“So, you’re telling me that I get to go to work with you today, Papa?” I asked my granddad when we were on the way to his job.
“Yep. You always said you wanted to see what I do. Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir! I am! Do I get to drive the train too?” I raised my hands and acted like I was driving.
“What? No, baby, you’re too young to run the train; I can’t even let you get on. I could lose my job. And you don’t want that to happen, do you?” he said.
“No way,” I said in a loud voice. I would never want to be the cause of my Papa not working.
“I know you don’t, pumpkin,” he said. “The biggest thing I want you to learn about is that the conductor of a train is important for two reasons.”
“When you go to a store, do you ever wonder how the products get there? Do you ever wonder who brings them?”
“I already know. The big eighteen-wheeler trucks bring them. We pass them all the time on the road. Some stuff comes in Mack trucks too.”
“Okay, that’s true, but do you know who brings the products to the truck people?”
I shook my head, having no clue. “I don’t know.”
“Well, the train takes them from where the stuff is made to the trucks. Then the trucks come and take them to the stores. Does that make sense?”
“I think so. You’re saying if somebody doesn’t bring the stuff to the truck headquarters, we won’t be able to buy anything from the store?”
“Exactly, Morgan. So my job is important because I have to transport things from one place to another so that people can buy them, use them, and have a great day because they got what they need.”
“That is important, Papa.”
“I told you so. And secondly, I’m a ‘pick-me-upper’ kinda person.”
“A ‘pick-me-upper’ kinda person? What is that?”
“Well, life is hard. Little lady, you understand that. You’ve seen your parents go their own ways. Now your dad is overseas serving our country. You had to go to a new school and make new friends.”
“They don’t like me anymore,” I said. I looked out the window, remembering Brooke and Trey telling me to stay out of their way.
“It might be bad because they don’t like you. But it could be because they have something going on with them.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Even though I loved talking to Papa, I was lost. He was so cool, and he always knew the right things to say. Brooke and Trey were mad at me, and I wished I could put them out of my mind. It was bothering me, and I didn’t know what to do about it. But Papa was here to save the day. I listened closely because I wanted him to say something to help.
“Morgan, it means that maybe they aren’t happy with who they are, and they take it out on you. In that case, they’re taking it out on the wrong person. But a real friend, a person who has God in their heart, tries to help when the other person has problems. That person waits and prays for the friend to work on what’s bothering them and feel better about themselves.”
“Papa?”
“Yes, baby?”
“I really don’t know what you mean,” I said. It was kind of getting me angry.
But then I got excited when I saw all the trains at the yard. We were getting close to his job and I couldn’t wait to get out of the car. There was no more time to talk then. We had to jump out of our car and grab our stuff to get through security. Papa had to clock in, and I was right at the yard office behind him. People were saying hello to me that I didn’t even know, but they knew me. I figured Papa had told them all about me.
“Oh, is this Morgan? She is so precious! We saw your pictures in your granddad’s office, and you are even prettier in person,” one lady told me.
“Thank you,” I said back. I was happy that my granddad loved me so much that he showed people my pictures, and they knew my name. We left the lady so Papa could talk to his boss, Mr. Joe.
“Hey, Mr. Joe,” Papa said, but Mr. Joe barely spoke two words. He didn’t even look up to see that Papa had an extra person with him. So I didn’t say anything, I just stood behind Papa.
“You’re usually here five minutes before your shift. One more minute and you would’ve been late,” Mr. Joe said, in a mean tone.
Papa reached down, put his arm on Mr. Joe’s shoulder and said, “I know it’s been hard losing your wife. You even said yourself that you’re glad she’s not in pain anymore. You and I both know that she was in a tough battle, but I know she’s in heaven. And that should make you smile.”
Mr. Joe started smiling. He looked up with tears in his eyes and said, “Thank you. I needed to hear that. It’s been hard. Who’s that behind you?”
I moved to Papa’s side.
“I didn’t know we had company,” Mr. Joe said, wiping his eyes.
“I’m not company, I’m family,” I said, trying to be the nice girl my mom raised me to be.
“Well, we’re glad to meet you at last. Are you going to see where your granddad works?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He’s a good man. I can tell by your smiling face that you’re going to take good care of him. Have fun.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, reaching out to shake his hand.
Papa pointed out different kinds of freight cars and told me what can be transported in each. As a conductor, he knows what is in each car and where it needs to go.
