Free Forever Country by Brenda Kennedy Page B

the
years.” I have millions and I want to do
this. I’m not sure she would be able to
comprehend the amount of money that I am actually worth. For a long time, I didn’t either. Early in my
career, but after I had started to make big money, I called my
accountant and told her to bring my money over so I could see it
and be sure it’s real. She had to explain
to me that it was invested. Also, that it would take several
suitcases to carry that much money, assuming that a standard
attaché case can hold approximately $1.2 million in $100 bills. Too
bad. Too often, savings and investments are just electrons on a
computer screen. Until I got used to that, I wanted something I can
see. “This is something I want to do. I
just wanted to see if you thought it was a good
idea.”  
    “ I think it’s a great
idea.”  
    I set my empty coffee cup
down on the cork coaster. “So you’ll help me?”  
    She smiles and mocks my
movement. Leaning up on the edge of the couch, she clasps her hands
together. “I’ll do whatever I can.”  
    Savannah Mae
    I meet up with Abel Lee,
Nelly, and Mia at K-Mart in South Zanesville. Bud and Levi made
some excuse why they couldn’t come. Everyone is excited and in a
good mood. “Nothin’ like spendin’ other people’s money, huh,
Abel?”  
    He looks at Mia and she smiles. “As long as
it’s for the benefit of the cause.” He slides Mia a shopping cart
and she excitedly takes it. Nelly takes a cart, I take a cart, and
Abel Lee takes two. We all have our lists and go in different
directions in the store. I watch as Abel goes to the customers help
desk in the front of the store.
    I get everything on my list, but I’m
concerned if it’s correct. I double-check it and it’s right. I shop
for a few other items from the list and soon my cart is
overflowin’. I head towards the front of the store where Mia and
Nelly are standin’. Some full carts are lined up along the wall.
“This seems like a lot of stuff,” I say as the employee takes my
cart from me and pushes it next to the other ones.
    “ Does he have enough to pay
for all of this?” Mia whispers.
    Nelly laughs softly, “I
hope so. This will be mighty embarrassin’ if he
doesn’t.”  
    “ Where is Abel Lee,
anyway?” I look around and I don’t see him.  
    The manager smiles and
says, “He’s finishing up in layaway.”  
    We wait and soon he comes
up with a few employees at his side. His mother asks, “How are we
goin’ to get this stuff home? I didn’t realize how much we were
gettin.’”  
    “ We’ll be delivering
everything,” the store manager clarifies.  
    “ Since when does K-Mart
deliver?” Mia asks.  
    No one answers. We wait
while everything gets rung up and Abel Lee pays for the entire
purchase with one swipe of his credit card. It is a black credit card, and I didn’t even know they came in
that color. I can’t begin to imagine how much everything costs.
“For the benefit of the cause,” he called it. I imagine he’ll be
sleepin’ mighty good tonight. Helpin’ others always helps me to
sleep better.   The
most important thing is not to hurt anyone, even unintentionally,
but since none of us is perfect, we need to help other people in
this world.
    “ We’ll have everything
delivered by 7:00 this evening. Someone will be at this address,
correct?” The store manager has a huge grin on his face.
    “ We’ll be there, thank
you.” Abel Lee reaches his hand out for the
manager’s.  
    “ Thank you, Abel. You just
made some kids very happy.”  
    I stop by the store before goin’ home.
Helpin’ Abel Lee and his family to help others feels incredible. I
can’t imagine being able to do something so generous, something of
that magnitude. I know the small things I do to help others feel
good, but to do what Abel Lee did today, I can’t even begin to
imagine how good he feels. He’s a good guy, no doubt about
that.
    After I check the mail, I open the gas bill
and