Unsaid The tale of Barbara
An illustrated storybook set in the 1930s
By Anushka Damani, Nadiminti Sarvani and Shrishti Bhandari
Dedicated to All the daughters who become their own heroes.
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There she stood, flabbergasted as she read the letter warily. Barbara was dumbstruck. She felt like her world had come to a standstill- it was unacceptable for her to postulate the fact that she would never see her Brother and her dear Father again. They were her heroes. She eventually gave way and fell right onto the ground. She felt so crippled from the inside that she couldn’t even cry. She had a spate of memories that came to her mindshe remembered the time when she would wait with great trepidation to get a warm and loving hug from her Father once he came back from the war. As a child, she spent most of her time gardening with her Father and as for her brother, she quarreled with him over endless games of chess and how he would eventually give in and let Barbara win. She could only think of the time when they left for the war and made her a promise to walk her down the aisle once they were back. They were her world indeed. They taught her how to stand up for what she believed in, in the claustrophobic society that they were a part of. She kept thinking of all the things she wanted to say to them, but they remained unsaid. She did not know how to go and break the news to her Mother and her younger sister, Ruth while they stood at the doorstep literally on the edge.
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On the day of the burial, Barbara decided to go speak to Stanley, her childhood sweetheart who she was to marry once her brother and father returned from the war. It was a huge deal for a girl to cremate her family at that time. Instead, acquaintances and relatives came and offered their condolences to the family. Barbara’s father was a very clean hearted and jovial man who helped everyone he could. After the burial, Barbara decided to go see Stanley at Harry’s- a coffee shop they often met at. He showed sorrow and remorse towards Barbara’s tragic footing. Barbara was under the pipe dream that after all this Stanley would hold her hand even tighter and give her strength to face situations- just the way her father and brother did. To her surprise, Stanley called off the wedding. That was the last thing Barbara expected amidst all her turmoil. She felt cheated. She realized how much of a coward Stanley was wherein he eventually had the chance to man up, he chickened out.
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For days together, Barbara stayed in her room, detached, grappling with the situations that came her way in a jiffy- she just did not know how to stand up again. Ruth too came and tried to lighten up the mood but Barbara would just end up sobbing seeing the pure chastity on her face. Her mother too tried, time and again to talk to her and make her understand that this was bound to happen some day or the other. One night, Barbara got up with a startle after a horrifying dream. She suddenly remembered her father’s words- where he taught her about how important it was to take onus for your own responsibilities in spite of all adverse situations that came one’s way. She ran to her mother and gave her a big hug. She couldn’t stop sobbing. She took a decision to become the man of the house and take the liability of running the house and taking care of her family. She had never been so determinant and imprudent ever before. Her mother was extremely proud of her young daughter who decided to take a stand and combat situations when women were just like arm-candies.
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Barbara tailed different jobs around the city. She knew how much of a dire need to it was for her to start earning. She had acquired basic education. As hobbies she loved gardening and cooking- her bubbling mind constantly kept ticking when it came to making new recipes. Barbara, took great courage and went to The Plaza, one of the most renowned restaurants in New York City. She applied for the job of a sous-chef. However what came her way was ironical. The manager asked her to prepare an entire meal and was completely delighted after eating it. But, he refused to give her the job since she was a woman! He eventually offered her the job of an attendant. Barbara had no choice but to accept the job since that was the last resort she had. She decided not tell her family that she got a job as an attendant and not a chef because she was sure her mother would not have allowed to take it.
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Barbara did as much back-breaking work as her lanky body could take in order to make ends meet. She would leave early in the morning and not return till late in the night. No matter how drained she was, she would have a smile on her face and attend to all work she was allotted. Amidst all the other chaos, Ruth fell severely ill due to the flu. Barbara just didn’t know where to head. She began to work even harder so that she could pay for Ruth’s medication.
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Ruth’s condition began to retrograde. Dr. Thomas had been trying every treatment possible, Barbara’s mother just kept praying endlessly. Ruth needed to get her treatment done from one of the best doctors of New York but it was an exorbitant task. Most of the savings had been used in household expenditures and in Ruth’s medicines. Relatives too refused to help saying they were too on a money crunch. Back in the day, Barbara’s father used to help all the relatives since he earned the most in the family. Tables had clearly turned now and Barbara did not know who to count on anymore.
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One evening, Barbara was returning back home from the market after running errands when she came across an extrusive advertisement. It was of a Lottery that was going to take place in the next five days. She stood there, staring at the poster and thinking- it was a great idea since it $10,000. But then she just shut her mind up and began to get going. The owner of the shop hosting the lottery, Eugene noticed Barbara. He couldn’t get his eyes off her- he couldn’t believe how beautiful and pure she looked. He decided to go and speak to her but before he could approach her, she walked away.
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Lottery $10000
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One night, one of the most elite person of New York hosted a gala at the Plaza. All the attendants were running helter skelter to make the party grand since it was of a very reputed man. Women let them self-loose and drank like there was no end. However, amidst all the running around, one of those fancy drunk women got into a spat with Barbara over a glass of wine. It wasn’t Barbara’s fault. The lady belonged to a very renowned family and she was a regular visitor of The Plaza. She rushed straight to the manager and griped about Barbara. Even before Barbara could explain herself, she had already lost her job. More than anything, she did not know how she would pay for her sister’s treatment. She began to blame herself for everything that happened so far.