Once he sends a train on its way, it might take its load and drop off goods at many places. I was so thrilled to see Papa’s work from his perspective. I smiled and told Papa I was proud he had such an important job.
Papa said, “You have such a sweet smile, Morgan, and I don’t want you to lose that. You have this gift to make people happy.”
“Like you did for Mr. Joe?” I asked.
“Yeah, just like that. That’s what you need to show to your friends. Be nice to them even though they’re giving you a hard time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Papa.” Like grandfather, like granddaughter. It was a wonderful day. Choo-choo!
• • • • •
Later that evening, my grandmother was having a special sister meeting at her house. From what I heard her and my mom talking about, Mama was a chapter president of some group called Beta Gamma Pi. I think it was a group she joined in college. It’s called a sorority. I didn’t know what they did in a sorority, but I could tell it was important to Mama.
The house looked beautiful. Flowers were all over the living room where her sisters were going to sit. Her china was set on the dining room table, and the house smelled so good! I heard Mama ask Papa to go and visit with his friend or watch TV in the basement because she needed to focus on getting everything ready for her company.
Mama was acting a little nervous when she said, “Morgan, are you going to help me, or are you going with your granddad? I need to fix my hair and get dressed … oh no, something is wrong with my stove. My quiche didn’t come out right.”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that stove,” Papa joked. “You probably kept it in there too long.”
When she didn’t answer him back, I could tell that Papa was right. Mama was working too hard, and I knew exactly what she needed: a little helper assistant. “I’ll help you, Mama.”
I started by convincing Papa to go out of the house and head next door to visit his friend. Before leaving, he grunted worse than a hungry pig. “I hope this meeting don’t last too long. I’m tired, and it’s time for my dinner. You know I just got home from work.”
Mama snapped, “You knew a month ago I had this meeting coming up, so I don’t even wanna hear it.”
After pushing Papa out the door, I turned to Mama. Ready to be her helper, I asked, “Okay, Mama, what do you want me to do?”
“Let’s see,” she said, scratching her head as she looked around the messy kitchen.
But every time she said I could do something, she did it herself. She was cooking, cleaning, and stressing all at the same time. She took some glasses out of the dishwasher to set them on the table for her guests. Without her telling me, I just started helping. Then when she walked around the table, I noticed something yellow and gushy on the floor. Before I could yell out, she slipped on the banana peel. The three glasses flew out of her hands, hit the floor, and broke into a million pieces.
“Oh, dear! Nothing is going right today,” Mama said. She sounded as though she was having a pity party, like when kids get frustrated because they don’t understand their homework.
“Don’t worry. It’ll get better, Mama. I’m just glad you didn’t fall and get hurt.”
“Thank you, baby,” she said a little calmer.
Just then the phone rang and she went to answer it. So I grabbed the broom from the pantry. I knew I wasn’t supposed to touch the broken glass, but the least I could do was sweep it all in one place for her to pick up the pieces.
All of a sudden, I heard a loud bump like she had hit the table. “What! You can’t come? But you have a big report that you’re supposed to read. All right, all right,” she said before she hung up the phone.
I watched Mama shake her head. “If it’s not one thing it’s another. Morgan, I’m coming. Be careful not to hurt yourself on that glass.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, extra polite.
When I asked if I could have a taste of her punch, Mama wasn’t too upset to say it was okay.
“Ewww, this is too sour!”
“Come on, Morgan. Nobody wants a bunch of sweet Kool-Aid.” She came over to taste it herself. “Oh, boy. It does need a little more sugar. This really isn’t good, and everyone will be here in a few minutes. What am I going to do?”
I grabbed her hands and thought about what Papa had said. A part of being a good person is making another person feel good. Mama was always there to make me feel special about something good, and she taught me how to forget about something bad. Now it was my turn to make her day. This meeting was really important to her, and someone needed to let her know it was going to be okay.
“Mama, you’re a leader. Your cooking is the best. The house is so pretty. Those ladies are smart because they made you their president. I don’t know what it is that you do, but it must be pretty important.”
“We help make the community a better place, Morgan. We help people that can’t help themselves.”
“That is important, Mama. So your meeting is going to go great because it’s not just for you guys. You all are coming together to make other people feel safe and happy. If you gave them potato chips and popcorn, they would be happy. But you don’t have to worry. You’ve got the kind of good food that Papa loves so much.”
“Yes, and I’m going to fix him a plate so that he’ll have some too. I see what you’re trying to do. You’re telling me to relax, aren’t you?”
