PAST TENSE FEMININE GENDER

PAST TENSE FEMININE GENDER, by Le Wilhelm.  Alma, a young woman welcoming a new century on New Year’s Eve, 1900.

ALMA.  It’s a beautiful night.  Not a cloud in the sky.  Looking out the window you see a million stars.  I don’t know if I have ever seen a finer night than this.  There’s snow on the ground and the light from the moon and stars reflects off the white land.  I’m all dressed up because it’s New Year’s Eve.  This dress was made a company in Philadelphia.  It’s my first dress that I’ve ever had that wasn’t made by my momma.  I like it a lot, but I like a dress that’s made by my momma too, ‘cause I get to watch it being born.  And I get to try it on and even make suggestions sometimes when she’s in a good mood.

In just a few seconds it will be a brand new century!!  You can probably hear them downstairs.  That’s where the party is going on.  I snuck up here to the attic room so I could be by myself.  I love it up here.  I always go here when I want to be alone.  I also like to look out the window at the hills and the river.  Tonight I’m up here waiting for the twentieth century to arrive.

Because it’s a new century, everyone has been acting strange, real excited and planning big parties.  Well, that’s what most people are doing.  Some folks in town have said that this is the end of time.  My parents don’t believe that’s going to happen and neither do I, so they’re having a party.  I feel kind of sorry for all those people who believe the world’s going to end ‘cause when it don’t, I guss they’re going to be terribly disappointed and feel downright foolish.  I know I would!  If I had gone around telling everyone the end is near, and then the end doesn’t end.  I’d feel like an idiot.

You probably think it’s odd that I don’t want to be downstairs at the party with my friends and family where all the fun’s going on.  I just want to be by myself.  So I can remember it.  I want to be able to remember when the twentieth century dawned.  I know it’s just a date on the calendar . . . but still it’s a new century . . . my century – it’s when I’m going to love most of my life . . . and no one knows what’s going to happen . . . all kinds of changes . . .  all sorts of wonderful things that I’m going to be a part of.  I’m curious and I’m scared . . . and I’m excited . . .