Halstead Street Chapter 38

by Simahoyo

I hope you are enjoying this. I'd love to hear back from anyone reading this, I feel surrounded by silence.

Anna Frenchman found a note slipped under her door from the owner of the tobacco and pipe shop on the corner. Mr. Cornwall had a package of hers that had been delivered to him by prior arrangement. The Wells Fargo man always had trouble finding her place, so they had worked out his drop off after three packages had gone astray.

Anna went down to the shop and walked right in.

"Mrs. Frenchman. Lovely to see you. I have your package in back." He went back to get it, while she looked around at the ever changing displays of European pipes, Cuban cigars and loose tobacco. The shop was built to be comfortable for the men who liked to relax there, and take their time choosing just the right tobacco. Anna could respect that. She grew her own medicinal tobacco. The package Mr. Cornwall was carrying looked awfully big to be the herbs she had sent for.

"Don't worry. It's very light. All the way from Indian Territory–so far away and exotic. Maybe not to you. That will be thirty cents, please."

Anna got out her coin purse and paid him. "I just ordered some medicinal herbs."

"I suppose you could cure an army with that supply."

"Thank you, Mr. Cornwall.

Anna picked up the package and it was not at all heavy. She carried it up to the door, opened it,

and set the box on the table. She closed the door, set the rolled cloth back against the the draft under her door, and put her coat away. Finally, she allowed herself to see who had sent it.

It was from Minnie Gardner in Okmulgee. Anna smiled, remembering the bright smile of the Black Indian healer and her quick wit. She tore the box open, and wrapped in tissue paper were the herbs she'd wanted–and under them, were two wool Hudson's bay blankets. Anna was astonished. These were extremely expensive. She found the note stuck between the blankets.

Dear Anna,

I know you, and you'll be worrying that I sent you something so special. But you listen to me now. You are special, and when the Indian Agent finally sent the blankets they owed us by treaty (for the last five years), everybody has extras. The Paper says you are having a real hard winter, and it ain't so bad here, so you use these to wrap up warm and remember we love you.

Minnie.

The warmth in Anna's heart was beautiful. She found herself singing. She looked at these blankets, and one was a three point. Warm enough for even this winter.

"I'm making me a capote.", she thought. She put the other one on her bed, then put the herbs into their carefully labeled jars. Looking over the blanket with an expert eye. She laid it out on the floor, putting her coat on top of it. She used old newspaper to make a pattern, drawing around her coat, adding seam allowance, adding width for a wrap around closure, gussets under the arms and a sash. Through the years she had made something like twenty of these for various family members. She kept it long, and added a hood.

Out came her scissors. She cut out the pattern, lined it up on the blanket and cut it from the beautiful wool. Hand sewing it would take a couple of days, and she looked forward to it.

Anna could not see well enough to bead or quill anymore, but this was both easy and relaxing. The wool's texture, light and springy in her fingers, delighted her senses. There was the faint odor of sage brush–informing her that Minnie had smudged the blanket for her spiritual protection. Anna mentally hugged her friend.

In her younger days, traveling to meet other healers was an obligation. Anna had been from Minnesota to Georgia and as far west as Louisiana. Others, doing the same thing, got together at Pow Wows and other gatherings, and met to exchange knowledge. She had met Minnie in Louisiana with the Houma people. Letty Walker was in Georgia–a Cherokee who hailed from North Carolina and to this day she wondered how Billie Alligator had gotten to Minnesota from Florida.

Although the work was serious, they loved to joke and tell stories. Anna had learned a good deal from these friends.

And now, in her home town, she and Jane Addams were learning from each other. Jane was the right kind of White woman. It took a long while for Anna to figure it out, but to hner mind, the wrong kind of White people came thinking everybody they met was stupid and needed to obey them. Luckily, there were way more of the right kind. The bad thing was, the wrong kind tended to try to run everything.

