by Mary Salyers
“We may think someone is ugly, or has bad manners, or is hateful. But God can see what kind of person we are deep down inside. Lots of times when we get to know people better, we find out they are really quite different.” To illustrate he held up a muddy colored rock about the size of his fist. “Now children, look at this rock. Does it look pretty?”
“No.” The children answered in chorus.
“If I gave it to you, what would you do with it?”
One little boy sitting on the front row said, “I’d throw it at McPeters’ old dog.” Everyone laughed.
“Anyone else have an idea what you’d do with this rock?”
“You could put it in a rock wall.”
“Yes, what else?”
“You could throw it in the creek.”
“How many of you would just throw it away if I gave it to you?” Lots of hands went up.
“You see, just like we can’t see inside the heart of people, we can’t see inside this rock. What if I told you there’s something really pretty inside this rock? Would you believe that?” Only a few children raised their hands.
“This is a special kind of rock called a ‘geode.’ Geodes are hollow rocks, and the inside is lined with pretty crystals.” Then he hit the rock with a hammer, breaking it open, and all the kids “oohed” and “aahed” when they saw the beautiful purple crystals inside.
“Like this geode, people may look ugly but once you really get to know them you discover they are really beautiful.”
Maggie had always loved everything about Bible School, but the last day, an all-day affair, was her favorite. The mothers brought in food for a picnic lunch. Afterwards Reverend Lewis had the younger children running sack races, three-legged races, and other relays on the church lawn. For the really young kids and for some like Johnny Ray, he had a bubble blowing contest and handed out prizes, usually candy bars, to everyone, winners or not.
For the rest of the afternoon the older kids played softball in the pasture across the road from the church. Parents stood along the sidelines and yelled encouragement and offered advice. Maggie knew Corie Mae objected to girls and boys playing ball together, so she wasn’t surprised when her mother took Jay to the other side of the church, where he could lie in the shade.
Finally, the day ended with homemade ice cream. While they waited in line for ice cream, Mary Ann told Maggie she had something to tell her. “What’s that?” They had walked away from the crowd to eat their ice cream in the shade of a big sycamore tree.
“Mama’s going to join that new church your grandpa’s building. She says all us kids have to go there too. Daddy says he’ll never go there. He’ll keep coming to this church.”
Maggie sighed. “That means the only time we’ll see each other is at school.”
Mary Ann nodded. “But the building’s not finished yet, so we won’t have to go for a while.” Mary Ann licked her spoon. “Mama’s talking about going to a revival at Big Mountain next week. Maybe your mother would let you go with us.”
“I’ll ask. I never know what she’ll let me do. Maybe if it’s going to church she won’t object.”
“Let’s go ask her.”
They first went to talk with Mrs. Collins who agreed to ask Corie Mae for them, and Corie Mae readily agreed. “I’m surprised she agreed so easily,” Maggie said on the way to get seconds on the ice cream. The bus drove up to take the first load home. As Maggie got on the bus, she called over her shoulder to Mary Ann, “I’ll see you on Tuesday evening.”
“Yeah, wear warm clothes cause we’ll be riding in the back of the pickup, and it’ll be cold coming home.”
* * *
“What’d you think of the revival at Big Mountain the other night?” Mary Ann asked.
“It’s different. It reminded me of the way JD described the church meeting he took Grandpa to in Kentucky last summer, except for the snake handling.” Maggie looked up at the white, fluffy clouds. “Actually, I don’t feel comfortable when everybody’s jumping and yelling, although I did enjoy the singing. Sometimes I wish Pastor Lewis would allow some guitars and drums in our church. But at least we got to spend some time together. I enjoyed riding in the back of the pickup all huddled together to stay warm.”
Taking a break from their bike ride, Maggie and Mary Ann sat on the grass in the shade beside Maple Lane. After Sunday dinner, Mary Ann’s father had brought her to Maggie’s house with her brother’s bike in the back of the pickup. Maggie borrowed Kenny’s bike, and the two of them had gone for a ride.
