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Adrienne helped him arrange the items on a side table and unwrapped two pastry buns that were in a covered dish. “This is really nice,” she said shyly, forgetting that she had finished lunch only a short time earlier.
They each took a cup of coffee and a pastry. He met her eyes as they both sat back down. “So, do you remember me now?”
Adrienne took a sip of her coffee, trying not to let his watchful eyes unsettle her. “A lot of things happened to me during senior year, Mr. Cooper. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to refresh my memory.”
“ ‘The top bunk is mine, but Noney won’t mind if we sit on hers,’ ” he whispered without taking his eyes off her face.
Adrienne gasped, gripping her mug. Only she and LaMar Jenkins were in the room when that sentence was uttered more than a decade ago.
“When I first saw you that morning in the conference room, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.” Lloyd said gently.
Adrienne blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
He laughed. “Didn’t think old LaMar Jenkins would make anything of himself, did you?”
The graduation ceremony was held on a Friday morning. Daddy, who was a subway conductor and never really dressed up, was struggling with his tie. Mama ignored his loud swearing as she set the table for a breakfast that everyone was too excited to eat. From her bedroom, Adrienne heard the doorbell ring and then her Mama’s surprised greetings.
“Adrienne! LaMar is here!” Mama shouted.
Adrienne gave her hair a final pat and rushed toward the front door.
Daddy sighed grumpily. “Did he bring his parents for breakfast with him?”
Adrienne shushed him. “Stop. He might hear you. LaMar doesn’t really have parents.”
Her daddy frowned. “I didn’t know that. Well, go on out there and see what the boy wants.”
LaMar looked so sad standing in the foyer, stuffed into a frayed suit that was way too small, that even her daddy stopped yelling and struggling with the tie.
“Hey, LaMar,” he sad gruffly and gave the grossly underweight boy who was a head taller than him a hearty slap on the back.
“Good morning,” LaMar answered, but his eyes were glued to Adrienne, who was coming toward him dressed in a white sheath dress with matching pumps.
“Where are your sisters?” Mama asked.
LaMar straightened his shoulders and held his head high. “My family couldn’t make it. I’m by myself. Can I ride along with y’all?”
Mama and Daddy exchanged a puzzled glance. What kind of people stayed home from a high school graduation when their kin was valedictorian?
“Sure, son,” Adrienne’s daddy answered. After all, if LaMar hadn’t tutored Adrienne in math for the past year, she might not be graduating at all, and if she did math half as well as she sang, she might not have needed him.
Breakfast was a pleasant affair even though Dan, who was only twelve years old at the time, kept complaining about having to wear a tie, and pulling at it until Mama slapped him on the hand to make him stop.
After the ceremonies, the family posed for pictures and then headed to Howard Johnson’s restaurant for lunch. No matter how much Mama and Adrienne begged LaMar to come, he resisted. “Sorry, I have to get home to Brooklyn. Everybody will be waiting for me.”
Adrienne knew that LaMar’s pride would not let him accept the free lunch, and he certainly had no money to chip in. He pulled Adrienne away from the group to talk privately before he left.
“Look, I know you don’t need me anymore,” LaMar said. “But I’d like us to stay friends. Can I come see you tomorrow ?”
“Sure, you can,” Adrienne said warmly.
Adrienne was home alone the next day when LaMar dropped by. When she opened the door, he stumbled in looking distraught. Adrienne led him into the living room and sat beside him on the sofa.
“What’s the matter, LaMar?”
“I tried to jump the turnstile to get on the train, but I stumbled and fell down. I almost got arrested for it, but the cop was nice. He just told me not to do it again. It was stupid. Noney has enough problems right now without me getting into trouble. I feel so sorry for her.”
Adrienne patted his hand. “Don’t worry, LaMar. One day you’ll have plenty of money and you can buy your sister a great big house.” She smiled widely, hoping her words would chase away the bleak look in his eyes.
