My Little Green Coat

I thought I looked so pretty that Sunday morning. I was careful not to tell my mother how pretty I looked, because she always gave me a lecture on "pretty is is pretty does." That's alright I thought preening in front of our old discolored mirror on my mama's dresser, "I know I look pretty in my little green coat." I loved my coat. I had worn it for two years now and it was getting pretty snug across my shoulders and my tummy. I didn't notice that the ends of the sleeves were getting threadbare. I knew that when I wore this coat we were going to church and that I looked pretty. My coat had a silver pin on it that was the shape of an airplane wing. I don't know where that pin came from but I remember thinking, "I wonder where the rest of it is."

One Saturday evening I heard my mother crying. That was unusal so I knew that something was very wrong. My mama was telling my daddy that she wasn't going to church the next day because she was embarrassed to wear her coat to church. I thought that was strange. I thought she always looked beautiful when she wore her coat. It was full length and gray. On her lapel she wore a gold leaf pin with an amethyst stone for a flower on it. Of course, she always wore just a little bit of lipstick on those days. It was a really light pink. I listened to them talking even though I knew it was very wrong to eavesdrop. She told my daddy that her coat was thirteen years old, and until she got a new coat she wasn't going anywhere. It made me sad to hear how sad she was. Then my name was mentioned. Mom said that I needed a new coat too because I had outgrown my little green coat. "Oh no, I thought. I don't want a new coat." Shortly after that sad day my daddy took us shopping for new coats. Oh, I hated that. My new coat was so ugly. It was a very heavy coat with lots of fur on it and it was light brown with dark brown fur. It did fit better and it was really warm, but really ugly. My new coat had a name. It was called a storm coat. I knew better than to complain, but I will never forget how I hated that coat. I can still see it in my mind's eye. My mama's new coat was all fake fur. I remember hearing it cost twenty five dollars. That was a terrible amount of money, but it made my mama happy and we went to church again.