PART THREE - WELCH

SECTION SIXTEEN (Pages 193-195)

Summary

After returning home from the swimming pool, Jeannette, sitting and recovering from the extra amount of exercise she had done, hears a knock at the door. It turns out to be a man from child welfare who is looking for her parents. Jeannette explains that he can't come in until her parents are home and that whatever he's looking for, she'll pass on the message. He explains that someone whose name he is not allowed to reveal has recommended an inquiry into conditions at 93 Little Hobart Street, where it is possible that children are living in a state of neglect. This is when Jeannette relies on her own intelligence to explain that yes, her parents work and will be glad to talk to him when they come home. He leaves his card and the house behind.

After the man leaves, Jeannette is so angry that she runs down the hillside and begins hurling rocks. She's intelligent enough to realize that they can stand up against Ernie Goad and his rock attack, but there's no way to drive off this man from child welfare. He has the power to make the four children live with different families, separated from each other. She wishes they could do the skedaddle, but the truth is, they are stuck.

When Mom gets home, Jeannette gives her the man's card and tells her about his visit. She is still in a lather. She says that since neither she nor Dad can be bothered to work, and since she refuses to leave Dad, the government is going to do the job of splitting up the family for her. Jeannette expects Mom to come back with one of her choice remarks, but instead, Mom says she needs to consider her options. She begins to set up her easel and a piece of plywood. Then, she starts to paint. Immediately, Jeannette can see that what is taking shape on the board is a woman with blue concentric circles appearing around her waist. Mom is painting a woman drowning in a stormy lake. After she finishes the picture, Mom sits there staring at it for a long time. Jeannette finally speaks up and asks what they are going to do. Mom says, Jeannette, you're so focused, it's scary. Jeannette asks her question again, and Mom replies, I'll get a job, Jeannette. She then throws her paintbrush into the turpentine jar and goes back to staring at the drowning woman.

Notes

This section reveals that Jeannette is much more of an adult than her mother, and she is much more generous and open to all cultures than most of the town where she lives. Her frustration is that the man representing child welfare cannot be driven off. So she forces her mother to accept her responsibility for the first time in her life. The last thing Rose Mary looks at is not her daughter, but the painting of the drowning woman, who, of course, is Rose Mary herself, at least in her own eyes.

SECTION SEVENTEEN (Pages 196-198)

Summary

Mom gets a teaching job, and the kids spend the balance of the week trying to clean the house which, of course, is a lost cause. Fortunately, the man from child welfare never returns. Mom is hired to teach remedial reading at an elementary school in Davy, a coal mining camp twelve miles north of Welch. Because she doesn't have a car, the principal hooks her up with Lucy Jo Rose, a teacher who has just graduated from Bluefield State College. She is so fate she can barely fit behind the wheel of her Dodge Dart. Furthermore, she takes an instant dislike to Mom. She refuses to speak to her on the way to or from school and when Mom gets out of the car, Lucy Jo makes and elaborate show of spraying Mom's seat with Lysol. To add to this, Mom has the same problems organizing her paperwork and disciplining her students. However, Jeannette, Brian, and Lori keep on her to get up on time, go to school, and do her work.

With a steady income to add to Jeannette's babysitting, Lori's paper route, and Brian's mowing jobs, Jeannette thinks their troubles are over. They take the check each month to the bank where Mom seals it into a sock and hides it in her bra. Then, they stop at all the utilities and pay their bills, and they also put various items in layaway. This is followed by the grocery store and the stocking up of staples. Once at home, the kids help Mom count out all the money that is left, and to Jeannette, it seems as if there's more than enough to cover all the expenses they'll have until the end of the month. However, the money all runs out, no matter how much is left, before the end of the month.

One month, when the have only one dollar left, Mom buys a gallon of ice cream and they cut it into five equal parts. Mom tells them to enjoy it, because there will be nothing for supper the next night. Jeannette asks Mom what happened to all the money. Her only answer is, Gone, gone, gone! It's all gone! She says making ends meet with a drunk for a husband and four kids to raise is much harder than they know. So, Lori and Jeannette sit down and work out a budget where Mom will have a generous allowance to cover her luxuries, and they will still have food and clothes and a ton of coal. However, Mom won't give the money to the kids to fulfill this budget, so even though they have money, they are living pretty much like they had before.

Notes

The man from child welfare is the symbol of what can separate the kids from each other and so represents evil.

However, at least they now have some money to provide the essentials they need for most of the month. In contrast, Mom continues her selfish ways, somehow spending or hiding money that will provide for her children the entire month rather than just part of it. Life goes on in much the same manner that it always has.