I laughed in spite of myself. “He limped for a week.”
“He’ll tell you how important it is that you go the distance. Hold on. . .”
I could hear conversation in the background, then breathing.
“Kevin?” Dad’s voice was weak but steady.
“Dad!” I shouted. “Oh my gosh, Dad. I’m so glad to hear your voice!”
“If you back out of your mission now, after all that money I spent on suits—”
I grinned at Marcy. “It’s Dad! He’s talking to me on the phone!”
Marcy ran to the kitchen and picked up the extension.
“Daddy K!”
“Hello baby,” Dad said to Marcy. “I hope you’re talking some sense into your brother.”
“Don’t worry,” Marcy said. “He’s leaving on that plane if we have to tie him to the seat.”
Two days before my flight, I finished packing and spent the day visiting friends. I went to Herb and Imogene Conrad’s first.
“Don’t you worry about your mom,” Sister Imogene said as she hugged me good-bye. “We’ll take good care of her.”
“Will you send me some of your fried apple pies?” I asked.
Sister Imogene laughed. “If UPS will deliver ’em, I’ll send ’em.”
Brother Conrad followed me out to my truck. “Don’t be concerned about money. I’m paying for your mission.”
“But—”
“I’ve already discussed it with President Carter. Your mother knows too. I told her.”
I put my arms around Brother Conrad. “How can I ever repay you?”
“When I’m in the nursing home, you can sneak me out and take me fishing.”
I went to Sister Hooper’s next and thanked her for teaching me in seminary. I gave her my address card and asked her to write.
“You’ll be in my prayers,” she said. “Be careful and listen to the Spirit. It will let you know what you should do.”
“I will,” I replied.
I went to Dani’s house and thanked President Carter for being a good branch president. Sister Carter hugged me and gave me an angel Moroni tie clip, plus fifty dollars in case I needed something on the way to Salt Lake.
“Would you give Dani my address?”
President Carter took the card. “I’ll be sure she gets it.”
Before I made my last stop, I drove around town. When I passed Armadillo Middle School I could look at the windows and see students milling around inside LS-806, my old life sciences classroom. I wondered if the new life sciences teacher was as crazy as Dr. Wallace.
There was still a lot of debris left from the tornado. The Walmart and the Piggly Wiggly were still closed and workers scrambled to repair the roofs. Armadillo had changed forever in the few short minutes that the tornado touched down. I wondered how it would look when I got back home. Would I even recognize Armadillo in two years?
I drove down Main Street, past the courthouse, past Bigelow’s Men’s Store, Woods Pharmacy and Ice Cream Shop, and the little antique store that Mom liked to browse in.
And there was the barbershop. My heart ached when I saw the barber pole outside, its red, white, and blue stripes spiraling toward the top. As I went by, I could see the old men gathered inside, reading their newspapers and undoubtedly grousing about the latest political scandal or sports tournament. For a second, I imagined my father was in the chair, getting what little hair he had on his head “shaped up,” as he liked to say.
I sniffed back the tears and headed for 539 Palmer Ridge Road.
“Hello, Kevin.” Rhanda Mudd stepped aside and welcomed me in.
“I came to say good-bye. I’m leaving for my mission.”
“When will you be back?”
“I’ll be gone for two years.”
“That’s a long time to be away from your family. How does your mom feel about that? Especially after your father’s accident?”
“I was going to stay home—you know, with Dad being in the hospital—but they insist that I go. Dad says the Lord will take care of us.”
“Wait a minute.” Rhanda ran to Auntie Belle’s old room. I could see from the doorway that she still hadn’t moved Auntie’s things out. When she came back, she handed me Auntie Belle’s copy of the Book of Mormon. “Take this with you. I think Auntie Belle would have wanted you to have it. Don’t forget her, okay?”
“I’ll never forget Auntie Belle.” I flipped through the pages. Auntie Belle had made notes in the margins. Her handwriting was spidery and hard to read. “This means a lot to me. Thank you, Rhanda.”
