She was nervous, almost to the point of inertia, how would she do it? It would require leaving all that she knew - her sisters, they were so close and her job, she loved teaching the students in the one room schoolhouse. Just a few of the neighbor kids on the surrounding farms. She loved seeing their bright and shining faces each morning. Those cold mornings with the rosy cheeks as they stumbled up the small hill - sometimes slogging through knee deep snow - stopping to throw one or two snowballs before finally coming in to warm up. Take off all of the layers and settle in. She was so used to getting up early, finishing up a few of her own morning chores then starting to walk to the school house to fire up the stove - so once the students arrived it would be warm - which reminded her - would the new teacher know how to do this? She’d heard on her last visit to town that it was a city girl taking her place - coming from Des Moines. Lots of rumor about - why here? In Exira, such a small town with few newcomers except for the 4th of July celebration - but her own family would be left behind. Maxine sighed, not to worry about that - need to consider how much my own life will change now that marriage was on the horizon. She could no longer teach, which she felt conflicted about. Why could unmarried women teach, but not married. She supposed the complications of a family, bearing children of her own - so how could she work? She chuckled to herself about that. She would still be working, but it would be the unpaid kind of work. The sort that paid in kisses and hugs and arguments, and tender moments and stolen glances, and chores and long walks and squeals of laughter - not a monetary venture to be sure. What had she been thinking when she agreed to drive from Iowa to Oregon to meet Merion there - to get married? What kind of life would she have out there? What could or would she do? She supposed she could get active in the church - and help as best she could. She felt relieved that her high school classmate Marie was going to join her. She could not imagine driving all of that way alone. So many warnings, people she barely knew in town were stopping to ask her about her trip. She wondered how they knew. Her mother-in-law to be may have said something. She supposed living with a stranger until the wedding date would also be an adventure of sorts. She could be living with her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law was a peculiar woman, lost her husband when she had three young boys to care for, she had to move back home - back to her family farm. To go back home after having the freedom to leave - that would be so hard. She had never remarried. At least not yet, though, it had been about 20 years, so maybe she had not found someone or she was done with married life. This family that Merion had found for her to live with - she felt nervous about living with strangers but they were good Christians, so when asked, they said their home was open to her - Maxine felt that nervousness creep back in. What would she do? Merion would work long hours - so she would have plenty of time to do what exactly? She sighed, I really will miss teaching. Maybe I could teach Sunday school - now that was something a married woman could do. She stared down at her hands. Already calloused from her work outside. She was responsible for the chickens, the fruit trees and the garden, she supposed one of her sisters would take over for her once she was gone. Florabelle or, maybe not, since she was practically ready to get married as well. She was excited that once she would move back to Iowa, she and her sister Florabelle would be on neighboring farms - which, would be so nice. Marie, her friend from school was more excited about this road trip than she - We will get to see so much!!
Rough Draft - inspired by my Grandma Hays' trip from Iowa to Oregon - photograph May 31 1940 - Doing some research about the trip - may rewrite it at some point.
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