by Ashton Lee
“What’s wrong?” Marydell Crumpton wanted to know after Maura Beth emerged from her office following the private phone conversation she had just endured. “You look very upset.”
“Film at eleven,” Maura Beth mumbled as she hurriedly approached the front desk. “Which means I won’t know what Councilman Sparks is up to until I get there. You just hold down the fort here—I know you’re up to it—and I’ll just hope for the best on my little visit to City Hall.”
A look of sudden panic overtook Marydell. “You’ve never left me in charge before. Do you think I’m ready?”
“If you have any doubts about your abilities, just picture your sister, Mamie, barging in and demanding that you drop everything you’re doing to round up six or seven books for her—pronto. That should get your juices flowing.”
Marydell laughed softly. “You really are the perfect mentor.”
“Thanks. Believe me, I’ve earned my stripes.”
“Good luck,” Marydell called out as Maura Beth reached the front door, visibly upset that she was having to put her busy agenda on hold.
She had tried in vain to discuss whatever it was Councilman Sparks wanted after he had initially issued her marching orders. “But can’t you tell me what you want with me now, please? My schedule really is insane today. I’m sure you know about the special meeting of The Cherry Cola Book Club this evening. I’ve got tables and chairs to arrange, food to put out later, and lots of other things to attend to. So many people are counting on me.”
But he had raised his voice a couple of decibels and repeated his request that she come over right away for one of their one-on-one encounters. “Put all that stuff on the back burner, please!” Even the tone of his “please” had sounded rude.
As she made her way briskly along the Commerce Street sidewalk in the December chill, Maura Beth’s mood ranged from cantankerous to livid. No matter what happened between them, it always seemed to come down to Councilman Sparks insisting on holding the upper hand. She was about ready to send Jeremy to City Hall to read the riot act to her nemesis. Instead, she trudged up the steps of Cherico’s most elaborate building for yet another time, dreading what awaited her inside.
“Go right on in,” Lottie Howard told her, gesturing toward the inner sanctum from her desk outside. “He’s expecting you.”
Maura Beth managed a smile as she headed in with a perfunctory nod—even though she felt like frowning. Now that was downright peculiar. Lottie’s tone was decidedly pleasant, and there was a wide grin on her face that didn’t seem plastered on for once. Funny how a secretary frequently took on the officious behavior of her boss! But such was not the case today.
“Thanks for your promptness, Maura Beth,” Councilman Sparks told her as he closed the office door behind her. A moment later, they were seated across from each other on either side of his desk as usual. But from that point forward, the resemblance to their many other difficult private sessions ended. The harshness and impatience he had exhibited only a few minutes ago over the phone completely vanished, replaced with a tone that came off as almost humble.
“I know you must think I’ve been interfering with the construction crew out at the lake,” he began, getting right to the point. “I know you’ve also been talking to the foreman, but I wanted you to understand the whole story. It’s slightly ironic that tomorrow is Pearl Harbor Day, since Cherico may not recover from all the hits it’s taken recently.”
Maura Beth had never been more interested in what the man had to say; she sat up further in her chair and gave him her undivided attention. “Please continue. I’m not sure where you’re going with this, but I’m all ears.”
“Yes, it’s true that I’m making a little promotional film out at the lake and around town in general,” he continued, making genuine eye contact instead of looking past her as he usually did. “But it’s not about me. It’s about Cherico. I’m trying to put it together as fast as I can to show that this town is progressive and deserves good things to happen to it. Here’s a news flash for you: It’s come to my attention that Dillard Mills, the CEO of Spurs ’R’ Us, hasn’t signed on the dotted line yet to build their new boot plant in Nashville. It’s true that he yanked it from us at the last minute—and I could wring his neck for that alone—but maybe there’s time for us to yank it back. The core of my film is the new library construction because I thought that would impress this man the most, showing him that we understand how important a state-of-the-art library is to the entire community. Maybe he’ll think long and hard about the type of educational facilities Cherico could provide to his employees and their families. Maybe we could get him to become as enthusiastic about Cherico as he once was.”
