Appalachian Daughter

by Mary Salyers

  “I don’t understand her at all lately. We used to be such good friends, but now she hardly speaks to me. All she can talk about is Coach Matthews.” Maggie ‘s voice cracked and she fought back tears.

  “I don’t like him. My brother’s in his world history class and he says they don’t do anything except play games. Jim says he has favorites that he gives good grades to and everyone else gets bad grades. I wonder where they found such an excuse for a teacher.”

  “I guess he did okay with the football team. They’ve won more than half their games. I just hope he knows something about girls’ basketball.” Maggie’s smile was grim.

  For the first few days after basketball practice started in November, Coach Matthews had them doing drills and running laps around the gym to build stamina. Once they started doing some scrimmaging, he watched them play for a few minutes, and then called Maggie to the sideline.

  “Maggie, don’t dribble away from the goal when you shoot.”

  “Why?”

  “Because when you’re moving away from the goal, you aren’t in a position to rebound.”

  That made some sense to Maggie. She nodded her head. “Okay Coach, I’ll try to remember that.”

  At the end of practice, Maggie approached the coach. “When I dribble toward the goal, I’m not in position to make my shot.”

  “So?”

  “That’s the shot that has earned our team a winning season. If it works, I don’t understand why I should change it.”

  “But you aren’t the coach, are you? If you want to be on this team, you’ll have to do as the coach says.” Burning with anger, Maggie turned and walked toward the dressing room.

  For the next week, the coach taught them new plays. Maggie noticed that the new plays put Mary Ann in position to do most of the shooting. One day after practice, Mary Ann bragged, “He’s going to make me the star player this year.”

  For their first game, they played Lawndale. Maggie tried hard to follow the new plays, but every time Mary Ann got the ball, she threw up a shot, which she missed more often than not. Aggressively rebounding, Maggie managed to prevent several turnovers, but the team play they had developed under Coach Moore’s direction had disappeared. Realizing they were about to lose in the last quarter, Maggie reverted to her old pattern and started throwing up her famous hook shot every time she got the ball. She also made two foul shots to put them ahead.

  The wild crowd started yelling “Go, Maggie, Go!” When Lawndale called a time out with only a minute left, Coach Matthews took Maggie out of the game. Noticing Maggie was not on the floor, the crowd began to yell, “We want Maggie! We want Maggie!” Lawndale tied the score with only seconds left, but fortunately, Mary Ann made a foul shot winning the game by one point.

  In the locker room, Maggie stood silently beside her locker as Mary Ann boasted about winning the game. Ulla Dean gave Maggie a hug and whispered, “Don’t listen to her. You’re the one who won the game.”

  As Maggie hurried to leave the dressing room to catch the beginning of the boys’ game, she heard Mary Ann tell one of the other players that Ken was going to take her home after the boys’ game. Maggie knew Mr. and Mrs. Collins would not approve of Mary Ann’s getting involved with the coach. But Mary Ann had been her best friend since first grade. She could not bring herself to betray her even though they had recently grown apart. Maybe if I told Miss Erickson, Mary Ann wouldn’t know I had blown the whistle. She even thought about speaking to her own parents, but she knew if her mother found out what sort of person Mr. Matthews was, she would make Maggie quit the team. So she kept her concerns to herself.

  In practice the next day, Coach Matthews stopped the warmup exercises and singled out Maggie. “I thought I would make you a team player. But, no, you had to hog the ball and show off with your fancy shots. On Friday night, Sandy will start in your place.” Maggie eyes widened in disbelief, but she said nothing.

  Ulla Dean moved to Maggie’s side. “But Coach, if Maggie hadn’t made those shots, we would’ve lost the game.”

  Coach Matthews scowled at her. “Well, if you can’t accept my judgment, you can sit on the bench too. Now, let’s get back to practice.” Mary Ann laughed, but the other team members, dispirited and listless, resumed practice like a bunch of robots, all mechanical, no enthusiasm.

