Chapter 23Staten Kirkland
Chapter 23
A Test for the Future
Staten Kirkland
T he first few weeks of January were cold and rainy, but Staten was still out working before the sun brightened the sky. Since Amalah left, every day he pushed himself as hard as he could. He needed to do work. He rode horseback when he could and drove the truck when the weather was too bad. He was up before dawn and the last to call it a night.
Staten didn’t talk much to anyone except to give work orders. No one objected. The men just got their jobs done. No one complained because the boss was working harder than any other.
At nineteen he made mistakes now and then, but no one said a word. He was a fast learner and never messed up on the same thing twice.
In the evenings, Staten was still reading the books Dr. Lane gave him, and he’d even tried his hand at writing a few essays for her to read. But after the last two papers came back dripping with red ink from all his mistakes, his confidence was shot. He wouldn’t give up though. He’d just work harder.
Staten climbed into his truck and drove to town the first Tuesday the school was open. He saw the surprise in Dr. Lane’s eyes when he walked through her door as the bell rang at three forty-five.
He spoke before she could. “I’ve been studying, and I read all the books you told me to. But I still feel as dumb as a bucket of rocks. Is there anything else I can do? I’ve decided to enroll in online classes next semester, and I want to make sure I’m prepared.”
The English teacher raised one eyebrow. “You think you’re ready to take another college class?”
Staten grabbed his determination by the horns and held on. “Yep. You’ve been a great teacher. I know I need to work on my writing skills, but I think I can do well enough with everything else.”
When she didn’t say a word, he added, “Ma’am, in one week I’ll be twenty. I’m a man, not a boy. I’ve got to take things head-on.”
Dr. Lane stood from her desk with a big smile lighting her face. “I’m glad to hear it, Staten. Truth is, you’ve been a great student and you’re a lot more capable than you think. I know you’ll do great.”
“But my last paper . . .”
“You have things you need to work on, for sure. But you’re a fine, smart young man. A hard worker. I have no doubts you’ll go far.”
Staten stared out of the window. “I plan to graduate, even if it takes me ten years.”
“If you’d like, you can take one of my old finals from when I taught at A&M. It’ll give you a little taste of the expectations college English professors will have.”
She rummaged through a dark leather briefcase and pulled out a blue folder. She started flipping through the papers until she grabbed what looked like a thin packet.
“Here, take this exam. I’ll time you just like I would if this were my real class, and we’ll see how you do. If you bomb, at least we’ll know what to focus on. And if you do great, which I suspect you will, you can move on to reenrolling in college with confidence.” Dr. Lane passed him the test.
Staten hadn’t expected to prove himself so soon, but he never backed down from a challenge.
She smiled as he took his seat. “You have three hours. Starting now.”
Not another word was said for two hours and forty minutes. When he was done, Staten stood and walked to her desk. “I did the best I could.”
“I would expect nothing less.” Her red pen was out before he even reached the door. “I’ll call you when I finish grading.”
Staten headed to his truck, his mind buzzing with Robert Frost’s poem about choosing the right path. He knew going back to school was what he needed to do. For himself and the ranch. Whether he passed or failed, he knew one fact. He wouldn’t stop doing the best he could or keep trying until he passed.