team in Bankstowne’s history came up on stage and joined in the celebration. Coach Marshal pulled a powder blue and white North Carolina jersey with Tank’s number thirty four on it from under the podium and presented it to him.
“Good luck, wear it with pride, and make us all proud,” Coach Marshal said. “Your old black and gold number thirty-four jersey will be hung in the trophy case in the main entrance to the school. It’s been a pleasure coaching you. You’re now officially a North Carolina Tar Heel.”
The team swarmed around Coach Marshal and Tank at center stage, chanting, “Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Tank, Tank, Tank!”
Rick forced himself to politely applaud the one person in the world he hated the most. It was hard to admit that Tank was a great football player, as a person, however, Rick could honestly say he was the biggest jerk he’d ever known.
Dismissed from the awards ceremony, Rick quickly made his way to the back of the auditorium for a congratulatory hug from Mary Beth. Her eyes were still red from her tears of joy.
“I’m so proud of you, and your father is too. You know he would have been here if he could have gotten off work.”
“It’s okay, Momma. I know he doesn’t think much of my being a writer. But he’ll understand one day that it’s an important profession.”
“Give him time,” Mary Beth said. “He’ll come around. Come on, let’s go home and I’ll fix your favorite supper to celebrate. How does meatloaf, mashed potatoes, English peas, and banana pudding for desert sound?”
Wil worked his way through the crowd and gave Rick a big slap on the back. “Way to go, big brother. You almost upstaged that jerk Tank. Now let’s go home. I’m starving for some of that banana pudding.”
Chapter 10
“The railroad became the lifeline to both North and South during the Civil War, moving troops and supplies quickly to the battlefields.”
A new start
Ann dropped out of school because Sam Johnson insisted she and her family leave Bankstowne before the Spring semester started. She didn’t enroll in high school in Winston-Salem, because she was pregnant. School policy didn’t allow pregnant girls who were showing to remain in school. She and Red were to go to work immediately at the Sam’s S & T Distributing Company in Winston-Salem.
Red had reconciled Ann’s pregnancy in his alcohol-crippled brain and accepted the move without resistance. They told no one where they were moving to; it was part of the deal Red had accepted in exchange for not filing rape charges against Tank. Sam wanted them hidden away where they couldn’t cause any trouble.
There were many perks in addition to the jobs and house. Financial support during Ann’s pregnancy and hospital expenses were taken care of by Sam when the baby came. He could afford to be generous and took no chances.
Sam never questioned whether it was Tanks baby. He knew how reckless his son was; he’d cleaned up Tank’s messes all his life. Nothing was going to stand in the way of his new enterprise and scheme to put Tank in the General Assembly and eventually into the governor’s mansion.
Ann had no work experience but was a bright student and learned quickly. Red kept his promise to stop drinking when they moved. Even he was aware of the toll it had taken on him. His memory was faulty and pushing a broom was all he was capable of doing. Without his liquor, he withdrew from the family, smoked too much, and watched TV every day after work until bedtime. Since Red never owned a car, a company car picked him and Ann up every morning. They never spoke more than to say good morning to each other.
The GMC van bounced over a railroad crossing next to the warehouse at exactly eight o’clock. A squat metal building with no windows sat in the middle of a ring of trees with a loading dock on the west side. A spur line off the main track lay beside the loading dock. Located in an unpopulated wooded section
“Good luck, wear it with pride, and make us all proud,” Coach Marshal said. “Your old black and gold number thirty-four jersey will be hung in the trophy case in the main entrance to the school. It’s been a pleasure coaching you. You’re now officially a North Carolina Tar Heel.”
The team swarmed around Coach Marshal and Tank at center stage, chanting, “Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Tank, Tank, Tank!”
Rick forced himself to politely applaud the one person in the world he hated the most. It was hard to admit that Tank was a great football player, as a person, however, Rick could honestly say he was the biggest jerk he’d ever known.
Dismissed from the awards ceremony, Rick quickly made his way to the back of the auditorium for a congratulatory hug from Mary Beth. Her eyes were still red from her tears of joy.
“I’m so proud of you, and your father is too. You know he would have been here if he could have gotten off work.”
“It’s okay, Momma. I know he doesn’t think much of my being a writer. But he’ll understand one day that it’s an important profession.”
“Give him time,” Mary Beth said. “He’ll come around. Come on, let’s go home and I’ll fix your favorite supper to celebrate. How does meatloaf, mashed potatoes, English peas, and banana pudding for desert sound?”
Wil worked his way through the crowd and gave Rick a big slap on the back. “Way to go, big brother. You almost upstaged that jerk Tank. Now let’s go home. I’m starving for some of that banana pudding.”
Chapter 10
“The railroad became the lifeline to both North and South during the Civil War, moving troops and supplies quickly to the battlefields.”
A new start
Ann dropped out of school because Sam Johnson insisted she and her family leave Bankstowne before the Spring semester started. She didn’t enroll in high school in Winston-Salem, because she was pregnant. School policy didn’t allow pregnant girls who were showing to remain in school. She and Red were to go to work immediately at the Sam’s S & T Distributing Company in Winston-Salem.
Red had reconciled Ann’s pregnancy in his alcohol-crippled brain and accepted the move without resistance. They told no one where they were moving to; it was part of the deal Red had accepted in exchange for not filing rape charges against Tank. Sam wanted them hidden away where they couldn’t cause any trouble.
There were many perks in addition to the jobs and house. Financial support during Ann’s pregnancy and hospital expenses were taken care of by Sam when the baby came. He could afford to be generous and took no chances.
Sam never questioned whether it was Tanks baby. He knew how reckless his son was; he’d cleaned up Tank’s messes all his life. Nothing was going to stand in the way of his new enterprise and scheme to put Tank in the General Assembly and eventually into the governor’s mansion.
Ann had no work experience but was a bright student and learned quickly. Red kept his promise to stop drinking when they moved. Even he was aware of the toll it had taken on him. His memory was faulty and pushing a broom was all he was capable of doing. Without his liquor, he withdrew from the family, smoked too much, and watched TV every day after work until bedtime. Since Red never owned a car, a company car picked him and Ann up every morning. They never spoke more than to say good morning to each other.
The GMC van bounced over a railroad crossing next to the warehouse at exactly eight o’clock. A squat metal building with no windows sat in the middle of a ring of trees with a loading dock on the west side. A spur line off the main track lay beside the loading dock. Located in an unpopulated wooded section
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