  After the next game, which they lost, the coach singled out Maggie again, blaming her for their loss. Maggie could hold her anger no longer. “It’s not my fault we lost. In a few weeks you have turned a championship team into a bunch of losers.” Maggie’s face was red and her voice became louder. “If you were a real coach, you would know how to help us get better instead of tearing down everything we’ve learned from Coach Moore. You’ve spent all your time trying to make your favorites look good.” Maggie swallowed and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “If you’re thinking you’ll kick me off the team, you can forget it, because I’m quitting right now. I’ll turn in my uniform tomorrow.” She turned on her heel and headed for the dressing room.

  Ulla Dean started after her. “Wait for me. I’m quitting too.”

  * * *

  On Monday when Maggie came to work as the office assistant, the principal called her into his private area. “Maggie, I understand you quit the basketball team.”

  Maggie took a deep breath and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Yes, Mr. Adkins, I did quit the team.”

  “May I ask what brought that on?”

  Maggie took another deep breath. “I guess Mr. Matthews and I just can’t get along. He thinks I can’t accept his coaching. He said it was my fault we lost the game Friday night.”

  “But you played only half the game. How could it be your fault?”

  “I guess you’ll have to ask him, Mr. Adkins. I thought it best for me to quit since we haven’t been able to get along from the beginning.”

  “If he’s willing, would you consider coming back on the team?”

  “Thanks, Mr. Adkins, but I don’t think so. I’m so angry at him I don’t think we can ever work together.”

  Later that day, Eddie told Maggie the students in world history class had hatched a plot to set a trap for Mr. Matthews. “He gave them a question to answer for their assignment. The whole class agreed to copy word for word the same paragraph from the textbook as their answer. Then they will compare the grades he gives them.” Eddie grinned. “I heard some parents are in on the plot too. They may just cook his goose!”

  “Does he show favoritism to some of the boys on your team?”

  “Yeah, but it’s not as bad as he’s treated you. I don’t blame you for quitting, but I hear it’s upset the Booster Club. They want you back on the team.” Eddie leaned against Maggie’s open locker door with his right hand resting on top of the door.

  Maggie looked up at Eddie. “Wow, I didn’t know anyone cared.”

  “Would you come back?”

  “Not as long as he’s the coach.”

  “That’s too bad. Have you told your folks you quit?”

  “I just told them I thought it was more important for me to work at the café. Mama seemed glad, but Daddy said he wished I hadn’t quit. He’s always lectured me about finishing what I start. But when I told him I had trouble keeping my grades up with all I had to do, he seemed satisfied.”

  Eddie stood up straight and put his hands in his hip pockets. “Hey, Maggie, how about going to the movies with me sometime?”

  “Sure, Eddie. That would be fun. We‘ll have to find a time when I’m not working and you aren’t playing ball.”

  “How about Sunday night. We could go to the drive-in over on the Clinton Highway.”

  Maggie hesitated. She knew her mother would not approve of her going to the movies at all and certainly not on a church night, but she didn’t want to hurt Eddie’s feelings. “I tell you what. You go to church with me on Sunday morning, and I’ll go with you to the movies on Sunday night.” I just won’t tell Mama where we are going.

&n
bsp; * * *

  During the Christmas vacation, Maggie worked at the café every day except Christmas Day. Two days before Christmas she was surprised when Ray came into the café and ordered a hamburger. He asked Maggie if she had a minute. When he had taken a large bite, he looked at Maggie who sat in the booth opposite him drinking a Coke. He put his sandwich down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed. The way his large Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed had always fascinated Maggie. Before he spoke, he took a drink of iced tea and his Adam’s apple bobbed again. Maggie couldn’t help smiling. Finally, he said, “Maggie, Larry Collins come to see me this morning. I guess Mary Ann didn’t come home last night. She told her folks she planned to spend the night with you. Do you know anything about this?”

  Maggie frowned. “No, Daddy. I haven’t seen Mary Ann since last Friday. She hasn’t told me anything.” Maggie busied herself wiping the moisture off her glass with a napkin.

  Ray took another bite. Then he reached across the table and took Maggie’s hand. “Is there something else you should tell me?”

