Drabble #14

12/20/2006

Everything about her is crisp. There’s me, the crisp white uniform, and her crisp white cap (both heavily starched). Crisp instructions, with crisp sharp consonants. Crisp movements, nothing wasted. A crisp nod to the doctor on his rounds. If you hugged her, she’d crackle like a piece of cellophane wrapping. At least, that’s what I always thought. But then that boy, just back from Korea, grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Grabbed it with his only hand, the one missing three fingers. She finished changing his dressings (gently, not crisply at all) and ran to the closet, where she cried.

Posted on 12/20/2006 at 09:31 AM | Permalink

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I love this. I've been enjoying your blog for awhile now (even though I don't sew much yet), and this drabble series is brilliant, but this one is my favourite. It's so real and so human. Thanks so much for brightening our days with dresses!

Posted by: Valerie | 12/20/2006 at 10:26 AM

What a sweet drabble!

Posted by: Susan | 12/20/2006 at 10:33 AM

Oh, jeepers, I just teared up myself.

Posted by: Gidget Bananas | 12/20/2006 at 11:22 AM

Oh wow, that was a great piece of writing. So brief but so powerful!

Posted by: ambika | 12/20/2006 at 12:13 PM

I have a big lump in my throat!

Posted by: Lisette | 12/20/2006 at 12:20 PM

Gulp. Erin, you did it again, girlfriend..

Posted by: melissapedsrn | 12/20/2006 at 12:28 PM

Ohhhhh, now you've made me cry too. K Q:-0

Posted by: Kate | 12/20/2006 at 12:37 PM

You make it all so possible, so human. I look at that dress and I can see the story unfold...Thank you.

Posted by: Cin | 12/20/2006 at 03:33 PM

Perfect.

Posted by: enc | 12/20/2006 at 05:02 PM

That just ROCKS. My 84yo grandmother is recovering from her 2nd total shoulder replacement and I print your new posts for her every day. She loves it and several times has reminisced that she had a similar dress. It is wonderful to hear her memory jogged...she has a lot of fashion sense. She was Miss Michigan Peach Queen 1939 (forerunner to Miss America contest). I have the locket and dress she wore in her official portrait. Thanks for giving her something so cool to look forward to!!! Katherine

Posted by: Anonymous | 12/20/2006 at 07:42 PM

So...when are you going to put these in a book? I want it.

Posted by: mickey | 12/20/2006 at 09:48 PM

Awwwww!!! Great dress drable today. Bit sad tho.

Posted by: Floridaprincess | 12/20/2006 at 10:37 PM

It reminds me of the piece of writing that Hemingway said was the best he had ever written. It's only six words: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Posted by: E | 12/21/2006 at 12:51 AM

I've really enjoyed these drabbles! This one was especially touching.

Posted by: Anonymous | 12/21/2006 at 06:07 AM

Beautiful, poignant, human: you make the dresses seem more real than some of the people I work with every day.

Posted by: Maggi | 12/21/2006 at 06:46 AM

Are you trying to make us cry too?

Posted by: S. | 12/21/2006 at 08:01 AM

omigod, i didn't even bother to run to the closet!

Posted by: Anonymous | 12/21/2006 at 09:12 AM

omigod, i didn't even bother to run to the closet!

Posted by: Anonymous | 12/21/2006 at 09:13 AM

Oh, I love these drabbles - and this one made me cry as well. You are so talented.

Posted by: stephanie | 12/22/2006 at 08:18 AM

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

Posted by: |

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type:

Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.