Queen of Spades

by Adriana Okano, 13

A Summer 2025 Monthly Story Challenge Winner 

1.

Maybe it’s all a dream

February, 1887

The wind blew, sending the cold whooshing through the drafty cottage. Pieces of straw and leaves tossed and turned, flying across the expansive fields of agriculture. 

“Leona, do come in before you catch cold,” Mother said.

Leona didn’t mind. She was used to the blustery Ohio weather. It was the hot days that she scorned. She closed the door to the two room, cream-colored cottage. Soon, six bowls of vegetable soup and a loaf of cornbread had been served on the table. Leona’s family seated themselves and ate quietly. Father, Lawrence, and Eugene had been working hard, Leona knew. Her brothers’ clothes were heavily soiled and her father’s eyes had deep circles beneath them. 

Mother broke the silence. “Ernest, have you heard from the bank yet?” Her voice was strained with worry, yet she tried to look hopeful. 

Father exhaled, “Yes, and they can’t help us, the money we had saved, there isn’t much left.” He paused and spoke as if it pained him. “About six months’ worth at most. Louise, I’m worried.” 

Mother looked shocked, not expecting Father to make such a statement in front of the children. Still, Leona knew about money troubles. Her family owned a small farm about three hours from Cleveland and money was always a little tight. Although, with the new railroad making it easier for big factories to ship their mass-produced goods all over the country without perishing, her family farm was struggling to survive. 

“Children, you may excuse yourselves and go to bed now.” Mother started to clear the empty soup bowls, wanting to continue the conversation in private. 

Leona stuffed the last piece of cornbread into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. She followed her brothers and sister into the adjacent small bedroom.

“Like they think we don’t know,” Lawrence said with disgust as he kicked off his shoes.

“Ssshh. Mother and Father will hear.” Frightened, Mabel closed her eyes. Eugene sat on his sister’s bed and started to comb through Mabel’s tangled mass of hair. 

“Well, I want them to hear.” Lawrence had sympathy for his sister’s fear, but he was fed up and angry. “We’ve all had to give up our education. I’ve lost all my friends. Every one of them has moved away. I’m losing my sanity working in the fields day and night and my parents pretending there is absolutely no problem! THIS SHACK,” Lawrence enunciated the words with distaste. “THIS EXCUSE FOR A HOUSE. Has thin walls. And I know about the problems because I’m the one suffering. They NEED to hear.” Lawrence had perfected the art of whispering vehemently. Plopping down on the bed, he looked over at his siblings, frustrated, worried, and sad. Eugene had started to french braid Mabel’s hair, twisting the hair from the sides of her face and pulling them into the braid. Leona toyed with the bed sheet.

“You're not the only one. I suffer too,” Leona sighed. “I miss the laughter.”

“I miss school,” Lawrence sighed. 

“We all do.”

“I miss when the wind blew and I didn’t feel like the house was about to blow down,” Mabel said, smiling, her fear starting to melt away, “and Mother would sing us a lullaby. She would bundle us under warm and cozy sheets.”

“I miss the long summer afternoons that seemed to last forever,” Eugene reminisced with a faraway look in his eyes. “Me and Rosalie would take Leona to the brook and let the little minnows slip through our fingers.”

“I miss Paprika,” Leona uttered the words sadly. “She rode like the wind, faster than the setting sun. Yet, no matter how fast you go, I guess you can’t out run time.”

“I miss watercolors,” Mabel said wistfully. “They make the prettiest pictures.”

“I miss us all climbing that big tree in front of our old house. It was like a big friend,” Lawrence said fondly. 

“I miss warm baths sometimes,” Eugene confessed.

“I miss nice clothes. Soft sweaters, swishy skirts, colored ribbons for my hair.” Mabel smiled at the thought. “So vain.”

“I miss the little candies that Father would bring home from town. Those were tasty,” Leona said.

“I miss nice paper to write on,” said Eugene.

“I miss the act of smiling,” Lawrence added ruefully.

“I miss those times where we would run across the fields, in the rain, and rainbows would light up our faces,” Mabel said. 

“I miss walking in the moonlight. Letting the cold sting my skin, embracing the comforting silence,” Eugene said dreamily.

