CHAPTER 14
Barrett was preparing to work on the tree the next morning when his mother dropped by to say goodbye again. They had said their goodbye's the night before, so he suspected she had something else to say. They sat in the shade and talked for a few minutes. When she finally opened the subject of her visit, he was taken totally by surprise. Never in a million years would he have guessed what she had in mind.
"You told me to use my money doing something that gave me enjoyment. I've asked about the cost of getting electricity the rest of the way up the road to the Spencer home. Ever since I met that young man - Billy Ray - I've been thinking about how I could help him. The way he hugged and kissed me just touched my heart. Oh I know he did it because he saw you do it, but it was still sincere."
She was quiet a moment. "At first when I talked to his mother - and I hadn't met him yet - I felt sorry for them. I thought about the way they had to live, and then to be burdened further with a child who would never grow up. I thought it was sad."
She shook her head. "The more I thought about what it would be like to live like that; you know what? I started to feel a little jealous. They don't spend hours a day watching all the bad news on television and take pills to deal with it. They're too busy for that. They don't have visitors who ignore them while they use their cell phones at the table. They have pushed the corruption away from their doorstep - and yet, when you needed help, they took you in without hesitation."
Barrett couldn't remember his mother ever getting this charged over someone else's life. Her heart was in the right place, but the Spencers might consider her an interloper. He sat in his chair, elbows on knees, chin in hands, thinking about what she said. "I think there are areas where they want to improve, but overall, I think they like their lifestyle."
"Of course. I don't want to change their lives. I want to make their lives safer. I don't want to enrich their lives with all the modern conveniences. They are rich already - and I'm sure they know it. I want to give the mother a little respite now and then - not from Billy Ray, but from the constant responsibilities of maintaining a family alone because her husband is gone for weeks at a time. I don't want to make choices for them. I want to give them options."