Blue Moon of Kentucky

Chapter 2

"Loretty!" Her mother's voice bellowed from outside the bedroom as Loretta shoved her feet into year old shoes.

"Loretty!" Louder this time, nearly loud enough to make her jump. "Marie is here to walk to school. Take Donald and the boys will go by theirself."

"Comin'."

"Don't you say comin' when you ain't comin'."

Loretta grabbed her school supplies and headed for the door. In her haste, she almost stumbled over her own feet on the way out. Her mother was standing by the door with Betty Ruth on her hip. Peggy Sue was clinging to her dress, a sorrowful expression on her face.

"Come on, Donald." Loretta grabbed her brother's hand. "Bye bye, Peggy Sue." She made sure to get out of the cabin before her sister burst into tears. She could only hope that Peggy Sue would soon accept the older children's departure to school in the mornings and stop crying. Last year, she had cried every time from their first day of school to the very last.

A blond girl, tall for her age, stood on the porch of the cabin. Loretta's cousin Marie Castle long served as a substitute sister to Loretta, who had only brothers until she was eleven. They remained as close as ever after Peggy Sue and Betty Ruth were born. A baby was no substitute for a girl close in age after all.

"You goin' to school again?" Loretta said to her cousin in place of a greeting.

"Yes, I am." Marie shot her a mostly fake glare. "What's with that new boy?"

"Elvis?"

"Elvis? What kind of name is that?"

"That's his name, Elvis Presley. He's a new kid from Mississippi. Miss Jenkins had me help him out some."

"How old is that kid?"

"Twelve," Loretta said.

"Then he must be almost thirteen if he's sittin' with you," Marie said, as she was used to children who were in the same grade sitting together in the same row. Age, though, meant very little. A boy of fifteen might be seated next to a girl of eight. People repeated grades often enough, but anyone skipping one was unheard of.

"He ain't in eighth, he's in seventh. But Miss Jenkins made him sit with me anyhow."

"That's strange."

"You ask her about it, then. I don't know why she done it."

They arrived at school just in time to see Elvis walking toward the building with his mother.

"Who is that?" Marie asked. "The one walkin' with the lady? Is that—"

"Yes, that's Elvis," Loretta said. "And you better leave him alone cause it ain't his fault that his mother walks to school with him neither. Things is real different where he come from."

"In Mississippi?"

"Just leave him alone is all I'm sayin'." Loretta glared at Marie before making her way into the schoolhouse.

Elvis separated from his mother. "Hi, Loretta," he mumbled. A slight blush crept onto his pale cheeks.

"Hi, Elvis," Loretta said.

"Children!" Miss Jenkins raised her voice. "Settle down now. Alright!" She clapped her hands together. "I have something very important to tell you."

"You're leavin'?" Roger bellowed. His friends roared with laughter.

A sour look came over the teacher's face and when she spoke again, her tone certainly matched. "Yes, Roger, that is right. As soon as another teacher can be found, I will be leaving you. I am very glad that I was able to teach you children for the time that I did. You are all wonderful and you are all going very far in life."