Freda's Place

Cybil Wheeler was to be cast as Juliet.  Of course, she was.  That was an inevitable fact.    The boy had walked to that audition sure that this was his chance to gaze into his muse's eyes on a daily basis with no one becoming the wiser.   Lee volunteered to be the first one to stand on the stage and take his turn at reading the hero's famous monologue from the play's second act.    "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" began Lee Graham with all the surety of  a Barrymore taking to the boards.  It seemed the boy was a shoe-in to play the love-struck hero of Shakespeare.  Everyone in the audience, those other brave children who had come to try out for the play, leaned forward in their seats entranced by the boy who stood before them, professing his adoration for the lovely Cybil Wheeler, who everyone knew, even before she had her turn to read for the teacher, would be Juliet.  ...

One day the teacher in Alma decided her class should put on a play.  She chose Romeo and Juliette , saying it was high time her students learned about the marvelous work of Mr. William Shakespeare.  Auditions were to be on a Friday after school.   At first Lee Graham showed no interest whatsoever in participating in scholastically sponsored dramatics.  Even when his teacher, Miss Laslow, told him there are never enough boys who try out for parts in the theater, Lee shook his head, no.  Even when Mrs. White and Esther tried to talk him into reconsidering what they considered to be a surprisingly unadventurous choice.  "I've never known you to avoid a challenge," said Mrs. White.  "I bet he's chicken," said Esther, trying without success to goad the boy into auditioning for the play.  Even Lee's own mother could not convince him to try stepping out onto the boards of Alma's tiny theater.  "I don't think so," the boy told Poll...

When Lee was 14 years old, he met a nice girl named Cybil.  Cybil moved into the Episcopal Church rectory in Alma when her father was called to be the priest at the very church Lee had attended ever since the first night he went there with Mrs. White and her party for Christmas Eve.    Polly had joined the church after that first Christmas with Mrs. White too. Josiah Graham was furious when he found out his family had become church-goers.  Luckily for all concerned, it took  several years for him to notice.  It wasn't 'til one October when he was too sick with bronchitis  to travel around selling his Bibles that Josiah Graham learned his wife and son had joined the "Bible-thumping throng."  Lee always thought it odd a Bible salesman would speak so disparagingly of believers.  The boy asked his father about that once.  "How come you don't like church-goers, Dad?"   "Becau...

Chapter Six, Part Two, Christmas With Mrs. White -- Santa Clause!   Snow was falling as Polly and her children walked back up Main St. behind Mrs. White and Esther.  This seemed like this was the Christmas Lee had always hoped for.  Here he was with the mother and sister he loved, in the company of friends.  The snow was perfect, making the whole of Alma look soft and fresh.  He didn't mind the cold at all, realizing that by morning this snow would be just right for sledding.  If only he had a sled!  Then it occurred to him to wonder if somewhere in her great big house, Mrs. White had a sled he could borrow.  Lee let go of his mother's hand and doubled up his pace until he stood between Mrs. White and her lady servant.    "I was just wondering, Ma'am...I don't mean to be pushy...but I wondered if maybe you own a sled?"    Mrs. White stopped dead in her tracks and Esther stopped in her own.  The both loo...

Chapter Six, Christmas With Mrs. White, Part Two by Lulabelle Gimlin The light supper Mrs. White referred to was the biggest meal Lee had ever seen. "That sure is a lot of food," the boy cried as he ran ahead of the women, little Livie racing after him equally delighted.  "Lee!" commanded Polly.  "Livie!  I'll not have you running in Mrs. White's lovely home!  You both know better than that!"  "Oh it's no worry," said Esther.  "The Mrs. and I are glad to see your children enjoy themselves, isn't that right, Mrs. White?"  "It certainly is," she smiled.  "But Polly is a good mother trying to teach her children how to behave in company, so we must support her in laying down some rules for her youngsters."  Then she turned to Livie and Lee, her eyes twinkling as she said, "You two know Santa Clause is coming here tonight, don't you?"  "Santa?" asked Livie.  "H...

Chapter Six, Christmas With Mrs. White by Lulabelle Gimlin The Christmas before Livie died, Josiah Graham was away in San Francisco.  He left two days after Thanksgiving and stayed gone until the end of March.  That winter was the best of Lee Graham's life.  Knowing Polly's husband was away, Mrs. White invited the young mother and her to children to spend Christmas in her home.  "You can bring your children to my place the afternoon of Christmas Eve and we can walk to church together." She meant the little church in Alma.  Polly had never been there.  In Wellsville, she'd attended the Methodist church with her parents.  Since coming to Alma with her husband, Polly never felt church was a place for her.  She'd gotten married because she had to and most everyone knew it and her husband was not what one could call a "man of God."  Josiah Graham was more a man of the world than one destined for hea...

Chapter Five, Polly Sets Priorities by Lulabelle Gimlin On Lee's ninth birthday, a telegram came for his Mama.  Polly had never received a telegram before and was apprehensive from the very moment she heard one had arrived.  The man behind the counter at Alma's general store told her when she came in that morning to buy fixings for a sumptuous birthday supper, which was to include an apple cake.  "Missus Graham, that messenger boy from the Western Union Office in Wellsville was here a few minutes ago.  He brought something for you."  The shopkeeper, a burley man named Ben Carver, reached under the counter and handed a brown envelope to Lee's mama.  "I was gonna walk it up to your place, but, since you're here..."  Polly Graham read the telegram silently as all the shoppers and the shopkeeper looked on, waiting to see if she would be happy or sad when she finished.  It was impossible to read emotion on the woman's face.  That was n...

Chapter Four, Almost Thanksgiving by Lulabelle Gimlin The day before Thanksgiving the year Lee's mother was expecting his baby sister, Josiah Graham returned from one of his long trips out west. He  said California was the very best market for bibles.  He said all them Spanish conquistadors and the priests they brought with them had laid a fertile groundwork for modern-day bible salesmen.  Evidently that autumn's trip west had been a particularly lucrative one.  Lee's father came home in a better mood then usual and he brought his family presents.  For Polly, there was a set of wooden embroidery hoops, along with needles and thread and cloth.  "A fine little lady who lives in Sacramento helped me pick them out for you, Polly.  I met that gal on the train from San Francisco and we had such a nice time and she was about your age, so I figured she'd know what you would like."  Truthfully, Polly had never been much for sewing and had no ide...

The Life and Times of Lee Graham is a Second Life Novel, written by Lulabelle Gimlin.  Chapter Three has just been added for your reading pleasure.  Lulabelle Gimlin works in her room above the Philomenaville stables.