Maura Beth felt like pinching herself. Who was this talking pod-person in front of her? Somehow, she managed to form words that made sense. “You are . . . preaching to the choir, of course.”
“Glad you feel that way. Because things are much worse here in Cherico than I’ve let on to the public—and even you. We’re headed for a budget disaster because we’re literally hanging by a thread. Just since we talked when you got back from your honeymoon, things have unraveled even more. Both our sales and property tax revenue are so far behind last year that we may have no other choice than to lay people off in various departments—across the board. That means police, fire protection, City Hall staff—actually every department except the library.” He paused for a breath, and it came to Maura Beth that she had never seen him look so defeated.
“How things have changed in such a short time!” he continued. “You’re covered until the end of time, thanks to all that money your cousin from New Orleans gave you as a wedding present. The trouble is, every cent of that money is dedicated specifically to the library and all the new people you’ll be hiring soon. The City of Cherico can’t touch it for any other reason. But it’s one helluva lot of money and could keep the general municipal budget afloat if my last-ditch efforts to impress Dillard Mills fail and Spurs ’R’ Us definitely decides to locate in Nashville.”
Maura Beth knew what was coming next but said nothing as Councilman Sparks finally got to the bottom line. “Do you think there’s any way you could talk to your cousin and get her to allow us to tap into that library fund temporarily so all of our employees can keep their jobs? The last thing I want to do is give people pink slips a couple of weeks before Christmas. Yeah, I know—you probably think I’m a latter-day Scrooge anyway. But a long time ago, my father and Nora Duddney’s father charged me with overseeing the well-being of Cherico for the foreseeable future, and I’ve taken my role seriously. Maybe some people haven’t always seen me in that light, but I’ve never shrunk from the task.”
“Those are all noble sentiments for sure,” Maura Beth said, unable to keep the skepticism out of her voice. “And it will probably tantalize you to hear that my Cudd’n M’Dear is even in town for the library event tonight. But I think it would be worse than useless for you to approach her with your little proposal. She’s not about to let go of the purse strings, and I’m sure it wouldn’t shock you to hear that she’s not exactly a fan of yours.”
Councilman Sparks offered up a sigh of resignation. “I did get that message loud and clear with the way she made silly putty out of my face during your wedding festivities. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be the right time, but is she staying over for the Waddell Mack dinner at The Twinkle? As you probably know, Evie and I have been invited to that by your friend, Periwinkle. Who, by the way, laid down the law to me about bringing my film crew into The Twinkle no matter how much I begged her. ‘When Hell freezes over!’ she said. The little lady does have a way with words, but did you possibly have anything to do with that?”
“Now, Durden, you know as well as I do that Periwinkle Lattimore is her own woman.”
“I’ll take that as a no, although I suspect you did. But what about your cousin staying over?”
Maura Beth was trying to picture Cudd’n M’Dear and Waddell Mack in close proximity
to anything other than an alternate universe and struggled mightily to suppress outright laughter. “I believe my parents and my cousin are going back to New Orleans sometime tomorrow. Their coming up in the first place was a big surprise to me, but I’ll deal with that at the library tonight. So, will you and Evie be popping into the library or not?”
“Your posters all over town say we have to come and share inspirational stories with each other, right?”
Maura Beth leaned in, considering her words carefully. “What you’ve just told me about Cherico’s dire financial straits convinces me more than ever that I’ve done the right thing creating this special event. Since you’ve been leveling with me, just do me a favor and don’t show up tonight and start your usual special brand of trouble. If you have a genuine story to share, then fine. Otherwise, please just listen respectfully and enjoy the food.”
“Fair enough.”
Maura Beth’s tone veered slightly into the realm of disbelief as she cocked her head. “Really?”
