The Ruby Chronicles (#7)

Editor Note:  The Ruby Chronicles essays come to me courtesy of Sid Stivland. 

My First Job

The summer I was fourteen, my mom asked me if I would help an acquaintance, Gerda, with housework for a week.  She had a new baby.  They lived on a farm six miles from our place.  There was a half-mile driveway to their buildings nestled in a thick grove of beautiful trees.  There I felt so isolated from the rest of the world.  They had no telephone.  I missed my family and girl friends.

There was plenty of work to do – helping with the cleaning- the cooking and hanging clothes out to dry.

Before I came there Gerda had promised to take me to our church’s midsummer picnic in the afternoon.  It was held at one of the parishioner’s farm home.  The children gave their Bible School program and a fancy work (crafts) auction was held.  The pop and ice cream stand was a big attraction for the kids.

The night before the picnic I picked sticks in the woods for kindling.  I was going to be sure I had the dinner ready early.  I had never fired with coal briquettes before.  I filled the stove full of coal and got a red-hot fire.

Ruby Johnson Anderson