I nodded my head. “You’ve done everything else, Mama. It’s about time you start getting dressed. Don’t worry. I can greet the people as they come in, and then I’ll go upstairs and read my book. But first, while you sweep up the glass that I moved over to the side, I’ll add some more sugar to the punch.”
“But don’t put in too much,” Mama said, shaking her finger at me. Then she smiled and told me, “Morgan, you’re an angel.”
“I’m just like you.”
Helping to calm her down made me feel better than when I get a new doll. If being in a sorority was so good, maybe one day I’d be in one. But for now, I know that’s what being a good Christian is about. I can’t wait to tell my daddy! I hope he’s safe. In my heart I know he’d be proud of me helping others just like he does.
• • • • •
“A jewel? Why do I have to wear a robe and be a jewel?” Daddy Derek’s nephew, Drake, asked. “I don’t wanna stand at the door and smile all morning.”
We were learning how to be helpers and to take up money at church. Drake was complaining already and we hadn’t even started being ushers.
Miss Floyd, the lady over our program, was telling us how important our job is. We will be the first faces that people see when they come into church.
The blue robes with the red bow in front were adorable. Only I could see how maybe a boy wouldn’t think so. But I thought it was cool.
Then Miss Floyd gave us each a place to stand by the door. An older lady came in with her cane and, all of a sudden, her Bible and purse fell out of her hand. I ran over and picked them up for her. “Oh, baby. You don’t know how much of a blessing this is. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Do you need help to your seat?”
She smiled and said sweetly, “No, thanks. What’s your name?”
“I’m Morgan. What’s yours?”
“I’m Miss Blue. The sun usually shines in my heart all day, but today my bones are tired. I didn’t think I was gonna make it to church this morning, but, praise God, I’m here. It’s such a blessing.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you.”
“Sugar, I’m glad to be in the house of the Lord. Now, you enjoy being a little girl. Time is precious, and it goes quickly. But you’re serving and smiling for the Lord, and that’s a good thing.”
As it got closer to the time for church to start, more and more people were coming in. Some of them had a frown on their face, but it changed when I smiled at them. And once they were smiling they were nicer to the people around them. I hoped that just by me saying hello it helped everyone to have a better day. I was learning something very important. When I have a better attitude, it makes me feel better about things.
I saw Drake with his back turned, not speaking to people. Miss Floyd wasn’t around to get him straight, but he wasn’t about to get away with it. I went over to him and said, “You can’t do that, Drake. You know what Miss Floyd told us. It’s not right.”
“Who says I can’t? My uncle says I have to do this, but he didn’t say I have to like it. I can do it my way,” Drake said, as he shoved me.
I was getting madder at him, and I said a little louder, “Don’t you know that you’re not only standing up for my dad because this is where he works, but you’re also standing up for God, our heavenly Father?”
“Wow! Morgan.” Sadie heard me talking to her brother and came up to us. “You said dad, not stepdad or Daddy Derek. You called him dad. Do you think of my uncle as your dad now?”
“I don’t know. It just slipped out, I guess.”
“You can have two dads, you know. It’s not a crime.”
I just walked back over to my post and prayed, “Lord, I guess I’m blessed because You sent me two dads. I just don’t wanna let my father down by calling someone else daddy.”
“You don’t have to call me daddy if you don’t want to,” a voice said behind me.
I turned around quickly and didn’t even know that anyone else could hear me praying. “But, I do want to. I love you and my mom and Jayden. I think it’s okay to have two dads.”
He hugged me and said, “Just know that it doesn’t have to be something that you do. The way you work hard at being an usher makes me proud to be your father. The Lord expects for us to bring all our cares and concerns to Him, to care about other people, and to love Him with our whole heart. I see you doing your best to do that, Morgan. I’m so happy you’re my little girl.”
I hugged him real tight. With two great dads to follow, I’m going to really work hard to be the best me I can be. I can’t mess up. I want to be their outgoing kid.
Letter to Dad
Dear Dad,
Papa showed me what a conductor of a train does. I met his boss at the company headquarters. I wished you were not overseas so that you could have seen it too. In the envelope is a picture of me and Papa near the train. One of his friends took it, and I figured you’d like to see it. Though I miss you, my perspective on you being gone is that you are blessing many people. So I will stop stressing about your safety. You are a leader, and I know you can take care of yourself and our country.
Your daughter,
Missing you, Morgan
CONDUCTOR
FIGURED
HEADQUARTERS
LEADER
OVERSEAS
PERSPECTIVE
TRESSING