stood in the polished corridor outside the dining hall now lit with candelabras on either side of the stage. As she led her class into the room, she spotted Boots first, then across the aisle stood Bernie and Elizabeth and Cloe. She blinked in surprise when she saw Papa and then Mama, Rikki standing on the other side of them.
Mrs. Kaufman, eyes glistening with tears, handed out plaques of Florence Nightingale’s pledge, which Hildemara recited with her classmates. She received her certificate and another gold pin.
The lights came on and cheers filled the room. Rikki pressed through the crowd to reach Hildie. “You look so beautiful in white! You have to sit for me. You look exactly how I imagine Florence Nightingale. All you need is a lamp.”
Bernie had his arm around Elizabeth. “You look like you belong here, Sis.”
And then Mama stood in front of her, Papa right behind her. He smiled broadly, his hands on Mama’s shoulders. Had he pushed her forward? “We’re proud of you, Hildemara. You did it.”
Mama just looked at her. She didn’t say a word. Hildie saw her swallow hard as if words wanted to come, but couldn’t. When she raised her hand, Hildie grasped it. She couldn’t speak either, and it took all the self-control she could muster not to cry.
“She’s a grand girl!” Boots appeared and spun Hildie into another hug. “Best in the class.” Hildie made quick introductions.
“Are you coming home for a while?” Mama asked.
Surprised she had asked, Hildie shook her head. “No. I’ve been hired to join the Merritt staff. I’m back on duty day after tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Papa looked disappointed. “Mama and I thought you’d be home for a few weeks, at least.”
“I won’t be able to come home for a while, Papa. I’m fortunate to have a job so soon. I made twelve dollars a month this year, and I still need to pay Cloe for making the two uniforms.”
“One to wear, one to wash.” Cloe smiled, shaking her head.
“And I’ll have rent. Boots found a little house a few blocks from the hospital. We’re sharing expenses.”
Mama didn’t say anything, not one word, until after refreshments and the conversation died down. People began to go out on the town. “It’s getting late.” Mama looked up at Papa. “We need to start back.”
Hildie fought back the tears. “I’m glad you came.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it.” Papa hugged her hard. “Keep saying your prayers and reading your Bible.” He patted her back and let her go.
“I will, Papa.” She wrapped her arms around Mama and hugged her. “Thank you for coming. It meant the world to me.” She felt Mama’s hand on her back, and then she withdrew from Hildie’s embrace.
“You did it, Hildemara Rose.” Her smile seemed a little sad. “I hope the life you’ve chosen for yourself makes you happy.”
Hildie leaned forward and kissed Mama’s cheek. “I guess I’m about to find out, aren’t I?”
Hildemara moved in with Boots a week after joining the Merritt nursing staff. The house wasn’t far from the hospital, so she walked every day she worked. The house felt like a palace after the small dorm bedroom, and quiet after the sleeping porch she’d shared with dozens of nurses coming in and going out. The house had a few drawbacks: a big yard to care for and a large fruit-producing lemon tree. Mr. Holmes, their next-door neighbor, said the previous tenant had driven nails in the trunk in hope of killing the tree. “Must have given it a boost of something!” Hildie sacked up lemons every week and dropped them off at the hospital kitchen.
“We’ve got to do something about the yard.” Hildie worried. “We’re going to be the neighborhood slobs.”
“Who cares? It’s the landlord’s problem, not ours. He said he’d come by and do it when he has time.”
The landlord only came on the day rent was due, and by then Hildie and Boots had learned the roof leaked and the kitchen sink had a habit of stopping up. Mr. Dawson said he’d send someone to fix it.
“When hell freezes over, he’ll fix it.” Boots called on a friend to do it, then sent a bill to the landlord. When he didn’t pay, she deducted it from the next month’s rent. When Mr. Dawson complained, Boots stood toe-to-toe with him in front of the house.
Neighbors came out to listen. Boots called Mr. Holmes to witness that Mr. Dawson had agreed to her deducting a portion of the rent for repairs. When she came inside the house, she slapped her hands together as though dusting the man off. Hildie laughed. “You remind me of Mama!”
Finally, embarrassed by the state of the front yard, Hildie asked Mr. Holmes if she could borrow his lawn mower and hedge clippers. She remembered how Papa had disdained people who “let their land go” and didn’t want to be the dump of the block.
“Sorry.” Mr. Holmes shook his head. “I don’t loan tools, Miss Waltert. Learned the hard way people don’t return them.”
“I’d buy a lawn mower and clippers if I could, but I don’t have the money.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“We’re both nurses at Merritt.”
He peered over the fence at the yard, rubbed his chin, and shook his head. “Sure is a mess. Tell you what. I’ve got an old mower under the house. I’ll sharpen the blades and grease her up a bit and you can have her. I’ll give you my wife’s old clippers. It’s clear that place you’re living in needs work. How much rent is Dawson charging you girls?” When Hildie told him, he whistled. “No wonder you don’t have anything left over. He sure saw you coming, didn’t he?”
Mr. Holmes brought the lawn mower and clippers over the next Saturday. “All sharp and ready to go.”
After an hour, Hildie sat on the front steps to rest. Mr. Holmes peered over the fence and asked how the lawn mower was working. “It’s working fine, Mr. Holmes, but I should’ve asked if you had a sickle.” Hildie wiped sweat from her brow.
He laughed. “Looks better than it did.”
“Thanks for the mower and clippers, Mr. Holmes. I’ll keep you supplied with lemons.”
“Call me George. And as for lemons, I already take what I want off the branches hanging over my fence.”
32
1939
Hildemara read the headline over morning coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs. Boots shuffled in, wearing her
