Trust In Me

The Graduation

Graduation day! Maryanne Hemsley had finally made it through all twelve years of school, and her hands were shaking with excitement. She stood with her graduating class in the auditorium of Central High School, putting on robes and chattering away about summer plans. Mrs. Byrd, one of the English teachers, was going over last-minute details of how this graduation was supposed to function, but the students were so excited, hardly anyone was paying attention.

Maryanne and her best friend, Carrie, fixed one another’s mortarboards, trying to make them stand upright without too many bobby pins. Maryanne and Carrie had been friends for ten years and lived right across the street from each other in a quiet neighborhood. Carrie had moved into Parkview with her parents first. Maryanne had arrived about two weeks later. When school had started that first fall, they found themselves walking to the end of the road together to wait for the bus and had been close friends ever since. Now they stood facing one another, excited about graduating, and afraid of the world unknown to them.

Maryanne thought back over her life before this moment. While her life seemed outwardly settled now, the world she had lived in shortly before coming to live with her Aunt Lucie eight years before had terrified her. At the age of ten, Maryanne had come alone on a train from West Virginia to Fans County, North Carolina. She remembered growing up in a happy home with her parents and older brother and her friends in a small town where she had been a good student. Her fondest memories were with her grandfather, playing in her backyard. A couple of months before she left, Maryanne had suspected something wasn''t quite right but had not questioned anybody. Then one day, her mother packed her things, put her on a train, and said she would come soon to pick her up. Maryanne remembered being happy to visit her Aunt Lucie, who had come up to visit her a couple of times a year and had always been fun. Maryanne assumed she was just going for the summer.

But that summer turned into fall, and her mother never appeared…not that Maryanne had much to complain of. She had a comfortable life with her Aunt Lucie. She was always properly dressed. She was involved in clubs at school and was very popular. Maryanne didn''t ask about her parents coming to pick her up; she was too scared to open doors that had been closed. And overall, she was pleased with the way her life had turned out. Maryanne thanked her Aunt Lucie as much as possible for bringing her up to be a mature young lady on her way to college.

The English teacher, Mrs. Byrd, tried to talk above the noisy chatter. “Everybody that is graduating this evening needs to be lined up now. Let’s get organized, people. I know this is exciting but you all have to calm down. We need to walk outside in ten minutes."

They finally lined up and marched down the hall single file. They marched right onto the football field with the junior band playing loudly. Maryanne looked anxiously for her aunt but there were so many people in the stands, she was not able to pick her out. She knew Aunt Lucie was watching, and that was all that counted. She wondered, taking her seat, whether her parents were there, figuring there was a slim chance of that. What Maryanne didn’t know was that her mom actually was there. Mrs. Hemsley was sitting right in the stands, watching her daughter walk with her class. Oh how beautiful she looked, with her long golden hair looking so much like a young woman.

The principal came to the podium and began to make his speech. After a few minutes of talking, he was ready to announce the scholarships given out. Maryanne was hoping so much for one, for she was a straight-A student with business abilities. Then she heard, "Ms. Maryanne Hemsley. Ms. Hemsley has a four-year scholarship to the college of NCU."

Tears welled up as Carrie and Aunt Lucie heard the announcement. And Maryanne’s mom was astonished. She couldn''t believe her little girl had become a scholar. People were clapping and cheering for her.

Carrie also received a scholarship to the same college. Then the students went to the front to receive their diplomas. As Maryanne was walking onto the stage, she heard Aunt Lucie holler out to her, "Congratulations, Maryanne!"