Illumines in the sunlight that shone through our foyer, a pair faded slippers hang collecting dust. Although very well taken care of day by day they rested as a reminder, a memoir in dedication to a girl from long ago named Elsie Elizabeth Bricker.
No one ever knew just how famous Elsie was to become since the day she received her first pair of leather house shoes. Sort of a tan pinkish as I recall, a tad worn dangling twelve inch long tie laces that she’d let drag the floor for months after her third birthday. And along with all the scoffing sounds heard throughout her home, there was a child’s laughter lightening moods of annoyance from time to time. Mother had always made sure to favor Elsie but, nonetheless it became difficult at times while reminiscing about her first child born still. Oh how it would’ve been a God sent to have two little girls scampering about.
Still, Mother pressed on filling the house with music from her cherished crystal set and the bands would play as she made her way through each room cleaning and E.B.? (as Elsie was mostly referred to) well, she was always found and heard tripping over those twelve inch long tie laces trying to frolic gracefully down the main corridor every time Bing Crosby would sing “Pennies from Heaven.”
E.B. knew that his sweet words were speaking only to her, she knew of a time and place where she’d finally grow wings, soaring high into the heavens where pennies were abundant and she could masquerade flawlessly forever.
“Eeee~Beee!” her mother would shout in a slightly demanding voice. “Wrap those laces up then you won’t be falling all the time!”
Mother would put down her duster and braid those laces up Elsie’s legs tying them off to save her from tripping. And every time she did, E.B. became a most famous ballerina.
“Tippy toe, tippy toe, Plié, stop. Curtsy to your gatherers, Demi-plié, nod”
Elsie sung these words all day pretending to be on stage for she knew she was a dancer and would forever always be.
In the evenings when E.B. would finally fall to sleep, Mother would take out her needle and fabric she had made with her Grandma~ma’s weaving loom. It matched so perfectly with those old worn leather house shoes that Mother kept making adjustments to throughout the years, so good in fact that little E.B. never had a clue.
By the time little Elsie had turned seven, she was stricken with the fever that landed her in bed for days. And days turned to weeks and weeks turned into months but, that never stopped her from rounding up her slippers to meet with Bing in the hall.
“Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune falling all over town. Be sure that your umbrella’s upside down” That crystal set would chant right along with E.B.’s movements. And although Mother had gone through several reluctant tactics in attempt to get Elsie to rest she failed as always.
“Tippy toe, tippy toe, Plié, stop. Curtsy to your gatherers, Demi-plié, nod” E.B. continued each and every day until the age of nine when she had collapsed at Mothers feet.
Sadly Elsie’s wake brought very few onlookers paying their respects for fear she still lay contagious. Mother had dolled E.B. up in leotard and fringe that she had sewn by hand for months as a surprise for E.B. on her tenth birthday. Gazing down upon her little face she really looked as if in peace because she was, after all we were finally together and I along with millions of others who’ve passed on got to watch in awe as E.B. took center stage amongst the heavens.
“Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?” a grand audience of angels would sing along in chorus,
Elsie always broke in with,
“You'll find your fortune falling all over town. Be sure that your umbrella’s, unbrella’s upside dowwwwwwn” as she danced gracefully across the sky.
Elsie’s childhood home still rests without renovations although well kempt for the hundreds of tourists that flock here every day baring witness to one of the worlds most famous little dancers for you see, every afternoon when Mother gets to dusting, a most astonishing melody of a childs voice can be heard faintly down that old corridor. And those pair of faded slippers that hang illumines in the sunlight that shines through our foyer seemed to vanish when Bing would sing. And the pennies fell abundantly as visitors came to honor a most famous ballerina.
No one ever knew just how famous Elsie was to become since the day she received her first pair of leather house shoes. Sort of a tan pinkish as I recall, a tad worn dangling twelve inch long tie laces that she’d let drag the floor for months after her third birthday. And along with all the scoffing sounds heard throughout her home, there was a child’s laughter lightening moods of annoyance from time to time. Mother had always made sure to favor Elsie but, nonetheless it became difficult at times while reminiscing about her first child born still. Oh how it would’ve been a God sent to have two little girls scampering about.
Still, Mother pressed on filling the house with music from her cherished crystal set and the bands would play as she made her way through each room cleaning and E.B.? (as Elsie was mostly referred to) well, she was always found and heard tripping over those twelve inch long tie laces trying to frolic gracefully down the main corridor every time Bing Crosby would sing “Pennies from Heaven.”
E.B. knew that his sweet words were speaking only to her, she knew of a time and place where she’d finally grow wings, soaring high into the heavens where pennies were abundant and she could masquerade flawlessly forever.
“Eeee~Beee!” her mother would shout in a slightly demanding voice. “Wrap those laces up then you won’t be falling all the time!”
Mother would put down her duster and braid those laces up Elsie’s legs tying them off to save her from tripping. And every time she did, E.B. became a most famous ballerina.
“Tippy toe, tippy toe, Plié, stop. Curtsy to your gatherers, Demi-plié, nod”
Elsie sung these words all day pretending to be on stage for she knew she was a dancer and would forever always be.
In the evenings when E.B. would finally fall to sleep, Mother would take out her needle and fabric she had made with her Grandma~ma’s weaving loom. It matched so perfectly with those old worn leather house shoes that Mother kept making adjustments to throughout the years, so good in fact that little E.B. never had a clue.
By the time little Elsie had turned seven, she was stricken with the fever that landed her in bed for days. And days turned to weeks and weeks turned into months but, that never stopped her from rounding up her slippers to meet with Bing in the hall.
“Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune falling all over town. Be sure that your umbrella’s upside down” That crystal set would chant right along with E.B.’s movements. And although Mother had gone through several reluctant tactics in attempt to get Elsie to rest she failed as always.
“Tippy toe, tippy toe, Plié, stop. Curtsy to your gatherers, Demi-plié, nod” E.B. continued each and every day until the age of nine when she had collapsed at Mothers feet.
Sadly Elsie’s wake brought very few onlookers paying their respects for fear she still lay contagious. Mother had dolled E.B. up in leotard and fringe that she had sewn by hand for months as a surprise for E.B. on her tenth birthday. Gazing down upon her little face she really looked as if in peace because she was, after all we were finally together and I along with millions of others who’ve passed on got to watch in awe as E.B. took center stage amongst the heavens.
“Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?” a grand audience of angels would sing along in chorus,
Elsie always broke in with,
“You'll find your fortune falling all over town. Be sure that your umbrella’s, unbrella’s upside dowwwwwwn” as she danced gracefully across the sky.
Elsie’s childhood home still rests without renovations although well kempt for the hundreds of tourists that flock here every day baring witness to one of the worlds most famous little dancers for you see, every afternoon when Mother gets to dusting, a most astonishing melody of a childs voice can be heard faintly down that old corridor. And those pair of faded slippers that hang illumines in the sunlight that shines through our foyer seemed to vanish when Bing would sing. And the pennies fell abundantly as visitors came to honor a most famous ballerina.