On Emma's Bluff by Sara Elizabeth Rice, edited by davebccanada (comprehension books txt) 📖

The school week passed relatively fast. Emma found that she enjoyed lunches a lot better now that she was going out to the parking lot to share them with Cindy. The girls had suddenly found a great deal to talk about. In more than one class peeved teachers had cautioned the girls to stop their chatter. They were caught up in high school life. The conversations were often nothing more than shared distractions. Emma loved just having someone to whom she could speak her mind. Simple statements like, "I mean would you ever in a million years wear those earrings!" or "Don't you think Mr. Daniels eyes look like they are upside down in his head?" became part of their private whispers and giggles. Emma found herself feeling an openness, a care-freeness which she had always tried to fake before.

The morning they were supposed to leave for Memphis both Emma and Liz had arisen while the sky was still grey. It was a Friday, and Liz felt that it was more important for Emma to be well dressed than well educated. The trip would take them almost three hours so they were in a hurry to be off early.

"Now why don't you go put on your nice corduroy skirt instead of those jeans?" Liz said without even looking up at Emma. Liz was busy penciling in last details to her shopping list. "Oh, and why don't you fill the thermos there with the last of that coffee, I may wish we had it later."

Even at this early hour, Emma moved about happily, excited about the day trip. The last time she had been to Memphis had been when she was in the sixth grade with the school choir. That was so long ago. It was before.

"Oh, and don't forget your slip. You may need it to try on some of the dresses."

They both looked up as they heard the creak of the heavy front door.

"Now, I thought that Roy had left before.....," her words were cut short by the voice which came from the front room.

"Momma, your baby daughter's home."

"Well, I'll be. Barbara Lee?   Is that you?" Liz was up and running out of the kitchen before Emma even had a chance to put the thermos down. Following her aunt's path, Emma entered the living room. There the two women stood close, arms looped around each other’s waist.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?" Liz held her daughter at arm's length to look her up and down. The girl towered a head taller than her mother. Her professionally highlighted brown hair was pulled up to one side in kind of a ponytail. The ribbon that coiled around this ponytail matched the sash she had knotted around her midriff. Her sunflower yellow blouse and slacks made her look larger than any piece of furniture in the tiny living room.

"Well, mamma, I didn't get the opportunity until this morning," she said extracting herself from her mother's grasp and easing down on to the velveteen settee. "One of my suit mates had a falling out with her boyfriend and decided to run home early to her mamma.   She dropped me here on her way to Canton."

"That was so very nice of her." Liz peered out the front window. "But couldn't she come in for even a bit?"

"Oh, mamma, I was happy enough that she would tote me all the way down this gravel road."

Emma, ignored up to this point, moved to the side of the big chair and propped her knee up on the arm. "Hi," she said. Her eyes felt as if they were open too wide. She felt shy. She felt like an intruder.

"So mouse, you been treating my momma well? " The word my was emphasized. And though just a minute before Emma had felt rather pleased with her own appearance, she now felt drab. She was sure her blonde hair hung limp and stringy on her shoulders.

"Besides, I wasn't expecting y'all to be up yet," Barbara Lee continued as if still explaining to her mother. She looked at them questioningly.

"Now baby, we were on our way to Memphis to do some shopping. You just get right up and get ready to come with us." Liz had already picked up her daughter's discarded satchel and was carrying it into the pink bedroom.

"Oh mamma...," the disappointment was obvious in her words, "I was hoping for just some quiet time here at home with just you this weekend."   Emma, who stood surveying her chic cousin, had a hard time imagining Barbara Lee relaxing in the country for a whole weekend. "Besides, you know my friend Vicki, she is transferring to state, well her parents have invited a bunch of us to Yazoo City to see her off and I was hoping I could use your car."

"Barbara Lee, I am sure your father would let you use one of the trucks if you really want to go." Barbara Lee's eyes bulged at this suggestion, so Liz dropped it. "Emma and I had really been looking forward to this trip all week. We've already got the car packed."

"So y'all just go on and don't give me another thought then." The frozen tone in Barbara Lee's voice told Emma the battle was already lost.

"Oh, Barbara Lee, you know we will do no such thing." Liz sat down beside her daughter and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her back and forth. "I guess Emma and I are just being selfish. My own sweet daughter comes home early to see me and I just want to run off. What kind of mother am I?" Liz's eyes sought Emma and pleaded for her to understand.

