Mama's Quarters

Mama’s Quarters




By: Zoie Lucille Johnson




1.


The night was bitter cold, and there was snow and ice covering everything in sight. My feet were freezing; in fact, they felt as cold as the icicles themselves.
I could see my breath freeze into the cold wind.
Ma was wearing a brown old blanket that had now become a dress sown together.
I was carefully wrapped in a towel that Ma had discovered next to a bridge.
I had been using a sock for a hat, but my ears still froze. Ma and I walked alongside the slippery road, it seemed as though we had been doing so for hours.
Ma stopped, and whispered, “Kasha, I see a restaurant near. Maybe we could stay there and heat up.”
I managed to put a faint smile upon my face. The wind felt so cold that Ma tucked my face down into her armpit. It was much warmer in there than I would have imagined.
Ma sped up, running through the deep snow in her slippers.
I looked up and out the corner of my eye and saw that the restaurant was much closer now. Then I looked up at Ma, she looked very cold. Quickly, she pulled her hood up over her red frozen ears.
“Kasha, we’re here.” Ma whispered into my ear.
Ma and I walked through the glass doors, into the warm room. It was quite fancy.
Ma and I sat near the fireplace and soon a woman dressed in a black t-shirt and white polka dotted skirt walked up to us.
“Excuse me, ma’am, what can I get for you ladies tonight?” she asked.
“Depends, what can I get to eat for two quarters?”
The waitress raised her eyebrows in surprise and thought for a moment.
“Well, we happen to have delicious toast, hot cocoa, and a basket of freshly popped popcorn, and… It’s on the house.” she said with a smile.
Ma’s face beamed.
“Splendid! Thank you ever so!” Ma replied. “Did you hear that Kasha? We get toast and hot chocolate without a charge.” Ma told me.
“No quarters, really Ma?” I replied. I was stunned. Two quarters bought most of my happiness around this poor time.
“Yep, really.” Ma nodded.
I smiled the biggest smile I could. I hadn’t eaten in a day or so and my stomach was really growling.
“ Ma, how long until Christmas?” I wondered.
“Soon, Sugar, soon,” Ma said.
I had been focused on the holiday for quite a long time so I thought what a great joy! When ma told me soon.
The waitress returned with our hot chocolate, toast and fresh basket of popcorn. I sipped a little of the hot chocolate. It was wonderful. I ate half of the toast and gave Ma the other half. We decided to save the When we were finished, I put the sock back on my head and pulled the towel over my face so only my blue eyes were visible. Ma also pulled her hood onto her head and we were ready to face the cold once again.
As we walked I became colder and colder. Ma picked me up and put my head back into her armpit. I then slipped my feet into Ma’s pocket to keep them warm. I could feel the quarters rubbing on my blue toes. We walked again for quite awhile. We got home to our big cardboard box and Ma unclipped her pin and laid her jacket down. I grabbed hold of my old stuffed teddy bear and shut my eyes to go to sleep.



