“Perhaps we’re going at this wrong,” she said. “Newcomers might not be reading the newspaper. We need to pin a notice on the bulletin board at Piggly Wiggly and the bus station. Those are places where it’s sure to be seen.”
Ida frowned. “Piggy Wiggly is okay, but the bus station? Who knows what kind of transients that will bring?”
Looking Ida square in the face, Suzanna raised an eyebrow.
“Annie and I came through that bus station,” she said. “Cousins is a relatively small town; there’s only a handful of people stopping here anyway. Relatives mostly or someone coming for a job.”
When Suzanna reminded Ida that if they didn’t rent the rooms it would be difficult to hold onto the house, she finally agreed.
That afternoon Suzanna donned the one sundress she had, took the hand-lettered signs, walked to town, and thumb-tacked them to the bulletin boards. At Piggly Wiggly, she also stopped in to see the manager and asked if they had a position available.
“I’ll take anything,” she said. “Cashier, packer—”
“Sorry.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing right now.”
“Oh.” Disappointment stretched across the full width of her face.
“Maybe in December,” he offered. “There’s a chance Debbi Hicks, our bakery clerk, might be retiring. If you’re still interested, stop back then.”
Suzanna promised to do that, then walked out with her feet dragging and her shoulders slumped. As she passed the First Federal Savings building, she thought about applying for a job, but that thought disappeared almost as quickly as it came. She couldn’t even get a job at Piggly Wiggly. Without references and a work history, she wouldn’t have a prayer at the bank. Even if she’d used her own name, what job experience did she have? Being a clerk at the Snack Shop was not much of a qualification. On top of which, she’d dropped out of high school just weeks before she was to graduate.
Walking home, Suzanna moved one foot in front of the other almost mechanically. At first their plan had seemed perfect, but now things weren’t looking quite so good. Finding a renter was more difficult than they’d anticipated, and she was beginning to fear that landing a job would pose an even greater challenge. With the attic rooms now opened up, she no longer wanted to consider the thought of leaving. She wanted to remain in that house as much as Ida did. Moving meant letting go of the memories she’d found tucked into the corners of those third-floor rooms, and worse yet was the thought of Annie not having the canopy bed that Granddaddy had intended for her. She simply couldn’t bear that. If they didn’t rent the rooms, it would be up to her to find a way to keep the house. Ida was too old to work, and somebody had to be there when Annie came from school.
There was no getting around it; Suzanna had to find a job. Lost in thought, she walked so slowly that at times it seemed as though she had come to a standstill. She was looking down at her feet when an image flashed through her memory. Her daddy, his face drawn into an angry scowl, his arm raised, his finger pointing to the door as he told her to go and stay gone. She’d moved in with Earl because she had nowhere else to go. It was different now. She had a home with someone who loved her. Who loved Annie. After all those years of hardship, she couldn’t let this slip away. She had to find a way to make it work. She owed it to herself. Even more importantly, she owed it to Annie.
A renewed sense of determination rose in her, and she quickened her step. She would not be defeated; there were plenty of other jobs. She could clean houses, take tickets at the movies, or find a shop willing to try her as a sales clerk. She’d be bold about it, admit up front that she had no experience then offer to work the first week for free to prove she could do the job. A prospective employer would surely see the value in that.
By the time she arrived home Suzanna was bubbling over with ideas, but Ida nixed them all. With her face set in a stony expression that obviously meant business, she told Suzanna, “You’ve gotten yourself in a tizzy for no reason. I have absolutely no doubt that we’ll find renters for those rooms, and besides, the idea of cleaning people’s houses for a living is preposterous. There’s no money in that. You’re a smart girl with charm and personality…”
She cast a critical eye toward Suzanna’s sundress then continued, “You’ll find yourself a good job but not dressed like that. You need a proper outfit. A suit maybe or a tailored dress.”
“I can’t afford—”
With the frown lines deepening across her forehead, Ida replied, “Darla Jean, I didn’t say you should buy anything. Next week, the LoCicero Shop is having their annual sale, and I’ll be taking you in so that Miss Dixie can outfit you properly.”
“But, Grandma, you can’t afford—”
“Hush! I do not want to hear another word about what I can or cannot afford. I may not be wealthy, but your grandfather certainly did not leave me destitute. It may be a stretch to keep this big house, but we have more than enough to live comfortably.”
Having said her piece, Ida headed back toward the kitchen.
Suzanna followed in her footsteps. “I didn’t mean—”
Ida stopped and turned. “I know you didn’t, but you’ve got to stop worrying and trust me.” As the anger faded from her face, it was replaced by a sly grin. “I may be up in years, but I’ve still got all my marbles. While you were gone, I made a few phone calls.”
“To who?”
“People who can get the word out about us having rooms for rent. Bill had quite a few friends in town, and those friends were more than happy to