Rhanda’s voice was soft. “If you have time, I could use some prayers.”
“I’ll pray for you. I promise.”
What happened next stunned me. Rhanda gave me a hug. “I’ll pray for you too. Come and see me when you return. Be careful out there.”
I went home and put Auntie Belle’s Book of Mormon in my suitcase. I took my latest wildlife journal and put it in too—then changed my mind. I put it on my shelf and laid a pencil beside it. In two years, I’d be ready to pick it up again.
Then there was a knock at the back door.
“I couldn’t let you leave without saying good-bye,” Dani said. “I skipped classes and drove home. I was afraid I’d missed you.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” I let her in and we sat down on the couch. “I’m leaving Armadillo tomorrow. I’m going to spend the day with Dad—he’s still in the hospital in Memphis. I’ll leave from there to go to the airport.”
Dani told me about her professors and what her classes were like. She talked about the dorm and how she didn’t like sharing a bathroom with an entire hall of girls. She talked about how lucky she’d been to get a quiet roommate. And she talked about how she’d made a friend on campus—an LDS friend. They’d enrolled in institute classes on campus.
“I like institute,” Dani said. “There’s about twenty-two students who come. We have some good discussions.”
“Are you going to church?”
Dani sighed. “No. I get lazy and want to sleep in.” She looked down at her hands. After a long pause, she said, “I wasn’t very nice to you our senior year.”
“I wasn’t always nice to you, either.”
Her voice quivered. “I wish I could go back and change all the things I did.”
I reached out and took her small, soft hands in mine. I didn’t want to know what she’d done. Yet I did want to take the hurt away from her—wanted it right then more than anything. It pained me to know that I couldn’t.
Dani stood up. “I have to go.”
We embraced for the last time. I stroked her silky brown hair. “Don’t give up on going back to church, okay?”
Dani pulled away and smiled weakly. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Chapter Twenty
On my last morning at home, I woke up to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Mom was cleaning the den. The smell of lemon-scented furniture polish wafted under my door. I groaned when I saw the time.
“It’s five o’clock,” I said to Lima Bean, who was snuggled up beside me. He chirruped and nuzzled his head against my hand, wanting a scratch. I obliged.
I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t. The packed suitcases against the wall were shouting that today was the day. I got up and shuffled to my closet-size bathroom. I showered, dressed, and made my bed. I scooped the dumplings out of Lima Bean’s litter box, poured an extra measure of food in his bowl, and gave him fresh water.
“Yeoooow,” Lima Bean howled with gratitude.
I leaned over and rubbed his chin. “You’re welcome, buddy. Promise me you’ll take care of Mom while I’m gone?”
Lima Bean whirled his tail around my legs and chirped.
Mom knocked. “Are you awake?”
I opened the door.
“We’re going to the Cow Palace for breakfast. Marshall’s going to let me drive his car. While I’m in the shower, load your things in the trunk.”
Marshall’s Honda wa
s small, but I managed to stuff everything in. Granddad came down the stairs from his apartment.
“Are you ready for some greasy grits and gravy from the Cow Palace?”
“I’d rather have bacon and eggs.”
Granddad put his arm around my shoulders. “You’re not still worried about your mom, are you?”
“No. I think the Lord will take care of her. But it’s hard to say good-bye.”
“I know how you feel. When I was sent to Korea, it was hard to leave your grandma and the kids. I was gone almost as long as you’ll be.”
We walked back to the Paramount. Granddad continued his speech. “You’ll never have another opportunity like this. Enjoy your mission. And don’t forget—if your drill sergeant is happy, that’s all you need to worry about.”
“That’s good advice, Granddad.”
While we waited for Mom to get ready. Granddad and I watched a Gilligan’s Island rerun on TV. Marcy, Marshall, and the kids showed up afterwards.
Mom emerged from her room, coat over her arm and keys in her hand. I could tell she’d been crying; her nose was red and her eyes were puffy.
“Time to go,” she said, forcing her voice to sound cheery and bright.
