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MeganKelly
ProfessorLynnM.Raymond
UWRT1203
1October2015
Amythest
,AMothersBestFriend
JanetYarbroughawokejustpastthewitchinghour,atimewhenthereishazeandblurs
acrossnotonlytheshadowynight,butalsotheminditself.Rubbinghereyes,shesatupslowly,
carefulnottowakeheroldersisterMarywholaidstrewnacrosswhatseemedtobe,intheeyes
ofasevenyearoldJanet,morethanherfairshareofthebed.OfcourseJanetknewitsbestnot
tothrowafitaboutsuchthings,andslippedoutofbedslowly,withtinyfeetreachingoutbeside
thebedtofindtheslippersshehadgottenwiththismonthsshoerations.Janet,likemanyothers
ofthetime,understoodthatarationsystemwasnecessarytoassurethattheUnitedStatescould
giveasmuchmaterialstohersoldiersaspossible,butastheabrasiveinsoleoftheshoemeets
herfoot,shealmostcursesthenecessityofTheGreatWar(Theien).
InterruptingJanetsesotericandimmaturedebacleoverrations,atinklingnoisearose
fromdownstairs,gentlyseepingunderherandMarysdoor.Oh!Itmustbehermother,of
course.AsmileetcheditselfacrossJanetsfaceprematurelyasshespuntothedoor,twirlingand
twistinginherslippers.Hermotherwasalwaysquitethemusician,playingthekeysinaway
thatjusttookJanettoabettertime.Janetwouldtwirlandskipinthespacebeforethegrand
pianoeverySundayafterchurch,takenawaybyhowmelodicallyhermothertickledtheivories.
Themelodieswouldbeclassical,ofcourse,Janetsmotherhadlittletimewhennotkeepingcare

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ofthecowsorsevenchildrentospendtimeonnewshowtunes.Still,Janetcouldunderstandwhy
thesetunesstoodthetestoftime.
Janetquietlybegandescendingthestairs,clutchingtherailingastonottripinthedim
light.Witheachstepsheslowed,fallingintotherhythmofwhatcouldonlybeBeethovens
MoonlightSonata
,aremarkablyappropriatetunefortheoccasion.Ecstaticoverseeingher
motherforreasonsshecouldnotquiteplace,herpacefeltlikeaneternityofsaunteringdownthe
stairs.Withamercurialandchildlikemind,shefelloutofrhythmanddartedovertothepiano,
tryingtoconcealgigglesthatwouldlikelywakethewholehouseandtheGermanspyplanesas
herfatherusedtosay.Thegirlsblueeyesdancedabout,brightinthedimroom,skimmingover
acandleflickeringoverthepiano.ThisiswhenJanetsawher.Thiswasnothermother.

Fig.1.Deceptiveandbeautifulwoman
playingpiano.Source:Rodrigues,Ilda,
VictorianWomanPlayingPiano.
Janetsstomachdroppedandthemusicstopped.Hereyesblurredandherknees
weakenedandthereshecrumbled,before
her.
Her.Nothermotherwhohadpassedinlate1942.
Hernewstepmother,asofJune14,1944.Threedaysbeforeherfathersdeath.Fourteendays,
exactly,beforeshewokeupjustpastthestrokeofmidnight.Perhapsitwassomecoping

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mechanismofavoidingbeingnearlyanorphanormaybeitwasachildslackofsleep,butJanet
hadmistookenhernewstepmother,EdnaEarl,forsomeoneshehadnotseeninnearlytwoyears.
Oh,howshefeltthefool.Hertears,inthisposition,luckilyrandirectlyfromhereyestothe
carpet.
Oh!Janet!EdnaEarlsvoicerang,softyethighpitched.Thetonewaslessthan
soothing,yetJanetdidnotresistmuchwhenthewomanscoopedherintoherarms.
Janet,darling,youmustn'tbeawakeatthishourEdnaschidingdieddownasJanet
wastoofargonetorespondtoanyscolding.Oh,mysweet,youreaYarbroughafterall.
Stubbornyetsweetwhenyouneedtobe,liketherestofyouEnglishfolk.EdnaheldJanet
firmlyastheyoungerburiedherfaceintothebosomoftheelder.Ednapausedand,aftera
momentofdebate,satdownonthepianostoolwithJanetnowinherlap,facingintoher.Softly,
Ednabegantoplayoncemore,atuneJanetdidnotrecognize.ItsoundedJanetwasntquite
sureoftheemotion.
JanetslowlyliftedherheadtolooktoEdna.Ameekvoicecameout.Whatwhatis
this?
Ednaclosedhereyes,continuingtoplayasthoughinatrance.Anoldtune
Blowthe
CandleDown
.Janetstillcouldntplacetheemotion,thoughherthoughtswanderedtoher
motherandfatherandsomehowsheknewthatEdnaunderstoodandwasfeelingthesame.The
songcontinued,addingsparkstoawetandmuddiedhouse,andconcludedwithanarpeggiothat
hadceasedJanetstearsyetleftaresidualurgetomourn.
Quietly,EdnareacheddownintoJanetshandandgiftedherabroochthatshecouldnt
seewellinthedimagaincandlelight.Itwasyourmothers.Philliyourfather,helditwithhim,

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evenonourfirstdateandonthefoolslast.HelovedherandthisfamilydearlyJanet,thatiswhy
Iamhere.TosavewhathelovedandwhatItoohavebeguntofeelthesamefor.Janetdidnt
quitecatchthemeaningbutnodding,runningherfingersalongthesmallobject.
Whysitsobumpy?
Ednalaughed,whichwasasmusicalthanherplayingandjustasgraceful.Theyre
gems,amethyst.YourmotherandIsharedmorethanonetrickofthetradeincommon,theyre
beautifulmineralsmadeinthecoreoftheEarthandbothofourfavoriteGodmadecreations,
otherthanyouofcourse.ShestrokedJanetscheekgently.Oneday,youllunderstandwhy.

2006
JanetKellysighed,doingsomeheavyliftingtomoveinsomeoftheboxesfullofher
recentlydeceasedstepmothersbelongings.Shesetaboxonthepianoofherhouse,runningout
ofspace,andheardadistinctiveclangonthekeys.Worriedshehaddroppedsomethingor,
heavenforbid,brokensomething,shequicklyturnedherheadovertothenoiseandbentover.A
purpleshineglintedbackupatherandshegaspedeversoslightly.Carefully,withgentlehands,
shepickedupthealltoofamiliarbroochandgazedattheamethystsheenofthegems.Shed
seenenoughofthejoyonhergrandaughterMegansfaceattherockandgemmuseumtheyhad
visitedtoknowwhatusethisdeserved.Feelingsmilesofgenerationspastandtiedtogether
throughsomethingasmundaneasarock,shecouldnthelpbutsmileherselfandpassonthe
lovingtradition.

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Theien,Iselin.FoodRationingDuringWorldWarTwo:ASpecialCaseofSustainable
Consumption?
AnthropologyofFood
.(2009).