Chapter 5
Carolyn (May 1957)
...
It was the final morning Carolyn would spend in her childhood home before being sent off to Bradley Diamond's Finishing School for Rising Young Women which resided within the Sequoia Bay Hotel. Carolyn was familiar with the finishing school. Her family lived about a 15-minute bus ride away from the grand building. Carolyn sat up in bed and slowly tossed the covers off of her. Her bedroom was cold that morning as she thought about her parent's obsession with Sequoia Bay. She recalled that for several months her parents attended every event they could at the destination hotel. They went there for drinks and dinner for weekends on end, hoping to rub elbows with the upper-class patrons. While her parents were out socializing, Carolyn would remain home to watch her sisters and she would handle the cooking and cleaning. She didn't mind and was thankful that her mother didn't want to drag her along to these horrid events.
Carolyn got dressed as slowly as she could. Her mother had picked out her attire for the big day and had it waiting for Carolyn on a cedar chest. She didn't feel much that morning; other than the chill in the stiff air of the bedroom. Carolyn finished dressing and fixed her hair. She was nearly ready and expelled a deep sigh before rising from her oak vanity. She stared into the mirror and examined her hair, finished applying her soft makeup, and practiced her smile. She looked around her bedroom one final time, silently saying goodbye to her writing desk and books. She couldn't take all of them with her so she settled on The Fellowship of the Ring. She picked up the book and held it close to her.
"Maybe Mother could deliver the other books to me later," she thought while leaving behind The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
Carolyn turned the knob of her bedroom door. She usually could feel the coolness of the brass on her fingertips but this morning she was wearing brand new white gloves, the final piece of her outfit that tied everything together. With her teeth, she removed the glove from her left hand while clutching her book in her other hand. She touched the doorknob and silently stared at the door. After a moment of saying her final goodbye to the room she grew up in, Carolyn dressed her hand back up with the glove and descended the stairs to meet her parents in the kitchen.
"Good morning, dear," her father said when she walked into the heart of the home that was warmer than her bedroom. Her father was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and her mother was cooking eggs, bacon, and sausages. The wood-burning stove crackled while it sustained the warmth in the bright kitchen. The curtains were drawn open and Carolyn could see the light rain pattering the window.
"Good morning," she said to her father. "Good morning, Mother."
"Good morning indeed, Carolyn. I have your luggage packed and waiting at the front door, my darling."
"Thank you." Carolyn stepped out of the kitchen to find the suitcase. She unlatched the top and briefly looked at the clothing packed away. She made room for her book and closed the suitcase back up. She then returned to the kitchen for breakfast. The kitchen table wobbled slightly when Carolyn sat down. Her father was pulled away from his newspaper when he noticed his coffee shake on the table.
"With poise, dear," he said.
Carolyn shot back an awkward smile.
"Aren't you excited, dear?" her mother asked while setting down Carolyn's breakfast in front of her. Carolyn remained silent for a moment as her mother went back to the stove to fix her own plate. She then joined her husband and eldest daughter at the table.
"Father?" Carolyn said.
"Yes?" He didn't look up from his newspaper.
"Do I really have to go?"
"Of course you do. This is going to be a marvelous opportunity for you. This school is going to teach you how to be a proper lady. You will learn skills that every woman needs to sustain a marriage and children." Her father smiled while taking a sip from his mug.
"Carolyn," her mother said, "this is something I wish my family could have afforded for me. Your father and I worked very hard to be able to save up tuition for you to go to school. You will also get an academic education while you are there. Don't fret, darling."
"A husband wants a good woman who is well-versed in home economics," her father added. "Elegance and proper manners are essential for young ladies to succeed and live happy lives."
Her mother simply nodded.
Carolyn scarfed down her eggs and even though she didn't mean to slurp her orange juice, she did and it interrupted her father's morning read.
"Table etiquette, Carolyn."
Her parents walked her to the bus stop that was nearby. Carolyn had made this walk to the bus stop numerous times. She liked to travel into town to see friends and go to bookstores and the local library. This walk was disheartening.
"Stand up straight, Carolyn," her mother whispered to her. "You are representing our family and they must know that we are a family of prestige."
Carolyn straightened her back as she carried her heavy luggage.
"And what if the public discovers you and Father are facing the wrath of debt collectors?"
"Do not speak of such things. It is not the business of everyone else. Even through struggles, we must show grace and poise. With you attending Bradley Diamond's, our significance shines."
She said goodbye to her parents as she boarded the city bus and waved to them as the bus pulled away from the curb. It would be a year before she could see her parents or sisters again. She didn't have the chance to say goodbye to her sisters. They had gone off to school early that morning. Carolyn wondered if there would be any chance of leaving the Sequoia Bay Hotel within that year. Possibly to peruse the shops in town or to visit her family or anyone at all. From what she knew, students were not allowed to. Their transformations were to be treated as a surprise to the parents. She grew worried at the idea of entrapment within the confines of the hotel, forced to remain hidden behind the reserved walls of Bradley Diamond's Finishing School for Rising Young Women.