THE FEMININE VIEWPOINT

by and about women

THE IRONING jody shotwell

Just enough dusk had gathered in Willa's garden to bring out the beauty of the other woman's face. Deb was daylight-ugly. But here, and now, with the sun-rusted skin toned to honey, the worry-sharpened features softened, Willa saw what she had always suspected was there.

The two little ones, Deb's Bim and her Tommy, played for the time, peacefully. It had been a hot day, but now a new breeze touched Willa's neck and lifted her friend's white-streaked hair.

"You know," Willa said, "I feel that I'd like to make a sketch of your head." She was voicing a thought she'd had before, when she had first met Deb. Then it was for the ugliness, now for the beauty that looked through it.

"Oh, do you draw? I didn't know that."

"I don't really," Willa replied. “I can't... but now and then I see something, or someone, that makes me feel I want to."

"Why would anyone want to draw me?" Deb said, deprecatingly. "Of all people!"

The little boys broke into a quarrel over a toy, and when peace was restored, the mothers settled again in their chairs. It was growing dark,

one

so that only eyes were clear and the flash of teeth. Willa took a cigarette and offered one to Deb. Their hands touched around the match-flame..

"Well," Deb sighed. "I'll smoke this and ramble along. You'll want to get Tommy to bed... and I have ironing.

"You're going to iron tonight? Why?"

"I always do my ironing at night. Sometimes until one, two o'clock in the morning."

"Every night?" Willa asked, curiously.

"No, I don't iron every night.. but I always find something to do..."

Willa suddenly sensed that the moment was pregnant with untold confidences. She and Deb had been neighbors, living within shouting distance of each other for a couple of years now, but only lately had they become backyard visitors. Just the same, from the beginning she had felt drawn to this woman. It was not only that Deb was obviously more perceptive and articulate than the other neighbors, but that she seemed to need a friend. Willa had been waiting for her to acknowledge this need.