Etta Jo's Doll - Chapter 4 - Dreaming about Roasted Turkey

Etta Jo lives on a Caribbean island that was devastated a few months ago when the high winds and torrential rains caused by Hurricane Maria swept across the landscape.  Etta Jo’s home, where she lived with her mother, and the school, where she attended second grade, were destroyed.  

A family in Laconia, who annually vacationed on the island and knew her mother, offered to provide a home for Etta Jo for a few months while the community is being rebuilt.

Etta Jo is 8 years old and has never traveled off the island or experienced snow or the New England traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Over the next few weeks the Laconia Daily Sun will feature, through a series of stories, the adventures of Etta Jo that will allow children to understand how a child views their world and culture through a different lens.

These stories, fictionalized and based on an imagined situation, can be read to children ages 5  to 9 years old  or read by children.  

Children can write letters to Etta Jo c/o The Laconia Daily Sun, 1127 Union Ave. #1, Laconia, NH 03246 and their letters will be answered.

By ELIZABETH HOWARD

Etta Jo sat in the back seat of the car with Helen and Mark as they left the airport. She had never seen such large trucks or so many cars. How could anyone find their way, she wondered, when everything seemed to be moving so fast? Helen and Mark were looking at books and talking back and forth. Etta Jo was very quiet. She missed her mother, her friends, and her doll, Charlotte.

It seemed they had been driving for hours when Mrs. Chase turned to Etta Jo and said,
“We are now in Laconia, your new home.” 

Etta Jo looked out of the window as they drove past the shops on Main Street and the handsome brick library on the corner. As they drove along the streets she noticed how large the houses were. Where she lived, the homes were small cottages.

After the car had stopped in the driveway, Helen and Mark helped Etta Jo out of the car and Helen said, “Can I show Etta Jo her room?” Mrs. Chase nodded and the two little girls ran into the house and up the front stairs.

Etta Jo’s room was at the end of the hall. It was painted a light pink color, the bed was covered with a white bedspread and a ruffled, bed skirt with pink and white flowers. There was a bureau, a desk with jars of crayons and colored pencils, and a bookcase with a few books on the shelves. Then they went to see Helen’s room, filled with dolls, books and toys.

“Etta Jo, you can take some of my books and other things for your room. Mark will share his games and his toys too.”

Just then Mrs. Chase called from the bottom of the stairs: “It’s time for dinner. Please come down to the table, Helen and Etta Jo. Will you see if you can find Mark?”

When they sat down, Mr. Chase said grace and then asked Etta Jo to pass her plate so he could serve her. “Etta Jo, this is a special week, because on Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving. This is a holiday that was first celebrated 1621 when Pilgrims and other early settlers gathered for a feast after a good harvest. Thanksgiving is now a day when Americans gather together with their families and give thanks for all we have. The dinner includes a large roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, squash, and pumpkin and mincemeat pies for dessert. Now that you are here with us, Etta Jo, this is your holiday too. Etta Jo had never tasted turkey, or cranberry sauce and she had had so many experiences in this one day it was difficult to think about Thanksgiving.

It was getting late, so after dinner Mrs. Chase took Etta Jo up to her room to help her get ready for bed. She pulled a pair of pajamas from the bureau drawer and gave them to Etta Jo. Then Mrs. Chase opened the closet and there was a beautiful white sweater and blue skirt hanging there. “We bought this for you to have something to wear on your first day of school.”

Then Mrs. Chase told Etta Jo to say her prayers before she gave her a hug, kissed her goodnight and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. Etta Jo was so tired she fell fast asleep and was soon dreaming about wearing her new white sweater and thinking about eating roasted turkey.

Etta Jo's doll, Charlotte, had a matching white sweater and blue skirt.