“I miss our old house, my room, the sense of belonging,” Leona sighed. “My own reason for existence…” she paused, sighing again, “has been thrown into oblivion.”

“I miss when life was more than just going through the motions,” Mabel said with remorse. 

“I miss when we lived on the plateau of life. Now we’re being thrust into the depths of uncertainty,” Eugene mused.

“I miss the love,” Leona said sadly.

“We all do,” was Lawrence’s response.

The conversation over, the siblings changed into their bed clothes and silently slipped into bed. All the children felt comforted by their shared sadness and the room was filled with a quiet warmth that lolled Lawrence, Eugene, and Mabel to sleep. Only Leona kept herself from entering the subconscious state of slumber. She knew her parents would be quietly worrying about money and talking about plans that she had a sinking feeling concerned her as soon as the children fell silent. She knew that her parents had not heard her siblings’ quiet whispers, however embedded with anger. She knew Lawrence wouldn’t dare talk loud enough for them to hear, despite desperately wanting to. She knew so many things that she figured steeling herself against sleep would be worth it if she could listen to her parents' conversation. Leona and Mabel’s bed was by the wall that separated the bedroom from the kitchen, making it a good place to eavesdrop. Leona pushed her ear against the thin wall, listening to her parents quietly bustling about, waiting for the children to fall asleep. Leona forced her eyelids open and fought the overcoming sleep that flowed through the silent house. 

After twenty minutes had elapsed, Mother spoke. “Ernest, we have to do something. Now.” 

“Yes, but what? There’s no one who can help us. You have no living relatives. My mother and father are dead, too.” Father’s voice was strained with discomfort as he uttered the last line. 

Leona couldn’t see anything but she knew her mother was trying to find her words. Mother knew that father’s parents were dead but he had living relatives. 

“What did you do with that letter from Amaryllis Van Nielsen?” Mother asked, treading carefully. 

“My step-sister asked us for a visit out of courtesy, and nothing else.” Father sighed. “Anyway, there is no way you or I could leave. The farm would fall to ruins and I couldn’t send Lawrence or Eugene either. I need their help. And plus, with Eugene being seventeen and Lawrence being almost twenty they will soon carry even more responsibility. Mabel is far too young to go, Leona too.” 

“They are strong girls, I'm sure they could handle themselves,” mother defended. 

“At eleven and fourteen? Not a chance!” Father remarked. 

“Leona is almost fifteen. With one less person to care for, we could stretch out our savings. Your sister said she would pay for the ticket. Leona is smart and ever since we couldn’t afford tutoring I feel like we’ve been depriving her of any future. Mrs. Van Nielsen said that she could have her tutor teach both Leona and her daughter. Leona will find her way, and I think she will enjoy the challenge. All of the children could go. They all deserve opportunities.” Mother exhaled. 

“Louise, the subject is closed.” Father said, his voice lacking certainty. 

Leona rolled over, contemplating what she had just heard. Me, leave? She thought worriedly. 

No, no, Leona thought. I’d never leave. Never ever. She knew her family was short on money and despite what her mother had just said about being expensive to care for, Leona knew her family needed her. Maybe I should go so they see how much they need me. Leona thought spitefully, the comment still stinging. But we need money and if I visit Amaryllis Van What’s-her-name I could try to find some sort of job there, get an education, or get her to send us some money. The last one Leona felt bad about but she knew her family needed money otherwise they wouldn’t survive. We’ve lost so much, we can’t afford to lose more. Leona paused and admitted. I’ve lost so much and I don’t want to lose more. As her mother and father sat in thoughtful silence, memories started to flood Leona’s brain. Memories of painting fiery sunrises with Mabel, letting bright colors bleed together, rising over the big climbing tree. Leona remembered watching Rosalie and Eugene talk late into the day, as if no one else in the world existed. Leona learned so much from listening to their conversations. Rosalie was the only one Eugene unleashed his full vocabulary at, mainly because she was the only one he knew who knew just as many, if not more, words than he did. They used to play chess and record the probability of each of their moves, analyzing the outcomes. Rosalie was Eugene’s best friend since he was nine, intelligent and beautiful from within. Rosalie’s redish-brown hair gave her a red halo when she stood in front of the sun, which befittingly made her look like she was wearing a crown of roses. Leona knew Eugene was still devastated that she was gone. Her family had sent her away when the railroad started to hurt small farmers. Leona remembered walking to school with her friend, Isadora. Isadora was set on being dainty and prim, whilst Leona could out run any boy and made sure everyone knew it. Leona’s family secretly couldn’t imagine how the two were friends. Now it had been almost two years since Leona had gone to school. Money had started to run out at that time so once Leona had graduated the one room schoolhouse, her parents couldn’t afford to pay a tutor for Leona and had to stop Lawrence and Eugene’s tutoring. Leona thought back to the night she and her brothers were told that their education must cease. She remembered how cold that particular day was, the devastated looks on her brother’s faces, and her crying and crying until she had nothing left. The memory still stung hard. As she entered the realm between being awake and falling into slumber, a more acute memory flooded her brain. A memory of a day about seven years ago, when Leona’s family still lived in their old three bedroom house. The emptiness and chill that ran through the present started to melt away as Leona felt herself float off to a time not so long ago. Transported to the vivid early autumn afternoon, Leona let her thoughts slip away as she watched her younger self, feeling pity for the little girl who existed without the knowledge of what was to come for her.

