Egypt Valley

“Louiza! Louiza! Come here darling! I need to try this dress on you!” Mary, my mother, yelled. “This child will be the death of me,” she muttered as she wiped her hand across her brow. She stood on the porch step, arms now crossed and foot tapping impatiently as she called for me again. “Here I am mother.” A mud covered me ran up and stood in front of her as I fidgeted with the sides of my dress. Mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes grew as big as saucers. “Louiza Catherine Fox! What do you have to say for yourself?” I looked down at myself and then back at my mother. I shrugged and rolled my eyes. “I was helping Mr. Hunter with the pigs. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” At this point my mother had her hands on her hips and was trying not to get angry. She bit her lip and breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. “Young lady.. The livestock are for the men to care for. We take care of the house. Why on earth would Mr. Hunter allow you to do such a chore?” Her voice sounded exasperated with a hint of curiosity. “What’s done is done, I suppose.” She then knelt down in front of me and brushed a stray, muddy brunette hair from my face. She couldn’t possibly be angry at her daughter for being helpful but such a beautiful creature need not get filthy. After looking me over, Mother eventually stood back up and straightened her dress. She certainly didn’t find my shenanigans very amusing. With a sigh, she ushered me into the house. “You must get a bath before I put this dress on you. Your thirteenth birthday is a night away and I want everything to be perfect!” I rolled my eyes as I followed her into the bathroom. When will girls be allowed to do what they want? It’s the 1860’s for God’s sake. She fussed and mumbled as she washed my hair. She mumbled as I washed the mud from my body. I could her whisper the Lord’s Prayer as she rinsed me and checked me over thoroughly. The whole time, I’m rolling my eyes and mouthing the words she says as she says them. Thankfully, she couldn’t see me doing it. I surely would have been slapped across the cheek. After she was satisfied with my cleanliness, she finally wraps a soft cloth around me and leads me to my room. I put on my under garments as mother retrieves the dress she made for me. She comes into the room and just stares at me, her knuckles turning white from grasping the dress so tightly. “My oh my. You certainly are blossoming. I haven’t realized how much my little girl has grown.” Her voice caught in her throat. She smiled at me but her eyes looked sad. She cleared her throat and shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. “Try this on,” she says as she brushed her hand across her cheek to catch a tear that escaped the corner of her eye. I looked down as I took the dress and pulled it over my head. “Perfect!” She exclaimed. “You will be the belle of the ball!” She clapped her hands and jumped up and down with delight. Her face was glowing, although a hint of sadness still shown through. I turned and looked in the mirror and saw..me. I frowned for a moment as I turned this way and that way. I hate dresses. But this one was special. Especially for Mother. Not because she made it because she makes all my clothes. But because this is the dress I’m wearing to enter adulthood. Or at least that is the way I am seeing it. I managed a bright smile and twirled around for her to see me from all angles. I stopped when I was facing her. I could see her delight through the sadness in her eyes and smile. I’m not growing up that fast..am I? Is that even possible? She motioned for me to take off the dress so I took it off and handed it to her. She took it, carefully folding it, and smiled at me. “You are truly a beauty and my goodness..” her voice catches and she shakes her head. “I love you darling.” With those words said, she left the room abruptly. I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. I shook my head and walked over to my dresser. I pulled out a night dress and put it on. Why is Mother acting so oddly? It’s just one year older, right? I shrugged and went to join the family for dinner. ********************************************** At the dinner table, I completely forgot about Mother’s odd behavior. My little brother, William, was trying to give the dog his vegetables. My father, John, glared at him. Mother scolded him. I almost choked on my food by his reaction. He tried the old puppy eyes on them and it didn’t work. And he acted surprised. Dinner came to an end without anymore incidents. I helped Mother clean up the table and do the dishes. After everything was done, we went to bed. I snuggled up with my stuffed lamb doll as I settled into bed. I smiled as I closed my eyes. I’ll be thirteen tomorrow, February 8, 1868. ********************************************** I woke up to the roosters squawking at the top of their lungs. I yawned as I stretched. I slapped my hands down on the blanket before throwing it off my body. I shivered. I hate this time of year. It’s always frosty and just plain cold. As my feet hit the cold floor, a realization dawned on me. I’m a teenager now. I’m no longer considered a child. That thought somehow sent shivers up my spine. As I wrapped my robe around myself, I realized my undergarments felt a little wet. ‘I must have been sweating last night,’ I thought. I made my way to the bathroom and began lifting my nightdress so I could pull down my undergarments. My eyes grew wide at the sight of a small red patch on my garment. I finished my business and hurriedly made my way back to my room to change. My mind was a whirl as I cleaned myself up. How do I even begin to mention this? I wrapped my robe back around me and made my way to the kitchen. The smell of fried potatoes and bacon filled the air. But even that wasn’t enough to distract from what is happening to my body. “Good morning Louiza!”Mother exclaimed pleasantly. “How are you feeling? Another year older! My oh my!” Her smile was sad. She turned back to the stove and I was glad she couldn’t see the response on my face. I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. She served me breakfast and I just sat there, staring off into space. Her smile turned into a frown. “What is it my sweet girl?” I just continued to stared, biting my lip. She sat down beside me and put her hand on my shoulder. She kept trying to make eye contact. After several minutes of awkward silence, I screamed, “I started menstruating this morning! Happy birthday, right?”. I slammed my hands on the table and attempted to get up to run away but Mother grabbed my night dress, holding me back. I stopped moving. My hands balled up into fists as I fought back the urge to cry. I heard Mother sigh. My hands relaxed and I stopped biting my lip. I slowly turned around to face her. She looked at me with tear filled eyes as she released her grip on my night dress. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “Louiza.” She paused. “I knew this day would come but I didn’t think it would be so soon. I will guide you through this transition the best that I can.”. I managed a small smile in response. She returned the smile. Father just sat at the table like nothing was going on. What could he do anyway? “Well.. let me show you what us women do during this time,” she says quietly. I nod my head as she begins to lead me into the bathroom. Mother showed me how to take care of myself during this time. It was pretty straight forward but very gross. Why does this have to happen every month? Yuck! Anyway, after all that was said and done, I had to get ready for work. After all, Mr. And Mrs. Hunter’s house wasn’t going to clean itself. Little did I know, I was going to meet someone new today.