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Barbara had never felt so debilitated before. She knew she had to arrange for the money for Ruth, but she didn’t know how. She decided to turn to her end resort- Stanley. Somehow she felt that he would understand the severity of the crisis she was in. She decided to meet him at one of the city bars which he visited every night. That night, one of their common friends was throwing a party at the bar. On reaching, Barbara felt really ill at ease and out of place. Her friends stared at her and made jokes on her. They behaved like she was a nobody. She just wanted to go see Stanley and leave from the place. Amidst all the drunk women and fancy men, she saw Stanley standing at the bar flirting with some women and sipping his glass of whiskey. She went and told him about the entire situation but to her surprise, he declined her request, saying it wasn’t his concern. Barbara was astonished as to how soon can a person change- he once called her family his family and now he just turned a cold shoulder saying it’s not his concern. She had never felt so disgusted before.
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After returning from the bar, Barbara decided to confront her mother and tell her the truth about everything- her job as a waitress, that she didn’t have any more and the fact that she turned to Stanley for help. Her mother hugged her so tight. She told her how proud she was of her and how proud she was to have such strong daughter. This is when her mother made her realize, that Barbara eventually had to become her own hero due to all the circumstances.
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Eugene could not stop thinking about Barbara. All he could see around him was Barbara. She swept him off his feet. He just wanted to see her once again. The next day, Eugene and Barbara bumped into each other at the market. They made a little conversation and he helped her carry her bags till the bus stop. Eugene, asked Barbara why she always looked so stressed and hurried. Barbara put all her grief behind her and gave him a very witty reply instead. She told him that she was an introvert. 26
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Amidst all the conversations, Eugene managed to slip a lottery ticket into Barbara’s purse. He somehow could just sense that she needed the money. The next day, he pulled all strings and made Barbara win. Barbara, read her name as the lottery winner and it just left her astonished because she knew she did not even buy the ticket. Her mother was so ecstatic. She had not seen her so happy in so many months together. She considered this a message from God and she went to collect the money for her new achieved victory.
Barbara gets Ruth’s treatment done, gets the house done and buys new clothes. It was like one lottery changed her entire topsy-turvy life and brought it back to normal. They began to live a lavish life just the way they did when her father was alive. Another milestone in Barbara’s life was that she could now open her very own Café which she had dreamt of since she was 10 years old. Ruth went back to her old school while her mother was at peace since they didn’t have to worry about ends meeting anymore.
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Barbara’s dream night was finally coming trueher café opening! She had never been so happy. She really missed her father and brother, they would’ve felt most content. Her mother and sister couldn’t stop smiling. Barbara was unable to believe how drastically her life changed in six months. All people belonging to the higher strata attended the opening. They went bonkers over the foodBarbara personally attended to each and every one of her guests.
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The next day Eugene dropped by at the cafÊ to congratulate Barbara. He walked in and saw Barbara attending to an old woman with some cake and tea. She had a gleaming smile on her face- this in turn made him so happy. He couldn’t believe how he began to feel so deeply for someone in such a short span of time. Eugene went and sat at the table near the big window. Barbara noticed and came to see him immediately. He complimented her dress and her smile and Barbara being Barbara, gushed away and gave him a witty reply. He made several attempts during the conversation to drop hints about the lottery and his feelings but Barbara never really got the hint. Eventually Eugene left. The same evening, Barbara was sitting sipping coffee and looking at the framed lottery ticket- it changed her entire life. That’s when she saw a scribbled signature which read Eugene. Suddenly, things started falling in place in her head when she realized he was the sole reason as to why she won. He was a nobody to her but he still helped her during her time of need when everyone else refused. She realized that so many things remained unsaid.
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FIRST CLASS
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Manager:
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Glossary 1. Dress with a peter pen collar, dresses at that time were knee length, essentially called as midis. They were fitted till the waist and then flared towards the bottom.
2. The V shaped wrap around dress was very common. Herein, it had wide shoulders (with shoulder pants) and a slim waist. Some dresses even had pockets.
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Floral prints were one of the most prominent then. They too were fit and flared with wide shoulders. Even the Chanel summer dress was such. Sashes and belts were used to enhance the waist. These dresses even had pleats.
4. Women loved wearing a plum or brown wool tailored dress with long, tight sleeves and slightly bloused bodice. The dress gently flared at mid-calf, has side pleats and is worn with a wide leather belt. These dresses could also be sheer. 34
5. Men wore double breasted suits. For the first time, ties made of wool, not silk, are the fabulous choice for the stylish businessman. In the spring and summer, men wore a single-breasted suit with patch pockets and Panama hat. In the fall, he wore a doublebreasted dark blue suit with widecuffed, double-pleated, high-waisted trousers. 6. Waitresses then wore dresses with puffed sleeves with peter pan collars. They also had matching aprons and stockings that were made of spandex.
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Bolero jackets and fitted short sweaters were a great go to then.
8. For the evening, women wore either a pant suit or a fitted gown with either a plunging neckline or a plunging back. These outfits were way more glamorous than the day time outfits. Women paired these with either a fur throw on or matching purses. Coco Chanel’s little black dress was another hit number. 35
Story and Illustrations by Anushka Damani Nadiminti Sarvani Shrishti Bhandari