda—!" The elder hollers… the sound of commotion.. the hiss of extinguishing.
Madeline turns to Jesse, blushes redly. "She did it!"
Jesse can't even hold back a chuckle at the circus that seems be going on inside the house. "I'd still eat it. Guess this is a bad time to check in for the work tomorrow, huh?" is asked of Kathleen before he offers to Madeline, "I can tell that she did. Well, she was tryin'?" Maybe someone needs to take cooking classes? "Maybe you should stick to things like…salad?" He grins back to Maddy, obviously teasing Kathleen. "I'd offer to help, but I ain't so good a cook."
Jesse shall hear the sound of a screen door being pushed open just beside him… it's the small side-door that leads into said kitchen, often used in the summer when easy access from yard to kitchen is needed moreso. Madeline pokes her blonde head out to peer at the young man, "It's quite alright, you're more than welcome here. You just come right in and have a sitdown." She invites him, as Kathleen surely would have when she got done cursing at the smoking range. Golden eyes spear the preteen girl. "A'yup, he's more than welcome.. but ya gotta get back to yer maths." Kathleen says firmly, eyes flashing. "Ya need yer maths and yer learnins'. Don't ya be using this…" She snuffs the flame beneath the pan. "Ya gotta finish yer homework missie."
Madeline blinks once, and huffs gently. "But Kitty, you need help, I mean—-"
"I got this. We ain't havin' no salad, I'll try again!" Kathleen exclaims heatedly. She's in a bit of a state. Then, perhaps heard by sensitive werewolf ears.. the younger Wright's mutterings. "Why do I need math anyway…"
Jesse has been to the house a couple times now so that unless the placement of things have changed, he's somewhat familiar with the basic layout of where he'd be likely to go. "The house ain't burnin' down," Jesse offers to Madeline as he sort of moves to follow her. His ears -do- pick up on the mutter, "What do you want to be when you grow up, Miss Wright? I mean…you ever thought about that?" Maybe he's leading up to something, maybe not.
The elder hadn't heard her sister's mutter, so busy was she pulling the skillet away from the range and disposing of the beef bricks. There's also a dash of baking soda to scrub away. Jesse asks of Madeline a question that surprised Kathleen… a question she's asked the girl a few times, herself. All of it met with avoidance. Will Jesse, whom Madeline enjoys a fair deal, give him a different response?!
Madeline, too, is a bit startled. He heard her? Color infuses her cheeks despite herself as she folds her arms over her barely-there bosom, head tilting down some. "I.. don't quite know. Katiebelle spoke of esthetics." There's a buck-fifty word from a twelve-year-old.. there is a definite brain in there. "I mean, who needs math for that? We talked about opening a business together, afterall!"
"Yer better than beauty school! Katiebelle—" Kitty cuts herself off. No use talking about how Katiebelle Abernathy has floss between her ears.. she's only twelve. But it's clear that the company Maddie has been keeping — well-kept, privileged girls — is rubbing. Madeline shoots the carpenter daggers, then looks back to Jesse.
".. I also like what Miss Styne does, with animals… but it seems intimidating.."
Jesse tilts his head at the large word, "I ain't sure what that means…" here's a prime example of the need for schooling. "What's that?" But he can talk about what Vet Styne does! "You don't think you'd need math to be workin' with those animals? Bet you do for mixin' up medicine for 'em…that and science. Or checkin' how they're growin'…or makin' sure they're a healthy weight. Math's important to know even if you're dealin' with money. You want to get paid, right? You want to know you're gettin' paid correctly, yeah? Or how about buyin' things, knowin' how much you can spend? That's all math, ain't it?"
"Beauty school.. packin' on the ol' rouge on old women, curlin' hair…" Kathleen volunteers the information before Madeline can offer a 'prettied up' version. "A waste of yer brains, child." She mutters, trying so hard not to inflame things. This is obviously a hot button for the carpenter.
But holy smokes.. thank goodness for Jesse being here. Kathleen would be given to anger, to spouting out hows and whys and how she uses math to keep this entire house afloat. To budgeting. To—-
Silence, as Jesse Walker goes on to make perfect sense. How he words himself, in his Southern hillfolk way, only makes it even more poignant. After waiting for Jesse to conclude, Kitty tosses out another zinger. "Ya need yer maths to measure out the toner and cat piss mumbo jumbo t'get the formulas right for hair color and perms. Cause' if ya hit or miss on that, some old bird's hair will turn out like canary feathers." HMMPH.
