The Tablecloth

The Tablecloth

Lillie sat at the massive old dining table, staring out of the big double windows. She had found herself here many times over the past year. Lillie brushed at and straightened the tattered and faded tablecloth. Her memory traveled back to the beautifully embroidered tablecloth she had seen in an antique shop. At that time, she was only two paychecks away from surprising her Mother with it.  Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

It seemed like such a long time ago, but it had only been a year. The year had been devastating for Lillie and her Mother. It just seemed to go from bad to worse for them. As the information came out about a new flu-like disease, no one was terribly worried about it. Everyone hoped they would not get it, but they were not scared. That soon changed, and her tiny place in the world became frightening.           

Lillie thought about the day that changed their lives and sent them to a place they had never imagined. Her Dad, the anchor of the family, had come down with the dreaded disease. No one yet fully understood this new disease. The Doctor, who her Dad saw, thought it to be no more than a bad cold. When her Dad so unexpectedly passed away, the whole world felt as if it had come to an end for Lillie and her Mom.

Lillie was eighteen at the time. After graduation, she had been so excited to get her first job. She remembered the feeling of pride from her parents and the exhilaration of bringing home her first paycheck.

Lillie and her Mother mainly had shut themselves away, trying to deal with so much sorrow so suddenly. As time passed, they realized that it was not just their world that had changed, but almost everyone they knew. Lillie's full-time job soon became part-time. Eventually, she was laid-off until the company could open its doors back on a full-time basis. She knew she was fortunate to have even that opportunity. Several of her friends and neighbors had lost jobs due to businesses just being unable to hold on any longer. It seemed to Lillie like half of the town had just given up and gone home to wait out what would come next.    

Lillie's Dad had been such a responsible provider. Fortunately, he had considered a future without his income as a possibility. Lillie and her Mother would always have their home, and Lillie's Mom would not have to find a job to survive.  Her Dad had frequently spoken about financial responsibility, but these times had taught Lillie what that truly meant. She promised herself to remember her Dad's conscientious thinking before making her own financial decisions.  

She gazed out the window at her neighbor, walking her dog. The glistening lake in the background looked like it was full of diamonds. The brilliant white ducks casually swimming along made her smile. It did feel like the world was slowly coming back alive. The sights and sounds of school buses once again and watching as people stop and visit each other on the sidewalk were welcome signs of life somewhat typical. The shutdowns and mask mandates had been hard, but it had affected the children the most. Lillie could not imagine her childhood days without being able to play with her friends. Her younger days had been filled with activities that taught her sharing, fairness, sportsmanship, safety, and how to resolve issues with others. Many of life's lessons cannot be as easily learned without human interaction.

The doorbell rang, jerking Lillie out of her trance. Her Mother answered the door, and Lillie recognized the voice of her neighbor from two doors down. The neighbor had become close with them after her precious dog had succumbed to Covid-19 too.  She usually called though rather than visited in person.  Right away, Lillie noticed that something was different. Their conversations were generally more doom and gloom, and today both of their voices sounded upbeat. When Lillie stepped around the corner to say hello, she noticed a small vase filled with spring jonquils that her Mother was holding. For some reason, the first spring jonquils brought a renewed sense of happiness to both women. Lillie giggled under her breath but had to admit that she felt that way too. As they talked in the kitchen over a cup of tea, the chatter was distinctly cheerier.  That was so nice to hear.

Lillie returned to her chair at the dining table. It looked as though this spring morning had infected others as well. She saw a young couple walking hand in hand around the lake. Lillie felt like she could be watching a movie instead of looking out the windows of her home.

The telephone rang, and Lillie jumped up to answer it. It was her employer. Today must be magical because her supervisor had great news. The business could finally afford to put her back on full-time. Her new schedule would mean that her world would no longer revolve only around her home. Like many people, Lillie and her Mother had done what they would have considered their spring cleaning at least twice during the winter, and they had cleaned out clothes closets at least four times. Lillie desperately wanted to get back to her regular work schedule, even though it would mean leaving her Mother alone more. She had thought about that often in the beginning but recently had determined that they were both strong enough now to begin moving forward with their lives.

When she had finished giving her Mom the fantastic news, Lillie returned to the dining room.  The old table was like a friend to her. There was so much love and laughter there when their family was whole. Her Dad had helped her with her homework at the table, and her Mom went to great lengths to ensure that she knew how to set it for dinner properly.   She had gazed out of those same windows as a teenager dreaming about a new boyfriend, out of boredom sometimes, and lately just hoping for a change on the horizon. Today, that change had appeared. Why today, she did not know, but it was here, and that's all that mattered.

Lillie glanced down at the old tattered tablecloth. This cloth had memories too. Memories that had been pushed aside by the dramatic events of the past year. Lillie wondered If the beautiful embroidered tablecloth she had seen so long ago might still be there. Her Dad's words about the importance of being financially responsible immediately popped into her mind, but this would not be a frivolous purchase. Lillie knew that the tablecloth represented so much more than a table covering. Like the old worn tablecloth held old memories, the new one would keep new ones.     

Tomorrow, Lillie thought, if today's magic remains, she would pack away the tablecloth with its wonderful old memories. She pictured the sparkle in her Mother's eyes as she opened them to the dining room's transformation. Thinking of the intricate detail and landscape of colors in the new tablecloth warmed Lillie's heart.

 Who would have thought that a new tablecloth could redesign a room and a persons outlook?