“You kids ride with me,” Granddad said to Marshall. “There’s plenty of room in my car.”
“I’ll be right out,” I said to Mom as she stepped out the back door.
I went in my room and shut the door. Lima Bean was asleep on my bed. I picked him up and cradled him in my arms. “Good-bye, little buddy.”
Lima Bean cracked his eyes open and yawned.
I nuzzled his face and savored the feel of his silky fur against my cheek. “Be good.” I put him back on the bed. I opened my wildlife journal, and at the end of my last entry I wrote, To be continued in two years. . .
I stood in the doorway and took one last long look at my room. I turned out the light and walked away.
At the Cow Palace I gave Lily B a quarter to put in the Gum ‘n’ Gems machine. She turned the knob, and a small plastic egg came out of the hatch. She twisted and twisted but couldn’t open it.
“Open it, Unka Kebin,” she said, and held the egg up.
I broke it open and she took out the prize inside.
“Ooooh. It’s a pretty ring. Fix it for me.” I put the pink rhinestone ring on her finger and adjusted the size so it would fit. Lily B held her hand out and admired her new jewelry.
“I’ll bring you something special from Washington,” I said. “Would you like a moose?”
Lily B nodded vigorously.
“I’ll find the moose with the biggest antlers and bring him home. You can keep him in your playroom.”
“Mommy, Mommy.” Lily B tugged at Marcy’s leg. “Unka Kebin’s gonna bring me a moose!”
Marcy made a face. “If Kevin’s bringing you a moose, he’d better bring a shovel so he can clean up after it.”
When the server brought our food, she brought me a platter of bacon and eggs with a huge stack of pancakes and blueberry syrup on the side. “This is on the house,” she said as she set the platter in front of me. “We’re going to miss you around here.”
We lingered over our breakfast as long as we could. But the morning was growing short, and Mom and I had a long drive ahead.
“Be careful. Elder Kirk.” Marshall hugged me good-bye. “Don’t worry about anything. Your granddad and I can handle things.”
“I know you can. Thanks, Marshall. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Granddad was unusually quiet. We embraced. “I’m proud of you, Kevin. I know Arlice is too.”
“I love you, Granddad.”
Granddad swallowed hard. “I love you too.”
Des gave me a big, sloppy kiss. I scooped Lily B up, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. When she buried her little head on my shoulder, I almost lost it.
“I’ll see you later, princess. I love you.”
“I lub you too, Unka Kebin. Bring me a moose, okay?”
I laughed. “You bet.”
I put Lily B down. Marcy came up to me. “Be careful, little brother. I love you.” She hugged me hard and long.
“I love you too. Watch over Mom for me.”
“You got it.” She pulled away and wiped her cheeks. “I’ll pray for you every day. Come home to us safe.”
“I will.”
Mom was already in the Honda. The motor was running. I waved to my family. “Love you guys.” I got in the car and buckled up. Mom pulled out of the Cow Palace parking lot and I turned to face the road ahead.
We drove to the stake president’s house, which was almost two hours away. He set me apart, then told me that for the next two years the only female I could hug was my mother.
We left the stake president’s house and embarked on the three-hour drive to Memphis. When we arrived at the hospital, Dad was sitting up in bed, eating a Popsicle.
Mom gave him a kiss and felt his forehead.
Dad gently pushed her hand away. “I’m fine, worrywart.”
“I was only checking to see if you had a fever.”
Dad laughed. “I’ve got nurses poking, prodding, and pestering me every five minutes. If I have a fever, they’ll find it.”
I hugged my father. “How’s it going?”
“I’m in a cast up to my navel. I have a concussion, a burn on my backside, and three broken ribs. Other than that, life’s peachy. Oh,” Dad turned to Mom, “the nurses are bringing an extra recliner for tonight. I told them you and Kevin were staying, and how he’s leaving in the morning. They were glad to help us out.”
Mom cleared the bedside table. “So, what will we play first?”
