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Show 61 Dyna's voice at the mike, trying to get everyone's attention. He turned around. What was she up to? "In nineteen and fourteen . . ." she began, pausing for the room to quiet, "-in the sleepy southern town of Maryville, Tennessee, a young girl memorized a poem to recite at graduation. She's here tonight. And if my guess is right, she still remembers those lines." The senior citizens looked around, surprise and delight on their faces, but Dyna's Aunt Grace looked downright startled. Exaggerated by candlelight, her face was a mask of panic. Dyna didn't hesitate a second. "Come on up here, Aunt Grace, and do 'Thanatopsis' for us." Jan, Derek, others, began to clap. Then Dyna was at the table, helping Aunt Grace to her feet and propelling her toward the stage area. Parker looked on, wondering who had put Dyna up to this. What if that poor old lady couldn't remember a syllable of her graduation poem? At the mike the two of them were attacked by an initial feedback roar that caused Aunt Grace to recoil in horror. Parker hurried back to the audio equipment, gulping his punch as he went. "Excuse her!" Dyna joked, "She didn't use one of these in 1914." Then Dyna gave her aunty a reassuring squeeze. "Here it is, folks, the famous stanza from William Cullen Bryant's 'Thanatopsis.'" Parker licked his lips, knowing how scared he'd be in her place. Now that she was standing there alone, however, she took her time composing herself, folding her hands in front of her. Flawlessly, she recited the difficult verse, word for word, as she must have done on that other important occasion. By the time she finished, she had become the young graduate again-pink-cheeked and trembling, proud in her white dress and silk stockings. Applause filled the room and Parker knew he wasn't the only one to see the transformation. Quickly he credited Dyna for giving in to her impulse this time. But Dyna wasn't through. She was back at the mike. "Where are you, Mr. Whitzel? I know you're out there someplace." |
