hiccup in your dreary life. Harley Arnold. You've
achieved something and now you're going to do
bigger and better things.
"You march right into the guidance office on
Monday and talk to Mr. Springer. There are lots of
schools that will still consider you for their freshman
class."
"Yeah, and who's going to pay for that?" "I bet if you get accepted, Uncle Roy will see to it. And you know you'll make good money working
with him again this summer. You always do." "Right," he said skeptically.
"You've got to try. Harley. You've got to seize
the opportunity."
"Me? In college?"
"A few weeks back, you would have laughed at
your passing all your finals and graduating. right?
Well?" I pursued when he didn't respond.
"I guess so."
"Well, then, guess again and guess for bigger
and better things," I insisted.
His smile widened.
"You're amazing, Summer. You're like that old
oak tree that was hit by lightning years ago," he said
nodding at the tree. "It grew new branches and kept
going, hooking onto every ray of sunshine. I bet every
depressed blade of grass or wild flower basks in its
glory and gets up some hope."
"Call me an old tree, anything, as long as you
don't give up," I said.
He laughed and then grew serious again. "What
do I do when you're gone?" he asked.
Every summer for the last four. I attended