Cathy's Creative Corner: Trash to Treasure (Full Version)
*Last week, Cathy’s short story “Trash to Treasure” wasn’t published in its entirety. This is the full version. Enjoy!
Jewel loved her parents. Her father worked while her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Born with a moderate case of LLD, or leg length discrepancy, the mother’s noticeable limp kept her from being more active with her kids. However, Jewel never wanted for anything. Her family was modest. They didn’t have a big house or a fancy car, but her lunch was packed every day for school and the family shared a hot meal every evening. Although all four kids shared one bedroom, they each had their own bed. Two sets of bunk beds left more than enough room for the chest of drawers their mom used to store their folded clothes. All the bulky items hung in the walk-in closet. Every so often, Jewel noticed her mom going through the drawers and closet. This usually happened as the seasons started to change. After she left the room, Jewel would find clothing in her wardrobe she hadn’t seen before. Some of her older items would now be in her younger sister’s section. At first, Jewel felt her mom’s action made her the favorite child. It didn’t take long before she realized it was her mom’s way of recycling clothes. In this aspect, her little brother was lucky he didn’t have an older brother.
One evening at dinner, Jewel’s dad shared with the family news of a job offer. It would be with another local factory, so they didn’t have to move and the children wouldn’t have to leave their schools and friends. He was excited because he would no longer have to handle heavy loads and come home covered in dust, dirt and metal shavings. The new job required him to watch a machine to make sure it winds material on a bolt and cuts it to a precise length. Easy peasy! The company’s interviewer also told of excess materials employees would have access to at the end of each day. Their suggestion was, “If you don’t know how to sew, you might want to learn.” During dinner, Jewel’s dad was adamant he’d be able to buy a sewing machine in a few weeks if his wife wanted to give it a try. The mother was quite receptive to her new role as future seamstress and the children were already dreaming up outfits they wanted made.
Within a month of the father being at his new employ, Jewel’s mom had mastered the art of making jumpers for the girls. From the A-line jumper dresses, she moved on to bib jumpers, bib overalls and jumpsuits. She really enjoyed seeing the end result of her labor. The children also liked the attention they received when they wore one of the new outfits. That is, until the day one of Jewel’s friends commented, “I see that Peg, I mean, your mom, is still at it. Still making all y’alls clothes. Don’t they give away any regular materials at the mill? Those neon colors are annoying.” Jewel was floored. The last thing she expected was for someone to joke about her mother’s sewing creations. And to point out the fact that the materials used were free was not necessary. The most bothersome comment was calling Jewel’s mom “Peg.” Jewel was made aware that some people referred to her mom as “Peg Leg” because of her limp. She hadn’t thought of that in years! What a low blow! In her mind, Jewel saw herself grabbing the girl by her hair and swinging her around like a windmill. Then she pictured a green-eyed demon. That was it! Jewel would chalk up this outburst to jealousy and envy topped with a little stupidity.
A few months later, Jewel’s family attended a gospel concert. Several groups performed but the main topic of conversation focused on the outfits the men’s choir wore. Each outfit consisted of royal blue satin pants with a matching satin shirt. However, the focal point was a tapestry fabric paisley-print tuxedo vest with a matching tapestry tie. Accessories created by Jewel’s mother! After the concert, several people commented on the beautiful vests and ties, including the girl who was so rude only a few months earlier. As luck would have it, her father was in that men’s choir and commissioned Jewel’s mom to create more accessories! Thankfully, Jewel keeping her cool and her hands to herself that ominous day opened a door for her mother. Like the Bible states, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the lord.” HE can handle the situation far better than man!
