Author's Disclaimer/Notes: I do not own the characters involved with E.L Doctorow's original novel Ragtime. For this one-shot of sorts, I have named some of the characters and reread the novel several times and studied segments of it to pick up Doctorow's writing style. I wrote this about three years ago and only just rediscovered it. It covers the span of time between Mother and Father's wedding up until the birth of Edgar (a.k.a the Little Boy) Enjoy, read and review!
1893
Mother walked out from the shade of the porch to the backyard. Father stood next to the priest as they rehearsed the ceremony. She took Father's hand from the stairway of the porch when he walked over. Mother smiled gently. He took her arm instead and they walked together.
The Younger Brother had a mind of his own that day. Still only a boy, his curious behavior was always intrusive and his sister made sure he didn't interrupt the rehearsal. Instead, the young boy walked around the house and barn, wandering through the bushes and searching the soil for treasures. Suddenly, as the boy dug underneath a bush, he spotted a box.
Mother practiced her lines. She was thrilled now and the wedding made her feel like an actress. She sat on a white whicker chair in the backyard as she spoke with Father. Mother eyes wandered throughout backyard. She turned to father. Where is my brother? She said.
Suddenly without warning, a stream of fireworks flew up into the sky from behind the barn. Mother screamed. Father got up and ran towards the barn. Sparks flew everywhere and piercing noises awoke Grandfather who slept undisturbed in his room. Younger Brother came running out from behind the barn, covering his ears and screaming wildly. His face was covered with thick black soot from the explosion. The horses came running out the barn doors and ran through the rows of white wicker chairs, smashing them all to twigs.
Father turned red with anger. He held the young boy's ear and dragged him along. Younger Brother moaned with pain and held his ear. Mother stood in front of him. She had fallen from the chair when she shouted and dirt covered her left side. Her coiffure hairstyle came undone and strands fell down her shoulders. What did I tell you? She shouted. How did he find my fireworks? Father pondered. Father had been planning to use those fireworks for the reception. The young boy fell silent. He looked over to the barn, which now had smoke trailing from behind; he had set part of the wall on fire. The housemaids and the attendants all soaked the fire out and came over wanting to share a few words with the young boy. Do you have anything to say? Father folded his arms. Yes, the boy responded. They have too much gun powder packed into them. When you light them you have no time to get away before they explode.
The house on the hill in New Rochelle was almost complete. Windows were being placed and Mother began to select furniture. She found happiness and joy in the thought of having her own home; her own domain. She became more and more anxious as the days of work would become hours. Mother greeted Father home every night; he would spend many hours at the house, even working well hours into the night. He took the trolley down to Mother's friend's house where they stayed until they could get their house hospitable. Mother couldn't wait to spend her first night there.
When the house was opened, Mother swung open the white painted doors and smiled radiantly at Father. She gently embraced her husband and kissed him softly before taking her suitcases and unloading them up in her bedroom.
Father was now content. He woke every morning with a youthful energy and went to the factory. Mother's Younger Brother helped with the moving in of all Mother's possessions. He carried cedar chests, tables, chairs, china closets, carpets, bureaus and great chests filled with Mother's frocks. Mother took the small things; she carried in boxes of serving sets, china, silverware and small teacups that she stacked on her fingers. Mother spent most of her afternoons in the kitchen. She dusted and cleaned her nest with pure motivation of having rooms spotless of any dust of crumbs. But on occasion, she called for her Brother to help her walk. Her excitement of having the house completely distracted her from anything else and she frequently made herself faint. Younger Brother warned his sister. Take better care of yourself. He said. Younger Brother placed his sister on the large couch in the parlor to put her at ease. He lifted her small feet onto the couch and left her there to sleep.
Autumn was coming. Younger Brother stayed in the house, still unpacking items that had been forgotten all the other trips. He uncovered artifacts from Father's beginning explorations. Not extremely prized, but little things. He found a model of the Statue of Liberty. Father wanted badly to travel
It was spring at last! Wild flowers bloomed from every corner and every garden on Broadview Avenue. Mother neatly packed her autumn frocks and pushed them into her closet. Father now began to carry his handkerchief, the pollen would provoke his allergies and Younger Brother walked to the lake everyday and tried his hand at fishing. The families of the hill all seemed to come to life. Little boys ran around chasing girls dressed in pink and white. Mother was not immune to children. She often found herself staring, mesmerized by their behaviors. She would sit at the parlor window and stare out into the street at the children. She longed for a child. But since Father was often at the factory and came home usually late, he was often tired after dinner. Mother sat in the parlor alone. She kept herself occupied and often embroidered or sewed skirt hems until she was satisfied. She listened to the Victrola and often just lied down listening to the tunes. In deep thought, she often fell asleep in the large chair near the small electric heater. Mother once fell off her chair when she was asleep. It woke Father. He came down and saw her asleep on the ground. Father lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom.
Father had finally conceived the thought that his wife was lonely. He knew to question her would be rude so he kept the knowledge to himself. Having been married only a year he felt guilty for making her feel isolated. Grandfather was no company. He slept half the day and she often tended to him at each groan of discomfort. Grandfather was delirious from a cold and was often shouting Latin curse words. Younger Brother always knew the ways in which to find out what these words meant. His room began to stink of fish. Younger Brother spent hours at that lake and often neglected to wash his hands unless enforced by his sister. His clothes reeked of fish and dirt from the worms.
Every Monday Mother attended her service league meeting. It was over on a large house on Paine Avenue owned by a rich family. Mother walked there by herself, shaded by her white sun parasol. Mother wore white and beige and often found herself wanting wilder colors. She was determined. And what better time, she would say to herself. She never told her feelings to Father, not even her friends. She bought frocks with more lace then she ever wore and often let some of her hair down during the afternoons. Mother shone with a soft sexuality that she only let her husband enjoy. Mother already noticed the change in Father's attitude. She smiled softly at his glances and he was fixated with her at dinner. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Father was no longer tired after dinner. He waited until darkness came over the house before he walked to her bedroom and found her awake, waiting for him.
Now Mother, bursting with happiness, waited weeks. She was anxious to know if she had succeeded. She thought often about it and tried not to show it when she walked into the house on Paine Avenue that Monday. Women filled the parlor and all set their parasols to the sides of the couches and walls. Mother stayed standing near the velvet curtains. A stout woman stood in the center of the room and began to speak. Ladies listened attentively, but Mother was silent. Her eyes seemed to want to close. Mother suddenly wanted to leave. She felt silly at first, thinking she wanted to leave after walking all the way. Mother was able to withstand the hour. But not when they suggest that their meeting would be resumed in backyard garden. When she began to walk, Mother suddenly felt dizzy. She closed her eyes. The room was spinning around her. Suddenly, without warning, Mother grabbed onto the velvet curtain and leaned before she fell. The curtain ripped and the rod fell to the ground and knocked over a vase filled with flowers. The sound of broken porcelain caught the women's attentions. One by one they ran over back to the parlor. The president of the league let out a shriek at the sight of her. Mother lied face down upon the carpet. The women grew hysterical, but the president turned Mother over and lifted her back from the ground. Mother's neck was limp and allowed her head to fall back. The woman called for her maid. Call the doctor! She cried.