Saturday Story - Angie bakes cookies

 Saturday Story - December 12, 2020

Angie Harris was an outgoing, vivacious, thirteen-year-old.  As an eighth-grader in Glover Cleveland Middle School in Sugar Land, Texas she was so active in her school.  She was on the student council, played basketball, and ran track.  She wasn’t the best athlete on the teams but she was just so much fun to be around and such a hard worker that she just fit in.

She walked the half-mile to and from school most days unless it was raining and even then she liked to walk in the rain with her umbrella.  On those walks, she walked past what must have been the original house in the area, which was occupied by an old lady who was known to be crabby.  There were a few times when this lady was in her yard and gave Angie a terrible stare as she walked past on the sidewalk.  Angie smiled and said “Hi” as she passed, but the lady didn’t respond to her.  

She asked her parents about her.

“Do you know the name of the old lady in the old house on the way to school?” She asked one evening at dinner.  

Her dad, who had grown up in the area was pretty sure her name was Appletree or something like that.  He also commented “When we were kids we called her “Crabby Apple.  I think her husband was still alive then, but I think she is alone now.”

Angie had an idea.  “Mom, this weekend can we make some cookies and I’ll take some to her?”.

Mom wasn’t too excited about that.  “I’ve heard she is kind of nasty.  Are you sure you want to do this?”.

Angie had an answer for her Mom.  “Mom, in Sunday School we talked about loving one another, and showing kindness to all people”.

Angie didn’t tell Mom the whole story.  Junna, who frequently walked to school with her, had dared Angie to love the old lady.  Junna was her best friend and was in her class at school and in her Sunday School class at Holiness Baptist Church. 

Mom reluctantly said “Okay”.

*****

That Saturday, Angie, and Mom made chocolate chip cookies, and put a dozen on a paper plate, and covered it with plastic wrap.  About eleven in the morning, Angie set out of her mission, but every step closer to Mrs. Appletree’s house she lost a little of her confidence.  

She walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.  Every step was a little more worrisome.  What if the old lady yelled at her or swung her cane at her or called the police on her.  What if she threw something at her - like dishwater or a potted plant?  

Angie, heard the bell go a cherry Ding/Dong and waited and waited.  It seemed like forever.  Maybe the old lady wasn’t home.  Maybe she was dead and on the floor.  Maybe she had seen Angie coming and wasn’t going to answer the door.  Angie turned to leave when she heard the door opening.

There was maybe the ugliest woman she had ever seen.  Her right eye was almost totally closed.  Her back was humped as she bent over to open the door. Her hair was disheveled.  She had an old housecoat on - that looked ripped and had holes.  

The old woman spoke first “What do you want?”

Angie timidly answered “I brought you some chocolate chip cookies” and pushed the paper plate of cookies towards the older woman.

But, the lady didn’t reach out to the cookies.  She asked Angie “Why are you doing this?  Nobody asked you to make cookies for me”.

Angie was almost hurt - here she was trying to do a nice thing, trying to show love and to be nice.  

Angie stammered “I thought maybe you might like some cookies.  My Mom and I made them for you”.

The older lady stood there for a minute before reaching for the plate.  And, as if she suddenly remembered her manners, asked “Are you the girl that walks past her on her way to school?  I think I’ve seen you.”

Angie tried to find her voice - but first nodded then squeaked out a “yes”.

Angie, finding her voice said “I’m Angie Harris from the next block, the house with the gray shutters.  I go to Cleveland Middle School.”

 

Again, the older lady just stood there.

Angie tried again.  “I hope you like chocolate chip cookies”.  

The lady said, “Yes, I do.  Thank you”.  

She then added “I don’t get much company, and nobody brings me cookies.  I’m Lucille Appletree.  And, it is nice to meet you Angie Harris from the next block with the house with the gray shutters.”

Mrs. Appletree managed a one-sided smile.  “Thank you for coming.  My house is a bit of a mess or I would ask you in.”

Angie took that as a hint to leave.  She turned away from the door and took one step when she heard that voice behind her say “Maybe you could come back again?”.

Angie turned and nodded “Yes,” she said, although she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to come back again.

Mrs. Appletree suggested, “Maybe next Saturday morning you could come back - with more cookies”.  