Mary Ann stretched her legs. “Mama says that’s the kind of church she likes. She says she can’t feel the spirit at the Baptist church. That’s why she wants us to go to the new church.”
“My mama would like to go to the new church too, but Daddy won’t agree. Somehow I can’t see Mama jumping up and down, clapping, hollering ‘Praise Jesus’ and all that stuff. I don’t know why she thinks she would enjoy that kind of church except that her daddy is the preacher.” Maggie had started picking clover blossoms.
Mary Ann pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. “Want a smoke?”
“Sure.” At first, Maggie coughed, but after a bit, she got the hang of it and finished off the cigarette. She felt a little queasy in the stomach and got a headache but didn’t complain.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve got some bad news to tell you,” Mary Ann crushed her cigarette butt on the grassy ground. “Kathy’s not coming back to school this year.”
“Why? What happened?”
“She’s expecting.”
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. I thought she let Billy Ray put his hands on her too much. I figured if she let him do stuff like that right out in public, he probably did more when they were alone. And I guess he did, huh?”
“They’re getting married next week.”
“How’d you find out?”
“I went to town with Daddy yesterday to buy cow feed. I like to go with him so I can pick out the prettiest feed sacks. I saw her walking down the street past the feed store, and we talked a few minutes.”
“How’s she taking it?”
“She seemed pretty happy except she can’t come to school.”
Maggie shook her head. “It’s too bad. She made good grades, and now she won’t get to play basketball any more either.”
“We need you to come out for the team now, Maggie. We played bad enough with her as our best forward, but without her we don’t stand a chance of ever winning a game. Don’t you think maybe you could talk your mother into letting you play?”
“I doubt it. She wouldn’t speak to me for weeks after I tried to get her to let me play last year. Now that she’s pregnant, she’ll say she needs me to help out with the new baby.”
“At least practice with us again this year. We got better after you started coming to practice last season. We even won our first game in the county tournament.”
As they talked Maggie had started a daisy chain. She formed it into a small circle and put it on her head like a lopsided crown. “I don’t know. I guess I can ask again and see what happens. Thing is, she always gets mad at Daddy if he agrees with me. I hate to cause problems between them.”
“I don’t understand why they won’t let married girls come to school. It seems so unfair. I guess Billy Ray will get to come back and graduate next year with his class. At least one of them will finish.”
“Where will they live; did she say?”
“With her parents until Billy Ray finishes school and gets a job.”
Maggie rested her elbows on her drawn up knees and put her hands over her face. “Darn, this makes me so mad. I really hate to see Kathy stuck with a kid when she’s only fifteen.”
“How old was your mother when she had you?”
“Seventeen, but she had quit school years before. I know Kathy’s in love and all that, but I bet someday she’ll be quite upset over this. I know It would upset me.”
“Did you get a letter from Bud this week?�
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“I got one yesterday. He’s getting anxious to come back home. Looking forward to starting football practice.”
“Does he sign with ‘hugs and kisses’?” Mary Ann grinned when she saw Maggie blush.
“He mostly talks about what he does in his uncle’s store.”
“Do you think your mother will let you date him when he gets back?”
“She’s always said I couldn’t date until I’m sixteen, and that won’t happen until next spring, so I reckon after that she’ll let me, if he asks me.”
“Oh, you know he’ll ask you. He’s written you all summer, and he asked you to the Junior-Senior Banquet.”
“He hasn’t said anything about dating in his letters, and you know how he always talked to all the girls. He may have written lots of girls this summer for all I know.”
“Oh, he’ll ask you. I’d bet you money!” Mary Ann stood and picked up her bike. “We better be riding back. Daddy said not to be gone too long.”
“You’re right. I’ve got chores to do. Let’s hit the road.”
* * *
Maggie walked toward home on the dirt road, pulling Johnny Ray along in the wagon. When they got to the beech tree, Maggie stopped in the shade, sat down in the wagon beside Johnny Ray, and began reading the letter from Bud.
“Does he say ‘I love you’?” Johnny Ray looked at her with that mischievous grin. He got out of the wagon and started throwing rocks into the woods.