“Really. And I guess the only way to show you that I mean what I say is to finally apologize for all the grief I’ve given you over the years about the library. And, yes, it’s absolutely true that I had a crush on you and thought I might be able to get you to come work for me, and then one thing would lead to another and so forth.” He paused briefly and hung his head. “But I guess you figured all that out because you were having none of it.”
“Yes, I did, and no, I wasn’t.”
They both chuckled. “I’ll have to ask Evie if she really wants to come tonight,” he added. “I’m not sure I deserve to be there.”
“Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before!”
Councilman Sparks put his elbows on the table, resting his hands under his chin. “The fact is, for the first time in my life, I’m really scared for our little town. The statistics don’t lie. People are leaving Cherico in droves for Corinth or Tupelo or Memphis because they just can’t find decent jobs here, or they’ve lost the ones they had. And the few people who try to bring something upscale to the table like Audra Neely haven’t been able to find a profitable niche here, either. She even dropped by one day to tell me why she was leaving, and I could tell she was heartbroken. Hell, Evie’s hair salon is moving away, too. I never can remember the name, though. Always makes me think of long hair and Lady Godiva riding on that horse naked.”
“Tresses. Cherico Tresses,” Maura Beth told him, thoroughly amused. “I go there, too. They’re moving to Corinth.”
He nodded and snapped his fingers. “Which illustrates my point perfectly. Anyway, I’ve always been deadly serious about trying to bring jobs in, and our new industrial park really is the key to our future. It’s not just some folly of mine. If we can just get that first big plant to locate here—like Spurs ’R’ Us—we could use that for a possible domino effect and maybe stop the bleeding. Our little Cherico would have a decent chance again.”
Instinctively, Maura Beth leaned forward and extended her hand. “Well, all I can say is I feel like I’m meeting the real Charles Durden Sparks for the first time. Could we shake on it?”
“You always were overly dramatic about everything,” he said, gripping her hand firmly and then sinking back into his chair once again. “But you have a tremendous stake in all this now that the new library is well under way. Imagine if we hold that grand opening we’re aiming for next summer, and it’s the biggest head-scratcher in the history of the state! Can’t you just hear people all over Mississippi saying things like, ‘Everybody knows that little town of Cherico up there on the lake is dying on the vine, but at least they got themselves a brand-new library out there in the middle of the weeds!?’ ”
Maura Beth had to admit that the thought had occurred to her, but she had preferred to keep it buried deep within her brain. “You have a point. But it’s also possible that the library will be the first step we take toward a greater vision and prosperity. I’m glad you explained what you’re really trying to accomplish with the film crew, too. I hope you can put your presentation together in time to persuade the Spurs ’R’ Us head honcho, and it’s not too late.”
“Thanks for understanding my urgency, although too little, too late is not a very good legacy.”
Then another idea suddenly flashed into Maura Beth’s head. Maybe Councilman Sparks wouldn’t go for it, but she couldn’t remember a time when they had been this open and relaxed with each other. Now was the moment to strike. So she put it all out there for his consideration and patiently waited for his reaction.
“I guess it would be one way to go,” he told her finally.
“ ’Tis the season, as they say.”
“It sure seems like you’re determined to turn me into Santa Claus. How about I give you my decision tonight at the library?”
Maura Beth’s surprise was genuine. How far had she come in their checkered relationship that she actually felt she had the upper hand for good now? “So you’ll definitely be there?”
“Yes—even if Evie decides not to come. And I promise I won’t spoil things for you like I’ve done in the past. You’ve definitely made me a believer in the worth of the library with all that’s happened.”
She smiled, feeling as if she’d won the lottery. “And that’s all I’ve ever asked of you.”
