Inola

Happy for you. Part 33

I opened my emails to find at least twenty emails.  Wow!  They all answered positive and made their payments into Theo's account.  That was a nice surprise.

I messaged him.  "You can start your deliveries as soon as you checked your bank.  All twenty answered positively.  If I could dance I would've done my happy dance for you."  What made me say that, can I take it back?  No chance.  I stared at my phone, I have already pushed the send button.

"You're a star Inola.  Watch my happy dance."  He added a video of himself doing a happy dance.

"I love it, I'm so happy for you."

"I would be happy to teach you," and he added a smiley face.

My eyes caught another email on my screen:  "Congratulations Inola, you won the competition."  I took another look, I can't believe my eyes.  It's true, it's really true. I have to meet them at ten on Friday morning to discuss the contract and need to dress for a photoshoot.  

My throat is closing up from anxiety, I have never dressed up for something.  What am I going to wear?  I wheeled myself to the tunnel where mom was busy with her seedlings.

"Mom!  I won the competition!  I called.  The next moment my dad and my grandmother stood next to me.

Through the hug, my grandmother gave me I saw my mom running towards me.  "I want to be the first to congratulate you," she said and kissed me full on my mouth.  I could only smile at her.  My throat closed up and I couldn't get a word out as my thoughts went back to the day she pleaded with Beth to teach me how to write.

The moment my dad side hugged me and kissed me, my tears escaped my eyes, and my mother's face began to swim in front of my eyes.  She took me in her arms and hugged me:  "Congratulations my little star!"  She cried and I noticed the tears in her eyes before she could turn away to hide them.

My grandma stood there with a huge smile:  "Come let's sit down here in the garden and talk it over," she suggested. 

"I'm going to wash my hands, will be back in a second," my mom said and my dad came back with a tray.

"We all need some tea to celebrate the good news," he said as he put the tray on the table.

This is huge, this is bigger than me and I have so much support.  I'm so lucky, I better let Beth know, she deserves to know.  I took my phone out to text her.

"Wow, congrats!  I knew you would win it.  I'll be there in a few minutes,"  she messaged.

"So," mom said, "fill in the details."

"They didn't say much, I need to be at their offices on Friday at ten and I need to be dressed for a photoshoot.  I've never dressed up and why would they want a photoshoot?"

I took a sip of my tea to soothe my burning throat.

"Maybe they need it for an article in the paper," my grandma gave her opinion.

"Or didn't they say something about a pamphlet for the SPCA?"  Mom asked.  "Nevertheless, we are going to dress you up for this special occasion.  We are going to make the most of it."

"Okay, but I would like Beth to be part of it, she did the hardest job here.  She taught me how to read and write.  She deserves some credit,"   I smiled as she came walking up to us and threw her arms around me for a big hug.

"You deserve it!"  She cried and held me tight for a minute.  I saw the tears in her eyes as she pulled away.