“Wee!!!” Eight-year old Leona cried in delight. “I’m fly-iiing!!!! Atta-girl Paprika!” The golden-red horse and her rider raced across the field, silhouetted by the setting sun. Leona’s dark brown hair flew back wildly behind her and the golden shadows dancing across her face made her blue eyes sparkle. She held her arms out, feeling the breeze blow through her fingers. 

“This is the best thing in the world!!!!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. Paprika neighed in agreement. As they neared the stables Leona jumped off Paprika’s back and led her into her spacious stall. Leona had replaced the feed and cleaned the stall before they left. She scraped Paprika’s hooves and washed her down before giving her a hug and closing the stall door. 

“Good night, Paprika. See you in the morning.” Leona turned to the other horses. “Good night Paloma, good night Silver Mist, good night Meadow.” 

Leona burst through the door to her family’s home. She kicked off her shoes and plopped down on one of the chairs around the kitchen table. 

“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, Leona,” Mother said from the kitchen. “How was riding?” 

“Oh, marvelous!” Leona exclaimed. “Horses are so smart. They understand everything and when Paprika gallops fast it feels like you’re flying. Like all the troubles in the world are being pulled from you and you just keep going faster and faster and soon they’re a thousand miles away. Like we’re racing the sun and…and…you feel so powerless at the mercy of the universe, as if a leaf could push you off and you wake up and it’s all a dream. Yet, it feels as if the sun and moon are parting and they are letting you through to some world where you could be anything. Maybe, just maybe you could squeeze through that gap and unlock…” Leona trailed off. 

“Unlock what?” Lawrence walked in. 

“I don’t know, but something amazing,” Leona replied with certainty. “Can you fly me around like you did yesterday?” 

Lawrence smiled, picked Leona up and holding her stomach, he “flew” her around the house. They wove through their sisters’ bedroom then their brothers’ before Lawrence gently tossed Leona onto their parents’ bed. Leona flipped backward on the bed before yelling, “Again!!” 

Just then, Eugene walked in with his nose in a book. “Do you know what ‘dividend’ means?” He asked Lawrence. When he saw Leona, he tossed the book on the bed. “Leona!” He exclaimed. “You’re back from riding. How was it?” 

“Exhilarating!” was the response.

“Race you!” Lawrence cried, suddenly running toward the kitchen.

“Hey!” Leona yelled. She locked eyes with Eugene and they both took off running. They skirted corners, narrowly missing hitting some of them, as they continued down the hallway to the kitchen. Leona put on a burst of speed and overtook Lawrence just as he was about to touch the kitchen table, knocking two chairs over in the process. 

“I won!” She shouted gleefully, before setting the fallen chairs upright.

“Yes, you did, little sister,” Lawrence said, mussing her hair. Eugene, Lawrence, and Leona sat down at the table, stifling their giggles. Mother and Father exchanged a look, only minorly displeased. 

“I swear, as soon as both her brothers are working in the fields she’ll be asking to join them.” Mother said lightly. She knew Leona’s brothers were her closest friends and confidants. 

