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Elsa knew Jean prayed every day to feel movement in her womb, and that with every ht I had a job in a diner I was serving apple pie to women who still wore hats that matched their dresses”

Jean nodded “I reckon we all have that dream”

WINTER HIT THE SAN Joaquin Valley hard, a frightening combination of bad weather and no work Day after day, rain fell fro on the auto the ditch bank Puddles of mud formed and wandered, beca

Elsaher al, but even so, her savings diminished She hated that she and the children had had no choice but to buy galoshes thisin their sizes at the Salvation Ariveaway box at the Presbyterian church

By late Deceh that she lived in a constant state of fear Cotton hadn’t earned theh the winter; she understood that now She needed help to feed her children; it was as siet et food fro in a line at a soup kitchen, bowl and spoon in hand, but she knew that could be her future if she wasn’t careful Honestly, she’d be doing it now if she hadn’t heard that the supply at the soup kitchens was stretched to the limit; she didn’t want to take free food out of the mouths of people who had no other choice, not while she still had some money

“It ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of,” Jean said when Elsa told her

They were standing in Elsa’s tent, having a cup of coffee together in the relative quiet of o Rain thumped on the canvas, rattled the poles “Really?” Elsa said, looking at her friend

They both knew better It was so to be ashaovernment They were supposed to work hard and succeed on their own

“None of us got a choice,” Jean said “You don’t get much—beans and rice—but every morsel matters”

That was the truth of it

Elsa nodded “Well, I won’t get help standing here wishing life were different”

“Ain’t it the truth?” Jean said

The woed a smile

Jean left the tent, closed the flaps behind her Elsa buttoned up her hooded coat and stepped into her oversized galoshes and began the walk into Welty In this weather, it was slow going

Nearly an hour later, splattered withline of people in front of the federal relief office She stood in line for two more hours By the ti violently