Grandma Robot by Fay Risner Read Free Book Online

part
of a set that hung in the parlor,” Henie said.
    Karen set the quilts and curtains
on top the chest. “I want to look at that lamp table under the
box.” She placed the box on the floor and studied the table. A
small, square, walnut table with a smaller lower shelf attached to
the legs, and the claw feet were on glass balls. “Oh my, how neat
is that. Would this table look all right in front of my
window?”
    “It would. Now we have to find a
lamp to put on it,” Henie said and took off to a far corner to the
discarded lamp pile. She said in disappointment, “These are so old
I don't think any of them will work. Most of them aren't
electric.”
    Karen caught up to her. Right away
she spotted a porcelain, round, white lamp base with a glass shade
that had prisms hanging from the shade. “I like that
one.”
    “It's not modern, dear. That lamp
used to light with kerosene,” Henie said.
    “It doesn't have to be modern to
look pretty on my table. I can buy fuel something like kerosene to
put in it. If the electricity goes off in a storm, we'd be all
set,” Karen decided.
    Henie smiled. “I think that sounds
like a plan. Now I want you to look at the hope chest.”
    Henie walked along the stacks and
came to a cedar chest. She opened it up. “This was your grandmother
Mary's wedding dress.” The dress was ivory satin with pearls sewed
in two rows at the neck and the end of the cuffs just below rows of
lace. The skirt was an A line shape all the way to the
floor.
    “That is a beautiful gown,” Karen
exclaimed.
    “I'll bet that was the dress your
mother was suppose to wear when she got married,” Henie
said.
    “Did she wear it?” Karen
asked.
    “I don't know,” Henie said. “But
the dress stayed in Mary's hope chest.”
    That is one of
the few things Henie confessed to not knowing. “What else is in there?”
    “Assortment of linens, like
sheets, pillow cases with embroidered baskets full of flowers on
them to match. Dish towels with the day of the week on them. I
forget what else,” Henie said.
    Karen fingered the neatly piled
linens. “Why do you suppose Grandma Mary didn't use all these
things?”
    Henie hesitated. “I'm not suppose
to know, but I'd say Samuel's wife was a bit too picky. Most things
weren't good enough for her unless she picked them out. The more I
hear about your mother the more she sounds like her mother. That
happens usually. Daughters become like their mothers. Anyway when
you need a hope chest, I just wanted you to know you have
one.”
    “Yes, I'll keep that in mind. Now
I best carry some of my treasure down to my room. You can dust the
table and air the quilts if you want to help,” Karen
said.
    “That's my job,” Henie declared.
“Oh, there's a couple other items I'd like brought down. Could we
take a couple of the old rockers taken out on the front porch so we
can sit out there on nice evenings and watch the sun
set?”
    “Henie, that sounds like a good
idea. I'll carry them down later,” Karen said. “Let's work on my
bedroom first. I'm excited to see how our makeover
looks.”
    One day, Karen was right in the
middle of writing an important chapter in her book when Henie
insisted she stop for lunch. When Karen sit down at the table, the
full bowls were overwhelming. She wasn't sure what would have been
appropriate to feed crew of field hands in days gone by, but she
had the feeling this meal might be it. Also, she had an ominous
feeling if she asked, Henie could tell her what foods would be on a
working farm's table.
    “My goodness, Henie, why so much
food? I really can do with much less to eat,” Karen
declared.
    Henie leaned against the counter.
Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “You work hard. You must keep
up your energy.”
    Karen sighed. She wasn't going to
be able to out argue Henie when the robot gave her that worried,
grandmotherly look. She filled her plate with portions from each
bowl. She managed to eat most of the mash potatoes, gravy,