It was long enough to scare Aunt Loula. Long enough to make Ida cry. Long enough for Henry and Charlie to move the loom out of sight. That night Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Jeremiah made hours of quiet talk by the fire. They decided I needed a change. Everything was set the next day. Grandpa packed a good knife and wool blankets. Aunt Loula and Uncle Jeremiah saw to the food. Grandma wrapped herbs in bundles for sore throat, cough, pain, and rest. Henry gave me a long wool army coat and fur mitts. Ida slipped my diary and a pencil in the basket with my change of clothes. “You can have any crayon of mine that you want to borrow,” she said proudly. “If it is green or blue or purple.” I didn’t care about those stupid crayons, but Aunt Loula smiled, proud of Ida’s generosity, so I had to take one of each and say thank you. When the good-byes were done, I set off in the fish canoe that Grandma passed down to me. It was just me and the waves for the whole day it would take me to paddle to Susi’s post office in Kalaloch.
