My last class before Christmas vacation
is science. We’re doing an experiment
to distill wood, and the room smells like burning leaves.
“Time to finish up, people,” Mrs. Stanton says.
Linda, my lab partner, and I quickly write down our results
and finish up.
The bell rings for the last time
of 1969, and we start to leave the room.
Mrs. Stanton says, “Mimi, please stay for a few minutes.”
Stacey and I are going to town after school
to shop for presents and eat sundaes,
so she says she’ll wait at her locker.
Mrs. Stanton sits at the desk next to me.
“I wanted to talk to you about something
before we all go on vacation.”
She’s smiling a different smile than Mr. MacDougall’s.
“You remember what happened last spring
with your science project?”
I say, “How could I forget?”
“That was unfortunate,” she says,
“but I was so impressed with your project—
you went above and beyond what you needed to do
for the grade.
And I know it was a great disappointment
when your moon . . . disappeared.
Many other people were, too.”
She goes to her desk, “I hope
what I have to tell you will make up for that.”
Mrs. Stanton hands me an envelope,
which has my name on it.
“At the end of school last spring,
I nominated you to join a group of students
from all over the country”—
It keeps sounding better and better—
“to go to Cape Kennedy this summer
and learn about the space program.”
“Me?” I ask.
She nods, and points to the envelope. “Open it.”
Inside is a letter addressed to me
that says exactly what she told me.
“Thank you so much,” I say, my heart fluttering. “But . . .
how much will it cost?”
Mrs. Stanton smiles and says, “It’s a scholarship program.
All expenses, including your housing and food,
and travel to and from Florida,
are paid by the scholarship.”
I didn’t win first prize last spring, but this is
the best prize.
Then I do what I never thought I’d do
to Mrs. Stanton. I hug her.
She laughs
and says, “I guess that means you want to go.”