“Well, I must, mustn’t I?” Leona looked confusedly toward her parents. “You know I’m just as strong as my brothers and I demand you regard me as such. I want to work when I am older. Why shouldn’t I? I shall work whilst my brothers pursue higher education and they will work when I do the same.” Mother and Father smiled at their precocious daughter.

“Well, hopefully none of you won’t have to work here forever. That is why you all must do well in school,” Father stated. “I want you all to find your own path.”

Mother lifted little Mabel into Eugene’s lap and motioned for Leona to help her serve the dinner. The quiet five-year-old curled up in Eugene’s lap, her wide, thoughtful eyes staring and contemplating just like her brother’s. Eugene stroked her hair softly, both of them contented by the warmth of the house. Candles flickered, and the soft howl of the wind seemed miles away. Dinner was eaten in companionable silence. 

“Will you read your poem for Mother and Father, Eugene?” Lawrence asked, breaking the silence.

“Miss Green made him read it in front of the whole class.” Leona added. Eugene’s face turned crimson with embarrassment. He looked down at his plate, and rolled a potato over with his fork.

Father, noticing Eugene’s hesitation, quickly diverted the attention. “If you wish you may read it in the sitting room after dinner. Now, how was school for you three?”

Leona responded quickly. “Isa and I made corn husk dolls. I gave my doll to her and made a wand instead.” Leona ran off to find her wand, returning with a stick topped with a corn husk star and pieces of grass tied underneath. 

“Why didn’t you want your doll?” Mother asked, amused.

“Because I’d  rather have a real imaginary friend,” Leona was certain. “Isa said dolls are pretend children to take care of. That’s so BORING.”

“I see,” Mother said, smiling.

“Miss Green says Isa likes ‘tangible’ playthings and I prefer props that aid my imagination. She says either way is fine.” Leona waved her wand. “Miss Green still can’t place me in the right mathematics group. She has me with the ten-year-olds for reading and the nine-year-olds for science but no matter where she puts me I feel thoroughly unchallenged. I’ll work on the eleven-year-old’s math tomorrow.”

“I’m sure Miss Green is trying her best,” Mother said.

“Perhaps,” Leona said dubiously. “Well, I’m sure managing a one-room schoolhouse is hard.”

After dinner, the family moved to the sitting room. The room had a large mahogany bookshelf at one side, a gift from a relative. A large hearth was the focal point of the richly carpeted room. Father tried to explain advanced science terms (things he didn’t quite understand himself) to Lawrence, often referencing the large book that Miss Green had given him when she told him she had taught him all she knew in science and encouraged him to study it on his own. Leona half listened, as she found many connections to math in Lawrence’s science books. Mother started to deal cards for Hearts to herself, Leona, and Eugene who had Mabel asleep on his lap. Leona nestled deeper into the soft, green upholstered couch, another gift from a relative. Leona picked up her cards and started to arrange them in order by suit - clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. She was passing three cards to her mother and receiving three from Eugene in this hand. She had quite a few diamonds but only two clubs, a six and the ace. She decided to keep the six of clubs and play it on the first trick, since the first trick was always clubs. Putting the ace of diamonds and ace of clubs face down on the table, she contemplated the third card to pass. She had the king of hearts, but after that she had nothing higher than a seven. She set the king of hearts on top of the pile and slid it to her mother. Having control of the play was always scary for Leona so she was glad she had rid herself of most of her high cards, and it was unlikely for her to take too many tricks. The only thing that could put a damper on her hand was her spades. She had a few low spades, the five, the three, and the two but it was the queen of spades that worried Leona. Whenever she played, Leona couldn’t let go of the queen. The queen was powerful, the queen was scary, the queen was worth all the thirteen hearts put together. That was very scary considering the object of the game was to acquire the least amount of points possible. There were twenty-six points in total, one for each heart, with the rest belonging to the queen of spades. Yet Leona couldn’t let her go. She felt strange passing on such power. The queen of spades was her favorite card. Leona had a fascination with the queen, she could never pass the card if she was dealt her. Eugene pushed three cards toward Leona. The ace of spades, the queen of hearts, and the nine of hearts were added to Leona’s pile. Now I’m in a tough place, thought Leona. Now she only had two options, playing her queen of spades after her clubs ran out or playing the queen of spades under the king of spades. Eugene pushed the two of clubs to the center of the table and mother added the queen. Leona added the six. The gameplay continued, settling into a steady rhythm. Eugene put down the eight of clubs, Mother put down a ten and Leona slowly pushed the queen to the top of the pile.

