What the Moon Said Read Online Free PDF

take long. There were only three rooms downstairs—the kitchen, the parlor, and a bedroom for Ma and Pa. Upstairs there were two small rooms with sloping ceilings—one for the girls and one for Walter.
    â€œWhere’s the bathroom, Pa?” Violet called down.
    â€œOut back,” he said. He added quickly over Violet’s shrieks, “Just until the first harvest. It will not be so bad. Be thankful it is spring.”
    Esther shivered at the thought of using an outhouse in winter. Then she imagined using it in summer and shivered even harder. There would be all kinds of horrible bugs!
    The toot of a horn announced the arrival of the truck with their furniture. Esther trudged down the stairs after Violet. Ma and Pa went out to greet the movers. But Esther stopped to look more closely at the kitchen. It didn’t look like any kitchen she’d ever seen.
    â€œWhere’s the icebox?” she whispered to Kate. Surely it wasn’t outside, too!
    Kate sighed. “There doesn’t seem to be one.”
    Esther felt her mouth fall open. No icebox! “How will we keep our food cold?”
    â€œThere’s a cellar.” Kate pointed to a small door in the middle of the floor.
    Esther’s “oh” was very soft. Things were getting worse and worse.
    â€œAnd I may as well tell you, while Ma and Pa are outside—there’s no electricity, either.” Kate rubbed between her eyes as if she had a headache.
    â€œThat does it! We can’t stay here,” Violet objected. “Nobody lives like this anymore!” She stomped her foot indignantly.
    â€œShush! Ma and Pa will hear,” Kate said with a worried glance at the door. “Look, I know it’s bad. It’s not what anyone expected, least of all Ma. But it was the only farm Pa could afford and he’s so excited about it . . .” She smiled encouragingly. “Give it a chance. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”
    â€œEasy for you to say,” Violet said sourly. “You don’t have to go outside to the bathroom. And you’ll still have—”
    â€œThe radio!” Esther suddenly gasped. “Without electricity we can’t listen to the radio.”
    Kate groaned. Violet actually whimpered. Esther felt the last bits of hope drain out of her, like air from a dying balloon. This was not an adventure; it was a disaster. And there was no going back. Like it or not, this was their new home. Esther looked at the peeling walls, the water-stained ceilings, and the cracked linoleum floor. Ma would never become more like Mrs. Rubinstein in this horrible place! Never.
    A sob was crawling its way up her throat, but Esther wouldn’t let it out. They were here to stay. There had to be a way to make it good. Esther rubbed furiously at a grimy window with the cuff of her coat. She cleaned a big circle and looked out. In the distance she saw the bare black fields. They’d be green before long. And Howard was right about the house. Some scrubbing and paint would brighten it a lot. It might not be so awful then. In time, they might even get to like it.
    Esther closed her eyes tight. She imagined the house bright and snug and clean. Good smells wafting out of the kitchen. Pa working out in the fields. Ma waving to him from the porch. And Esther standing beside Ma, with her arm around Ma’s waist and Ma’s arm around her shoulders . . .
    Esther opened her eyes and blinked. For a moment she’d thought Ma had come up behind her. Then she realized it was her own reflection she was seeing in the glass. It was her uplifted chin. It was her squared shoulders. Things hadn’t turned out the way she’d expected. But that didn’t mean Esther was going to give up. It might take a little longer here to make Ma love Esther enough to hug her like Mrs. Rubinstein hugged Shirley. But Esther would work and wish harder than ever to make it happen.

4 A Friend
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