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The day had come, 1924, I was six in September and old enough to go to school at Makkovik. I remember being very excited. My mother and grandmother were busy washing and sewing and getting ready my few garments. We were a poor people, but my grandmother's house was always clean and tidy. I remember my initials being worked on my clothes in purple worsted, as we called wool in them days. I thought to myself, how pretty it looked. I couldn't stay still and I talked the whole time as I was a real little chatter-box. I kept telling my Aunt Cateleena about the big house I was going to. I wondered to myself, how my dear grandmother could look so sad, and once or twice I saw tears in her eyes. I wanted everybody to be so happy. I was to learn about the sad looks 'cause there came a time when I had to put two little girls in a boarding school. I can't remember much about the ride in the komatik box, but I can remember getting to Big Bight where Uncle Willie and Aunt Lizzie Broomfield lived. We had a good hot cup of tea and some good stove-cakes. Then we travelled on to Makkovik. It was the month of February.
I can remember my mother leading me by the hand and going down to the path, with thick woods on either side of us. We didn't talk much. My mother was very quiet and even I didn't speak very much and that was strange 'cause, as I said earlier, I was a real little chatter-box. As we drew near the great mission house, I wasn't frightened, but it seemed as though everything about it was sacred. We then went in and went up the two flights of stairs. My mother was talking to the minister and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Lenz. I liked going to school. The teachers were kind and looked after us real good. We always had enough to eat, perhaps we didn't always like what was put before us, but it was always good wholesome food. We had breakfast at eight and started lessons at nine. We had dinner at twelve and then went for a short walk at one o'clock. We started lessons again at two. At seven we had a half hour of singing and the teacher would read a few verses from the Bible, ending with a prayer... |
