It was Mother’s Day at the Henderson house. Four generations of women lived at the ancient country estate from Grandma Henrietta down to granddaughter Hannah and her three dolls, Betsy, Jetsy, and Wetsy. With six bedrooms and three bathrooms, everyone had space to be themselves and spread out.
Also in the premises were two dogs, a mixed farm dog named Lucy who spent most of her time lying in the kitchen on her worn dugs with her gray muzzle resting over her front legs, and Sparkle, the lively black lab puppy, who spent her day handing chew toys to Henrietta, daughter Hellen, granddaughter Hester, and Hester’s Hannah. “Throw them,” Sparkle sparkled.
Two grown cats, a tabby and a white, lived in and around the four-acre farm house but were seldom seen, and if so, more seldom together. Minnie and Pearl were from different litters and arrived at the Henderson house of their own accord as wandering adult females looking for a place to litter. They dropped their kittens under the porch in a cardboard box lined with old dresses three years apart and each later paid a personal visit to Dr. Mary Swope’s veterinary clinic for a snip. Minnie and Pearl didn’t dislike each other, they just didn’t like each other.
Besides a dozen hens, Henrietta also had a horse named Nellie and a cow named Betsy because she had a barn and her grandmother told her that if you’re going to own a barn you have to put in some livestock and stack hay in the loft to keep the building warm. Then the barn becomes a useable space. Without livestock and hay insulation, a barn can be cold and indifferent, especially on a three-dog night.
Henrietta lived on a pension and social security. Helen worked in town as a CPA. Hester was home on vacation from Bryn Mawr where she was mastering in chemistry, horticulture, and social justice. Hannah would attend day care the next year.
Henrietta inherited the Henderson Estate from her mother, Alice, who had inherited it back in the late 1800s from her mother, Aurora. Great great grandma Aurora made her fortune as the only gynecologist in 200 miles. Alice grew up to become a pediatrician, an accomplished singer, and a local politician, serving time first as a member of the school board, then later as a city council member and eventually mayor. She received many awards and lots of recognition for her Traditions for Toddlers program that helped mothers educate and socialize their children in the first two years.
Henrietta was a retired school teacher, which is only a coincidence. She taught for 40 years at a reform school for troubled and homeless children six miles from the house on a 20-acre plot of land with a working farm and housing facility alongside plots of corn, carrots, beans, and broccoli.
Mayor Alice had received the property and a hefty maintenance stipend as a willed gift to the city from the owner, Loretta Crenshaw, of Crenshaw Plumbing and Heating fame. Loretta had grown up homeless and abused and used her time in the sewers and her efforts to stay warm as an opportunity to take an interest in plumbing and heating.
Billboards of Loretta Crenshaw in overalls clutching a wrench and a torch with a glistening drop of sweat dangling from the tip of her nose above her phone number earned her a thousand customers among those who work in kitchens and bathrooms. She needed more skilled workers so she opened a school and bought the farm with its housing and conference rooms expanded. She taught farming and animal husbandry as well as carpentry, plumbing, and heating. It was a women’s school open to everyone.
So, as I was saying, it was Mother’s Day. The Henderson women were just sitting down for a light lunch of fruit and steamed vegetables. Henrietta had prepared a chicken soup from the garden and Helen prepared a salad. Hannah made popcorn with Hester’s help.
When Hester reached to lift down the jug of sun tea sitting on the kitchen window sill, she noticed the sheriff’s patrol car was pulling into their driveway. At the wheel was Sheriff Nancy Crieg and sitting beside her was Congresswoman Belle Fontane. They both stepped out of the squad car, spotted Hester in the window, smiled and waved, their hands full of flowers and pastries.
As the two visitors reached the front porch, Henrietta, Helen, Hester, Hannah, and Lucy opened the doors wide, standing side by side.
“Well, hello, Nancy Belle! So nice of you two to stop by,” greeted Henrietta. Sparkle scuttled between their legs to bring Congresswoman Fontane a soiled and torn hot dog chew toy with a whistle inside, which Sparkle chewed and chewed. Belle accepted the chew toy and tossed it far off into the grassy yard. Sparkle yelped with joy and tore off down the stairs. The women filed inside and all took seats at the table. Hester put the flowers in water. Helen and Hannah partook of the bear claws. Everyone sighed a gasp of recline and leaned back in their chairs.
“So, Happy Mother’s Day to everyone,” said Sheriff Nancy. Everyone nodded and thanked her back. “Same to you.”
“We both had the day off,” said Belle. “So we decided to take a drive out and visit,” said Nancy, completing her partner’s sentence. “Doctor Wells was planning to come along, but she got called in for an unexpected C-section. Helicopter came and got her at her house. So, what’s going on at the Henderson house today?”
“Oh, not much,” said the women in unison.

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