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What was called, The
Woman's Building, could have been a stately old mansion with a wide porch
across the front that was more like a veranda. As far as I could see it was
never used but simply rested across the front of the building as decoration,
even though it could have been a wonderful place for lounging chairs since
the view took in the rolling lawn going up to the lake. The quiet lapping
waters were pleasant and peaceful. Geese wandering in about the shores and
their bobbing on the waters were lovely. Their waddling ways and soft
quaking sounds lent an air of levity to the scene. At night the mercury
light on a tall pole gave drama outside my window with the look of being
always moonlit. The busy ways of the teachers who lived there didn't give
them much time for lounging even though the building in its stately manner
wanted to allow it.
Upon entering the
double front doors there was a very large great room. A hall way took off to
the left and stairs led to the apartments upstairs as well. To the right
were large French doors. It was through these doors employees went to be
seated at the elegant dining room which was called, with little creative
naming, “The Café.” Unmarried employees were the ones who usually
frequently the café for their meals. The food was not costly because it was
a part of a training program for those who were taking café management as
their vocation. A few of the girls who had worked for me at the office when
I was detailed to that, as a student, were now, the one's who took our
orders. They always treated me in a special way which also made the meals
nice, too.
Fresh white table
clothes, crystal drinking glasses, and complete table settings made the
dining elegant. Every part of the menu had extra thought given to it, for
instance, if you ordered orange juice it was freshly squeezed, real orange
juice. Life was good and actually held little comparison to the many meals
I had off metal trays in the massive cafeteria styled dining room when I was
a student.
Our little group was
seated and enjoying our morning meal when one of the recently hired
bachelors came in late to join us.
“You are late,” someone
reminded him.
“I know.” His grin was
wider than usual and it made us know he had a reason for his tardiness and
he was going to share it with us.
“The goose parade held
me up.”
Of course, we all knew
what he meant. For some reason the geese seemed to choose the most opportune
time to leisurely amble across the road. Anyone who happened to be caught in
their car on the road at that place had no choice but to sit and wait
patiently until each and every goose had made its way across the road.
“One of these
mornings......” His joking about it told us the running down of one of
them was only a threat.
After the school closed
there was no one to take care of all the maintenance of the stately old
edifice. The steam pipes burst in the building. All the beautiful maple
furnishings in the apartments went to pieces. The walls and floors were also
destroyed. |
