Dancing-with-Baptists-Createspace-Final--A4

DANCING WITH BAPTISTS
Southwestern Bell wall hanging. When the operator came on the line Greg said, “Collect call from
Greg, please ma’am.” Aunt Brenda’s phone started to ring. It rang six times. She did not pick up.
later.”
“Sorry,” the operator said, “please try again
Greg saw his burger next to his gym bag as he hung up. He had tried to call her from
Kingman, Arizona and got no answer then as well. He was calling to ask her to pick him up from the
bus station but now, having called twice with no answer, Greg was starting to get concerned. Greg
didn’t have enough cash to take a cab all the way to Aunt Brenda’s but he was sure he could make it
with one more bus trip. This time it would be local.
Greg left half the tip he would have because he was afraid he would need his extra change for
the local bus in Houston, if his Aunt Brenda did not pick him up.
Greg sipped iced tea and thought about calling Melinda. It was getting late and he didn’t want
to call her “collect”. Just before the bus pulled away from the last greasy diner of the trip, Greg stared
out his window at still-dancing Thinner inside and thought about how long it had been since he had
worried about onions on burgers.
Greg chewed his last stick of Juicy Fruit until all the juicy and most of the fruit was gone. He
suddenly wanted to spit the gum out.
Greg unzipped his gym bag and found the bus schedule he had picked up on his departure way
back in California. The no longer needed souvenir schedule was the perfect place for a small wad of
gum. Greg spit his used rubbery glob onto the schedule, wrapped it, put it in a side zippered pocket,
and repositioned Chap’s manuscript on a bed of whites and shaving supplies. With all preparations
ready for arrival, Greg leaned back in his now-familiar seat cushion with almost an hour to think about
the old days in Houston one more time.
CHAPTER9
Reagan High School
Houston
March 7, 1964
Melinda Cook was a beauty, and smart. Nevermade-a-B smart. Greg was nominated for “most
handsome” a couple of years, but never won. Greg was smarter than he let people, especially teachers,
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