Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Green (10/22/09)
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TITLE: The Dress | Previous Challenge Entry
By Lamar Taylor
10/29/09 -
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ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“Its beautiful,” Shelli had said, “and just my size.”
She didn’t try it on. She couldn’t afford it, even on sale. “But maybe I can save some grocery money and buy it. Joe won’t mind,” she reasoned. “Maybe it’ll make him start noticing me again.”
Later that week, Shelli went back to the store. The dress was gone! She asked about it. “There was a very beautiful teal green dress on the sale rack last week. Do you still have it?”
“Lori Bickel bought it,” the clerk replied.
There were no secrets in their small town of Pine Springs.
“Lori?” Lori was Shelli’s best friend.
Hot tears rolled down Shelli’s cheeks. She hadn’t bought a new dress in several years.
Lori’s husband was a lawyer. She could afford all kinds of nice clothes, so why did she have to buy the dress I wanted? Shelli was green with envy.
For several weeks, she was cool towards Lori.
“What’s wrong, Shelli?” Lori had asked, but didn’t push, knowing Shelli had it rough. Lori determined to pray more for her friend.
Shelli and Joe barely got by. Good jobs were scarce in their small mountain town. Joe worked during the summers for the Forest Service and did odd jobs the rest of the year. Shelli worked part-time at the convenience store.
Shelli loved Lori, but they traveled in such different circles. Lori’s husband had an office in Durango, so she frequently spent time there. But she was also active in Pine Springs’ affairs and was head of the missions board at the Pine Springs Community Church.
Shelli had married the local high school football hero. He’d been awarded a football scholarship to the university and had hoped to play in the NFL. A logging accident shattered that dream, and without the scholarship, he couldn’t afford college.
He and Shelli had been high school sweethearts. Two months before graduation, she became pregnant. They had planned to keep it a secret until after Joe started college, but then there was his accident. Shelli’s dad, who was the part-time pastor of a small local church, performed their wedding ceremony. The church board fired him after Shelli’s “indiscretion” was revealed. Her mom had died of cancer when she was 13.
Shelli pulled into the driveway a little after 8PM. There were no lights on in the house. She also didn’t see Joe’s pickup. She wondered if she had forgotten one of the kids’ games or if the power was out. No, the neighbors’ lights were on.
Shelli rushed to the door, hoping nothing had happened to Joe or one of the kids. As she walked in, the lights suddenly came on.
“Surprise!”
Their living room was filled with friends, Joe and their teen-aged kids, her dad, and Lori. They sang “Happy Birthday” as Joe came over and put his arm around her. She thought he’d forgotten.
After cake and ice cream, Shelli opened her presents. Lori gave her a beautiful gold necklace with matching earrings. “Thank you, Lori.” Shelli couldn’t shake her anger about the dress. “Lord, help me,” she silently prayed.
The last gift was from Joe. Shelli began opening it. Suddenly she stopped, tears forming in her eyes. It was the teal green dress!
“But…I thought…what…?”
Joe explained, “I made a little extra money this week, so I went to the dress shop to find a present for you. Ginny said you’d been in and really liked this dress. So I had Lori pick it up for me. It’ll look great on you, Honey.”
Shelli was speechless.
“What a fool I’ve been,” she thought to herself. She was filled with shame as she thought about how she’d treated Lori.
Lori came to her. “Shelli, if there’s anything I’ve done to hurt you, please forgive me. I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
Shelli blinked back her tears.
“I thought there was, but it was my own stupidity. I heard that you bought the dress, and I wanted it for myself. I’m sorry, Lori, please forgive me. Your friendship means more to me than any old dress.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” said Lori as she gave Shelli a hug. “Happy birthday.”
With a piece of cake poised to go in his mouth, Joe said, “Hey, Babe. Shouldn’t you try on your new dress?”
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