The Deep Willows

Katherine May Wright stood in her mind thinking of that dumb man. His thumbs tracing her arm, The smile he flashed her when he saw her, The way she playfully messed with his hair. “No I shouldn’t think of him,” she thought walking over to her mirror she grabbed her comb that laid on her table and ran it through her long black locks, She tied her hair with her blue ribbon her mother had given her. She sighed taking a long look at herself, That twinkle in her eyes gone, Her skin pale, Se looked so tired, The veins in her hand more obvious, Her white nightgown a little looser on her now. She remembered her mother telling Winnie to keep an eye on her eating they all noticed how Katherine ate much less. She sat down on her bed her books stacked neatly at her desk she placed her head in her hands thinking of tomorrow. The party she’d have to go too. Would he be there? She sighed and let herself slide under her blankets and almost as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep.

She awoke the next morning to Dinah calling her name while blowing out the candles lit in her room. She stirred until she finally awoke “Mhmm” She called noticing the blonde maid holding out a tray of food “Miss Wright told me to make sure you eat every last bite” She said handing her the tray filled with food Katherine nodded her head and Dinah sat down in the chair at the table with the mirror “Have you seen him?” She asked biting into her gravy soaked biscuit. “No dear I haven’t” Dinah said looking at herself in the mirror. “Will he be at the party Katherine asked ”He should be his family was invited,” Dinah said running a finger over a copy of ”Little Women” Katherine sighed eating her ham and taking a long sip of her coffee. Dinah opened her mouth to speak but then closed it ”What?” Katherine asked ”Nothing!” Dinah said takin a seat back to her chair she’d been in before. ”You've got something in your mind say it,” Katherine said ”Well you just seem to have caught feelings for him,” Dinah said with a grin Katherine blushed finishing off her food. Dinah grabbed the tray and set it down on the table, Katherine stood up and sat where Dinah had been sitting and let the woman braid her hair to the side. ”Come on hun we'll put your outfit on you” Katherine was dressed in a big yellow dress with matching heels Dinah put some makeup on her and then she told her ”Your ma and pa’s outside waiting for you” before she left with the tray. Katherine walked out and into the dining room there stood her mother Elaine, her sister Samantha who she called Sam or Sammy she was like her mother a blonde with green eyes her cheeks were a deep red and she had freckles that littered her nose and the tops of her cheeks and just under her eyes. Her hair was nicely brushed and put halfway up. She wore a big purple dress and black flats. Her other sister Elizabeth who she called El had black hair like herself pink cheeks and very plump lips she wore a blue dress and nice puffy dark blue dress with matching shoes. Her brother Jaime had blonde hair that he had let grow out some he wore a nice white shirt and black slacks with matching black shoes. Their father Alfred had dark black hair and brown eyes and wore black pants and a nice white shirt with a long black jacket on over or with a top hat. When Katherine entered her mother gave her a warming smile. ”come darling tell me of how you slept last night” Katherine smiled back at her mother and walked over to her ”Well family I hate to say it but I'll be off to talk to Mr. Westfield” ”Goodbye father” they all called as he walked out. ”Winnie is he gone,” Their mother asked after a while ”Yes’m,” the colored girl said loudly from the other room while looking out the window. ”okay” Their mother answered ”Children come were going for a walk,” Elaine said. All five of them walked outside in their nice clothing. ”Children I fear your father is ill,” She said ”What?” Samantha asked,”Very sick my pets matter of fact the doctor told me the other day he had less than a month to live.”