It was snowing again. When it was warm enough to snow, Pasquale would go on walks with Giovanna and they would plan their lives. They had already decided they needed their own place. They had some choices, because of how well paid Pasquale was. They talked about a front tenement. Then about possibly boarding as a couple in a nice boarding house. That was to start They planned to save and someday rent a whole apartment or a small house. What neither wanted was to leave the Lower Nineteenth..

"After that fire in Greektown, I'm a little afraid of living in a tenement.", admitted Giovanna. They are too close together and all wood."

I know what you mean. I was here for the Great Fire. Let's look for buildings further apart. I live in one. So does Kate. We can find them if we look hard enough. If only my room at Mrs. Wilson's was bigger."

"Maybe like that, but possible–Oh Pasquale, is it possible to have two rooms someday?" One for us and one for our children? Wouldn't that be nice?"

"You would be a wonderful mother."

"You really think so? Sometimes I'm not so patient."

"With your brothers? But children start as babies, and you have years to get used to them. Besides, I would help you. You said sometimes your Papa isn't so patient and your Mama keeps him calm.. Parents work together".

"Speaking of working, when I start to have babies, I could type things at home when the children sleep. That way we can save for a good place to live."

Pasquale's mouth opened just a bit. "Oh that's good thinking. I really like that about you. You use your mind. So, when do you want to be married?"

Giovanna thought for a while. "Could we afford it in Spring, with the flowers?"

Pasquale's face got a faraway look. "My mother used to think any flowers she saw in Chicago came from Italy because she never saw them growing here. She would have loved that idea."

Tears sprang up in Giovanna's eyes. "Yes, for your Mama and her memory, we have our wedding when the flowers bloom."

The two wrapped themselves around each other in joy, while the falling snow blessed their plans.

Pasquale deputized his housemates to help him look for a place to live that was not in a tenement or too close to them.

Searching for a boarding house with a big enough room, or an apartment in a building away from a tenement was a core. Pasquale went all the way down to Maxwell Street, to the river, and just so far the other direction from Halstead Street. He was seeing places in his dreams.

It was a surprise when Mama Amari came to visit Pasquale one day by herself.

"Mrs. Amari. It's good to see you. What brings you by?"

" I went to early mass so I could talk to you. Oh, this house is so bright and warm." She looked around and wonder.

"Giovanna and I were hoping to find a boarding house with a room big enough for both of us."

Mama nodded. "That's what I came for, to show you something. Will you walk with me."

Pasquale nodded and grabbed his winter coat and other things. When they went outside, the snow was beautiful on the ground. It was still white, before the specks of ash and coal spoiled the purity They walked several blocks up to some trees Pasquale had often passed. Mama walked through the trees and they opened into a luster of small houses.. Some were neglected and shabby, while others were well cared for. One had its windows boarded up. Mama walked right up to that house..

"I found this house on a walk one day and I thought 'This house is perfect for Giovanna and Pasquale.' So I asked around The lady who lived here passed away, rest her soul, and her son lives in this house." Mama pointed to a nice house on the right. Pasquale was somewhat bowled over by all the information. The house was big.. It had two stories. It was away from the other houses, and there was a tiny scrap of a yard in front.

Mama laughed "Pasquale, go, knock on the door.".

Pasquale got his feet to move and knocked on the door of the son's house. After a minute the door opened. A man stood there. He was somewhat older than Pasquale.

"Hello my name is Pasquale Riozzli I'm getting married, and my soon to be Mother-in Law showed me the house next door. I understand it belonged to your late mother."

The man smiled kindly. His brown eyes softened. "Ja. We lost her last month. I was trying to decide if I should sell it, or rent it. Oh, how rude of me. My name is Karl Bender. If you like, I can show you the house."

"Yes, thank you. That would be wonderful."

Karl threw on his coat, which was made of that extra thicj German wool that always looked so warm. He had a key in his hand, shut his own door without locking it, and lead Pasquale and Mama to the front door.

