Walter
Pa did well at City Service. He was a fast learner, and Bob liked him. The customers took to him, too. Pa made good money. We had meat and potatoes for supper every night. On his way home, Pa would stop at Podorozny’s to buy fresh fruit. Soon he had saved enough money to buy all of us new shoes. Pa bought black lace-up shoes.
I showed Ma some beautiful toeless high heels. “Ooh, look, Ma! For you!”
“Get out!” she said, laughing.
Ma bought black lace-up shoes.
I begged her to let me try on some pretty red
shoes with bows. But I got black lace-up shoes, too. Maybe someday …
One evening Pa sat in the rocking chair studying a piece of paper. I stood by him and looked over his shoulder. He was looking at the application for the Civilian Conservation Corps. He stroked the place where Walter had signed it. He touched it again. Then he sighed. I kissed his cheek and gave him a big hug. And he let me.
It was odd how things worked out. It was terrible, terrible when Walter died. And then, after a while, all the good things started happening to us. It would have been better if Walter had been here to know all the good things, too. But maybe he did know. I could picture him sitting with the angels, listening to Ma singing, and smiling down on us. Setting things up and making sure only good things happened to me and Victoria and Ma and Pa. Someday, when I have children of my own, I’ll tell them all about Walter.
“Once I had a brother named Walter. He made me laugh, and he bought me birthday presents, and he protected me from bullies. He was proud of me, and he wanted me to be a teacher. But he was the real teacher. Once I had a brother named Walter, and he was the best brother in America.”
