Clara's Dollar

  Clara was clutching tightly to the one dollar bill Henderson, her husband, had given her. The ride into town found her wishing just once Henderson, would give her more than one dollar to spend for anything she wanted.

    Clara knew times were hard but she couldn't spend that dollar on herself when they had fifteen children at home that never got the nicer things like some of the children in the community. She never came to town without bringing each one something if it was just a piece of penny candy.

    Henderson dropped her off at the corner for her to do her shopping while he headed to the feed store.  As she hurried down the sidewalk, she saw a man walking ahead of her drop something out of his pocket. When Clara picked it up she saw it was a twenty dollar bill.  She called out to the man to try to give it back to him.

    "Ma'm, you are the first person to attempt to give back the money I dropped. I have done this four times and you are the first."  He gave Clara a one hundred dollar bill and said, "God bless you."

    "My goodness," she thought now I have one hundred one dollars to decide what to do with ......"My goodness!"

      "If I buy more than usual, Henderson will wonder where the money came from and take what's left away," she thought. "If I put it in the bank, Christmas won't be so hard this year and the children can have more than an apple, an orange, and a handful of nuts.

      She struggled with herself wanting desperately to ease their needs of today, yet knowing this would be the hardest year they had endured since they married financially.

      Suddenly it came to her what she should do. As fast as she could walk, Clara headed toward the bank.
She arrived at the bank breathless.     

      Clara deposited $100 of the money in a savings account and spent her usual dollar. Henderson kept asking her why she was so happy today as they made their way down the winding dirt road toward home. She couldn't share this secret with him and she felt bad about that. The guilt was not as overwhelming as the joy she felt inside at the thought of little Rachel waking Christmas morning with a doll of her own to hold.There would be a teaset for Carolyn who loved pretty dishes, a slingshot made of metal instead of carved out of wood for Genie Boy and Luke. A new scarf for Peggy with bright colors would be a thrill. A toy gun would be under the tree for for Bennie who used his finger as a weapon pointed at every bird that landed near the house.  Guy and Sonny are old enough for a real rifle to help put meat on the table(won't their eyes shine!). Joaquin away at nursing school will have a nice new tablet and pen. Nell will have a shiny new comb of her own and Dot who primped with nothing will have a lipstick. Lota and Faye could have sweaters not handed down. Lanie was too little to care or remember, but Joe "Taterbug" would be tickled with a new ball.  The smile would not leave her face.

    Clara knew in this time of depression she would still have enough left from $100 even after buying Christmas gifts for the children to give Henderson money to spend on seeds for the spring crop. Now a tear of happiness slid down her face.

    "What is wrong, Clara?" Henderson gruffly asked misunderstanding her tears. His tone softened,  " I know a dollar ain't much to spend for all the kids, but it is all and then some we can afford."

    "I know," Clara whispered. She couldn't tell him now but Christmas, yes, at Christmas, she could give him the best present he'd ever had!

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