When Dotty Milliken asked Millie to be the junior bridesmaid at her wedding, it was probably the biggest thrill of Millie's life. Rick was going to be the junior groomsman. Em was going to be the flower girl. Danny Eicher's little brother, Willie, would be ring bearer.
Willie's real name was Wilber. What's wrong with these old people (38 had to be old) anyway. Don't they know that names like Mildred and Wilber went out about the same time the Model T came in. At least when Willie got to sixth grade, he wouldn't have to put up with Mrs. Whitby calling him, Wilber. Jack Ferman had seen to that problem.
Millie's enthusiasm was slightly dampened when she found out that her mother and father were going to be Matron of Honor and Best Man. Why did that bother her? Last year she would have been proud to share that honor with her parents. It was really hard being 11 and 3/4.
But Millie did find a way to relate well to her mother. Actually, one would have to say that Irene found it but Millie quickly agreed and was delighted. Irene suggested that Millie make her own dress for the wedding. Irene assured the girl that she would be close by but would not interfere unless asked.
Millie had enjoyed "playing" with the sewing machine. She was pretty good at sewing a straight stitch now. When she first started "playing" with the sewing machine at about age eight, she had trouble coordinating the two required activities: operating the treadle and sewing a straight line. Even for a very intelligent eight-year-old girl, it was hard to keep her mind on two things at once. But Millie being Millie, it didn't take long.
Millie was satisfied that she could operate the sewing machine and could sew a straight line of stitches. But they needed material, good material. You don't serve in a wedding party wearing a dress made of feed sacks. Millie wanted taffeta but was sure no one could get it during the war.
Jack heard the conversation between Millie and her mother. Another member of the Bad Ax Rotary Club owned a dry goods store. Jack wondered. It wouldn't hurt to ask.
"I have some left from before the war but I don't think I should sell it to you."
"Why?"
"Cletus Weaver, the head of the ration board, said it would be unpatriotic to sell such fancy items during the war. It's not illegal, I've checked, but I don't want to get Cletus upset. That position he has, has given him the big-head. He could and probably would make things tough for me if I aggravated him."
"How?"
"He could have me in there every day going over stamps and points just to aggravate me. I don't have time for that.
"Funny, he said I could give it to my wife and she could make something for herself but no one outside the family. She could even make a shirt for me but you'll never catch me in a taffeta shirt."
Jack stared out the window. He was thinking. Jack's face took on a devious grin. He turned to Les and asked, "How much do you want for your store?"
"What? I don't want to sell."
"Let me call Harry Fenster. I want to see if an idea I have is legal."
After the call, Jack grinned. "Harry doesn't see a problem. If Cletus gets bent out of shape, Harry says he knows some lawyers who advise the Michigan State Rationing Board in Detroit.
"You sell me the store for a week. I'll take the taffeta and sell the store back to you for the same money, less the cost of the taffeta. Just call Cletus and tell him you're selling the store to me. Harry says he won't even file the sale unless Cletus makes a fuss. Harry's sure he won't because he's overstepping his bounds. Harry will just threaten him with telling Detroit what he's doing and he'll lose his big-shot job. What's with Everett and Cletus? They get a menial job with the Federal Government and they think they're the Attorney General."
"Well, Cletus had 40 scrubby acres and three cows. Enough for him, I guess. No wife and kids as hard as he has tried to find a wife. He's probably been turned down by every single woman in Michigan by now.
"Everett's been janitor at Elkton School for 30 years. He applies every time but never makes head janitor. They both got those government jobs because no one else in this area could take the time. Too many kids just out of high school who would be helping on the farm are drafted. They couldn't send someone from Detroit because everyone even remotely able-bodied is building planes or jeeps. Let Cletus and Everett feel important for a while. Even if it's aggravating, the war won't last forever.
"I'll take the bolt home and let Irene decide how much Millie needs. You can deduct that cost when you buy back the store."
"Are we actually going to exchange money?"
"No. This will all be on paper."
"You sure this won't cause me any problems?"
"Harry said if Cletus gives you any problems over this or anything else, just let Harry know. Cletus may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but he knows enough to realize that Detroit better not find out what he's up to. Actually, it will probably make it better for all of us and, I'm sure you'll have fewer problems with Cletus after this than you have now."
Millie got her taffeta.
Millie had watched her mother sew. She wanted to do it by herself. Irene pretty much let her. Irene did show Millie the best way to lay out the pattern so as not to waste too much material but Millie did the cutting-out and pretty much completed the dress with only one major mistake. She had sewn the wrong two pieces together and had to rip out that seam but the rest was Millie's work. Irene did do the final fitting, a task that would have been difficult for Millie while she was wearing the dress, but Millie had done it. She had made herself a dress and she wasn't 12 yet. Millie wasn't an arrogant type child but that dress made her extremely proud.
Millie put on the dress so she could show it to Freddy. She didn't know what she expected from Freddy but the, "That's nice. It looks really good," just didn't seem enough.
"Well, you could never make a dress!"
There was that Freddy smirk again. "The heifer box stall needs cleaning again. Wanta' help?"
Millie was a little embarrassed. She knew that boys were not overly interested in dresses. That comment was what she should have expected from Freddy. What she had said was kind of mean. It had come from the grumpy Millie, not the real Millie. Or, maybe it was the real Millie. She just didn't know who she was anymore.
Millie got the raving, ooos and ahs, compliments and praise she wanted from Carol, Elly and Marlene. She also got a revelation. They weren't just a bunch of children anymore. They definitely fell into two categories: boys and girls or maybe young ladies and young men but definitely males and females. At that moment, Millie began to question her ambivalence about growing up. Suddenly Dallas came to mind. She was a little confused but she kind of liked the idea.
Dotty wanted a June wedding. Every woman did. Larry, however, had a living to make and now a family to feed. One never knew when spring would allow field work to begin so Larry wanted to be home, equipment in good repair, horses fit, harness oiled and mended, and his one tractor ready to roll.
They did compromise and set an April 22 wedding. Larry could have the necessary maintenance done and be ready to get on his fields after they got back from their week long honeymoon if they should have an early thaw and enough wind to dry the fields.
The best word to describe the wedding ceremony is felicitous. Neither Dotty nor Larry was of an ostentatious nature. Their wedding would be loving and meaningful for them, not a show for the neighbors. It was, indeed, simple but beautiful.
Em and Rick stayed with the Fermans while their mom and "dad" went on a week-long honeymoon. After they were in bed, Freddy felt the bed shake slightly and then heard Rick sobbing.
"They'll be back in a week. We're all here. Don't be lonesome."
"I'm not lonesome. I'm - I don't know how to say it. I'm happy, so happy that I'm crying. Now my dad doesn't hate me. I finally got a dad that loves me."