Well after Sandy and I finished talking to Mr. Korsun about Mr. Vitalo we stated talking about how it felt to be in the eighth grade, well for me. sandy started Bay Ridge High. I was anxiously waiting for winter and Christmas which meant new clothes and a Christmas party at Zion with the Norwegian ladies. Those ladies made sure big families like mine had all the winter clothes we needed. This year was more important to me for that than I can ever remember. Why? Because of Mr. Vitalo!
The ladies came to the house as they did every year, wearing big hats and coats with fur collars and long gloves. Sitting down having coffee with my mother they asked sizes, made comments about how fast we were all growing. That took a lot of work, sizes, food, shoes certificates. They did it all. So Christmas came and most of us went to the party except those kids who thought they were better than that, meaning my sister and a few brother and the parents of course, but never too proud to ask, or wear new clothes, or new shoes, and eat all the food they gave us.
Me, I loved going, mainly because I got to hang out with Bette Lou, see Pastor Don, and sing. That church, I loved my church. With a giant tree we all sang around it, in Zion's basement, with big over sized glass stained windows.
There were many bags of groceries to bring home, and shortly before leaving one of the ladies came to me and in her Norwegian accent asked, Nancy? You graduate this year, yah? I answered maybe, knowing how bad I was in math and we had to make our own graduation dress. I ripped a lot of stitches in sewing class.
Off we went home, and had a great Christmas. Then I opened a box. My best gift almost ever. It was a blue suit. All I thought about was, wait until Mr. Vitalo sees me in this. Boy was I dumb! But this wasn't just any blue suit. It was a blue plaid hip-pleated skirt with a white leather vest and the same wool blue plaid trim to match. WOW! I wore it the first day back to school, and never got to see Mr. V. once. I was told he was still on vacation. After school, I hung up my suit carefully with my white pleated cotton blouse. I had to be so careful putting it in the closet. It was so small and i had to share it with my sister and mother who seemed to have a million dollars worth of clothes. I hung it in the back. Even if it was squashed, at least it wouldn't get knocked off the hangar and lay in a heap.
Days and days passed, and finally I heard that soothing, hey Mac! At last, back to normal. I Mr. Vitalo I shouted. He said so Mac how was Christmas? As I'm telling him, he pats my shoulder, says great, sorry I have to go, now get to class. I was on cloud nine and now knew I could wear my new suit tomorrow.
Tomorrow comes and I'm looking, walking past his office and after lunch see Mr. Hazel the secretary. Mr. Hazel, where's Mr. Vitalo? Oh he went to another school today to observe. WHAT! WHY? Is he leaving? No, no, no, no, he's helping.
Again I hang my suit up in the back of the closet. i took the plastic off my mothers dress and covered my white leather vest.
Wednesday and I run to school to make sure he's there. He was. My heart smiled as long as the country is wide. Now I had to plan on next week and wearing that suit. But before that all that the girls were called in to make sure they were well informed about making their graduations dresses, and math was on schedule. I knew I was way behind, so I barely said I was doing okay. That day was a bummer. I not only wasn't ready, I didn't want to be ready.
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