Chapter 74 Junie
Junie
Junie really has been having a harder go of it in the week since she and the Louises dropped off the apology basket at All-Star
Cuts. She can’t remember much she’s accomplished since then. Well, she did have that MRI she needed, not that she counts it
as a highlight. Those would be her garden, her dog, and her family.
She might be slower and in more pain, but she’s determined to live her little life as best she can. Puds follows her from
the bathroom where she’s put back on her Sandra Dee wig from the Grease night. It fits fairly well, and something about wearing it gives Junie a little oomph in her step. She laughs at her reflection
as she smears on a red lipstick perfect for a night at the theater, date night at a steak house, or a visit to her beloved
garden with her golden retriever. Important undertakings.
She’s almost to her back door when she hears a knock at the front door. She almost doesn’t answer. Everyone in town is dropping
off gift baskets or casseroles or their mama’s mama’s herbal remedies for gout (never mind that she does not have gout or even any condition gout-adjacent). It only amplifies her love for her sweet community, so Junie figures a quick
hello might be good for her heart.
She pops open the door, and there stands a pack of small children. At second glance, it’s all girls and they’re dressed in brown sashes laden with badges hand-stitched to them. A chaperone stands back at a distance and waves when Junie notices her.
Junie smiles and waves to the adult before looking back down to her miniature visitors.
“Well, hello, friends.” She pops a hand on her hip. “I would’ve worn my own sash had I known y’all were coming over.”
The girl in front smiles, less a few teeth. “Ms. Junie, are you a Brownie too?”
“What kind of brownie are we talking? One that bakes up nice with the chocolate chunks?”
The girls break into giggles. Then after a moment they begin elbowing each other until the same girl, presumably their leader,
speaks up. “We’ve got cash. For you.”
Junie laughs. “Oh, girls, I’m not going to take your money.”
A tiny blonde one pipes up from the back. “Oh yes, ma’am, you will! We worked hard for this.”
The tallest girl of the bunch, a redhead with freckles, speaks. “Ms. Junie, we know about your beauty shop, and we fundraised
for it. Plus, we don’t get our badge unless we actually give you the money. It wouldn’t be right to lie and take people’s money for ourselves.”
Junie’s insides just might melt into something sweet and sticky at the pureness and sincerity of this small and mighty crew.
She squats, squeezing her hands to her chest. “My goodness if y’all aren’t a fabulous blessing landing on my doorstep right
in the nick of time.”
A few of them carry a large box from behind the group, between the small crowd, and hold it up. “These are a special order
of cookies we got for you too.”
Junie takes the box and examines the gorgeous hand-drawn decorations on the outside.
“We decorated it with glitter stickers and rainbows,” the lead Brownie says, then holds out a slip of paper. “Here’s a check for the money.”
Junie gently accepts both. “Rainbows, huh? I have to tell you girls, rainbows are my absolute favorite.”
There is a chorus of “Me too,” “Unicorns too,” and “Especially if they glitter.”
Once the goods are handed off, the gaggle of Brownies wave goodbye, disperse, and scramble back to their leader at the bottom
of the driveway. It must be Rosalinda, who offered her help weeks ago.
In truth, Junie is grateful for the donation. Her medical bills are starting to stream in, and she and the other women had
finally agreed to accept her dad’s offer to cover the $700 gap remaining to reach $50K. His offer allowed her to contact Goldilocks
last week—during a pause in her vomiting and nausea—to schedule a transfer of funds so construction can resume. Now, work
is scheduled to begin next week.
Junie carries the box to her kitchen table, and when she looks down at the check, the number rocks her in delight.
Maybe it’s the universe or the power of this small town that cares or even Mama pulling strings up above, but the precise
amount the Brownies raised for June’s Beauty Shop is $700.