Madeline rubs the back of her neck, looking beautiful and confused and flustered. "I…" She starts; Jesse's interjection has caught her and held her. "If I spend too much time worrying about math.. friends will think I'm a bore. T-they'll never want to invite me to… to anything." Ah, there's the nugget. Peer problems!
Jesse turns towards Kathleen's voice, "Why is it a waste? If she wants to help folks look nice, that's her choice, ain't it? It ain't a bad thing." That said, he then turns back to Madeline, "Would you like doin' that every day for fifty years though?" He gives a snort as Kathleen offers her opinion again, but his attention then goes back to Madeline. "So how are these friends gettin' their homework done? Are they so smart that they're doin' it super-fast? Or are they skippin' it and failin' and won't get to be workin' in good, interestin' jobs, and instead, stuck buskin' down in Town Square? Do you -want- to be goin' to those things that they're invitin' you to?" He never really had such peer problems as the Walkers kept to themselves. They didn't get invited places.
Grunt.. maybe there's a bit of bias there. Kathleen holds no truck with beauty salons so to her, they're foolish. But she nods reluctantly to Jesse's words, finding truth in them even if she cannot understand. It obviously means a great deal to Madeline, who keeps herself so nice even at twelve. The younger Wright watches the Walker with her cornflower blues, worry and unsureness writ across her features. To his first few questions, she devises an answer.. it's lukewarm. Even she isn't sure. "I.. it can be glamourous though…" She offers feebly. "If I could get out of Higsi someday, maybe…" She trails off, her argument isn't very sound. The child is following the dreams of another, that is obvious… and maybe now she is starting to really realize this.
Katiebelle and Luanne and all of those other moneyed girls.. Kathleen and Madeline both know how they all get by. Money talks, and so too do the influences of big fish parents in this small pond. It's Jesse's lattermost statements that cause both sisters to respond accordingly: Madeline inhales sharply and Kathleen simply winces sadly at the countertop. Madeline is the first to speak, in a question. "D-did you like school, Jesse?"
"You lookin' for glamour? Don't you gotta go to California for that? Or New York? That's gonna take money…and even then, you would just be -makin' others- glamorous…not yourself, right? It's been a while since I saw a movie," but that's what he's heard. Jesse tilts his head a touch at the sharp inhale of breath, but then gives a shrug at the question, "I did. I was in trouble most of the time, but I liked it. I liked learnin'…my Ma and Pa said it was important that I learn to read and write and do arithmetic," maybe they didn't know? "Probably would have stayed longer if I could have. Got a little more schoolin' from the teacher who came here to help me, but it ain't the same, you know?" He can't just go pick up a book that looks interesting. Even if there was a dream of higher education, no matter how tiny, it's gone for him.
"So ya gotta appreciate what ya got.. what ya could get, if ya stick to it." Kitty adds gently.. well, gentle for her anyway. "Someone would kill to be given yer opportunities.. it all points ya toward where ya wanna be and what ya wanna do.." She trails off then, before her words become unwelcome or difficult to the girl with whom she seems to be arguing a lot lately. She does not like it. But it just segues so easily into Jesse's many valid points. For now, all Kitty can do is feel horrible for the Walker. She glances toward the ceiling.. she is no religious woman, but if the blind kid's Pa is still capering through these walls as a ghost, making his rounds in Higsi.. may he be proud right now.
"California… New York.. they're all so far away." And there in Madeline's tone, that unsure vulnerability… proof that she was along for a whim. What DOES she want to do..? She looks to Kitty worriedly, suddenly feeling badly. Kitty meets her gaze. "Ya remember Vet Styne sayin' she'd show you more, what she does? Ya should pay her a visit sometime, don't be hangin' off the words of Katiebelle." The carpenter offers one final well-meaning zinger.
Madeline is again all ears and eyes for Jesse as he discloses more… her expression looks positively pained as, despite herself, tears glitter. It can be heard in her voice. "I'm so sorry if I sounded real ungrateful.. I didn't mean to—" She starts, sounding twelve again. "Were you good at math?"
"I know school's tough and boring sometimes, but…learnin's good. So is makin' friends though," Jesse will play both sides. "But sometimes you gotta decide what you want to spend your time on. Do you want to spend your time on gettin' good grades and makin' your sister and yourself proud, or do you want to spend time makin' friends and meetin' boys your age and doin' stuff with them? There ain't no right or wrong answer," Sorry Kitty. "But one might slip if you choose another. I'll tell you though, the friends I had in school…well, the ones that ain't family," and dead, "We ain't really friends now. Weren't really friends once I quit goin' to the school…" and most of his agemates are either off in college or joined the military.