I raised my hand. “Parcheesi.”
We played two games of Parcheesi. Then a nurse came in to take Dad’s vitals.
She stuck a thermometer in his mouth. “Are you ready for your pain meds?”
Dad nodded.
She checked his pulse and blood pressure, then removed the thermometer. “99.7°. We’d better keep an eye on that.”
Mom gave Dad a smug look. “I thought you felt warm.”
The nurse returned with Dad’s pain medicine. He swallowed it down.
“We have a surprise for you,” the nurse said. She stuck her head out the door and motioned to someone in the hall.
Dad sniffed the air. “I smell pepperoni.”
The nurse grinned. “We wanted to do something special for you tonight since your son’s leaving.” An orderly walked in carrying an extra-large pizza box. “One pizza with everything, plus extra mushrooms.”
“And after the pizza, we have ice cream cake.” Another nurse entered bearing a box with a Dairy Queen logo. “We’ll hold that for you until you’re ready. We don’t want it to melt!”
“I love my nurses,” Dad said to Mom. “Can I bring them home with me?”
Mom giggled. “Of course. Then we’ll have pizza and ice cream every day.”
Later that night, after our pizza and ice cream cake feast, we played Yahtzee, then a game of Monopoly. We ended up calling the game because I ran out of money, Mom had apartments on all her properties, and Dad was getting tired. While I put on my pajamas and brushed my teeth, the nurse came in and gave Dad some more pain medication. When I came out of the bathroom, he was asleep.
“That medicine works fast,” I said.
“They give him something stronger at night,” Mom replied. She pulled an envelope out of her bag. “You’ll be in the MTC on your nineteenth birthday,” she said. “I won’t get to see you, so I thought I’d give this to you now.”
I took out the card. On the outside it said, “A tisket, a tasket. . .”
On the inside it said, “one birthday closer to a casket!”
I groaned. “Where do you get these corny cards?”
Mom giggled. “I won’t divulge my secret, no matter how hard you twist my arm.”
“I’ll see you in the morning. Four o’clock will come early.”
> Mom got under the covers. I threw my pillow at her. She threw hers at me.
The smell of my mother’s hairspray lingered on the pillow. I breathed it in, not wanting to forget it. It would be two years before I smelled it again.
The alarm jarred me out of a deep sleep. I stumbled to the shower. Afraid I was running late, I kept one eye on my watch. Time moved at warp speed. I had to retie my tie three times before I got the length right.
When I finished, Mom took her shower. She finished getting ready in half her normal time. It was four thirty in the morning.
Dad was still sleeping. I nudged him. “I have to go.”
He opened his eyes slowly. “Good morning.”
I nudged him again. “It’s time for me to leave. I have to catch my plane.”
Dad took a deep breath. “That’s right.” He reached up and patted my cheek. “I love you, son. Don’t ever forget it.”
“I won’t.”
“Don’t worry about me, you hear? The Lord is taking care of me. I know He’ll take care of you too.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You’ll be at the airport when I come home.”
“You bet.” Dad’s arms were around me, too, but he didn’t have much strength in them.
I pulled away, and Dad grasped my hand. “Have faith, son.”
“I will.”
I forced myself out the door and into the hall. Those first steps out of Dad’s room were the hardest I’d ever had to take.
Mom was quiet on the drive to the airport. When we got inside I noticed she carried a long paper tube. “What’s that for?”
“Nothing.”
I got my bags weighed and tagged, and we headed for the baggage screening area. It was five fifteen.
Mom grabbed my arm and pointed to the sign above our heads: Ticketed Passengers Only Beyond This Point.
I held my mother close. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too.” She tiptoed up and kissed my cheek. “I’m so proud of you. Please be careful. Listen to the Spirit. You’ll be a great missionary.”
I boarded the plane and was surprised at how small it was inside. I stuffed my carry-on in the overhead compartment and took my seat by the window. An older gentleman in a business suit sat down in the seat next to me. “What’s your destination?”
The Final Farewell Page 14
