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The Wedding Dress - Chapter 7
Estelle Granger was excited. After
several weeks of looking, sketching and
studying, she believed she had the perfect
design for Betty! And for only three hundred
and fifty dollars! Yes, that was a little more
than Mr. Smith had said but she would offer to
take payments if needed. She was taking a loss
on her time but felt it was the right thing to
do.
“Good will come of this. I just feel it,”
she said aloud as she pulled into their
driveway.
“She’s here,” Martha announced
nervously, as she glanced out the front window.
Walking to the door, she opened it, “Please come
in. Sit down.”
Estelle sat, holding her sketch pad and
bag full of sample materials. Everyone seemed a
bit somber to her but it was probably just
wedding jitters, Estelle thought.
“Betty, let me show you what I’ve come up
with,” she said as Betty wheeled herself over.
“Here are the sketches of the gown and the
way we can work the train with the wheelchair.
The best thing we could do is to rent a special
chair that would accommodate the train better.
I checked on that and they have one in Central
City. It’s at the medical supply store on
Eighth Avenue. What do you think?”
“Oh it is simply beautiful,” Betty said,
staring at the sketches.
There were front and side sketches of the
dress and sketches of how the dress would work
with the wheelchair. Estelle had sketched two
flower girls in to direct the flowing train so
it would not get tangled in the wheels.
“Look at these beautiful samples of satin
and lace with lace for trim and the lace
overlay. I hunted everywhere for the best
prices and found some great deals. You can have
everything you wanted in the dress for only
three hundred and fifty dollars. I know that is
a little more than you wanted to spend but you
can pay me as you can if that will help.”
In her excitement, she had rattled on about
the dress and had not given anyone a chance to
say anything. Honestly, neither Betty, Martha
nor Homer knew how to break the bad news. Betty
looked ready to cry and Homer finally had to
walk into the kitchen.
“Is something wrong?” Estelle asked,
mystified.
“It is all so wonderful,” Betty said at
last. “But things have changed. Yesterday
Papaw’s truck broke down and it is going to cost
at least five hundred dollars to fix it. I
don’t want to postpone the wedding until we get
the money. So I will just wear a white dress I
have.”
Her voice grew high pitched and filled with
misery and she was unable to go on.
“We’ll pay you for your trouble ma’am,”
Homer said, apologetically as he walked back
into the room. “I hate so much you went to all
this trouble but as soon as I can I will pay you
for what you tried to do for our Betty.”
This news floored Estelle.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. I mean
isn’t there something that can be done? Maybe I
could try and find something cheaper.”
“No, Ms. Granger,” Martha said. “You’ve
been more than kind and I am sure your price was
beyond reasonable. We’re still trying to think
of a way. How long could you wait before you had
to start making it?”
“I would have to know something by the
second week of June. The material has to be
ordered and there will be several fittings. No
later than that.”
“And if we can’t think of something, you
will still be paid, I promise,” Homer repeated
again.
“That’s not necessary. It’s been worth it
to me to meet your family and Betty. I will
definitely be trying to think of a way to help
you.”
Estelle gathered her things and after
hugging Betty and Martha, went back to her car
still stunned at the sudden turn of events. As
she drove home, she turned the problem over in
her head repeatedly but to no avail.
Arriving home, she threw her keys on the
counter in the kitchen and checked her phone
messages before getting back to work on a
pantsuit she was finishing. The machine had
three. The first was a telemarketer wanting to
sell her vinyl siding and the second a call
informing her that her photos were in at the
drug store.
“Ms. Granger,” the third message began.
“This is Latoya Cower with Channel Seven News. I
would appreciate it if, at your convenience, you
would please give me a call at 555-0875. Thank
you.”
Estelle quickly jotted the number down,
wondering what in the world the news reporter
would want to talk to her about. She dialed the
number back and on the fourth ring, a lady
answered.
“Is this Latoya Cower? This is Estelle
Granger and I see I missed your call.”
“Yes ma’am. The reason I called is to see
if you could help me with a weekly series we are
starting Monday. It’s all about brides and
weddings. In talking with Betty Smith at
graduation last night she mentioned her upcoming
wedding and the fact that you are making her
dress.”
“Was making her a dress,” Estelle
interrupted. “I was there this morning and
everything has changed.”
She quickly relayed the story of the
broken-down truck and how the Smith’s could no
longer afford the dress.
“Even if they could scrape the money up
somehow it will still cost another fifty dollars
to rent the special wheelchair that she must
have for the train to work. It has a custom
fitted back piece that will allow the train to
flow through more easily. They only rent their
chairs by the week.”
“That poor sweet couple,” Latoya said with
sympathy. “It seems like there should be
something we could do to help. Let me do some
checking around and I will get back with you by
tomorrow. Don’t say anything to the Smiths in
case it doesn’t work out.”
“That would be great. Anything I can do to
help them, I will.”
At the Channel Seven News studio, Latoya
glanced at Ms. Richardson’s office and, seeing
her in, purposely strode across the room.
There must be something we can do,
Latoya thought.
She quickly relayed the plight of Betty and
Matt to Ms. Richardson.
“Estelle Granger is eager to help but is
not sure what to do,” Latoya commented.
“Let me think about this and talk to the
main manager. Come back in an hour,” Ms.
Richardson said. She reached for her phone to
do some checking…
Saturday came, bundled up in chaos and
activity for everyone. Ms. Richardson and
Latoya were making calls and decisions, Estelle
was finishing the pant suit, Betty was
convincing herself that she could be happy with
the white dress she already owned, and Homer was
ransacking his barn for something he could sell
to raise money.
