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Pausing, Jay looked down at her. “What exactly would you have me do?”
“Don’t insult me, Jay.” She didn’t like his deriding tone of voice. “Contrary to what you or others may think, I’m not a silly little girl.”
His eyes held her gaze for the longest time, and then he breathed deeply and said, “I’ve already told you, this town is run by the wealthy man. The bill was passed many years ago and should have been enforced at that time. That should tell you something right there. I can try, but I can’t force the legislation of this town to put up a school building. Unfortunately, they all conform to your grandfather’s way of thinking. Hopefully, someday things will change, and then they will have no alternative but to erect a proper high school.”
“So that’s it?”
“What more is there?” Jay looked peeved before shooting her a suspicious look. “And why the sudden interest? If I recall correctly, the last time I heard, you thought higher education for the poor to be a foolish concept.”
“In all fairness, it isn’t anything I’ve spent a great deal of time considering. Perhaps I just didn’t have all the facts until recently.” Then recalling the conversation she had earlier with her grandfather, she told him, “You haven’t been the only person I’ve been listening to.”
He smirked. “So there’s empathy lurking somewhere behind that pretty facade after all.”
Erika decided to ignore the hidden insult and offered her own valid point. “And I suppose you’re conceding defeat and leaving the next generation to finish your fight?”
The smirk on his face vanished. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I believe I do,” she said. “You once told me that everyone had something of value to contribute. Either you truly don’t believe that, or you’re too frightened to stand behind your word.”
“Everyone, Erika, is the key,” he told her. “I can move the beach myself pebble by pebble, but it will take the rest of my life, if not longer, to do so. However, if I want to shift that beach now, I’ll need help.”
There he went and did it again. She first had to translate his riddle before its meaning registered in her brain. When it did, she was startled by its impact.
So much so that it stayed with her all day until later that evening when sitting across the dinner table from her grandfather, she dared to say, “If Jay’s request is passed in government, I suppose Placid will need to establish some form of high school for the older children.”
Gerald Snowden looked up from his plate. “I hardly think it will come to that.”
She nodded and dropped her gaze to her own meal. “But, suppose it did, how would one come about?”
Sighing with irritation, he placed his fork down and looked over at her. “One what, Erika?”
“A high school.”
“I have already informed you there is no talk of building any such establishment.”
“What if someone wanted to establish a school?”
“If you are referring to Jay Colby, rest assured that will not be possible,” he said and turned his attention back to his meal. “That boy does not have what it takes nor the means to launch such a task. Not to mention, he would need to have a bylaw passed in council first.”
“I see.” She chewed her bottom lip. “What if it was someone who did have the means?”
Gerald Snowden frowned as he eyed her across the table. Erika shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze. “The only request council will consider would be for an erection of a private school. Though I don’t see why anyone would go to the trouble when there is already a perfectly fine grammar school.”
Feeling she may have pushed the conversation too far, she quickly nodded and dropped the subject. Yet, internally she couldn’t quite shake the questions and thoughts racing around in her head. Not the least that Jay Colby may have been right in his assumption that he had done all he could. Her grandfather was too powerful a force in Placid’s influential circle.
That was when it struck her. An idea so compelling she was stunned by her own ability at conceiving it. She wanted to get up and race over to the Colby farm, but forced herself to sit through the rest of the meal. At that point, it was still at the new and undeveloped stage. She still needed to think things over before she approached Jay. It would have to wait until the morrow.
Chapter 11
The following morning Erika had stolen out of the house in the wee hours before dawn and before her grandfather had woken. As she headed toward the Colby farm, she knew the family would be up and getting ready to start their morning chores.
Daybreak was just on the horizon when she stepped up onto their front porch. The house sat at the top of a crest and overlooked the town in the distance. From her position, she could see the church steeples soaring high above the treetops of Placid and took a moment to enjoy the view of the early morning sun as it warmed the town.
She lifted her hand, knocking soundly on the door and only had to wait a few minutes before Lillith Colby opened it. The woman’s eyes widened to see Erika standing on the opposite side. “Good gracious, child, whatever brings you out this early in the morning?”
“I was wondering if I could have a word with Jay.”
Startled, his mother blinked before nodding and then stepped aside. “Of course, we were just sitting down for breakfast. Would you care to join us?”
