Leta was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her eldest sister
Mabel. This was not surprising: the sisters had not seen each other in more
than 35 years. Leta was only five years old when Mabel left Ohio, and she had
not been back since. Another sister—Louise—her daughter, and friends, had taken
a cross-country trip to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada to visit Mabel. Now
Mabel returned with them for a long visit—to get reacquainted—or, in Leta’s
case—basically meet for the first time. At any moment, Mabel would arrive, and
Leta did not know how the two sisters would react to seeing each other.
To keep her distracted from pacing around the house, her husband Bob engaged her in conversation.
“She sent me money once, you know,” Leta said.
“She did?” Bob asked.
“During the Depression when things were tough,” Leta explained. “I didn’t ask her. It just arrived one day.”
“That says something, don’t it?”
“What time is it?” Leta inquired. “Do you think I should put the coffee on?”
In preparation for her sister’s visit, Leta made cookies. She wanted to cook supper for them, but Louise shared that Mabel wanted to at least see everyone first before she settled with any individual sibling for a long period. Mabel spent the morning through lunchtime with Louise, her husband Hiram, and their daughter Little Leta. This enabled the travelers to sleep in and recuperate from their long journey. After coffee and conversation with Leta and Bob, they would proceed to their sister Nellie’s for supper. The following day, Mabel would visit with their brother Aaron and his wife Florence. There were six siblings in all, but their brother Fred lived in the state of Oregon and was not part of the reunion.
“That’s a good idea,” Bob answered. “Why don’t you do that?”
Leta rose from her seat and went into the kitchen. Bob knew that she would not just put on the coffee, but also wipe the counters again, and generally tidy up the already spotless kitchen. He presumed that fussing around the kitchen would keep her busy for a few minutes.
Leta had just returned from rearranging the service tray when they heard the sound of an automobile. She tensed briefly and looked at her husband. He smiled with boyish excitement.
“They’re here,” he said.
They waited a few moments and then proceeded to the door, arriving just as their guests did.
Leta saw no one but her sister. Mabel was shorter than Leta and heavier with silver hair, but she was also 56 years old. Like many women of the time, she kept her hair tight and close, with a small amount pulled back into a bun. It was thinner than Leta’s and less curly than any of the other sisters’ hair. Mabel’s nose was angular, like their father’s, coming down into a rounded point. She had blue eyes and thin lips.
Then they caught each other’s eyes, and a sudden warmth rushed through Leta. Mabel smiled, her eyes stretching into little slits. Leta was smiling, too. After all, they were sisters.
“You made it,” Leta said.
“I made it,” Mabel agreed.
“Come inside, come inside,” Bob called from where he was standing behind his wife. Without thinking Leta took her sister’s hand and led her into the living room. Louise, Little Leta, and Hiram followed.
“I see you brought the entire crew with you,” Bob continued jovially. “Come on in and have a seat.” He ushered them into the living room. “You’re in for a real treat. Leta made some of her special raisin cookies.”
“Those cookies are marvelous!” agreed Hiram, practically licking his lips.
Mabel spent the next four weeks reconnecting with her family. She spent a week of her visit with Leta and Bob, and the sisters spent much of that time talking. Mabel told several stories of her childhood, remembering Leta’s first few years with great warmth. She shared about her brief time in Minnesota before she, her new husband Floyd, and his son Cortland moved to British Columbia. She talked about living in Canada, which, in many ways, was a foreign country to Leta. She gave Leta some Canadian money, which Bob thought was a great gift. They drove to the former location of their childhood home, a log cabin on Woodville Road. The cabin was no longer there, but Mabel remembered the area distinctively.
“Aaron and I used to fish in a little pond,” she said. “It’s gone now.”
Little Leta, Louise’s daughter, contacted the Toledo Blade. They were going to have their picture taken and a brief story in the society pages. They also planned a larger Scott family reunion to be held at the local park on Labor Day.
When it came time for Mabel to leave, all four of the siblings accompanied her to the train station. They made sure that she had enough provisions for her long journey, and several souvenirs to remind her of her siblings and her former home. They also sent gifts with he for her husband and stepson. While they were not a particularly emotional family, there was a sense of sadness in the air.
