Learning to Love the Other Side

Tea, Sewing, and Irresistible Gossip (Josie)

Josephine entered Ms. Green's house. It was a darling, homey place, that gave off a comfortable and grandmotherly vibe. Josie loved the quaint home; especially the grand rugs, curtains, and decorations Ms. Green had collected throughout her life to decorate her home with. The late Mr. Green had been decently well off and had showered his wife with many gifts and money to purchase the items that sat prettily in her home. Ms.Green also had a large collection of teacups, teapots, and serving spoons that she had aesthetically displayed throughout her home. This was Josephine's favorite part about the house. Each delicate piece of china had an important story to go with it, and Ms. Green would regularly tell Josie extravagant stories behind the serving ware. She often times wondered if Ms. Green was exaggerating when she would tell her stories, but no matter, Josie was fascinated by the tales regardless.

"Come Josephine, have a seat," Ms. Green requested, patting the sofa beside her.

Josie sat down on the patterned, firm loveseat and folded her hands over the basket that held the baked goods Josie had made earlier that morning.

"Now dear, I know you're going to be cross with me, but I have spoken to the Reverand and he agrees that you and his son would be an excellent match," Ms. Green said, pleased with herself.

Josephine pursed her lips. "Ms. Green, you know I am not interested in William-or any man for that matter. The war is upon us and I do not have the time or energy to force myself to fall in love with a man that will be leaving for war anyway." Josie replied, slightly exasperated.

Josie loved the older woman dearly, but her constant matchmaking efforts bothered Josie, and she viewed it as silly and futile.

"You know, my friend Sarah is looking for a suitor since her courtship with John fell through," Josie tacked on, plastering an excited and encouraging smile on her face, hoping to persuade Ms. Green to torment her man crazy friend and not herself.

Ms. Green eyed Josie with a knowing look, and clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "My dear child, I know you're afraid of love, but it is only right that you marry and have children. That is the way the good Lord intends it."

Josie was feeling agitated and began fiddling with her hands in her lap. She didn't have time for a man right now. She needed to help the men fighting in the war, not woo them into a relationship before they set off to war. Plus, from what she heard from gossip, and what she had seen in the medical tent, entering into a new relationship with a man was a disaster waiting to happen. She was not about to marry a man she hardly knew just to have him go to war and die. Josie didn't understand Ms.Green's logic whatsoever.

"Okay, I will keep my eyes open, but no promises," Josie conceded, deciding she was going to get nowhere with Ms. Green's hardheadedness.

Ms. Green nodded her head with approval. "Wonderful! Perhaps I will introduce you to William as soon as possible." Ms. Green eyed Josie with her eyebrows slightly raised, seeming to dare Josie to disagree with the matchmaking queen.

Ms. Green glanced at her grandfather clock and gasped. "Oh dear! It looks like I was pestering you for far longer than I had intended! The ladies will be here soon to start sewing," Ms. Green fretted, pulling herself off from the couch and hobbling over towards her kitchen.

Josie laughed, looking at Ms. Green fondly. Ms. Green knew about her feelings and thoughts, and genuinely wanted Josie to be happy, but her tactics were mischievous. One wouldn't guess by the elderly women's age and appearance, but Ms.Green was a firecracker.

"My dear, would you start the tea? I'll arrange the muffins and cookies," Ms. Green asked.

"Of course! I lost track of time too. The topic of men got my heart swooning and my mind quite faint with excitement, I can hardly think correctly," Josie mirrored Ms. Green's mischievous look from earlier and grinned.

Ms.Green smiled at Josie, "You are too much, Josie. One of these days a man will make your heart swoon and your mind faint with excitement, just you wait and see. If I am correct, which I always am, you must spend an entire afternoon playing the pianoforte and singing to me. I do miss your beautiful voice..."

Josie didn't think Ms. Green was right, but she knew better than to refute her. "I shall sing and play the piano all afternoon for you, Ms. Green...If indeed you are correct," she said with a nod and a smile.

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Knock, knock, knock

Josie hurried over to the door to greet the first ladies to arrive. She opened the door with a welcoming smile. She always greeted the women at the door because it ailed Ms. Green to get up and down too often, though the woman was usually stubborn and got up and about regardless of the doctor's requests.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Atridge!"

"Hello." Ms. Winter said, eyeing Josie with a frosty glare as she brushed aside Josephine. Mrs. Winter was a woman in her early thirties. Her husband had joined the war already, and she had two children, both older than ten. Josie always admired the woman's tall, slender, and elegant stature, and beautiful brown hair and blue eyes, but she certainly did not like the woman's personality. Josie thought her personality was rotten and she was too self-focused and self-righteous for her own good.

Josie was enveloped into a warm hug. "Oh hello, dear Josephine! I am so piqued to hear your tales from the medical line. You must be helping so many poor men, and I am so proud of your efforts! Not many women can brave the battlefield wounds," Mrs. Atridge eagerly said, her bubbly personality lighting up the room.

Josie and Mrs. Atridge were about ten years apart, but the two women got along extremely well. Mrs. Atridge was already married, had one kid and was newly pregnant. The woman was always smiling and her fiery red hair was always slightly strewn about and her ivory skin slightly burned from walking in the sun. She was pretty and dainty.

"I will tell you of my first day over sewing and tea. It was not as glorious as I had imagined, and I am afraid to say my stomach has been quite sour and my thoughts plagued ever since," Josie replied honestly, a weak but polite smile on her lips. She trusted Ms.Green and Mrs. Atridge, and felt like they were the only women she truly got along with and trusted not to gossip her thoughts and worries.

Mrs. Atridge gave Josie a concerned look, "Oh! I simply could not imagine..." she exclaimed, pressing her gloved hand against her bodice in distress.

The rest of the sewing group arrived in a timely manner and the group of ten women gathered into a circle and took up their needles and began to sew and gossip. Josie liked listening to the gossip, something she had to regularly ask the Lord for forgiveness for, but didn't like to contribute. She felt like it was a dirty thing to do.

"Well, did you hear that Annabelle's husband just up and left yesterday morning to join the war without saying goodbye? My, I couldn't imagine being abandoned like that. I just knew that they were having marital issues, but had no idea the extent of it! Poor dear..."

Here we go, thought Josie with a roll of her eyes, but her ears listening intently. She couldn't help but listen to the juicy gossip.

***Hi guys! If you enjoyed this chapter, it would mean a lot to me if you would vote and leave a comment:) How are you liking Josie's character and her side of the war? Do you think Ms. Green is right when she says Josie will find love?

I hope you all are having a great week! Thanks for reading!***