hibiscusstrong

  • Two Weddings

    1934 “What is wrong with my sisters!” Verna’s mother put her cup down on the table so hard the coffee sloshed into the saucer. Verna’s eyes got big. What was Mama upset about? “We’ve been over it and over it, Agnes. You know you can’t change either one of their minds. It’s a little late…

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  • First Train to Miami

    1896 It was supposed to be a tropical paradise. That was what Mr. Flagler said when he told Herb he was moving him from the Jacksonville/Fort Pierce route to the new Miami run of the Florida East Coast Railroad. It was an honor, Mr. Flagler said, to be the engineer on the first run. An…

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  • The Top of the Stairs

    Excerpt from Hibiscus Strong 1920 …Agnes and Helen headed downstairs to tell their parents goodnight.  “Dad, are we really going to move to Miami?” Agnes whispered quietly in his ear so Mama wouldn’t hear. She was busy helping Helen tie a scarf around her head so her curlers wouldn’t come out in bed. “Would you…

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