The Power of Testimony

MARK BOUMAN || 17
At first, it was an even worse setting for Mom. Not only was she
farther from town, but the land had no running water, and she was
immediately forced to ask the closest neighbors for help. Apparently
water wasn’t something Dad had considered before relocating the trailer,
or else it was something he simply assumed Mom would take care of.
And she did. Dressed in slacks and a light blouse, her long, dark hair
swaying behind her, she marched down one sandy hill, up another, and
through a collection of cars in need of repair, until she found herself at the
front door of a typical Michigan split-​ level home.
“Come on in,” said the woman who answered. “Name’s Emmy. Emmy
Dietz. Sit down for a minute and have a cup of tea.”
“That’s okay, I just came over to see if I can get a jug of water from
your spigot. We don’t have water yet.”
Emmy gave Mom an evaluating once-​over. “Of course you can use
our spigot, sweetie, but first come in for a spell.”
Emmy held open the door until Mom entered, then gestured toward
the kitchen table. “Just pull up a chair there and push that stuff out of
the way until you can sit down.”
Mom moved a pile of magazines and some dish towels, clearing a
place for herself, and Mrs. Dietz set a mug in front of her with a tea
bag in it.
“The water will heat up in just a minute,” Emmy said as she cleared
another place at the table, causing a few of the magazines to tumble to
the floor. “So how’s things going, living out here in the boonies? It’s a
bit too far from town for most people, but we like it that way. Nice and
quiet.” She smiled.
“It’s quiet all right,” Mom agreed. “It’d be a whole lot easier if we had
water and a phone. My husband says he’s going to get a well drilled, but
we don’t have the money yet.”
“Aren’t you building a house? How do you build a house without
water?” Emmy chuckled. “I thought you’re supposed to put in a well and
then a house. What’s that husband of yours thinking?”