Now Emma was getting to feel like she was just being a spoiled sport. Maybe Barbara Lee was just homesick and wanted her mother.   Emma knew that she damn well would. "No, don't think of it", she reminded herself.

"I'll get our things," Emma offered.   She walked out the front door to the car.

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         By mid afternoon Barbara Lee had already left for Yazoo City. Emma watched the cloud of dirt settle from the road as the sedan disappeared around a bend of trees. She had managed to stay, for the most part, out of her older cousin's way during the morning. Emma had gone back to her room to sit in one of the front windows. She had been able to hear the chatter from the kitchen as Barbara Lee recounted stories of college life. Emma did not hear her aunt though until Liz stood just a few feet behind her.

"I am real sorry about our trip, Em." She felt her aunt's hand on her back. "But we still got a party to give tomorrow and I am sure we can find something pretty for you to wear." At that moment Emma felt a wave of grateful love toward her Aunt Liz.

"Yes, ma’am, Cindy.....I mean I have told most of the kids at school about it. I still don't know who might show up though."

"Well, we will just fix enough for the whole county.   How is that? Now come on, quit feeling sorry for yourself.   We got work to do."

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Well, she had to give her aunt credit that when it came to whipping together a party, the old dear really outdid herself. "Do you really think we need these bails of hay and corn stalks? It's not Halloween yet." Emma stood amazed to see that Liz had turned the back yard into a barn yard.

"Oh, it gives it ambiance, my dear.   Roy," Liz shouted back toward the shed, "Have you found those lanterns yet?"

"Yeah, but," Emma started to say. Then she noticed the two split barrel bar-b-que grills.   "Oh the guys won't care if as long as there is plenty of food." She knew it was useless to explain that decorations might be a bit corny.   "Oh Lordy, what if someone sneaks in beer?   Aunt Liz will just have a duck." Then she remembered that her own pal, Cindy had promised a few of the gang that she would have pot. "Oh, I think life was easier when I was seven."

Cindy was the first to arrive that afternoon, her jeep packed down with enough stuff to stay two weeks.   Then at 3:00 pm Angel Guthrie called to ask if she and her steady, Sammy Slater, were invited, because no one had asked them personally, and her mother had taught her not to "assume".   Angela was one of the few in the Junior class who actually lived in town. Her father ran the local "Farmers and Commerce" bank. "Besides I have always wanted to go to a party out on the river," Angela went on and on over the phone line, " and they said we are going to go out in the boat for a moon light voyage. Don't you think that is so romantic."

"Yes, of course, you and Sammy are invited," Emma finally managed to break in. And in a voice that sounded too much like Barbara Lee she added, " I would ne-vah think of leav-in youuu out."

When Susan Thurmond arrived, the three teenage girls raced up to Emma's room to begin the long decision making process of "what to wear".

"I hate this stupid blouse," Susan whined, "Emma, can I look in your closet for something else to put on."

"Sure," Emma replied, "Cindy, do these jeans make my thighs look too big?" Emma turned in every which way direction in front of the dresser mirror.

"Oh, give me a break girl, it's your ass that is too big," came Cindy's answer. “Too bad you gals aren't just naturally flat chested like I am."

"You aren't flat chested." This was Susan speaking.

"Oh yes I am. See."   She lifted her shirt. Emma pointed out the open curtains and the cars pulling up outside and all three girls collapsed on the bed in rolling laughter.

Having exchanged and changed outfits no less than three times each, Emma, Cindy and Susan made their way downstairs to join the rest of the arriving guests. An ice chest had been filled with soft drinks and placed out on the back porch where everyone seemed to be congregating. Since Emma had been too chicken to ask if she could use Barbara Lee's stereo, Cindy had brought a boom box and was busy cranking up the volume. The girls’ guests were all involved with complimenting Liz on her lovely home. The guys were finding their way into the back yard. It looked to be a very straight laced simple party. That is until Emma spotted Cindy leading a pack of five off down the riverbank.

"Sammy says, you kids want to take the big boat out for a little." Emma recognized her Uncle Roy's voice behind her.

"Er, a yeah, if you think it will be okay?" Emma turned to find her uncle besieged by a group of boys.

"You know it is fine with me sweetheart, just make sure only you or one of the guys are in charge of the boat and make all those girls wear life jackets."

"My, my, and all this time I was thinking Em was a girl too." It was Bill Simmons at her elbow. Emma searched around to see if Joy