“No clue.” Grady was so handsome. He’d done so well after losing his father at age sixteen. Many teenage boys lose their way in life after a tragedy at such an early and impressionable age, or at least that’s what everyone told me. Everyone came out of the woodwork with various opinions about what I should do as a widow and single mom. Again, it was Mac who helped me breathe through the tough times and really took Grady under his wing, and I have him to thank for the amazing man and soon-to-be father Grady was. “I’m hoping Wes Rogers will get it. He’s been offered a partial scholarship to a D-2 school, but his family can’t afford to pay the rest and not real sure if he can take out a loan since his parents won’t cosign. He’s been doing so well trying to save from his odd jobs around people’s houses so when he does go to college he can cash-roll it instead of having so much debt.”
Grady looked over at me. There was more concern than usual on his face. I reached over and rubbed his back.
“Plus, he is bound and determined to change his family history of their poverty. He said that when he gets his degree that he’s going to help his parents financially.”
“Oh, that’s so sad.” I looked up on the stage where the choir section was located and watched as the scholarship recipients filed in one by one to sit down.
Clicks from the parents’ phones echoed throughout the sanctuary. It was a proud moment for everyone.
All of the kids looked nervous and young. In just a couple of months, they’d venture out on their own and start paving a bright future for themselves. I clearly remember sitting in this same spot and looking at Grady upon the stage when he was up for the scholarship.
He’d worked so hard on the essay part, and I was so proud of him.
Wes Rogers had his hair neatly combed to the side as if his mom had taken her spitted hand and brushed over it. He had on a nice, but wrinkled, blue button-down and a pair of jeans. The other kids had on suits and a few dresses.
I noticed Wes and Grady had locked eyes.
“He came to me and asked if I’d cosign for the student loan if he needed a cosigner. I’ve been throwing him side jobs for the various people around town. Especially with all the mulch recently delivered from the football fundraiser from Leaf and Petal. Anyone who needs help spreading it, I threw all those to Wes so he could use that money.” Grady rubbed his hands together and looked at me with a worry only a mother could see. “Your new neighbor is one of them.”
“Yes. I heard you knew Courtney from school.” I sucked in a deep breath when I saw him tense up. “What’s wrong?” I put my hand on his back and rubbed it as if he were ten years old. Then it hit me. Iris and her goofy feeling. “You can tell me.”
“Julia and I had a big blowup about it. I want to cosign for Wes, but she keeps telling me that I have to think of our family. Our baby.” His loving heart was so big. “I. . .I ended up sleeping at the diner apartment last night.”
“You did?” I questioned.
My mom or dad would’ve known because they get there early to open for the regulars for breakfast. Grady was done teaching for the summer, so they’d see him leaving. Plus, I thought they’d not moved completely in the farmhouse yet. I guess I wasn’t keeping up like I should’ve.
“Mamaw didn’t mention it.” Mamaw was what Grady called my mom.
“I lied to her.” His voice cracked. “I told her I was looking for something we thought we left when we moved. I can’t believe I lied, Mom. I feel awful. I feel. . .” He gulped. “I feel like I’m going down the road Dad did.”
Stunned. That’s what I felt. How on earth could he feel like his dad when he was doing nothing that his father had done?
The screech of the microphone turning on blared through the speakers.
“I’m so happy to have the privilege to be able to help fund the annual Sugar Creek Gap Baptist Church senior scholarship.” Florence Gaines spoke into the microphone and stood up on the pulpit, addressing the few people in the audience as if she were on the Broadway stage. “We had so many applicants this year that it wasn’t an easy decision to make.” She turned to address the students. “All of you have amazing qualities and deserve the scholarship. Unfortunately, only one will be awarded the money. There was one person in particular who stood out with the essay portion of the application. And we are thrilled to announce Aaron Brotherton is this year’s winner.”
“Aaron Brotherton?” Grady sure seemed shocked. He kept his eyes on Wes.
Wes’s shoulders slumped, and his brow furrowed. He stared back at Grady.
Grady leaned over and whispered with anger in his tone, “Why would he apply? His family has plenty of money.”
“Whaaat!” Tiffany Franklin jumped up in the choir pew and flung her hands in the air. Poor girl was devastated. “Aaron Brotherton?” She jerked around and looked at Aaron, who looked just as shocked as she was. “He’s got all the money in the world.” Tiffany pointed to Florence. “Old lady, you’re as crazy as they are sayin’ about you! My mama and daddy said you were nuts and this scholarship isn’t for the poor kids! It’s for whoever can get you up in society!”
Tiffany Franklin was having a giant-sized hissy fit, and I was shocked her mom wasn’t giving her a good scolding.
“You better hope that you die before you get put in a nursing home because you don’t have no one to take care of you! I hope you get struck dead right here on the spot!” She jabbed her finger toward Florence. The entire crowd gasped.
Tiffany jumped over the pew and down the middle aisle of the church, slamming the door open and disappearing into the bright rays that burst through the open door.
“What was that?” I asked Grady, shocked and even more stunned than I was before her tirade.
“It was a young woman who desperately wants to get out of Sugar Creek Gap with no financial means to do it. Many of those kids up there could really use that money, but not Aaron.” By the way Grady talked, I could tell he thought something was fishy.
“Ahem,” Florence cleared her throat. She lifted her chin in the air as she looked down the aisle at Tiffany’s parents. They were trying to escape without being seen, but that wasn’t happening.
“Ladies and gentleman, please give a warm congratulations to Aaron Brotherton, this year’s recipient of the Sugar Creek Gap Baptist Church Scholarship.” Florence carried on like nothing had happened.
Politely, everyone clapped while Aaron walked over to Florence and took the microphone.
“I’d like to thank the committee and you, Ms. Gaines, for the generosity. I’m honored to be able to put this money toward my future and my career at Eastern Kentucky University, where I’ll be pursuing a degree in law enforcement. I hope to one day come back to Sugar Creek Gap and join the sheriff’s department while I work my way up from deputy to elected sheriff.”
As Aaron talked, I watched the faces of the people in the crowd. There were a few murmurs from various people I recognized from the high school booster group. I made a mental note of who was super shocked, because we had a booster meeting coming up after the weekend and I was one-hundred percent positive this was going to be the topic for the month. . .maybe the entire summer.