Authors Note: This is a creative writing piece based off of "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes. This piece is an addition to the story, kind of a "what happens next".
Two years after Roger met Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, he was already finishing up his senior year of high school, just about to graduate and leave for Mississippi State University. He was in the New York Times newspaper for the valedictorian of his senior year class with a 3.98 GPA.
It was the night of his graduation and he was on the stage waiting for his turn to step up to the podium and present his speech. He looked around in the crowd, skimming every last seat of the auditorium only finding that his parents were nowhere to be found. He looked over again, thinking he may have missed a few spots, until he came to a dramatic stop right in the middle. It was her. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones.
After he presented his speech and was officially graduated from high school, he ran over to her and gave her a hug.
“I can’t believe you’re here Mrs. Jones” Roger said with joy in his eyes.
“Now boy, why wouldn’t I be here? I have something for you.” Mrs. Jones said, pulling out a gift bag from behind her.
As he glanced in the bag and unraveled the tissue paper until the very bottom, there he saw a white envelope.
“What’s in it?” he questioned.
“Well it wouldn’t be a gift if I would tell you now would it?” stated the large woman.
Roger opened up the pure white envelope with his name written across the front. He found a check for 5,000 dollars sitting within the envelope. A tear drop ran down his cheek, and looked up at Mrs. Luella Jones with his eyes filled up with tears of joy.
“I’ve been saving up this money for the past two years, knowing that you’ll be needing it someday” said Mrs. Jones.
“Thank you ma’am. Thank you for everything. If you would’ve called the cops or let me loose who knows where I would be. I never had parents to teach me right from wrong and to help me become a better person, and you achieved that all in one night.” Stated Roger.
She looked at him with such love and compassion and told him “Boy, everything happens for a reason. Now let’s go on and get home and eat something.”
Within a year, Roger was off to Mississippi State, taking with him only the few clothes he had, and the 5,000 dollar check from his dear friend. Every few weeks Mrs. Luella Jones would receive a call from Roger, catching up about school and Mrs. Jones’ beauty shop, remembering the old times they shared.