“This has been wonderful,” Mabel said with a few tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe it took me all this time to get back here.”
“We’ll see you again,” Aaron said with a smile.
And they did
To keep her distracted from pacing around the house, her husband Bob engaged her in conversation.
“She sent me money once, you know,” Leta said.
“She did?” Bob asked.
“During the Depression when things were tough,” Leta explained. “I didn’t ask her. It just arrived one day.”
“That says something, don’t it?”
“What time is it?” Leta inquired. “Do you think I should put the coffee on?”
In preparation for her sister’s visit, Leta made cookies. She wanted to cook supper for them, but Louise shared that Mabel wanted to at least see everyone first before she settled with any individual sibling for a long period. Mabel spent the morning through lunchtime with Louise, her husband Hiram, and their daughter Little Leta. This enabled the travelers to sleep in and recuperate from their long journey. After coffee and conversation with Leta and Bob, they would proceed to their sister Nellie’s for supper. The following day, Mabel would visit with their brother Aaron and his wife Florence. There were six siblings in all, but their brother Fred lived in the state of Oregon and was not part of the reunion.
“That’s a good idea,” Bob answered. “Why don’t you do that?”
Leta rose from her seat and went into the kitchen. Bob knew that she would not just put on the coffee, but also wipe the counters again, and generally tidy up the already spotless kitchen. He presumed that fussing around the kitchen would keep her busy for a few minutes.
Leta had just returned from rearranging the service tray when they heard the sound of an automobile. She tensed briefly and looked at her husband. He smiled with boyish excitement.
“They’re here,” he said.
They waited a few moments and then proceeded to the door, arriving just as their guests did.
Leta saw no one but her sister. Mabel was shorter than Leta and heavier with silver hair, but she was also 56 years old. Like many women of the time, she kept her hair tight and close, with a small amount pulled back into a bun. It was thinner than Leta’s and less curly than any of the other sisters’ hair. Mabel’s nose was angular, like their father’s, coming down into a rounded point. She had blue eyes and thin lips.
Then they caught each other’s eyes, and a sudden warmth rushed through Leta. Mabel smiled, her eyes stretching into little slits. Leta was smiling, too. After all, they were sisters.
“You made it,” Leta said.
“I made it,” Mabel agreed.
“Come inside, come inside,” Bob called from where he was standing behind his wife. Without thinking Leta took her sister’s hand and led her into the living room. Louise, Little Leta, and Hiram followed.
“I see you brought the entire crew with you,” Bob continued jovially. “Come on in and have a seat.” He ushered them into the living room. “You’re in for a real treat. Leta made some of her special raisin cookies.”
“Those cookies are marvelous!” agreed Hiram, practically licking his lips.
Mabel spent the next four weeks reconnecting with her family. She spent a week of her visit with Leta and Bob, and the sisters spent much of that time talking. Mabel told several stories of her childhood, remembering Leta’s first few years with great warmth. She shared about her brief time in Minnesota before she, her new husband Floyd, and his son Cortland moved to British Columbia. She talked about living in Canada, which, in many ways, was a foreign country to Leta. She gave Leta some Canadian money, which Bob thought was a great gift. They drove to the former location of their childhood home, a log cabin on Woodville Road. The cabin was no longer there, but Mabel remembered the area distinctively.
“Aaron and I used to fish in a little pond,” she said. “It’s gone now.”
Little Leta, Louise’s daughter, contacted the Toledo Blade. They were going to have their picture taken and a brief story in the society pages. They also planned a larger Scott family reunion to be held at the local park on Labor Day.
When it came time for Mabel to leave, all four of the siblings accompanied her to the train station. They made sure that she had enough provisions for her long journey, and several souvenirs to remind her of her siblings and her former home. They also sent gifts with he for her husband and stepson. While they were not a particularly emotional family, there was a sense of sadness in the air.
“This has been wonderful,” Mabel said with a few tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe it took me all this time to get back here.”
“We’ll see you again,” Aaron said with a smile.
And they did
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