More about Sadie, poor little Polish girl – written by me, age 10

I’m really piling on the misery here.

TWO. TERRIBLE NEWS

Sadie ran up the stairs, her heavy oxfords echoing in the dingy halls, and flung open the door to her flat. She had the lettuce hid behind her back. On her face was a big sparkling smile. That smile slowly faded. Something was wrong.

Mama was sitting at the table with her head in her hands. Neither Papa nor Stanislaus were seen or heard. Sadie noticed with surprise that Mama’s shoulders were shaking and her breathing was uneven. Was Mama … crying? Sadie had never seen Mama cry. What was she to do?

“Mama…,” she began hesitantly and took a step forward. “Mama … please …”

Mama looked up from her hands. Her cheeks were streaming with tears. Just the sight made Sadie want to cry too. Mama smiled weakly and held her arms out to Sadie.

Hastily, Sadie put the lettuce on the counter and ran into Mama’s outstretched arms. She sat on Mama’s lap, with Mama’s arms enfondling her. They rocked back and forth.

“Mama …” Sadie finally said, staring up into her mother’s sad blue eyes. “Why were you crying?”

Mama bit her lip and stroked Sadie’s blonde hair. “It was foolish of me to give way to emotions like that. I want so much for you to have a proper childhood but it is so hard when there are so many things to pay for. The grocery shop is not doing well and Papa has spent many long nights trying to make ends meet, but when we make so little and have to pay so much it is a very difficult task. That is why we have both been very sad lately. Do not think we have forgotten you, Sadie. We still love you and Stanislaus very much.”

Sadie put her arms around her mother, ashamed because she had been thinking that Mama and Papa did not care about them. “I love you too, Mama.”

It was a tender moment for the both of them. It had been so long since the two of them had shared some mother-daughter affection.

Then, Sadie pulled away from her mother’s embrace and stood up. She smiled cheerfully. “I have a surprise for you, Mama!” She turned and picked up the lettuce from the counter, but she still hid it behind her back. “It’s something you love and want very much!”

“What could it be?” Mama asked, the twinkle once again coming to her eyes.

Sadie grinned mischievously and teased, “Close your eyes, Mama! Go on!”

Smiling, Mama shut her eyes. Quietly, Sadie placed the lettuce on the table in front of Mama.

“Now you can open your eyes, Mama!” she cried.

Slowly, Mama did and when she saw the lettuce before her, her eyes widened. “Sadie …” she managed to get out. “Where did you … did you –”

“Oh no, Mama!” Sadie interrupted quickly. “I didn’t steal it. Mr. Koslosko gave it to me!”

Mama picked up the lettuce and looked over its green leaves. “It is very kind of him … but we do not need charity from–”

“It isn’t charity, Mama! Mr. Koslosko wanted us to have it! He said, ‘I’d rather have it go to a good woman like your Mama than to have it rot.’ Those were his words. I couldn’t refuse and I wanted you so much to have a salad that I …”

“Oh, Sadie, darling … you are such a good girl. Thank you! Thank you! We will have a nice salad for supper.”

Sadie, overcome with happiness at her mother’s joy, felt all shivery inside. “I’m glad you like it, Mama.”

Mama smiled but her face put on a worried appearance. “Come and sit beside me, Sadie.”

Slowly Sadie pulled a hard wooden chair out from under the table and sat down. She peered into Mama’s eyes and she, too, became worried. What was wrong now?

Mama reached out and took Sadie’s hand in both of hers. She smiled bravely and said softly, “Are you happy in school?”

Sadie immediately nodded, thinking of Mr. Balicki’s jokes, the extremely difficult but interesting lessons, the recesses spent with friends and all of the other things that made her school days pleasant. “Mr. Balicki is wonderful.”

Mama’s eyes had saddened. She swallowed and held Sadie’s hand tighter. “You know about Poland’s high rates, and the taxes we have to pay and all of the other necessities and how much they cost …”

Again, Sadie nodded. Their meals had become very scanty and Sadie understood. Food cost quite a lot and clothes even more.

Mama took a deep breath. “School prices are very high. Every year we have to pay more for you and Stanislaus to go to school and then there are the books and the paper and everything else.”

Sadie knew. She felt so guilty every time she needed a new notebook.

“So …” Mama started hesitantly. “Papa and I have come to a decision which we hope is temporary.” She paused.