12
Story Hour
It was remarkable how different the atmosphere was for this particular meeting of The Cherry Cola Book Club. It had nothing to do with the cold temperature outside—typical of the first week in December in northeast Mississippi. At first, Maura Beth was puzzled by the heightened level of chatter and laughter around the lobby hung with big red and green bows and a small cedar that had been turned into a Christmas tree complete with bubble lights and a bright, blinking star at the top; but she finally figured it out when Stout Fella sidled up to her in the buffet line, and said, “I don’t know about the rest of ’em, but I’m relieved I don’t have to do a book report here tonight. For all the others I’ve been to—even Forrest Gump—I always felt like I was being graded.”
Maura Beth frowned right in the middle of helping herself to a large slice of the mouth-watering glazed ham James Hannigan had contributed. “Well, Justin, I can assure you I didn’t mean to come off as a high-school teacher assigning too much homework over the weekend. I’ve tried not to be too structured—instead, I’ve stayed outside-the-box, as you know.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it to sound like criticism, Maura Beth,” he answered as he hungrily scanned all the food in front of him on the bright red tablecloth, choosing a baked chicken breast and a couple of deviled eggs for starters. “Matter-of-fact, both Becca and I are counting on this meeting to put us in the Christmas spirit. Maybe that big bowl a’ eggnog and those sugar cookies with all the red and green sprinkles on ’em over there on the end will help. Fact is, I haven’t sold a single house or a plot a’ ground in months now, and the bigger Becca gets, the more uncomfortable she gets. We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
Maura Beth turned and briefly glanced at the former Becca Broccoli, who was already seated in the semicircle of folding chairs, balancing her paper plate on her protruding belly as a makeshift table. At the moment she had just finished spearing two grapes with her fork and was carefully maneuvering them to her mouth. Anyone with any insight and a grasp of the obvious could see that dropping them on the floor and then trying to bend over and retrieve them would have been an utterly lost cause.
“She almost decided to stay home with the cranky way she’s been feelin’ lately,” Justin continued. “But she said she was determined to overcome the trials and tribulations of pregnancy—as she put it—and put things in perspective, and your idea of ‘big picture’ stories really sounded like something she needed to hear at this time in her life. In both our lives when you get right down to it. Once the baby comes, we know things’ll be changed forever.”
They moved along the line and continued to help themselves to other goodies as Maura B
eth said, “So, are either one of you planning to share a memorable story with us tonight?”
“Becca is. That’s provided she can waddle up to the podium.”
Maura Beth stole another glimpse of the greatly inflated Becca and chuckled under her breath. “Oh, I expect we’ll let her speak from her seat if she has any trouble getting up when the time comes.”
Then Justin turned and waved to his wife across the way as he spoke. “I know she’ll appreciate that.”
“So, I keep forgetting. When is the baby due again? February?”
“Middle a’ January or thereabouts, which sure can’t get here soon enough for the both of us.”
Maura Beth gave him a gentle, playful nudge. “For the record, that makes three of us. Don’t forget about your baby’s godmother standing right here debating what to put on her plate next.”
Justin lowered his chin and his voice at the same time. “Really, Maura Beth, you were the only person we seriously considered. And we felt the same way about ole Doug McShay for godfather. Doug and I really got to know each other pretty well over beers out at the Marina Bar and Grill before it closed. He’s good folks, and so is his wife. This baby sure is gonna have a lot a’ special people in his life.”
“His? Then you definitely know it’s a boy?”
Justin screwed up his face for an instant, looking slightly guilty. “Nah, could be a her for all we know. I still haven’t caught on to all this politically correct his and her stuff you’re supposed to use in every sentence these days.”
Maura Beth was greatly amused and flashed a wide grin. “Well, if that’s your worst fault, Justin Brachle, Becca is one lucky woman!”
“Hey, I’m one really lucky man, too. Becca’s stayed on me pretty good about my diet and my weight, and she’s gotten me to slow down for real. That heart attack I had was my wake-up call, and now I’ve got a child on the way I need to hang around for. I’ve got something to live for besides making money. If I had a speech to make tonight, that’d be it in a nutshell.”