“Good job, little sister.” Eugene smiled. Leona, pleased with herself, patted the card before letting her mother add it to her pile.

“If I lose I shall lose with the queen and if I win,” Leona’s eyes sparkled “I shall be aided heavily by her.” Leona won the game easily after that. As mother dealt cards for the second round, Leona slid over to Eugene and placed her head on his shoulder. He ran his hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face. She closed her eyes, feeling warm and comfortable. Listening to the turning of pages and father’s voice, the slap of cards and Mother and Eugene softly conversing, Leona drifted into a pleasant sleep. When she awoke in the morning, she was nestled under the covers and in her bed, soft light flowing through the curtains. On her nightstand lay a folded sheet of paper with two words written in frilly cursive on top, “The Queen.” Leona unfolded the paper and read what she knew was one of her brother’s poems. Leona knew she was her brother’s favorite audience, and that his poem was about her. Smiling, Leona walked over to her dresser, part of the matching set that her headboard and nightstand was part of. She slipped into a white and blue polka dotted button down skirt and a silky white blouse. Then she pulled on a light blue cardigan that mother had knitted. Twirling with glee, Leona left the room with a light blue ribbon for her mother to tie in her hair. Filled with love and affection for her family, Leona let the door shut softly behind her. She was her family’s queen of spades.

Leona drifted closer to sleep and her vivid memory faded from the forefront of her mind. She desperately tried to grasp back that feeling of comfort and joy, but it was gone. The dirt floor sent dust that penetrated Leona’s nose. She drew a shuddering breath. Leona had pushed many of her memories away from her conscience, for she knew dreaming about a time that had passed would do her no good. She had pushed them away because her memories were so pleasant and wonderful, and she wanted, desperately wanted those times back. Although, somehow the more she pushed the memories away the more they persisted in her mind. During the day her mountain of tasks made no room for reflection but at night she fought herself, her dreams, her pain. Shaking the sleep off her, Leona sat upright. Gazing at her two beloved brothers with their messy and disheveled hair and deep circles under their eyes, Leona felt hot tears stream down her face. She thought back to how happy they were not too long ago. Her best friends were suffocating under the immense amount of physical labor they performed every day. As Leona lay back down in bed, she ran her hand along Mabel's french braid. Leona knew it was her brother’s gesture to give Mabel a small bit of pleasure each day. Mabel loved it when her brother did her hair and the braids allowed her to keep her hair long and still not get in the way when she did her chores. Eugene had told Leona that it was important to give Mabel as much joy as possible because she was the one missing out the most. She had to leave school when she was just nine, her childhood had been cut the shortest, love and play were interchangeable words to mean a far away fantasy. Some of Mabel’s soft, wavy, dark brown hair had fallen out of the braid, framing her face and making her look like a sleeping princess. Staring at her sister, Leona felt a pang of guilt as she dreaded when Mabel would open her eyes, for they would be empty. Leona thought back to when Mabel was younger and her wide brown eyes would stare right through her. Mabel saw the world in an entirely new way, full of beauty and colors. Now her eyes were tinged with gray, as if they had become shallow and unable to see joy. When Mabel awoke, she would stare into space, the emptiness from her eyes flowing through her face. Yet Mabel wasn’t the only one Leona worried about. She worried one day her brothers wouldn’t come back from the fields, for she knew they were stretched thin. She tried not to think of such things. It wasn’t fair. Yet, nowadays it seemed like nothing was. Leona cried for her brothers who were being beaten down from the outside in. She cried for Mabel whose demise came from the inside out. She cried for her parents who were groping around in the dark, stumbling in a place where they couldn’t discern their worst nightmares from their greatest joys. She cried for herself, for everything she lost, dreading what was to come. Leona sobbed silently, gasping for air, her face stained with tears. She hugged her legs to her chest, rocking herself and tossing and turning trying to find a place of solace but to no avail. Maybe it’s all a dream. She thought, pleading to her conscience to believe it. Maybe I’ll wake up and this will all be over. It would have been a comforting thought but Leona couldn’t fool herself. If it was all a dream it wouldn’t be so real.