"Karl Bender, this is Mrs. Amari."

Karl nodded and smiled at her. "I don't know how you found this place. It's all retired railroad workers and our families. We came from villages in Germany, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary. So, we made our own village."

"You look so young. How old are you?", asked Mama.

Karl laughed at the scandalized look on Pasquale's face as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Sixty-three. I had an accident with my back, so I have a pension."

"I'm sorry you got hurt. Oh, look Pasquale."

Pasquale looked. There was a flight of stairs on the left, while a nice sitting room and a good woodstove mad e him imagine Giovanna reading by the warn stove. Kurt lead them thropugh a door into a kitchen with a two burner cookstove with an oven big enough for a whole turkey, provided it wasn't too big. There were cupboards, and a good sized table to make ravioli on. The sink was big enough to clean a lot of vegetables.

"Oh, look Pasquale. No pump. That means indoor plumbing?"

Kurt nodded gravely. "I had the water shut off when Mother passed on. That way the pipes won't burst."

Mama crossed herself.

" I f you follow the rules, you are usually safe. This winter being so cold, some people's pipes froze. But they do thaw out."

"They froze at my place too. We had to melt snow." Mama was enjoying the conversation.

"Now for the best part." Kurt opened another door and there was a bathroom, with a tub and a toilet.

Pasquale was excited–yes, they had one at the boarding house, but he knew they were spoiled

He had not been looking forward to using an outhouse again, and pumping water for a tin tub. "Giovanna will be so happy."

Kark smiled. "Giovanna is a lovely name. Ity's good to think of what will make your wife happy. Come now, and see the upstairs."

The steps were sturdy and well built. There were no bits of carpet that could get old and make people fall. A hall separated two bedrooms, each with their own door. These railroad people built to last.

One bedroom had a window that could open and close, and a real closet. There was even room for a baby's bed, when the time came. The other bedroom was actually longer, and had a small window which did not open and close, and room for..

"Three beds. My brothers and I shared. The window was made that way to keep us from climbing out on the tree."

Pasqaule peeked through the window. It was a tempting distance from a big maple tree."

"You grew up here?"

"I was a boy here. Lived here until I could build my own place The railroad had been good to us. So, Pasquale, where do you work?"

"I'm a bridge builder."

Karl looked impressed. "I asked because I hoped you could afford this."

"Are you thinking to sell, or to rent?"

"I had thought to sell, but I know bridges are built in many cities, and it seems most practical to rent."

"Pasquale knew they had entered the dickering stage. "This is a good house, and I won't insult you. Twenty dollars a month?"

Karl considered the offer. "Twenty-five a month. You pay the water bill."

Pasquale tried his poker face. "Twenty-fivve a mmonth, I pay the water bill, and you do major repairs.

"Unless it's your fault?"

"Yes. Done?"

Karl reached out a hand and they shook. "I'll write up an agreement and we can both sign."

They trooped out of the house, and into Karl's. They sat in his living room, while Karl wrote out the agreement. Pasquale read it, then stopped. "Do you still have your mother's furniture?"

"Yes,, everything a young couple might need."

"Would you add it in for maybe two dollars a month more."

"Actually, I hoped you would say that." Karl changed the amount and added the furniture to the agreement."

"Pasquale should have a copy."

Karl raised an eyebrow. "Smart lady. You should thank her." Karl wrote out another copy and Pasquale read both."

"Identical. Good. Thank you Mrs. Amari."

Pasquale signed both copies, and folded one putting it in his pocket.."I would like to move in March first. Will you have eerything ready by then?"

"Oh yes. That's plenty of time. When is the wedding?"

"Spring, when the flowers bloom."

Mamma turned fast. "Nobody told me."

"We don't have the date yet. Just spring. You can help us set it. And we wouldn't think of planning a wedding without your help."

Karl and Pasquale exchanged a sympathetic look.