  Maggie sighed. She looked at her father, then looked away before she began wiping at the moisture on her glass again. “I really don’t know anything, Daddy. We haven’t been very close since I quit the team.” She paused and took a deep breath. “But I heard she’s been going out with the basketball coach. Maybe she went somewhere with him.”

  “You mean the teacher? Why would she go out with him?”

  Maggie pressed her lips together in a grimace. “Daddy, I don’t know why. She just sort of went crazy about him from the first time she saw him. She flirted with him so much it embarrassed me, and when I tried to tell her it was not appropriate, she got mad at me.”

  Ray pushed his empty plate out of the way. “But you’re sure you don’t know where she spent last night?”

  “I’m sure.” Maggie looked directly at her father. “Daddy, I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Okay, Maggie. I wish I didn’t have to go tell this to Larry. He’s liable to go after this guy with his shotgun.”

  Maggie hadn’t thought of that. She frowned in thought. “Daddy, maybe some of her other friends might know where she is. What if she wasn’t with Mr. Matthews after all? Maybe before you tell Mr. Collins about the coach, we should ask some of her other friends.”

  “Who could we ask?”

  “Sandy lives here in town. She and Mary Ann have been running around together lately. Maybe she knows something.”

  “Are you real busy? Could you take some time off to go with me?”

  Maggie looked at the clock on the wall behind Ray. “Actually, I have to take a break from two o’clock to seven. I could go with you in half an hour.”

  When Maggie and her father pulled into Sandy’s driveway, Mary Ann came to the door. “Are you looking for me?” She had pulled a blanket around her to cover her pajamas. Two other girls on the team peeped around her to see who was at the door. “We all spent the night here at Sandy’s house.”

  Maggie pulled the screen door open wider and stepped closer. “When your parents found out you did not stay at my house last night, they got really worried.”

  Ray walked up the steps to the porch. “Why don’t you let me take you home?”

  Mary Ann frowned. “Just tell them I’m here at Sandy’s and I’ll be home later tonight.” Then she stepped back into the room and closed the door.

  Ray stood still with his mouth open for several seconds. Then he turned, walked down the steps, and opened the door to the truck. “Guess I’ll go tell Larry where she’s at, and if he wants to, he can come get her hisself.”

  Maggie got into the truck. “You going to tell him about the coach?”

  Ray seemed to be mulling that thought as he backed the truck out into the street. “Maybe I’ll wait till she has a chance to explain what she’s doing. But I will tell him later.”

  When he dropped Maggie off back at the café, he patted her shoulder. “Thanks, Honey. I knew you would tell me the truth. I’m sorry you and Mary Ann have had a falling out.”

  “Thanks, Daddy. I’m sorry too.” She smiled at him. “Don’t forget to pick me up on Christmas Eve. We’re closing the café at two o’clock. I want to be home for Christmas Day. I have presents for everyone.”

  “I’ll be here, Sunshine.”

  The next day Maggie raised her eyebrows in surprise when Bud came into the café with a girl. They took a seat in Maggie’s section. She gave them menus. “Hi, Bud. You’re home for the holidays, I guess.”

  “Yes.” He turned to the girl. “This is my best friend, Maggie Martin. I especially wanted you to meet her.” Then he touched Maggie’s hand. “Maggie, I’d like you to meet Donna Thornton.”

  Maggie smiled. “Any friend of Bud’s is a friend of mine. I’m pleased to meet you.” Maggie turned to see another table filling up. “I’ll let you look over the menu and I’ll be back shortly to take your order.” Maggie felt quite awkward. She could think of nothing to say to Bud or his friend. Fortunately, several other customers came in, keeping her very busy.

  Bud came to the cash register to pay the bill. “Maggie, may I come out to your house on Christmas afternoon to visit with your family? I’d like to see everyone.”

  “Sure, Bud. Junior and Jay would love to see you. You won’t believe how much Mary Helen has grown.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  “Merry Christmas,” Maggie called as they went out the door.