“Just talks about what he’s doing in his uncle’s store. Says it’s pretty boring, and he looks forward to coming home in a few more weeks. He also said his uncle and aunt took him on a trip to see Rock City.”
“What’s Rock City?”
“It’s on top of Lookout Mountain down near Chattanooga where his uncle lives. It’s a famous place with lots of big rock formations. Sometimes you see a sign painted on top of somebody’s barn that says ‘See Rock City.’ Mr. Bridgeman over on the main highway has that sign painted on his barn.”
“I don’t see what’s so special about a bunch of rocks.”
“Just remember what the preacher told us at Bible School. You can’t always tell what something is by just looking at it. Sometimes you don’t realize it’s something special.” She took two pieces of geode from her pocket and showed them to Johnny Ray.
Johnny Ray’s eyes opened wide. “How’d you get those? I never knowed you had them.”
“Rev. Dodge gave them to me.”
Johnny Ray took one of the pieces and studied it. The crystals glittered like diamonds when they caught the sun’s rays. “Them’s sure pretty. Can I have one?”
“I thought if we get Audie Lee to come close enough, maybe he would swap for the necklace you’re always wanting.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Maggie stood and put the folded letter in her skirt pocket. “Climb in the wagon. We need to get home or Mama’ll scold us for dilly dallying.”
As they approached Johnson’s woods, Audie Lee sat on a stump about ten feet from the fence. She left the wagon in the middle of the road and stepped closer to the fence, holding out her hand with the pieces of geode on her palm. Audie Lee stood and edged a little closer. “Come here, Audie Lee. I want to show you something.” Maggie pointed to her outstretched hand.
He picked up his tow sack and shuffled toward her, grinning broadly. He came closer and looked at the rocks with fascination. Maggie held one piece so the light bounced off the crystals.
“Hummmmm.” Audie Lee’s eyes lit up and he reached for it, but Maggie drew back her hand.
“Show us what you’ve got in your sack,” she said pointing to the bag slung over his shoulder. At first he seemed puzzled. She pointed again. “Let us see what you’ve got.” Finally he grunted, set his bag down, and began to rummage through whatever it held. He drew out a tobacco sack similar to the one he had shown Maggie before. He opened it and after emptying the contents, held out his hand so she could see.
“I see it!” Johnny Ray had come up behind her and peered around her shoulder, standing on tiptoe.
Maggie saw buttons with rhinestone centers, some gold colored buttons, a foreign coin of some kind, a little red plastic ring like comes in Cracker Jacks, and the necklace among some other things she could not identify. Maggie held one of the geode pieces in her outstretched hand and pointed to the necklace. “I’ll swap this pretty rock for that piece.”
Audie Lee shook his head. He picked up one of the rhinestone buttons and offered it to her. Maggie shook her head and showed Audie Lee she had two pieces of the geode. She offered both of them and pointed again to the necklace. Again, he shook his head and offered her two buttons.
“No, Audie Lee. We want that piece.” She pointed at it again.
He got the angry look she had seen before, turned his back while he put his prizes back in the tobacco sack, and grunted as he threw the larger bag over his shoulder and began to walk away. When he had taken about a dozen steps, he turned and shook his fist and grunted loudly.
“He’s probably calling us a bunch of bad names,” Maggie said. “It may be good we can’t understand him.”
“I guess he ain’t going to give it back, is he?”
“Daddy told us to let him keep it. We should have listened to Daddy. At least we tried.” She handed the two geode pieces to Johnny Ray. “Since you didn’t get the necklace, you can keep these.”
“Thanks, Maggie, but I’d druther have the necklace.”
“I know, Buddy, but we don’t always get what we want, now, do we?”
* * *
Ray, asked by neighbors to work most every day all summer, had used his evenings and any days off he had to work Mrs. Robinson’s farm, often coming home hours after dark. He had planted corn and hay there again on the halves. Having so much work elsewhere meant that Corie Mae and the children did most of the work on their own farm. In addition, they did much of the work on Grandpa’s farm since he spent most days down at the highway where construction on the new church had started.
