Suffergist -Study "Chptr 3"

PART 1 One month earlier: October 2nd 1929 In Anne Hibbert’s small San Francisco apartment there is a framed copy of the 19th Amendment hung in the center of the mirror vanity in the place where a woman would normally fix her face. A sash that reads: “The vote is not enough” is draped next to it. “Singing in the rain” by Cliff Edwards plays on the phonograph. It’s pouring outside. The mail chute flaps open, and a letter falls to the ground. Anne picks it up, rolls her eyes and tosses next to the door into a basket already filled with several unopened letters written in the same hand. A small olive tree next to the vanity and a blooming gardenia in front of the mirror. Other various succulents and philodendrons are scattered about. Anne is cinched in a full length peacoat and heels. She takes the sash from the mirror and drapes it over herself and pins a Cloche hat on her head. She peeks at the mirror sneakily around the 19th amendment. She plucks the gardenia flower and places it in the hat. She looks at herself and rolls her eyes, throwing the flower back on the vanity. It lands next to a framed picture of a well to do man in the rainforest holding a baby standing next to a solemn faced woman. Instead, Anne plucks a prudent spring of olive and tucks it behind her ear and walks out the door.

PART 2 “Come on Mildred! We’re already late!” Anne practically runs. “What if someone sees us?” Asked Mildred nervously almost out of breath. “Well, that’s entirely the point, isn’t it?” Anne’s eyes are fixed ahead. Mildred, practically whining. “The woman at my boarding house is very sure we ought to conduct ourselves as ladies. I can’t lose my place. You sure were not going to catch any trouble for this? No man’s going to marry a girl who’s up to trouble…” Anne stops walking, takes Mildred’s shoulder, “Oh dear…you’re missing the point entirely aren’t you.” Mildred looks back at Anne vacantly. Anne exhales, drawing up her patience. “Speaking your mind is not making trouble, Mildred, remember that. Any house that believes that is not worth living in! And any man who holds you to that is not worth loving. Do you understand? We must be absolute in our cause or change will never come! Now come on, we can’t let all the others down. All for one girl! Onward!” Anne links arms with Mildred, practically dragging her.

PART 3 A white linen restraunt on the pier. Waiters formally dressed. Windows all around provide a panoramic view to city and sea. A lady and gentleman sit in silence while they eat, fork and knife slicing modest bites. CRASH! The lady drops her silverware from her hands it rattles the plate. Holding her hand to her mouth, “Oh dear!” Her gentleman partner wipes his face, averting his eyes from the front window with his napkin, “Oh my God!” Out front three women stood in the rain wearing reduced bathing suits; the controversial style that revealed their bulges and creases, like the hanky panky magazines men liked to look at in secret. The women were glistening and wet from the rain. Still wearing high heels, their hair was disheveled and their eyes were dark with smeared mascara. One of the women wore a sash and had an olive branch tucked behind her ear. Another one was short and plump with a bottom so large that the underside of it hung out of her suit, undulating as she paced back and forth chanting. She had a short haircut so that it looked like a wet swimming cap. The last woman was tiny and mousy looking. She looked freezing cold and covered her breasts with one hand and held a sign with the other, fighting back tears as she chanted. The manager was going by the tables apologizing. The waiters fumbled with the drapes at the windows, closing them slowly, catching one more peak at all the delightful quivers and curves of the angry wet ladies, licking their cops and snickering to one another. Two of the waiters stood by the window, close enough for the dinning couple to hear. “Which one would you have?” Said one. “I’d take the big one. Look at all that…she is all riled up” Smacking his knee the other one added “The big one? She looks like a mountain climber!” raising his eyebrows, “Well, I got a mountain for her to climb!” The lady started fanning herself, it was all she could take. “Oh my, Jesus Lord!” CREEEEK! Her gentleman lurched his chair out from the table abruptly and threw his napkin on the table in disgust. He grabed the nasty mouthed waiter by the arm. “We will not exit this building with those Suffragists outside! Call the police now!” The waiter noded sheepishly. He started to walk away as the gentleman added “…and get back in the kitchen and away from my wife!” the