Chapter Eleven

Penny and Leonard, dressed to the nines, walk into the Gretna Dragons High School gym.

"Wow! They made this look so beautiful. The streamers, the balloons, the lighting. It's hard to believe this is the gym." Penny looks around the space, her eyes twinkling.

"You're what looks beautiful," Leonard says. "I love you in that dress."

Penny does look gorgeous in her plunging cross-back lace slip dress. The delicate black fabric drops to floor length, the fitted bodice hugging her frame in all the right places.

She bows slightly. "Thank you kind sir and might I add, you look quite dashing yourself this evening."

Leonard turns, modeling the elegant tuxedo luxuriously draped upon his torso. He clutches its satin-covered lapels with his thumbs.

The pair giggles.

"Shall we?" Leonard asks.

"We shall."

Finding their assigned table, the couple sits, watching as others begin to file in.

"What's this?" Leonard picks a flyer up from the table and hands it to Penny.

"In Memoriam? What is this?" Penny begins to read a list of names.

"Sounds like a list of people from your class who have died."

"Ortensia Afton, died shortly after cockroach eating contest. Brandt Thomas, hit and killed by beer truck. Clementine Dalrymple, killed during a square dance mishap." Penny starts shaking. "My God, Leonard, there are eight more names on this list. Kermit Coleman, Quaid Cullen, Blanche Babbitt, oh man, Lurline Ogletree, Kency Quackenbush." She takes a deep breath. "Ottie Banner, Nowell Wahner and Dixie Belle Frye." She looks at Leonard. "That's too many. Way too many."

"It is a lot," Leonard agrees. "But it makes you think about how precious life is, doesn't it? We need to live every day to the fullest."

Just then, a bald man wearing faded overalls and a bright red bow tie taps Penny on the shoulder. "Hey there, Penny, remember me? Tinker Yettis?" He wipes his bulbous nose with an already soiled bandana.

Eyes blank, Penny nods. "Tinker? Tinker Yettis? How are you?"

"I feel like a busted can of biscuits but soon's I found out me and you was in the runnin' for Best Dressed I became a little more spritely."

Penny bites her tongue before carefully choosing her words. "Well, how exciting is that? We're up for Best Dressed? I hope we get it then. You certainly deserve it. And I sure hope you get to feeling better."

"Much obliged. Much obliged." Tinker tugs at his bow tie. "I'd vote for us too but I'm gonna have to check Magnolia Jane Hibbert on my ballot tonight. She's just the prettiest little thang."

"Oh, I remember you now. Tinker Yettis! You had your eyes set on Magnolia Jane back in school. Did you two ever go out?"

Tinker's face elongates. "Oh, shucks, no. I couldn't do that. She looked at me once and I was discombobulated for a week."

Turning toward the reunion-goers, Penny notices Magnolia Jane, sitting at a table, alone. She clears her throat. "She does have on a nice outfit, doesn't she?"

"Yep, that torn flannel shirt, the short cut-off jeans and the combat boots. Ain't that some yummy combination?" Tinker starts to drool.

"The massive sunflower in her bleached blonde hair is a nice touch too." Leonard stifles a laugh. "Maybe she'll win an award for the highest hair."

"One can only hope." Tinker begins to frown at Leonard. "You stop looking at my lady, you hear?"

"Tinker, this is my husband Leonard," Penny explains.

Tinker, a big bear of a man, sulks. "I probably ain't never gonna get hitched. I'm too skeered."

"Don't be skeered, uh, scared, Tinker. Go sit with her. Talk with her," Penny advises.

"I can't. I'm just gonna go hunker down over here in the corner. Y'all enjoy your fancy grub."

"That is so sad," Leonard observes.

"Leonard, look," Penny wriggles in her seat, "Look."

Magnolia Jane Hibbert stands from her seat, a lit cigarette in one hand and scratching her ample bottom with the other. She ambles toward Tinker Yettis and begins to chat.

"Ohhh, they're finally going to get together." Penny claps gleefully.

"You're really happy for them, aren't you?"

"Of course, Leonard. Love can make everything better."

Soon, the dinner meal is being served. Steak, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and baked beans.

"Good ol' country food," Leonard beams. "Now the steak, is it Scarlett, Junie Sue or Dolly Merle?"

"Shut up, Leonard," Penny says with a smile.

"It's so nice to see a couple who can tease each other and still really love each other too," a gentleman at the table says.

Penny looks about the room. "Who?"

"Us, Penny. He means us."

"I know. I was teasing." Penny laughs, throws her arms around Leonard's neck and kisses him.

"I wish I had that kind of love but unfortunately I loved my career too much. I've been divorced four times because of it."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Penny says. "Umm, sorry again, I don't remember your name."

"Dax. Dax Braxton. Senior Class President, Audio/Visual Club, Library Assistant, Science Club and Valedictorian."

"Oh yeah, you were the smartest kid in our class. I didn't really hang with the smart kids." Penny plays with her napkin.

"Leonard, you aren't eating your corn. Nebraska is known for its corn," Dax informs.

"Leonard can't process corn," Penny says.

"Excuse me everyone," a masculine voice booms. "Excuse me. My name is Jarrett Timmons. We are so happy you could be here with us this evening. We need to remember those classmates who have passed on and those who cannot be with us due to unfortunate incarceration. Those incarcerated include: Curtis Reed, skateboarding, Butch Bennett, grand theft auto, Edwina Farkle, disorderly conduct, Mazie Holden, punching a cop and Beau Weston, gas siphoning from a cop car. Please pray for these hoodlums. You also have your Memoriam List. No need to pray for them 'cause they're already dead."

Several people laugh at Jarrett's lame joke.

"We will be giving awards tonight. Our first goes out to our Least Changed Classmate. Let's give it up for a special lady. Penny!"

Everyone claps.

A man near the back yells. "She gave it up to me years ago!"

Another hollers. "Me too!"

And yet another. "Oh yeah, baby."

Embarrassment colors Penny's face but she gets up anyway to walk across the gym floor. She smiles as she takes her plaque from Jarrett.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" the crowd chants.

Taking the microphone, Penny begins to talk. "Thank you for this award. I really appreciate it but I think you have selected the wrong person for this wonderful honor."

Murmurs wave through the audience.

"This plaque states that it belongs to the Least Changed Classmate but I believe I have changed. I have changed a lot. I admit I may slip back into my old high school ways from time to time but this experience, this reunion has made me realize how awful I really was. I have grown. I have matured. My wonderful husband Leonard has helped me every step of the way. Everyone on this Earth, and that includes you, you, you and me too, come from different families, different backgrounds and different circumstances. We shouldn't bully, we shouldn't tease and we shouldn't judge. We don't know everyone's story. Listen to one another. Care about one another. And, if you don't like your own story, re-write it. I have."

Leonard stands, clapping wildly. One by one by one, each Gretna Dragon stands as well.