At Bentley’s, Angeline was in the middle of
the busiest day of the year. So many weddings
in June and everyone wanted their dress
yesterday. Mrs. Upton’s daughter was in for
one last fitting, she hoped and though it seemed
like Angeline had just gotten to work it was
five minutes to three and she was preparing to
leave.
Elaine would be waiting for her as she was
the type that always arrived early. That was
fine. Angeline could use a cup of coffee but
she decided that she did not want to talk about
anything personal. Her problems were her own
and anyway who could help her? Working hard
every day and keeping busy helped her ignore her
problems. She wanted no one’s pity.
The coffee shop was near the courthouse in
the center of town, a small red brick building
with a black tin roof. Walking in the door, she
was instantly overwhelmed with the smell of
fresh baked pastries mixed with espresso and
chocolate. It was a paradise for tired women
after a long day. The red and black interior
was modern but comfortable and Angeline saw that
Elaine had chosen a booth in the back corner
which suited her just fine.
“Hey Ang, have a seat. I ordered your
usual, Grande vanilla latte, hold the whipped
cream and a chicken salad sandwich, baked
chips.”
“Thanks Elaine. How did you know that I
didn’t have time for lunch today?”
Angeline slid into the seat, chucking her
purse beside her. She went on to kick her
shoes off under the table, the cold tile floor
feeling good to her stocking feet.
“Just a guess. It is almost June and
Bentley’s is always busy. I know you always get
vanilla lattes and the chicken salad was a
guess.”
“Good guess, they have great chicken salad
here.”
The two women talked for a while about the
day and Mrs. Upton’s daughter.
“I enjoy hearing about your work but that’s
not why I am here. I want to know what is up,”
Elaine said, interrupting Angeline’s thoughts
and first bites of her sandwich.
“Nothing is up. I’m just a little
overworked, that’s all.”
“Ang, you can level with me. I know you
said you didn’t want to talk about it but since
your father died…”
“I’d rather not talk about Dad,” she said,
voice cracking. “I only get upset and there’s
nothing I can do or say that will bring him
back.”
“I’m just saying that since your father
died, you have changed. You’re a private person
I know but you’ve gone into a shell since then.”
“That’s how I like it…no, I don’t mean
that. That’s how I survive right now.”
She tore her napkin into little pieces and
stared intensely at the mess she was making on
the bright red table cloth. Elaine could never
understand what she meant, for her parents were
still living.
“It’s all I can do so don’t try to force me
to deal with something I’m not ready to deal
with. I just can’t handle it right now. Not on
top of everything else.”
“What else? The job?”
“No, not the job. Listen you can’t
understand what it is like to be alone and to
have a mother that reminds you of it whenever
she can.”
“This is about a boyfriend?”
“No, not a boyfriend, a husband. You know
my mother and her all fired up talk about being
a grandmother.”
“Is that why you haven’t talked to her in
months?”
“Did she tell you that?”
“She worries about you.”
“If she really cared, she would accept me,
single or not and quit bugging me.”
“Do you accept yourself?”
That question stunned Angeline and her
tightened facial features showed it.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think you need a man to be
complete?”
“No!”
“But that is what it sounds like.”
Angeline took the last sip of her coffee
and did not say anything else.
“Listen, you have always been a hard worker
and you have built a good life materially that
is. But you don’t take any time for
relationships, I mean you work all week and sit
at home watching movies all weekend. You have
to work at a relationship and you can’t put work
in front of people all the time. They get tired
of it.”
“When Dad died, I saw exactly how people
were. They didn’t have time for me or my
grief. The way some of them acted like they
cared was fake and…and like something they were
obligated to do. I don’t need relationships
like that! Work at least is predictable.”
She stopped talking and glared at Elaine.
“Are you tired of putting up with me?”
“No, and I’m sorry that people have treated
you wrong. Not all people are fake. I would
like to spend more time with you. Michael works
every other Saturday night. We could go
shopping or take in a movie. Start building
some relationships and stop hiding in your
work.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Good. That is all I am asking for.”
Ms. Richardson was standing beside her desk in
the office, poring over the papers strewn all
around. Latoya was next to her, pointing out an
idea with her pen. They were comparing notes and
information gathered all morning. The birthing of
the series on brides and weddings lay scattered
around.
“I think this is perfect,” Latoya said, eyes
shining. “Leading off the wedding series with a
story involving Betty and Matt is sure to draw the
attention of our viewers.”
“These are good ideas you have here. Filming
first at Ms. Granger’s home and then moving to the
Smith farm will portray the family next door. Down
to Earth and real, that is what will move people to
action. It could be the story of the year on this
station,” Ms. Richardson said, in agreement.
“Do you think the story might get picked up by
a national news magazine or something?”
“You never know. Can you have this ready by
Monday, June 1st? It will be the lead
off to the wedding series.”
“Yes, ma’am. I have arranged to meet with Ms.
Granger tomorrow afternoon.”
“Great.”
The rest of Saturday and Sunday were
uneventful. Angeline rented and watched movies all
weekend but did take the time to really think about
what Elaine had said. Homer and Martha continued to
fret about their inability to buy Betty the wedding
dress. Betty and Matt continued looking at trailers
to purchase but without any luck so far. Not one of
these people had any idea that events were being put
in motion that would change everyone’s life in this
story…
