Swan Place Read Online Free PDF

looked at the labels to see the sizes. “These should fit Molly and Little Ellis,” she said. Then she moved down to another shelf, where she found a pair of shorts for me. But for my shirt, she went back into the bedroom and took a bright blue, new-looking shirt out of her own bureau.
    “Here,” she said, holding the shirt out to me. “You can wear this one today. It’s my favorite, but I don’t mind.” Her eyes told me what she meant. She was trying to be extra nice to me, because of Mama. I got Molly and Little Ellis changed into their shorts and shirts and hung up their good clothes, just like Aunt Bett said. And then I changed my own clothes and hung up my church dress. When I pulled Darlene’s blue shirt over my head, I could smell the fine freshness of it and like always, I did wonder how on earth sunshine could have its own sweet smell. Darlene was watching me, and I smiled at her. That favorite shirt of hers did make me feel better. We herded the children into the living room and got them settled. Then we went to the kitchen to help Aunt Bett with Sunday dinner. The smell of that good ham in the oven made me feel sparkles under my tongue.
    “Darlene, get the potato salad and deviled eggs out of the refrigerator and put them on the table. Then put on plates and silverware.” To me, Aunt Bett said, “It’s okay, Dove. Me and Darlene can take care of things.”
    “But I want to help,” I protested.
    “Well  . . . ” she considered. “Are the children all in the living room?”
    “Yes’m.”
    “Then why don’t you go in there and tell them they can look for their Easter baskets. But they are not to eat a single bite of candy until after dinner.”
    “Yes’m.”
    In the living room, our cousins were lined up on the big couch like they were waiting for a bus. Molly and Little Ellis were sitting together in a chair, each one leaning over an arm and silently enduring the solemn stares of their cousins.
    “Now listen,” I said. “When I count to three, you all can go find your Easter baskets.” The faces brightened, and a few of the cousins broke into grins. “But you are not to eat a single bite of candy until after you have your dinner. Do you all hear me?” Faces fell just a little, but heads nodded in agreement.
    “Okay then. One, two  . . . three! ”
    The cousins lifted off the couch like a bunch of birds flying off a telephone wire and scattered in all directions. Molly and Little Ellis didn’t move.
    “Wait a minute.” I went back into the kitchen, where Aunt Bett was lifting a big roasting pan out of the oven. Her hair was hanging in her face, and her cheeks were pink from the oven’s heat. But oh, the smell of that ham! A red, juicy smell and with clove-spice perfume and a bittersweet smell from the pineapple slices toothpicked all over it. She put the roasting pan on a wooden cutting board on the counter and wiped her face on her apron.
    “Aunt Bett?” I whispered. “Where’d you hide Molly and Little Ellis’s baskets?”
    “Back porch,” she whispered back. We could hear happy cries and laughing coming from the hallway and the bedrooms, as the cousins found their baskets. I went back into the living room, where Molly and Little Ellis were waiting.
    “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go find your Easter baskets. Let’s look on the back porch.”
    When we did find their baskets—one behind the washing machine and the other behind a big basket of clothes waiting to be washed—Molly and Little Ellis were so happy and excited. And I could see why. New things, things I didn’t buy for them, were in the baskets. Jellybeans in all kinds of colors were scattered over the green paper grass, and little chocolate cookie-candies all covered in tiny, white candy dots, and in the center of each basket, a chocolate Easter bunny with round, white candy eyes that had no eye-lids.
    The children all gathered back in the living room, showing each other their candy treasures and doing