Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: MEMORY LANE (04/23/20)
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TITLE: Her Eighth Grade Essay | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Westefeld
04/30/20 -
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As she answered, she let the Mexican accent she had grown up with strongly influence her voice. It made it easier to deal with people and helped by masking her proficiency in English that her alter ego, Mariness, had developed over time. “Hola, I mean hello,” she stammered out.
The voice on the other end was her daughter’s language arts teacher, Mrs. Hewitt, who spoke in such a rush as if to suggest she didn’t really want to talk to Rebecca. “Mrs. Brand, your daughter hasn’t turned in an assignment that will affect twenty-five percent of her first marking period grade.”
Rebecca responded, “What assignment?”
Mrs. Hewitt said impatiently, "It’s a five hundred word essay about how her parents met. If her English skills aren’t up to standard, she won’t pass my class, which would be rather unpleasant for her.”
Rebecca answered, “I see. Rex and I will discuss this with her tonight.” After the two women exchanged some pleasantries, Rebecca hung up.
As Loretta walked in the front door, Rebecca asked, “Why haven’t you told us about your essay assignment?”
Loretta rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Mom, it’s just at times I want to give Mrs. Hewitt a hotfoot. She’s just so demanding!”
"Well, young lady, you can get started on the rest of your homework, and we will discuss this further when your father gets home."
Loretta shrugged her shoulders and went to her room.
When Rex got home, Rebecca brought him up to speed on the family dilemma. Loretta couldn’t write the true story of how they met without giving away their secret lives as the superheroes Mariness and Diamond. Rex agreed that their daughter should write a totally fictitious account, since Loretta knew that her parents had met for the first time on that fateful night they both received their powers.
He mused aloud, "Well, we didn’t meet at your church or mine, and you were a grade behind me, so saying we met at school is a stretch…”
“Did you do anything that might have had you involved with the Hispanic community?”
Rex looked at his shoes, as if looking for answers there. After a moment he looked at his wife in mortification. “Well, I was assigned some community service, volunteering at the local jail as a teaching assistant for English as a Second Language with the latino gangs."
She looked at him in shock. “I never knew you had any trouble with the law.”
“It was before I was saved. I left a Hyper-Burger without paying. The judge gave me a choice, 30 days in juvie, or a hundred hours of community service.”
“So,” Rebecca mused, "you could say we met there while you were teaching English. It wouldn’t be a total lie, because you actually worked in a literacy program.”
Rex looked embarrassed as he admitted, “I’ve been keeping this a family secret for over fifteen years. I don’t want to look bad in anyone’s eyes."
Rebecca swatted him on the shoulder. “You big, prideful dummy, Loretta has been raised with the knowledge that in Christ we are made new, that old things pass away. I think she’ll be proud of you for admitting you are only human.”
Rex said with no small amount of reluctance, “But that means she might have to say you were a young criminal, too.”
Rebecca said, “If it means the difference in our daughter’s grade, I am willing to tarnish my reputation a bit. After all, the alternative is admitting our secret identities.”
Rex agreed and they called their daughter down to discuss the latest lie she’d have to tell to keep their family's secret. Loretta listened and asked, ”Are we doing power practice tonight?”
Rex replied, “Yes, AFTER we see a good start on your essay.”
Loretta’s face lit up as though her power was suddenly in her face. She hugged her parents before heading back to her room to start her assignment.
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