*****

Angie did leave this time but stopped at where Mrs. Appletree’s sidewalk joined the main sidewalk and turned around.  The old lady was still at her door, watching Angie.  Angie gave a little wave and a big smile and said, fairly loud, “See you next Saturday”.  And she noticed what might have been a smile on the older woman’s face.

*****

Angie walked briskly home and found her mother in the kitchen and told her about her trip to Mrs. Appletree’s house.  

Mom said, “Well, you were nice and tried to love her.  And, I think you can back more cookies next Saturday”. 

*****

During the week, Angie thought about her first interaction with Mrs. Appletree.  She told Junna about it and said she was going back on Saturday with more cookies.

*****

Saturday came around and Angie took more cookies to Mrs.Appletree’s house.  Again, she rang the doorbell and this time, the door opened in a shorter period of time.  The figure in front of Angie was still the same but was also quite different.  The shabby housecoat had been replaced with a pretty pink top and a nice blue skirt.  The hair had been combed.    

Mrs. Appletree greeted her nicely.  “Welcome, Angie Harris.  I wasn’t sure if you were going to come back.  Please come in.”

Mrs. Appletree took the cookies from Angie and placed them on a coffee table in what seemed to be the living room.  Today, the room seemed brighter, but, of course, she only looked in last week and didn’t see much.  The curtains were open, the blinds were pulled up.  There even were a few flowers in a vase on the coffee table.

Mrs. Appletree asked, “Would you like some tea?”

Angie rarely had hot tea, but thought she should say “yes”, so she did answer “Yes, please”.

Mrs. Appletree said, “Please sit down Angie while I get the tea.”  She then added, “Do you like sugar, or cream in your tea?”

Angie didn’t know the answer, so said “No, I’m fine”.

Mrs. Appletree excused herself to go to her kitchen and brought back a tray with a teapot that still had steam coming out of it, two porcelain cups, and two teabags.  She also had a sugar bowl and two spoons.

She put the tray on the coffee table, which was getting full with the cookies and flowers, poured hot water into the cups and handed a cup to Angie, and also gave her a teabag and a spoon.  Angie knew enough to put the teabag into the water and did so while Mrs. Appletree put a spoonful of sugar into her cup before putting the tea bag into the hot water.

“How was school this week?” Mrs. Appletree asked.  “What grade are you in?  What subjects do you like?”

Angie told Mrs. Appletree about her school while Mrs. Appletree ate a cookie.  (She dipped the cookie into the hot tea water to soften it).  

It seemed like Mrs. Appletree really was listening to the girl tell of her classes and activities.

“Do you play the piano?”, Mrs. Appletree asked.

“No, I don’t.  Do you play?” Angie asked back.

Mrs. Appletree smiled “I used to play a lot.  I played piano at my church back in the day.  But now my piano sits in the corner and I rarely play it just for myself”.

It took Angie a few minutes to feel comfortable with the older woman, and just sipped on her tea.  She asked Mrs. Appletree, “Could you play something for me on the piano?”

At first, the older woman hesitated, then slowly getting up went to the piano in the corner. It was an upright piano, and even though it looked like Mrs. Appletree had tried to dust it, there was still some dust on the lid.  She opened the lid, sat on the piano bench, and did a few chords to loosen up.  She then played “Blessed Assurance” with many mistakes, but Angie did recognize the tune (although her church rarely sang hymns like that). 

Mrs. Appletree tried to involve Angie in conversation - like what her father and mother did, her brothers and sisters; and what she liked to do.  Angie tried to answer honestly but didn’t add too many extras.

After about 30 minutes, Angie asked if she could leave, and Mrs. Appletree said “yes’, but wanted Angie to come back the next Saturday.  Angie said she thought she might be busy with a student council event.  Mrs. Appletree looked like that deflated her, but then suggested maybe Angie could come back after school.

*********

We are going to leave this story at this point.  I too remember a house like the one in the story where we kids were sure a crabby old lady lived.  But, eventually, I moved her lawn and shoveled her sidewalk when it snowed.  

Angie in the story wanted to “love one another” and to be nice.  Can we show the same love to others?  Can we be nice?  It might be valuable.

LOVE DOES WIN!!

HUGS!!!

Karen