It
was the Sunday after Thanksgiving – late afternoon. Ina was enjoying a quiet
time of reflection as darkness fell on the room. She was comfortable in her old
rocking chair near the dining room window, her well-worn Bible open in her lap.
Her husband Jack was dozing in another rocker near the fireplace. Soon she and
Jack would have a light supper and then listen to a radio program before bed.
 |
| Orofino in the early days |
Jack
and Ina had homesteaded this land on the breaks of the Clearwater River south
of Orofino, Idaho, some 35 years ago. The land was both their home and their livelihood. Now in their 60s, their six children grown
and gone except for the youngest, Shirley, the elderly couple still worked hard
to sustain themselves through the farm.
 |
| Jack and Ina's place |
Suddenly
the telephone box on the wall began to jangle, jolting Ina from her reverie. As
if coming out of a dream, she recognized their ring – short short long – and
hurried to lift the receiver.
“I
have a long distance person-to-person call for Mrs. Julian Dobson from Mrs.
Ernest Robinson,” intoned the operator at the central exchange in Orofino. “Is
that you, Ina? Will you accept Ethel’s call?”
“Yes,
Mabel,” Ina responded.
“We’ve
reached your party, Mrs. Robinson. Go ahead, please,” said the long-distance operator.
“Hello,
Mama. Everything is fine here. How’s everything there?” Ethel’s voice squawked
over the line. “Listen, Mama,” continued Ethel, “I’ll make it quick. Ernest is
between assignments, see, and we can get away for Christmas. Mama, we wondered
if we could spend Christmas at the farm.”
Ina
was momentarily stunned. She wondered if she were dreaming after all, but she
had the proof of the receiver in her hand. “Why, yes – yes, that would be fine,
Ethel. When should we expect you?”
Ethel
explained that she would not talk longer since she had already mailed a letter
with further details.
Ina
could scarcely believe that the call had happened. The anticipation of a grandchild
in her home for Christmas was all Ina needed to set her in a whirl. Jack,
roused from his nap by the telephone, was now wide awake and asking what Ethel
had said. Ina explained briefly but added that they would have to await Ethel’s
letter. KW
Did the telephone ring whenever anyone got a call and they just had to know the morse ring for their line?
ReplyDeleteOn a party line, at least in that era, all the rings came in on your phone. You only answered your "Morse" ring. A party line was anything but private because you could lift your receiver and listen in. Some people eavesdropped on calls as a form of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteGreat start! This reader will be looking for the next installment. (And I still say Ethel could give Bette Davis a run for the money in the eye department.)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris. I only hope I don't run dry in the second week. . .
ReplyDeleteI agree about the eyes. And I remember my sisters saying that Ethel's daughter, Shirley Jean, had beautiful eyes.