Four Months Later
Ginny McFarlane, the newly elected Commander of the local American Legion, called the meeting to order. Scott had only been a member since moving to Baytown but was heartened to observe the meeting room was almost filled to capacity. The members’ ages ranged from twenty to some in their nineties. There were men and women who had served in World War II, both in Europe and the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Gulf wars, and the many deployments in between all of those.
When deciding to move to Baytown to work with Lia’s accounting business, he was thrilled to discover the very active American Legion. There had been a group of boys raised in Baytown, all leaving high school for the military. Most found their way back, discovering that the small, coastal town had everything that they wanted as adults. With the American Legion active, they also invited former military friends who did not have a place to call home to come live in Baytown. He quickly developed close friendships with many of the members and participated in most of their activities.
The AL sports teams for youth had been one of their most beloved endeavors. Offering all youth the opportunity to play in the AL baseball league had given many of the disadvantaged youth in the area a chance to participate regardless of their family’s financial ability to assist. And for many of the members, they coached, enjoying the camaraderie the teams offered. An added bonus was the way the community came together to support the young people, filling the bleachers and providing snacks for the kids.
Scott had been athletic when he was younger… baseball, football, running, and swimming. The PT in the Army kept him fit, but it was the idea of playing on a team that brought about excitement. The highs of winning together combined with the shared encouragement when they lost. Now, with his special prosthetic, he had the ability to run again and often found that running alone allowed his mind to wander over the many changes in his life.
Startling when he heard his name called, he realized that he had been daydreaming during much of the meeting. He was the Post Service Officer, and it was time for him to report on the newest activity plans. Standing, he made his way to the podium.
“We are very close to our first annual American Legion 5K, 10K, and fun run. Our goal is to encourage anyone who wants to participate by having the three different distances. The kids and those who would like to walk or run for a very short distance can participate in the fun run. Those who are more used to a longer distance can participate in either the 5K or 10K. I’ve got all three mapped out and have already spoken to Mitch and Colt to get their approval and assistance.”
Both Mitch and Colt nodded at his acknowledgment and Scott grinned, knowing that his job was much easier with both the Baytown Police Chief and the North Heron Sheriff part of the American Legion.
“The courses will start and end at the North Heron Fairgrounds. We originally thought of including an area of Baytown, particularly the ballfield, but the runs would be limited due to keeping everyone off of Highway 13 which is heavily traveled. If we start and end at the fairgrounds, we’re able to utilize back roads that are easier to police with less traffic and provide a scenic background for the runners.”
Opening for questions, he was thrilled with the overall enthusiasm.
“Will there be a registration?”
Nodding, he said, “Runners can register early, or they can register that morning. Anyone under the age of eighteen must have parent permission.”
“How safe will the fun run be for the kids?”
“To make sure we don’t have any children running on the roads, the fun run will take place inside the fairgrounds. Only the 5K and 10K will travel along the country roads.”
“I sure as hell can’t run… damn, I can hardly walk,” one of the older members chuckled. “How can we help?”
Grinning widely, Scott replied, “Glad you asked!” The meeting participants broke out in laughter, and once it subsided, he answered, “The American Legion Auxiliary will be providing water bottles and energy bars for the participants. They will also be conducting a bake sale to raise money. Anyone willing to volunteer to monitor the racecourse, I’ll have a sign-up sheet for the end of this meeting. I know some of you will be running, but we can use people all along the way to help direct the runners along the roads, having golf carts around in case someone becomes fatigued or injured. I know Zac is coordinating the EMTs and paramedics in the area to provide assistance. Mitch, Colt, and Hannah will provide security.”
Hannah was Easton’s Police Chief, a nearby small town, and Zac was Baytown’s Rescue Captain, once again proving that members of the AL were pillars in the community and perfect for arranging wide-scale activities.
When there were no more questions, he nodded toward Ginny and moved back to his seat. Sucking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly, filled with enthusiasm and energy for the upcoming event.
His mind was on what still needed to be done, and he almost missed Ginny’s final comments.
“As we come to the end of the meeting,” Ginny said, “I want to let you know that we just received notice that we have lost one of our members. Beau Weston has been a member of our AL Chapter since it started. He’s been a resident of North Heron his whole life, living and working on Weston Farm. His granddaughter, Lizzie, found him on the farm earlier today, unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at North Heron Hospital soon after. I spoke with Lizzie briefly, but she was distraught and obviously had not had a chance to consider his services yet. As soon as those are firm, we’ll get an email out to everyone.”
Ginny concluded the meeting, but Scott heard nothing as he fought to suck air into his lungs at the news. As soon as he could, he escaped the gathering, skipping the usual trip to Finn’s Pub with his friends, wanting to be alone.
A few hours later, lying in bed as sleep eluded him, the news of Beau’s death still whirled in his mind. While he had only known Beau for a couple of years, he enjoyed their conversations and had looked forward to a time when he could meet with Beau and Lizzie about the plans for their farm.
Rolling to the side, he stared out the window of his small house, the cloudless night allowing the stars to shine. Heart heavy, he remembered Beau’s words. When the good Lord decides to take me, I hope He takes me quick and easy, doing what I love best. He supposed Beau had gotten his wish and smiled at the thought of the old farmer dying the way he wanted. But then his mind turned to Lizzie and how alone she must feel. Damn, Beau’s last wish is his granddaughter’s nightmare.
4
The day was cloudy, but thankfully not rainy. The sun would occasionally peek through the thick white clouds, sending an immediate ray of sunshine toward the mourners below, then just as quickly pull the warmth away as it hid once more.
Scott stood to the side, surrounded by other members of the American Legion. He had not been surprised to see the small church where Beau’s funeral service was held to be standing room only. The minister spoke of Beau’s undying love for his country, his farm, and his family. He spoke of the long line of Westons that had settled on the Eastern Shore in the 1800s. He spoke of Beau’s loving wife, Reba, and how the two were now joined once again.
Several older members of the American Legion also gave eulogies, speaking of the man who would drop everything to come to the aid of a friend. Scott listened carefully to the words others said of Beau, not surprised to find that the man he’d enjoyed talking to was someone that others found easily relatable as well.