Mama's Chocolate Cake

Lying in bed atop the covers with the attic fan whirring our whispered idea takes shape. They'll be some sneaking involved and some help from Mama, but we think we can do it. Mama makes one last pass for the night; we pretend we're asleep. We listen as Mama opens and closes doors then makes her way back to the den, her reading lamp clicks, and the house darkens. We know it's late, so we settle in turning to face each other Peg's hand reaches for mine it's hot, sweaty and small, the curtains lift in a rare summer breeze sleep settles upon us both.

We are awakened by our brother the youngest of us all he's in the kitchen clambering for cereal. We quickly dress and rush through breakfast, we're both excited my sister and me our plan spinning through our heads. Mama say's "outside with all of you, don't come in unless you have to go or your bleeding" that's okay with Peg and me we've got work to do. Armed with out supplies we're out the screen door and down the steps. We wait till the others scatter were on a mission and we want to keep this to ourselves being the two youngest of girls of seven.

Once their out of site we make our way to the side of the hose, it's a small one that's painted white with deep green trim Mama's roses climb the trellis out front. The house sits above the ground, and we have found a place to play that's cool, out of the sun and with just enough light. Peg and I place everything on the ground beside the house our baby dolls and the baby bottles Mama let us have. We lift up our shirts and pull the big silver spoons we've hidden there. Mama will have our hides if she finds out we took them. We carefully crawl underneath the overgrown baby's breath bush then shimmy under and begin to dig. Peg in her area and me in mine. It takes a while but eventually we've dug enough and we can sit up under the house. Spoons put aside sun browned arms appear from under the house as we drag in our supplies and begin to unpack.

An old scratchy faded blue blanket covers the dirt and becomes the floor. Thin white cotton diapers drape the house supports to separate our areas; a small ceramic tea set sits atop and old green melamine plate. The tea set is chipped and missing pieces but it's one of our treasures. Baby dolls are wrapped in soft fabric squares that Mama has sewn satin edges to, their placed just so with the black rimmed baby bottles beside them. Peg and I peer from under the house as the others come near, we smile at each other knowing they'll never find us. When their gone we scrambled out running to the hose pipe to fill out teapot and baby bottles with water.

Once were back under we carefully unwrap a yellow paper napkin oily with butter. Mama's chocolate cake is a special treat its studded with chocolate and pecans the sliced is big enough for both of us. I cut it as I'm the oldest, but Peg pick's the first piece cause she's the youngest. We take turns pouring from the teapot filling small pink rose decorated cups. We introduce ourselves being new and all to this newly built neighborhood sharing water tea and delicious chocolate cake.

We've made a secret place, a place to play, a place to pretend, a place to hide... for when it was good it was very, very good but when it was bad it was horrid.