  * * *

  Maggie never knew for sure whether or not Mary Ann had spent the night with Ken Matthews and used her friends as an alibi. But the first day back at school after Christmas vacation, as Maggie worked in the office, Mr. Collins came in and asked to meet with the principal. Maggie could hear their muffled voices through the closed door and marveled that Mr. Collins seemed calm enough to keep his voice low.

  When they came into the outer office, Mr. Adkins thanked Mr. Collins for coming in. “I’ll certainly keep you informed as our investigation moves forward. I understand your concern.” He held out his hand.

  Mr. Collins gripped the offered hand. “Thank you, Mr. Adkins.” Then, holding his hat with both hands, he turned to Maggie. “How’re you doing, Maggie? We haven’t seen much of you lately.”

  “I’m fine, Mr. Collins. It’s good to see you. Tell Mrs. Collins hello for me. Maybe I’ll see you at church next Sunday.”

  “Probably so.” Mr. Collins put on his hat as he walked out.

  Mr. Adkins turned back toward his office mumbling to himself.

  Maggie watched curiously during the next several days as teachers came and went from Mr. Adkins’ office. Eddie, who always seemed to know what was going on, said the principal wanted to find out what the teachers knew about Mr. Matthews’ classroom procedures and his supposed involvement with Mary Ann.

  The semester would be over by the end of the week. Maggie had final exams in most of her classes. On Thursday morning, she got to school early and went to the library to study her notes for the English exam. After a few minutes, Eddie sat down in the seat beside her.

  “Hey, what you doing? Cramming for English?”

  Maggie smiled at him. He was a sweet guy, and she could not resent him too much for interrupting her study. “You guessed it! Are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. English and I don’t go together very well. I’ll be satisfied if I come out with a C for the semester.”

  “I hope you do better than that.”

  “Thanks, Maggie. Say, didn’t I see you riding around with Bud Summers on Christmas Day? Are you two still seeing each other?”

  “No, Eddie. We’re just friends. Actually, he told me he has decided to ask his girlfriend to marry him.”

  “Oh.” Eddie thumbed the pages of his English text. “Uh...Maggie? Are you okay with that?”

  Maggie gave one of her famous sighs. “I guess so, Eddie. I can’t do anything about it, so I may as well be okay.”

  “Y
ou cared about him a lot, I guess.”

  “Yes, Eddie, I did. But it’s obvious that we’re going in different directions, so it wouldn’t have worked. I hope he’ll be happy with Donna. She seems like a very nice person.”

  The five-minute bell rang. They stood, gathered their notebooks and materials, and shoved their chairs to the table. Eddie touched Maggie’s shoulder. “Maggie, it may be too soon to ask, but would you be my date for the Junior-Senior Banquet?”

  “Sure, Eddie. I’d be delighted to go with you.”

  * * *

  The students in the world history class learned when they came to class on the first day of the second semester that Mr. Adkins would be their new teacher. The girls’ basketball team showed up for practice to find that Miss Fisher, the physical education teacher, was their new coach. And Mr. Beasley, the science teacher, finished out the season as the boys’ basketball coach. Obviously, Mr. Matthews had disappeared, but no one made an official explanation. Someone asked Mary Ann what had happened and she snapped, “How should I know?”

  The week after Easter, Miss Erickson asked Maggie to stop by her office after school. When Maggie came into the room, She noticed a distinguished-looking man sitting at Miss Erickson’s desk. The gentleman, dressed in a dark grey suit, stood when Miss Erickson took Maggie’s arm and led her toward him.

  “Maggie, I’d like you to meet Edward Erickson, my favorite uncle. Uncle Ed, this is the student I have been telling you about, Maggie Martin.”

  Mr. Erickson held out his hand. “I’m pleased to meet you, Maggie.

  Maggie shook his hand. “It’s my pleasure, sir.”

  Miss Erickson drew up a couple of student desks and motioned for Maggie to sit in one while she took the other. “Maggie, Uncle Ed is a partner in a large law firm in Cincinnati. He wants to talk with you about coming to work for him after you graduate.”

  Maggie froze. Cincinnati. That’s so far away. How would I get there? Where would I stay? I don’t know anybody there. She could think of nothing to say, so she smiled weakly and nodded.