Josephine’s Dry Cleaning, and Hemming and Hawing

Well, hello there. I wasn’t expecting to see you so early in the morning what with it being so close to the Moving On. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone truth be told. Not that most people aren’t already up practicing, mending, and otherwise preparing. They are. By the time the sun’s up good and steady, most Curdle Creekers have already gotten out of bed, stretched, tallied up a list of grievances, prepared apologies, and contemplated votes. And that’s all before breakfast. But, Curdle Creekers like me like to keep to ourselves in the early mornings. It’s that special time of day when the air is crisp and full of sounds of breaking twigs, footsteps, and screaming. It reminds me a lot of the Moving On. There’s nothing quite like the Autumn in Curdle Creek. It’s my favorite time of year. Usually.

Lately, instead of just cool breezes, the promise of a good harvest, and the Moving On, Autumn brings a lot of memories with it. I suppose that’s a blessing. Of course, the real blessing is that Autumn don’t come but once a year.

Anyway, that’s why I’m here at Josephine’s Dry Cleaning, and Hemming and Hawing. If you got something that needs mending, a dress that don’t hang like it used to, a blouse with a stain that just won’t get out, take it to Josephine’s. The garment she can’t fix just ain’t worth saving. I’ve brought her my fair share of unmendable things and without complaint, Josephine fixed them up good as new or better. That’s her motto. She’d better too. Folks around here wouldn’t let her live it down if she sent something back that was worse leaving than it was when it arrived. Shoot. She’d hardly live it down if it was just about right, let alone wrong.

Now, you ain’t heard it from me, but Josephine’s got herself something of a reputation for taking a little longer than it needs to mend something. Folks was just talking about it last night down at the mill. And by folks, I mean Mother. Mother had dropped off a blouse with all the buttons ripped clear off of it and expected Josephine to have it mended good as new in time for the Moving On. Mother says the blouse makes her look ten years younger and two inches taller which is impossible but you know Mother. Impossible ain’t got nothing to do with whether she wants something done or not.

It’s a lace blouse that’s a little tighter than it should be around the arms and a little looser than she’d like it to be around the middle. That’s just to say that that blouse wasn’t going to be no quick fix. But that’s Mother for you. She laid it out on the counter and expected Josephine to stop all she was doing to get to mending it right then and there. She pointed out every fray, stretch, and hole and even then asked what time later today should she pick it up. Josephine said you can come by anytime you won’t, it won’t be ready before it’s ready though, like Mother isn’t a Charter Mother and the Moving On ain’t in just a few weeks.

I’d have died if I’d heard her. Not Mother though. It’d be a shame for you to have a front row seat at the Moving On this year, she said instead. Now anyone else would have got out their tools and started mending that blouse like their life depended on it. Because—well. Josephine just ran her fingers down that delicate blouse, straightened the oakbark spine, folded it back up and set it before Mother. It’d be a shame if I wasn’t here to mend such a beautiful blouse. I’d hate to take it in if I won’t be here to finish the job. It wouldn’t take much for it to look good on you, again.

Now, I know Josephine’s. Got a running tab and everything. Josephine takes in as much work as she can before the Moving On and nothing, and I do mean nothing, comes back until after it. Mother must have been seeing double bells but she kept her words to herself. Swallowed her pride. I just know its still stuck there in her throat waiting.

Well, I need to get back to practicing before the morning bells get to ringing and the whole town’s out putting their affairs in order. You’d better stay right there by the door. Soon as she opens, there will be a line of folks trying to pick up clothes that won’t hardly be ready yet. But you know how folks are, stubborn and hopeful.

Before you go, Curdle Creek comes out in October. Did you know that? A whole book spilling all our secrets. Well, most of them. Anyway, this is the last edition of the Curdle Creek Gazette—at least for a while. If you’d like to get to know more about me and the town of Curdle Creek buy a copy. You can pre-order now or you can buy it when the book comes out. You’ll get to know Mother, Mae, and me a whole lot better. And everybody will get to know you a lot better too. Welcome to Curdle Creek. Everyone’s just dying to meet you.

Macmillan Henry Holt (US) https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250362018/curdlecreek

Hachette Dialogue Books (UK) https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/yvonne-battle-felton/curdle-creek/9780349703534/

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