2

The next morning, I filled my tummy with ice cubes and handfuls of snow.
Daddy was gone. He was not coming back for a long time. He knows that I am only a six year old child, but he did it for the sake of Ma and me. He spends long periods of time away fishing in our old house, a green tent. Ma and I were worried about him last night, on account of it being so very cold. But this morning wasn’t cold. In fact, the sun was out and there were only splotches of white soft snow left to eat. I wasn’t worried about Daddy today. He would have known that the lake he lived and fished on would be melting.
Daddy was the one in our family who had the money. He owned ten dollars. It was for our food and clothes. Ma was just waking up when the sun became bright.
“Ma, the sun is happy today!” I yelled in delight.
Ma looked in the garbage can for any food that might still be OK to eat.
“Kasha, it’s a miracle!” Ma exclaimed joyfully. “I found a suitcase with money in it,” Ma yelled!
I squealed and smiled.
Later on, Ma counted the money and it was one thousand dollars!
“Ma, can we get a kitty please?” I asked.
“Wait for the holiday peanut, be patient” Ma told me.
I had wanted a kitty since I was three, but we had never had enough money to buy one.
“Kasha, this gift that we have found, we will need to use it for clothes, food and your special holiday present” Ma said as she turned to the sidewalk.
She started walking slowly and smiling to the store. I treaded behind her. The suitcase was dark brown and pretty heavy for me to carry.
When we arrived at the market, Ma asked me for the suitcase. I gave it to her and she smiled.
“Life, Kasha, this case is the ticket to our new life” she reminded me.
“Okay, Ma it is,” I agreed.
We walked to the food isle and Ma laughed in happiness as she looked at all of the food choices. She threw in three steaks, cheese, milk and various fruit into our cart.
I noticed outside the market, a little girl about my age was outside with a big box labeled kittens FOR SALE
“Ma, can I look at the kittens over there, please?” I begged.
“Well, all right. Just come back when you’re done OK! Ma answered.
I leaped and skipped all the way outside to take a look. There I saw the most wonderful thing, a baby kitten.
It was a calico with orange and brown spots on its back. Its rough tongue licked my arm. I laughed with joy. I was disappointed that it wasn’t Christmas yet. This kitten might get taken by somebody else by then. My eyes began to fill with tears and I had to wipe them dry with my hands. I began to walk back to where ma was inside the store.
“Kasha Christmas is tomorrow,” Ma said.
I sure was happy to hear that. That kitten might not get bought! I thought to myself. My chances of getting her were getting much better I hoped.
“Sugar, what did you find out there?”
“I found the honey of my life! A little kitten without a home, she even licked me! I love her,” I blabbed out.
Ma looked happy and surprised.
“Good, Sugar” Ma said. She didn’t say much else but I still felt proud that she said it was good that I found the kitten.
In the cart, Ma had gotten me actual shoes and a new spring jacket! When the cart was full of clothes, food and water, we gave the lady at the cash register sixty dollars and ninety-five cents.
It was six O’clock on the new watch Ma had gotten for me. We took out our extra tent because the box was too small to hold all of our new items. I lay down on my sweatshirt and was soon fast asleep.



3.
As I lay sleeping, I dreamed that Daddy was home early and had gotten me a fish to eat. I had heard Ma leave the tent, but didn’t mind, she would be back soon, she will, she will I reminded myself over and over again in my head. I thought of the kitten at the store and smiled. Spot, that would be a good name for her I thought. I smiled over and over at the thought of Spot in my sleep. I woke up again at 7 O’clock in the morning. I saw a box with my name written in pencil on it.
“Ma, its Christmas, wake up”!! I said.
Ma got up from her blanket.
“Sugar, wait till’ Daddy’s here to open that box. He should be here soon,” Ma said.
I waited and waited. Finally, I got bored and decided to sit down and read, “The Big Bop,” For the sixth time. I saw a shadow of a man, and soon it turned real.
“Hello, Pumpkin,” Daddy said, joking around.
Ma was thinking of the money, and I knew it. She ran over and hugged Daddy.
“Jim, It’s a miracle, it’s come to us look.” Ma said, picking up the black suitcase.
“Oh my good gosh! How lucky are we, Shannon! How the heavens did you get it?!” Dad asked in shock.
“Oh it was glorious, my dear. I was in the garbage looking for a meal, and well, I saw a suitcase, so I looked in it and…”
“WE FOUND A THOUSAND DOLLARS!” I interrupted.
“Ma, Daddy, can I open the package now?” I asked.
Ma smiled and laughed. I knew that she would let me now. It was my Christmas present, I knew it. I undid the scotch tape, and opened it up. It was the kitten I saw at the store!
“Thank you, thank you, and thank you so much!” I repeated again, and again.
“There’s one more.” Daddy said. It was a little Ziploc bag of seeds.
“What kind of seeds are these Daddy?” I asked.
“They are apple tree seeds, and they are all yours,” he replied
“Thank you so much Ma and Daddy. I love you both so much,” I told them.
I laughed and smiled the rest of that day and as soon as I found a spot I planted the apple tree seeds the best I could. Hopefully with lots of apples to eat, we would never go hungry again.
I decided to name my new little kitten Spot. That Christmas will be the one day I’ll always remember.
“Kasha, we want you to pick out dinner for tonight, Peanut,” Ma said.
Um…. I’ll choose Spaghetti and Meatballs!”.
That Christmas was the Christmas I will always remember, the Christmas that my family gained a thousand dollars and we all got to be together.