Free Life with Lily by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Mary Ann Kinsinger

emery cloth. Together, Mama helped Lily press as hard as they could in one direction. They rubbed the emery cloth across the stove top until it was shiny. If they rubbed the wrong way, they could make ugly scratches. Lily rubbed and rubbed until her arms felt tired. She didn’t like the sound of the emery cloth on the stove top. Its screechy noise made her teeth shiver.
    Next came Lily’s favorite part of Saturday cleaning: time for Mama to sweep and mop the floors. Lily and Joseph were allowed to sit in Papa’s big rocking chair and look through picture books. It was the only day they got to sit in Papa’s chair and the only time they could look at those particularbooks. Lily wished the floor would take a long time to dry, but it never did.
    Because then came the worst part of Saturday cleaning. “Time for your hair, Lily,” Mama said, too soon.
    Every morning Mama would comb Lily’s hair back to make the part that was visible nice and neat. It was only taken down on Saturdays. All that combing back done during the week made awful snarls. Lily dreaded having her hair brushed out. Sadly, she slid off the rocking chair, put the special books away, and walked into the kitchen. Joseph ran to his room for this part because he didn’t like to watch Lily get upset. If she cried, then he would cry.
    In front of the sink, Mama placed a tall stool. She handed Lily a box filled with toys that were only played with while Lily had her hair done. A big matchbox filled with pretty pink and purple pop beads. Little books filled with pretty pictures and cute stories that Mama read while Lily turned the pages. A small Rubik’s cube that Lily twisted and turned but never could get all the colors lined up. A little beaded purse filled with different cute key chains. Best of all, a tiny porcelain doll with blue eyes, pink cheeks, and a bright red mouth. Mama had sewed a tiny purple dress for the doll. It was so tiny there had not been any room for buttons, so the back of the dress was sewed shut. Lily wrapped the doll into one of her flowered handkerchiefs and held it while Mama unwove her braids. Lily’s hair fell down to her knees in a river of crinkles.
    And then came the terrible, awful part. It had been a week since Mama had brushed out Lily’s hair. It was filled with snarls and tangles. Lily tried to ignore how much it hurt to have her hair brushed out. She tried to concentrate on the special toys, but before long, she couldn’t think of anythingelse. She started to cry. Big tears splashed down on the porcelain doll in her arms.
    To help distract her, Mama sang a funny song about a little boy and his dancing colt. Lily tried to choke back her tears so she could listen, but the brush hurt too much. She wailed even louder.
    Finally, after Mama was satisfied that every snarl had been removed, Lily hopped up on the countertop to have a shampoo. She leaned her head over the sink as Mama poured warm water on her head, then gently added shampoo. Lily liked this part of getting her hair done. It felt good. Mama rinsed the shampoo out of Lily’s hair and soaked up the extra water with a towel. Lily would sit back on the stool and Mama would brush out her hair again. Lily felt as if her hair had re-snarled and re-tangled, clinging even tighter to her scalp. Tears prickled her eyes.
    Mama saved a special story about a horse for this second brushing out. This little horse pulled a milk wagon and sneezed every time he trotted by flowers. Kerchoo! Kerchoo! Kerchoo! Lily tried not to cry too loudly so she could listen to Mama pretend to sneeze like a horse. Mama finished by braiding Lily’s hair and fixing it into a tidy little bun on the back of her head.
    â€œThere! You’re all done,” Mama said as Lily slid off the stool. Mama sounded as relieved as Lily felt. Lily put away the special box of “hairdo” toys, happy to think it would be a whole week before she had to have