Kenny helped almost every day, and sometimes JD came to help, especially when they needed to use the horses. When Aunt Opal wasn’t away nursing some sick person, she helped with the canning and gardening. Grandma spent many hours every day tending her own garden and preserving food. The older children worked as hard as adults every day. Maggie wondered how her mother could work so hard since her pregnancy was past the midpoint.
After a good growing season, they anticipated a good harvest. By midsummer, Ray had cut the hay at Mrs. Robinson’s and raked it into windrows with his horse drawn rake. He hired Frank Schmidt to bring his tractor and bale the hay, which he sold to a farmer at Crab Orchard, who raised horses.
Maggie had come into the kitchen for a drink when she heard Johnny Ray, who sat in the porch swing, ask, “What you got in that big box, Daddy? Is it something for me?”
Ray stepped onto the porch. “No, it’s for your mama. Where’s she at?”
“Her and the girls is in the back yard breaking beans, I think.” Johnny Ray jumped from the swing and ran down the steps. “I’ll go tell her.”
“Don’t run! You’ll get out of breath,” Ray called over his shoulder and came into the house.
“Hi, Daddy,” Maggie said. “Did I hear you say that was for Mama?”
Ray set the big box on the kitchen table. “Yeah, go tell Corie Mae to come in here.”
All the kids gathered around as Corie Mae opened the box, very excited because Ray did not often bring in a surprise.
“What’s that thing?” Johnny Ray wanted to know when Corie Mae lifted a big kettle with a heavy lid from the box.
“It’s a pressure canner,” Corie Mae exclaimed, “and just in time to can all these beans we’ve picked today. This is wonderful.”
“I don’t see what’s so wonderful about it,” Johnny Ray pouted. “I thought it was going to be something real good.”
“It is good. Now when we can beans, we won’t have to carry wood and
keep the fire going outside for hours. We can just fill this canner with jars of beans, put it on the stove, and it’ll be done in no time.”
“It’s a big one too. It’ll hold seven half gallons or fourteen quarts.” Maggie had started reading from the instruction booklet. “Daddy, this pressure canner will cut the time it takes to can beans in half.”
Corie Mae turned and put her arms around Ray, one of the few times Maggie had seen her parents embrace. Ray grinned and his eyes twinkled
* * *
Two weeks after Bible School, Johnny Ray came to the breakfast table when most of the family had finished eating. During the summer, Corie Mae let the younger kids sleep as late as they wanted. He raised his shirt. “Look, Mama, I got all these red spots on my tummy.”
Corie Mae knelt beside him to get a good look. “Oh lordy, looks like you got the chickenpox.”
Maggie nodded. “You know, Mama, Charlie Haskins got chickenpox during Bible School, and Johnny Ray sat by him on the church bus. I guess that’s where he got them.”
“This explains why you complained of feeling poorly the last couple days. Do you feel like eating some breakfast?”
Johnny Ray nodded and took his usual place on the bench at the back side of the table.
“Now I guess Jay and Junior’ll get them too. I’m glad the rest of you kids done had chicken pox. Johnny Ray, after you eat, just stay in the house and play with your trucks or read some of your books. I don’t want you playing outside or getting hot.”
“Okay, Mama,”
By the next day, Johnny Ray had the red spots on his arms, legs, face, and even inside his mouth. Corie Mae reminded him often that he shouldn’t scratch. Grandma told Corie Mae to make a mixture of sulfur and lard to put on the spots if they began to itch. When Johnny Ray protested “It smells like rotten eggs,” Corie Mae told him if he promised not to scratch, he wouldn’t have to use the mixture.
A couple of days later, Corie Mae and the older children came back to the house after picking sweet corn for canning. They found Johnny Ray digging in the yellow clay bank beside the road. He had taken a spoon from the kitchen to use as a digging tool and had created a series of intersecting tunnels. He pushed little pieces of stick through the tunnels as pretend cars.