Now Sadie was scared. This decision could not be good with the way Mama’s eyes were wet and her eyebrows in a worried frown, and the way she clutched Sadie’s hands with trembling fingers. And this pause made Sadie’s fears come to the surface. “Mama,” she persisted. “Mama, what is it? Tell me!”

Mama looked down at the table. “Sadie … we have to take you out of school or our taxes will never be paid.”

Horrified, Sadie was silent. She didn’t move a single muscle. Her eyes bulged in surprise and ever so slowly she took her hand out of Mama’s, staring at her as if not daring to believe that her own Mama would inflict such sadness on her daughter. No school! Why … how could she ever …

“Mama … no, I won’t … what could …” Sadie breathed, still too surprised to speak right. How could she ever bear life without school? First Ruth leaving and now this!

“Sadie,” Mama said in a quivering voice. She took Sadie’s hand. “Try to understand. Things are going so badly now, and if we take you out of school, we may have enough money to go to America. But for now, this is the only solution.”

Sadie, confused and scared, stared at the table. She wasn’t able to hold in her pent-up emotions any longer. She buried her face in her hands and started to sob. She couldn’t stop – too many bad things had been thrown at her at once. She was so stunned by the latest news that she couldn’t say a word, but cry on and on.

“Stanislaus has been told and he is just as disappointed as you. Sadie, dear …” Mama began, wishing that there was something she could say to comfort her wailing daughter, but what was there to say?

A noise was heard at the door. Sadie turned her hot wet face to see who it was. There stood Stanislaus, a tall manly boy with fair hair and blue eyes. His face ached with pain at the sight of Sadie crying.

On a sudden impulse, Sadie jumped up, almost knocking her chair over, and ran to her brother. He hugged her for a while and then put his hand under her chin and lifted her face upward. “Sadie,” he said. “Listen. Please don’t cry. I feel like crying too. Believe me. We can study together every day. It won’t be the same, I know, but tomorrow you can tell Mr. Balicki that you’re leaving and maybe he’ll let you keep your books.”

Sadie siffed and forced herself to stop crying. It would only make Mama feel worse. She rubbed her eyes with her fists and brushed the tears off of her cheeks. She turned to Mama and smiled bravely.

“It’ll be all right. I was just so stunned, I –” she tried to explain. Mama smiled.

“Don’t worry about it.” Mama stood up, wiped her hands on the dirty white apron tied around her deep green skirt and picked up the lettuce. She looked it over and smiled at Sadie. “This is a fine head of lettuce you have brought me, Sadie.”

Stanislaus glanced at Sadie curiously. “Sadie brought it home? How?”

“Mr. Kosloslo gave it to me,” Sadie replied proudly.

“What? You know how Papa is about charity! I feel the same way. He just feels sorry for us!” Stanislaus cried angrily.

Sadie glared at him. “That is not true! He thinks Mama is a good, kind woman and business has gone good for him today anyway, so one lettuce is not a big sacrifice!” Sadie’s voice rose to a yell in her indignation.

Stanislaus said no more but whirled around and stalked out. Mama did not worry. Stanislaus’ temper fired up every now and then and he would always go somewhere to cool off and would be back an hour alter, as good-natured as ever.

“He makes me so mad sometimes!” Sadie fumed, her face still red from crying. Her head was pounding from crying and then yelling. All in all, Sadie’s day had been absolutely miserable.

“He is a good boy, though. He cares about his family. Now come, let us make the salad together.”

So Sadie and Mama set to work and made a fine salad which everyone loved, including Stanislaus. Papa did not mind that Mr. Koslosko gave Sadie the lettuce. He was a special friend of Mr. Koslosko, and the vegetable man often delivered the vegetables for Papa’s store.

For the whole afternoon and evening. Sadie held her despair inside but they were constantly on her mind. Life was certainly not working out very pleasantly. Ruth would be leaving for America and Sadie would probably never see her again and now Sadie would be taken out of school, the one remaining joy in her life. Chores. That would be all Sadie would have to do now. Washing dishes, cooking, cleaning the kitchen, dusting in Papa’s store, and more! Why did America have to be so far away?

The only time Sadie got a chance to let her sadness out was in bed. She had a good long cry after snuggling down under covers. Life was just a big nothing to her now! Nothing special, no treats, nothing to look forward to … And to end off Sadie’s dismal day, she fell asleep on a drenched pillow.