A Far Piece to Canaan (49 page)

“Happiness. Jenny and Melvin would be helping someone they love dearly. Your education budget isn't going to destroy their estate. You'll undoubtedly pay it back. If you'll let me, I can add to th' kitty and that will cut back on the amount the Langleys have to contribute.”

There was a brooding silence. I was so sure our friendship was on solid footing now that I hadn't considered what I said to be risky. Had I been wrong?

“This has to do with Fred, doesn't it,” she said, turning to the front again.

Fine raindrops had started to fall. I turned on the Ford's wipers and watched them sweep as I thought about what she had asked. Then all fear of hurting her left me. “Some of it has to do with Fred, but mostly it has to do with his granddaughter who needs to learn from the life of her grandfather's best friend. If she doesn't, there are some kids in the Kentucky Mountains who will go through life without an appreciation of fine literature.”

We drove quietly through the misty rain. When we were almost at her door she said, “I'll think about it.” Then her demeanor became like that of a scolding daughter. “You know, you are somethin' else. You must've driven Nora crazy.”

I parked next to the curb, and we stood together on the sidewalk. She hugged me and I kissed her forehead, then she ascended the stairs. At the door of her apartment she turned and called, “When are we gettin' together again? This time I wanta make some slingshots.”

“I'll call when I find th' right elm tree, an old inner tube that ain't rotted, and some Bull Durham twine.”

Lisa June laughed, then entered the apartment, and I was alone on the sidewalk. I was happy. I'd come a far piece, but I'd found my Canaan land.

A number of people have helped me bring this book to fruition. First, my writing group, the Monday Morning Club, which meets on Tuesdays every two weeks. Don't ask. These precious people, along with my wife, Joni, are greatly responsible for teaching me how to write. They are, in alphabetical order, Louise Goodman, Peggy Markham, Patricia Maxwell, Helen Ritchie, Elliott Schubert, Bess Tittle, Annette Winter, and Elsie Zala.

The following people read the rough manuscript and made comments with which I improved the original text. Again in alphabetical order, Naomi Alazaraki, Bob Arnold, Mary Barr, Bill Clark, Annie Gaunder, Joni Halpern, Justin Halpern, Jan Kunsa, Eileen Rendahl and Andrew Taylor.

A thank-you to David Watson, my editor at HarperCollins, and a special thank-you to Byrd Leavell, an agent with guts enough to take on a curmudgeon for a client.

A
FAR PIECE TO CANAAN
. Copyright © 2013 by Sam Halpern. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 978-0-06-223316-5

EPub Edition June 2013 ISBN 9780062233189

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