Madeline gets a smile though, "I know you ain't ungrateful. Doin' homework's no fun. Maybe you should do it later at night, after supper, if you got the light for it." As a compromise…
Light.. for it..? Kathleen blinks and looks up from her work at scouring the pan. She is seeing it as best, for now, to not add too many more pennies to this conversation.. but she is listening. How bad off ARE these hillfolk? She's not bursting with goodwill to help their cause, because she herself hates charity… but it's not the first time she's wondered. Madeline however, she yet has that childish frankness that leads up to her asking a question that Kathleen hasn't the gumption to pose. This will come shortly.
For now, the girl considers. "I want both… I do like my friends, but.." She fiddles with the ends of her hair. "I don't like making Kitty mad either, or disappointing. And then there's my teacher Miss Williams… last time I scored low on arithmetic, she was really nice about it and offering help.. but her tone. She couldn't quite understand how I nearly failed a test." Madeline admits, her voice small… "I should hate to disappoint her, too… and…" She looks down, blushing. She's taking everything to heart, not rushing to respond. "Katiebelle is a bit of a.. a dunderhead." Spoken finally, and she silences herself… aghast at her daring.
Suddenly, Madeline perks up. "Do you not have any light up where you're from? Do you need a lamp?" She asks the young Walker, not quite grasping their poverty. Kathleen flinches.
Well, there you go. Jesse nods as Madeline explains and he offers, "Now, I ain't meanin' to sound like I know better…'cause I don't, but I been where you are not so long ago. You get to start decidin' what's really important to you and maybe some of the kids won't like it, but if you know what's important, then that's all that matters, right? So if you think that not dissapointin' yourself and Miss Wright and Miss Williams is more importantant than hangin' out with this Katiebelle, well, then that's the right decision. If you think it ain't…that's ok too. You ain't gonna win either way and it's gonna be tough. But you can get through it. Your sister's tryin' to make a real home for y'all so I know you can do it."
The question of a lamp brings a laugh and a little handwave, "Naah, we got candles and lamps if we need 'em, but light's not gonna do anythin' for me and ain't no one doin' homework at my home."
"Sides' … they ain't wantin' a fluffy pink thing up in their place anyway." Kitty remarks suddenly, trying to inject some humor and good-natured poking fun into the heavy discussion. She can see the storm has passed; she knows Madeline's features right down to even the most embarrassing expressions… Jesse has hit home. "Ya were gonna do it, too, offer up yer lamp.. it's a mercy he can't see it. The rest of 'em would wanna kill it with fire." She concurs, proud of herself for the jab.
Proof that Madeline is no slouch, that a keen mind exists within: "Like your hamburgers, Kathleen…?" Said flatly, but with a flicker of humor. Their usual, reassuring, foolish rapport is back.
Silence from the vulgar peanut gallery.
To Jesse, the younger Wright collects one of his hands into both of her own and gives it a squeeze. "Thank you for that.. I-I think I know what I'm needing to do now. At least I'm closer."
Jesse's hands are calloused from playing the guitar and fiddle as well as doing so much work with them. "Dot might have been amused, but…ain't nothin' to make it run up there unless it's an oil or gas lamp." No electricity…nor will there ever be if they have any say. "But that was mighty kind of you, Miss Wright," is offered with a smile to Madeline. The smile turns into a grin as the sisters toss jabs, "Try not cookin' the others so hot?" is offered before he gets the words of thanks. "You're welcome, Miss Wright. You're smart…I know you'll figure things out."
The elder Wright's hands are in a state much like Jesse's, rough and nail-bitten and save for their surprisingly elegant shape.. are outright torn apart. Madeline's meanwhile are smooth and unharmed and unabashed in their contact. Talk of there being no electricity warrants a sympathetic squeeze, and the younger girl finally releases him. Blue eyes meet her sister's golden ones as the unspoken warning is given: no further questions on the 'why', not right now. It happens in the span of seconds and Madeline understands.
There are just some things that are not polite in asking about. Money and financial standing happens to be one doozie… though the poverty of the Walkers is well-known to the town. She just didn't think it was THAT bad!
"I ain't gonna fail this time." Kathleen says heatedly, sounding as if she's going to climb the Great Wall of China instead of frying meat. She can be heard mixing diced onions into the ground beef. "C'mon by here again tomorrow morning, 9 o'clock is fine.. we're going out to the boonies to fix Ernie Roberts' lean-to." She advises Jesse, for there shall indeed be work. "Mads.. how many ounces in a pound? Fucked up the last batch, needin' to make sure I have enough here." She suddenly asks of the girl. Of course Kitty knows, but she can't help herself.
"Sixteen." Countered back. There's hope yet. "And your heat is too high."