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The Wedding Dress - Chapter
9
“Homer! Have you washed up yet?” Martha
called in the direction of their bedroom. “The
news people will be here any minute.”
“They’re not interviewing me, Martha, just
Betty. Why do I need to even be in here? I
need to finish straightening the tool bins in
the buildings out back.”
Martha sighed to herself. Homer had been
“straightening” for three days but she knew that
in reality he was gathering old metal up to take
to the recycling place to sell. Some neighbors
had been by and she figured he was trying to
sell anything he could to raise the money for
the dress. Still, they had not even paid for the
truck yet and though they had credit at the
garage, it would have to be paid soon.
Betty and Matt sat on the porch, Matt
leaning back against the house in an old straw
bottomed chair, patting Mac on the head.
“Shouldn’t you put Mac up before the news
people get here?” Betty asked, “He’ll jump all
over everyone. Papaw’s so nervous I don’t think
he’s remembered.”
“Sure.” Matt agreed. “Come on Mac, up you
go.”
Matt walked Mac to the dog pen and shut him
in just as a van turned on their road coming
toward the house.
“Mamaw, they are here!”
Matt heard Betty call out so he hurried
back to the porch. He felt nervous about being
on television. Sure he was on graduation night
but he felt so relieved to get out of school
that he hadn’t felt nervous at all. He found
Homer and Martha already on the porch waiting
with Betty.
“Hello!” Latoya said brightly, as she made
her way across the yard to the porch. “Estelle
gave me great directions.”
“Please join us,” Martha said politely. “We
thought you might want to do this interview
outside since the light’s not too good in the
house.”
Latoya looked very professional in a navy
blue suit and as she introduced herself and
camera man to everyone, Matt felt a little bit
better.
“Least she seems to know what she’s doing,”
he thought.
“Have a seat, ma’am,” Homer said, gesturing
to the bench near the swing.
“I appreciate that, Mr. Smith but I am
limited in my time today. I have to get this
film back and edited for Monday’s broadcast and
I also have to work on our Tuesday story that is
about Bentley’s.”
She gazed at each person’s face as she said
Bentley’s to scope the range of reaction. Homer
and Martha had no reaction but Matt looked
downright angry. Only Betty kept a pleasant
smile and responded.
“Oh, Bentleys. That’s a very fashionable
wedding shop.”
“Yes it is. Steve, are you ready?
Everyone try and look relaxed.”
Martha straightened her dress and Homer
took off his cap.
“Okay,” Latoya began. “We are speaking here
today with Betty Smith and her family about a
wedding dress. Estelle Granger told me she was
working on a dress for you, a specially designed
dress with a train that you could use with your
wheelchair.”
All eyes were on Betty.
“Yes, Ms. Granger has been so good to me and
my family. She worked very hard to design a
dress similar to this one in my wedding wish
book.”
Betty turned to the page of the dress she
had wanted in her book and Steve got a close up
shot of it.
“What is this wedding wish book?” Latoya
asked.
“Oh, I have just been keeping up with
thoughts and pictures of things that I would
like for a dream wedding since I was a young
girl. I guess a lot of girls do that. Anyway
Ms. Granger just looked at this picture and was
able to design a dress that would work with a
chair and found the material and everything.”
“Yes, I have seen her work and it is very
lovely. When will your dress be done?”
Homer blanched at the statement and
clutched the arm of the swing in which he was
sitting. He thought Estelle explained about the
dress or maybe the reporter forgot.
“Oh, I am sorry. I remember Ms. Granger
said you were on hold on the dress for now. I
understand perfectly, the economy being what it
is and everything.”
“We are trying to figure out a way to raise
the money,” Matt said quickly, as the camera
turned toward him. “It’s just taking some time.”
“This is Matt, Betty’s fiancé. How are all
the other arrangements for your wedding coming?
Have you found a place to live yet?”
“Everything is good, ma’am. Betty’s
grandparents are going to let us move a trailer
on their land, over in the corner there. We are
busy looking for one.”
“I bet it’s hard to find a trailer that is
wheelchair accessible,” Latoya stated.
“Yes, ma’am but we’ll find something.”
Latoya turned back to Steve.
“A wedding dress designer that designs
specialty dresses at affordable prices and a
grateful family. Make sure and watch the rest of
our week long series Til Death do us Part.
Tomorrow night we will be taking you to Bentley’s,
an exclusive shop right here in Riverview.”
“Got it!” Steve said, as he lowered the camera
and flipped some switches.
“Did everything sound good to you?” Latoya
asked Betty. “I believe this will really help
Estelle’s business. I’ve only talked to her twice
but I really like her.”
“Yes, it sounded great to me and Estelle is a
sweet lady.”
“Yes, Mr. Smith?” Latoya questioned as Homer
cleared his throat rather loudly.
“Well ma’am. I hope that report doesn’t sound
like we can’t…I mean don’t want to get Betty a dress
because we do. It’s just the truck broke down and
like you said times are hard.”
“Oh no sir. I think everyone will understand.
I couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t making Betty a
dress when you are still trying to raise the money,
could I?”
Homer was puzzled, “I guess not. I mean we
still hope to.”
Latoya smiled a big smile and continued, “Thank
you so much for your help. This will be a top notch
story to begin the series with. Make sure to watch
at six o’clock. We must be going.”
They loaded up and Homer was quiet as the van
sped down the gravel driveway kicking up dust.
“Now Papaw it was a good report and we helped
Ms. Granger. That is what’s important, isn’t it?”
“Yes Homer,” Martha added. “I don’t think the
report made us sound bad. Everyone is having a hard
time nowadays.”
“I guess,” he sighed. “I am going back to work
some more in the shop.”
“So much pride,” Martha said to herself,
watching him walk off toward the old shed. “But he’s
a good man.”
