Rummy - Chapter 1
There have only ever been two rules about my rocking horse. Don’t tell anybody about him and don’t ride him when Daddy’s having meetings downstairs. Like tonight. Well like he was supposed to be having tonight. The only guests I’ve heard arrive so far were the wind gusts that blustered their way in like a couple of drunken sailors.
Somebody might have come by earlier because I’m pretty sure I heard Daddy talking to a man. I’m not sure about that but I know that Daddy’s worried. His eyebrows were all bunched up when he came upstairs to check on me a little while ago. He thought I might be scared by the storm but I’m a big girl. Seeing how worried Daddy is made me a little sad though. I gave him a big hug and that usually makes him smile. But tonight he just told me that he had to go back downstairs and get things ready. I heard people talking at dinner the other night about a ship that was scheduled to arrive this afternoon with some very important cargo. But now it’s getting late, and the storm’s getting worse.
Whatever is on that ship must be awfully important because Daddy shut down the tavern for the night. He doesn’t do that very often. On a normal night the tavern would be full of people making lots of noise and music playing and maybe even a fight or two. Nights like those nobody would notice the creaking sound the floor makes when Rummy and I go riding across the countryside. Well, we’ve never really gone anywhere, of course, because he’s a rocking horse.
I used to think he was a real horsey but that’s when I was a really little girl, when I first came to live with Daddy. I remember him telling me that I was less years old than I had fingers on one hand. To show me how many years old I was he took my hand and tucked my tiny thumb into my palm so only my chubby little fingers stuck up and wiggled around inside his hand. Daddy has nice, warm hands and I like that he lets me hold his hand when we walk around town. It makes me feel special and safe.
Now I’ve nearly used up all my fingers counting my birthdays and my fingers are getting longer and thinner. I look like I’m not so much growing up as I am stretching out. Maybe I’m part taffy. That would be silly, but quite sweet. Now that my hands are bigger Daddy says I can start piano lessons soon. Daddy says that Miss Linda can teach me after I finish my other lessons. I can’t wait.
I love to hear the music rolled into the sounds of each night’s activities. It provides the harmony to the buzz of conversations and outbursts by the patrons downstairs. The sounds wiggle through the floorboards and fill my room. I go to sleep listening to the music and sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I get up and dance around my room in my nightgown, pretending that it is a beautiful dress like the ones I’ve seen Miss Linda wear.
Sometimes I sneak out of my room and sit at the top of the stairs in the shadows and watch her as she moves around the room. Some nights she wears fancy necklaces with shiny stones that change color when the light hits them. I used to think they were magical but now my tutor explained that they are just special rocks that have been cut and shined up really pretty. I like my version better.
I sometimes wonder if Daddy and Miss Linda are ever dancing downstairs at the same time I’m spinning and twirling around my room upstairs. I sometimes wonder if Daddy with marry her. I know they like each other. But then there are a lot of ladies who like Daddy. When we walk through town everyone speaks to Daddy and the ladies all smile at him. I smile back and sometimes look into their faces, wondering if I’ll ever see one that mirrors my own. I don’t look like Daddy, so I must look like my mother. All Daddy ever says is that I will grow up to be beautiful like she was. Daddy never lies to me so I guess I just have to wait and see.
But tonight there won’t be any dancing and I sort of wish I wasn’t such a big girl. I’d like to climb up on Rummy’s back, and put my arms around his neck and head off somewhere. Instead I climb into the window seat with a book. From my second favorite perch I can look out of the window or look over and talk to Rummy. He’s been my constant companion almost as long as I can remember.
Uncle Pete and Daddy brought him to my room shortly after I came to live with Daddy. They told me to cover my eyes and not peek. I peeked a little but I was still so surprised that when they told me I could look I sat there stunned, staring at the most beautiful horse I’d ever seen. It had a big round body like the casks in the tavern’s storeroom. And it had long flowing hair on its head and a really long tail. Along the side the letters RUMMY were painted. The first few letters were square and sharply printed and the last couple were added in fancy script. Because now he was MY horse. There were beautiful silver buckles on the harness and scrolling shapes etched along the edge of the saddle like waves.
I giggled and climbed up on the horse with a boost from Uncle Pete and hugged it and stroked its mane. I asked Daddy if we could tie some bows in the horse’s hair and at first he seemed hesitant, but then Uncle Pete burst out with a big laugh and said, “Come on Jonathan, what’s the harm?” I realize now that Daddy thought he had brought me a boy horse, but the bows still look so pretty and Rummy doesn’t mind. I looked up at Daddy while Uncle Pete was helping me tie the bows into Rummy’s mane and he had a big smile and I knew it was OK.
In the days that followed, I spent countless hours riding on Rummy’s back. He’s a strong horse who never tires. And I added ribbons of every color of the rainbow to Rummy’s mane and tail. I put a blanket across his back so he wouldn’t be cold as the winter chills rolled in. Uncle Pete owns the best dress making shop in town and would give me the extra pieces of fabric and ribbons from his shop. I love all the textures and colors. I learned to count using buttons at his shop. When I was little I would hide amidst the massive skirts that hung in the shop waiting for the local ladies to come and take them home. And there were jackets with big collars and fancy buttons and buckles and the walls were lined with shelves with hats and boots. It was a giant closet where Uncle Pete and I played dress up.
But tonight, there is no playing, no riding, no laughing. There’s a big storm coming. From my window in the mornings I can see way out over the water. I watch the waves and see the ships as they come into and leave the harbor. I watch the men unload the ships and wonder what exciting treasures are inside the boxes and barrels. Sometimes I get to find out when Daddy lets me come downstairs and have my dinner at his special table in the tavern. His table is round and in the corner in the back of the room. I don’t always understand all of the stories but I listen intently as the ship captains and navy officers and passengers from the ships from far away come to dinner. Daddy says it’s all part of business. We give them a meal and they give us stories.
I love stories and that’s why I love reading. Sometimes I pretend that I’ve gotten on one of the ships and sailed off to a land far away. But tonight I wouldn’t want to sail away. The waves were already frightening before the sun went down. Now, as I’m trying to look out of the window, I can’t see anything except the rain hitting my window and an occasional flash of lightning. But I’m not scared. I’m a big girl and I’m safe. Maybe I’ll move over and sit on the other side of the bench, just in case Rummy gets scared. That way I can stroke his hair and fix the bows to make sure that everything is in its place.
