Roses for Mama Read Free

bit.”
    Louise nodded.
    “Perhaps I do—do tell you over and over again—what I expect you to do. I—I still need to tell Sara. She hasn’t—well, hasn’t heard it as often as you—and I guess—well, I guess when I am telling one—it is just easier to include all of you.”
    Louise nodded, no defiance in her eyes now.
    “I’m sorry,” Angela said softly. “I—I’ll try to—to remember that unless—unless it is a new chore—that you are responsible enough to know—to look after your usual duties.”
    Louise nodded again.
    Angela waited for a moment. She didn’t want to spoil the calm, but she knew Louise had to be given further instructions.
    “Tonight there are some more things to do,” she ventured. “Thomas needs Derek to—to check the fence, so Derek won’t have time for his usual chores. That means you and Sara must carry the wood and maybe even feed the pigs.”
    Angela waited. There was no angry stiffening of Louise’s back. She simply nodded.
    Angela sighed with relief, tears threatening to spill over. She sat down on the bed near her younger sister and took her hand.
    “Louise,” she said as gently as she could, “you know that when Mama died she—she asked me to care for all of you. I—I told her I would. Now Mama—Mama felt strongly that caring was—was more than putting food on the table—and seeing that your clothes were washed and mended. Mama wants you—each of us—to grow to be strong, good, dependable. Part of that—that growing process comes by sharing chores—and learning obedience. Now I know it won’t always be easy to—to have an older sister be your—your authority but—”
    Louise stirred on her cushioned seat.
    “But that’s the way it is,” continued Angela. “Not by our choosing, but that’s the way it is.”
    Louise lowered her head, the tears forming in her eyes trickling down her soft cheeks. She sniffed, lifted her eyes, and nodded. That was all. Just a slight nod of her head. But Angela knew that for now it was enough. She gave her sister a hug and stood up.
    “Your milk and cookies are on the table,” she began, then quickly bit her lip before she followed the statement with what chores needed to be done afterward.
    Louise got to her feet and dried her eyes.
    She is still such a child , Angela thought as she watched her. Her heart ached for the young girl.
    In typical youthful fashion, Louise gave her big sister a smile, seeming to have already forgotten the battle of a few moments before, and bounded off to the kitchen for her snack.
    And don’t run , Angela almost called after her. A lady does not—
    But Louise was not a lady. She was still a little girl of eleven. Playful and careless. And with so very much to learn. “Oh, God,” breathed Angela as she sank down onto the bed again and lifted a trembling hand to her face. “How am I ever going to be able to teach them all they need to know? All that Mama would want them to know? Will I ever be able to make a lady out of Louise? Of Sara? Will I be able to teach them about you? Will Thomas be able to fill in for the father Derek needs? Oh, God, we need an awful lot of help.”

Chapter Three
    Memories
    “Something bothering you?”
    Angela turned her head to look at Thomas through the soft darkness settling in about them as they sat on the veranda. She had hoped her worries had not shown, but she should have known that Thomas would realize she was anxious about something.
    “It’s Louise,” sighed Angela. “I think she is missing Mama. It’s almost as if she misses her more now than—”
    Thomas nodded in understanding, then swatted a mosquito that had landed on his bare forearm.
    “In what way?” he asked.
    “Tonight when I spoke to her about her chores, she—she said I wasn’t her mama.” Angela couldn’t keep the tremor from her voice.
    “Did she do her chores?” asked Thomas.
    Angela wondered if he was about to waken the young girl out of a sound sleep to make sure she