Tag-Along

Wyoming - 1934

When I was nine years old, I was sure that my brother, Tom, was the most ornery human being on God's green earth. There were only three years between us but once he hit twelve, he acted like we were as many decades apart.

Most of the time he didn't do anything...and that was the problem. We used to play in the ravine, making mud pies and wading into the water when the summer heat caught us.

But now Tom ignored me most of the time, too busy with his friends.

I stayed clear of him after he called me a tag-along. I was playing House in Pa's shed and Tom walked past with his friends.

"Is Dorothy around?" Arthur Mitchell asked. I'd been sweet on him for about forever and I placed my hand on the shed's door, ready to go out and maybe walk beside him when Tom's reply flattened me.

"Naw. Tag-along's probably playin' with her dolls'."

They laughed, but I was crushed. How dare they all laugh at me? Especially Arthur...

There was a suspicious prickling behind my eyes that threatened tears but I sniffed hard and forced them away. I didn't want to show up for dinner with red eyes and have Tom ask a bunch of stupid questions.

/

Besides Tom's new attitude, the other thing in my thoughts was the singing contest on the 24th. It was a Christmas Eve benefit to help families in our community hit hardest by the Depression.

At that time, I didn't care about homeless families so much as the prize for the best girl singer at the benefit. The prize was a shiny ring with five - five! - tiny red rubies set around the band.

Looking back on that ring, I know that the gold was some kind of cheap, painted metal and the 'rubies' were really just glass. But when I was nine, it held all the allure of the diamond mines in my favorite book - A Little Princess.

There was a special display at the general store that had a poster about the benefit and then all the prizes lined up, waiting for the winners. I'd press my nose against the glass and stare at that ring. Sometimes the sun would catch it just so and set it to shimmering and glittering until I had to look away.

And then Tom would come out.

"Hey, Tag-along, you buyin' anythin'?"

I turned and glared at him. "You know I don't have any money," I snapped.

"Well, you've gotta go. Mr. Mitchell doesn't like it when people loiter."

I'd roll my eyes. But I always went.

Tom had gotten a job at Mr. Mitchell's store only a couple months ago and if his head was swelled before, it was nothing compared to how he got now.

At first I'd been excited like Pa and Ma. Now I could go to the store and eat as much penny candy as I wanted! Now I'd get to see Arthur more because Mr. Mitchell was his pa.

But none of those shiny dreams came true. Since I could never afford to be a customer at the store, Tom always shooed me away sooner or later. Said that it didn't look good to Mr. Mitchell and that he had to keep this job.

He was a pain.

/

In preparation for the benefit, I sang in our backyard, on the walk to school, and just about everywhere else. It was less than two weeks away.