A Big Job

The spring-cleaning long ago, was a family affair. Mama and her two daughters could not do it on their own. When Daddy helped he always did a lot more than his share, And if he were too busy he had a hired hand to loan. The big wool rugs were heavy; they could make a strong man groan. The outside windows must be washed, that was my brothers’ work. The job was done on Saturday when they were home from school. There were four of them, they paired up, so none of them could shirk. One of them climbed, the other held the ladder or the stool. “Do it right or do it over” was Mama’s enforced rule. Everybody helped to get the big rugs across the line And a big pole was inserted to lift them off the ground. After Mama inspected, if she said the lift was fine, Each one of us took a board and we gave those rugs a pound. In between our other jobs we would go another round. After emptying the straw ticks and putting in new straw, Both we girls helped our mama scrub all of the wooden floors. New linoleum for kitchen floor was laid down by our pa. My brothers Kalsomined the walls and painted all the doors. For our pay, Mom opened canned fruit from winter’s dwindling stores. By: Joyce Johnson 3/05/12 For Francine's contest "Cobwebs and Dust. My theme: "Spring Cleaning"