Callers

"Goodbye Mrs. Johnson" Ramona chimed as her guest was escorted out of the parlor. Her head was beginning to spin. All afternoon she had been sitting in the stuffy parlor taking callers. Ever since her mother had died, floods of well to do women came to call, checking in on her out of respect for their lost friend. Ramona tried with all she could to greet them and entertain just like mama, but she was finding it difficult. She had been to cotillion and finishing schools her entire life, yet she still found greeting guests exhausting work.
She remembered Sarah sitting at her side, learning how to be a lady,  and smiled to herself as she remembered Sarah's first attempt to pour tea at cotillion. She had gotten distracted and filled Ramona's cup so full that the hot, brown liquid flooded off her saucer and drenched the lace table cloth.
"A lady keeps her eye on the cup at all times!" their teacher had scolded Sarah. Ramona could see Sarah's blue eyes rolling at this rebuke, and hear her mumble of "I am not sure I want to be a lady" that only she could hear. Ramona chuckled to herself at this memory. She and Sarah had met at the local cotillion back in 1907, when they had both been on the brink of womanhood at 15 years old. Sarah had made Ramona laugh countless times at her impersonations of their teachers, sarcastic remarks and continual trips and spills. Sarah made Ramona see how silly society was and how much fun it was to laugh at yourself.
Oh, how she had missed her friend when she won her scholarship to attend college, and how envious she was that Sarah could escape the stuffiness of sitting rooms and teas, while Ramona was stuck taking callers for her sick mother. Guilt flooded her at this thought. Memories of her old resentfulness flooded her. How much she loathed herself for wishing to be off with Sarah when her mother had needed her help. She shook her head, attempting to rid herself of these thoughts.
"Miss Ramsey" Gerald said in his stuffy voice.
Ramona looked up at him. "Yes" she said.
"You have another caller."
Ramona bit her lip. Another caller? Who on Earth could it be?
"Who is it, Gerald?" She asked.
"A Miss Sarah Turner."
Ramona felt her headache vanish as she heard the lark sounding voice fill the hall.
"Mona! Are you gonna let me in or not?" She heard Sarah shout.
Ramona looked up and saw Gerald clench his jaw at Sarah greeting. He hated when rules were broken  in regards to etiquette.
"Show her in Gerald" Ramona said, feeling a smile cross her face.
And just then, a short, brown haired someone walked threw the door.