The Adventures of Minnie:
Minnie Saves the Day
by Melodye Benson Rosales

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Chapter One

Grandmama's Gift

It was a bright, summer afternoon, and Chicago's 12th Street Station was bustling with people, scurrying here, hurrying there, saying their hellos or their good-byes.

"Papa! Papa!" Hester called out as her father's face appeared through the crowd. She could always find Papa at the train station. He was a tall man who towered above most people. His dark brown skin and thick, black mustache gave his face a most handsome look. To Hester, Papa seemed like a king parading past his court as he gallantly strode down the wooden platform.

Since early morning, way before Sunday school, Hester Merriweather had been impatiently waiting for her father to arrive. Papa worked for the Illinois Central Railroad as a Pullman porter. Sometimes he would be away for days at a time, so Hester was always happy when he came home. But this time was even better. Papa was coming home after his trip down South. Hester knew that meant he was bringing her a surprise from Grandmama Alfie, and she could hardly hold herself still.

"Papa! Papa!" Hester waved wildly back and forth.

Papa caught sight of Hester trying to stretch herself above the crowd. He gave her a wide smile and blew her a kiss.

Hester quickly climbed down from the station bench and tried to shove her way past Annie, her older sister, who was also there waiting with their mother.

"Stop pushing, Hester! Papa's got something for me, too, you know," Annie said.

Hester had barely slept a wink the night before. All she could do was imagine the big box with a pretty pink bow that Papa would bring the present home in. But, as Papa came closer, Hester's excitement began to melt away. There was no big box in Papa's arms.

"What's the matter, puddin'?" Papa asked.

Hester's voice rose just above a whisper. "You forgot Grandmama's surprise." "Oh, my!" Papa laughed. "Is that why you have those big ol' tears welling up in your little brown eyes?" Slowly Papa reached down into his large leather satchel and removed the soft, lumpy package Grandmama Alfie had carefully wrapped in brown paper and twine.

"Is this surprise enough to dry those weepy eyes?" Papa grinned as he handed the package to a happy Hester. Then he turned to Mama and Annie and gave them both a big hug.

"Papa," Annie said. "Isn't there something in your bag for me?" Papa smiled. He pulled a small box from his coat pocket and opened it. Inside the box was a handmade bracelet crafted from different-sized pebbles, no two of them alike. Each stone had been smoothly polished like glass and strung together with wire. A shiny brass heart delicately carved with tiny snapdragons sat in the center of the bracelet.

"Oh, Papa!" Annie cried. "It's so beautiful. I've never seen anything like it."

Annie eagerly held her arm out so Papa could fasten the bracelet around her wrist.

Mama and Hester took a seat on the station bench, and Hester excitedly tugged at the twine.

"I can help you if you like, Hester."

"I know how to do it, Mama. I can do it." Hester tore open the package.

"O-oh, Mama! Look!"

There, beneath that plain brown paper, was the cutest little rag doll Hester had ever seen. Its soft, cotton body and face were an especially colorful toasty brown. And the mop of dark yarn on top of its head was twisted into curls like water spouting from a fancy fountain. Sitting on top of that was a broad-brimmed hat. And covering the doll's red-and-white checkered smock, layered with a blue-striped pinafore, was a tightly knitted sweater. It had seven shiny buttons, each one with a look all its own. And peeking out from under the smock were white cotton pantaloons trimmed in lace. Each piece of clothing looked old and faded from years of wear.

Hester kept staring at the doll's face, gentlytouching its hair. She had never seen a colored doll before. Finally, Hester broke her trance. "Papa!" She called out as she held up the little rag doll for him to see. "Look! A doll! A pretty brown doll!"

"Ah, but that's not just any doll." Papa walked over to Hester. "Grandmama Alfie made her just for you. See—"

Papa pointed to a pink satin ribbon that was tied to the doll's left arm. At the end of the ribbon was a note:

"Papa," Hester said, "nobody else in the whole wide world has a doll like this?"

"That's right, puddin'. Nobody. That's just one of the things that makes her so special."

"What's the other thing, Papa?" Hester promptly asked.

"Well . . . er . . . uh . . ." Papa hesitated, then cleared his throat. It seemed that he hadn't really thought of another special thing.

"Papa's saving that story for bedtime, Hester," Mama quickly chimed in. "Isn't that right, Papa?"

"Why, yes!" Papa said with relief.

"Oh, Papa!" Hester cried.

Then she reached out and squeezed her father with the biggest hug her arms could muster.

The family made their way to the car. Hester jumped in the backseat, snuggled close to the window with her doll, and whispered: "Now we both can see where we're going, little doll."

"Girls, I want you to write a nice letter to your grandmother and thank her for your gifts," Mama said.

"Yes, Mama," said Annie.

Hester didn't answer. She was much too busy whispering secrets to the little rag doll.

Mama was quiet as she climbed in the car and settled herself in the front seat. Papa knew that meant something was troubling her. "How'd things go while I was away, Willie?" Papa said as he started the car. Hester loved it when Papa called Mama, Willie. It was short for Willimena, and Hester thought it sounded warm and comfortable.

"Fine . . . I suppose." Mama turned her attention toward the window.

"What's troubling you?" Papa asked.

Mama turned back to Papa. "Well, it's just that my parents are coming for dinner tomorrow evening. You know they like everything to be just perfect, and I have so many things to do to get ready. Especially making that butter pound cake of mine - my father simply adores that cake."

"Just relax yourself, Willie. Everything's gonna be all right. Ain't no use worrying yourself about it now."

"Papa!" Annie exclaimed primly. "Mama always says, 'Don't say ain't because it's not in the dictionary.'"

"And I guess your Mama should know. After all, she is the best teacher at Carter School," Papa smiled and gave Mama a confident wink as they drove off, heading for home.

"Mama?" Hester gave a curious look at her doll. "Since my doll was born in Mississippi like Papa, does she talk like that, too?" Everyone laughed, except Hester.

"That's silly, Hester," Annie said. "Dolls can't talk." Hester turned back toward the window and whispered again to the little rag doll: "You can so talk. I know it."

Copyright © 2001 by Melodye Benson Rosales