Home To Mother's
By Eleanor E. Harris, first published in Scribner's Magazine
An old lady takes her friend to her mother’s house for a meal, but when they arrive, things aren’t exactly as she remembers.
Author
Published in
Year
Words
Genres
Availability
Collections
Plot Summary
Two old ladies, Betty and Janey, walk down a country road to Betty’s mother’s house. Betty assures Janey that her grandmother will have a delicious meal of chicken and biscuits waiting for them, unlike the poor food they get back at their farm. Janey asks Betty how her grandmother is still alive, which confuses her and makes her wonder if her grandmother is actually dead. Janey knows that Betty dreams a lot, and so dismisses the discrepancy in information as her imagination. The two continue on their travels, although Janey is beginning to get tired and wonders if Betty dreamed the entire house up. Finally, they come upon the worn cottage, which is full of children playing in the yard. The two head to the door and are greeted by Mrs. Mason, who hurriedly lets them in and assures them that dinner is almost ready. In the kitchen, she tells her husband Bill that they must have walked all the way from the senior home on a farm nearby, and the two agree to host them for a meal of chicken and biscuits. Betty and Janey are delighted by the family, although Betty continuously wonders where her mother, siblings, and children are, even going so far as to look through the house for them. The older women show off the keepsakes they brought with them, and then Bill offers to drive them back to their home, where they plan to talk endlessly about the day’s adventure.
Tags