I remember a happy afternoon in the spring of 1948 when my brother Cleo and his future brother-in-law, Sherrill, were together at our house. I cannot recall why we were there, but I do remember it was close to high school graduation. On this afternoon, I was particularly focused on my brother because he seemed to be in an unusually good mood. He and Sherrill were very smart students and were to be the salutatorian (Cleo) and valedictorian (Sherrill) of their graduating class. Both were looking forward to being honored, I think.
I had noticed that Cleo had been mentioning Sherrill a little more often in the mornings. Cleo and I had our very short conversations when he was combing his hair at the mirror in the front room, preparing for his long walk to catch the school bus at Mt. Olive.[mfn]My conversation with Cleo almost always occurred in the mornings when he was preparing for school. He, as well as Donald and Ronald, had to catch the bus by walking to Mt. Olive after they had helped do the farm chores.[/mfn]. He had told me before that his and Sherrill’s grades were very close, and it was not clear who would be first. But now he did not seem to see Sherrill as a competitor, but as a fellow member of a “club” of two who enjoyed each other.
As the boys were laughing together, Dad came into the room with a box of candy. It was unusual for us to have fancy candy at our house. I think Dad was proud that he had chocolate-covered cherries to offer everybody. Somehow Dad’s gesture turned the conversation toward the subject of different kinds of candies which the boys mentioned one by one. Soon Sherrill brought up the subject of “peanut candy”[mfn]I think “peanut” candy, is now referred to as Circus candy.[/mfn] which was a new item at that time. I remember him laughing and saying that you needed teeth like a bull dozer to chew peanut candy. And then one of the boys said something else like “Maybe it was supposed to be taffy and they messed it up.”
Poor Dad was clueless. I knew he had not seen or tasted peanut candy. Dad liked to have company, and he loved to talk. I think one or maybe both of the boys tried to explain to Dad that peanut candy was shaped like a peanut, but it had nothing to do with peanuts. I can’t remember exactly other comments, but Cleo and Sherrill were on a roll, saying laughable things which went on and on. I had never seen my brother more at ease. Dad began to catch on and chime in somewhat, but mostly Cleo seemed to be in charge of the conversation. It was his day. It was as though Cleo were saying, to use a modern expression, “I’ve got this, Dad.” I don’t recall how that little gathering ended; maybe we went to the convocation that night. I think we weren’t together very long. What lingers in my mind is a mellow feeling of goodwill on the part of everybody, but especially on the part of my brother. It was a wonderful ease of fun and self confidence which had nothing to do with peanut candy, of course.
Through the years I had at times seen Cleo discouraged, and it was a pleasure to see his self assuredness. It wasn’t a small thing. It was a shining hour for Cleo, I think, and he was enjoying his hour. Maybe it was one of his first major step into adulthood. His glow of success may not have lasted long, but I think it was important. I don’t know how to explain. Maybe he was acknowledging that his honor was based on several years of his real work. It hadn’t been magic or just luck. Maybe he was thinking more like an adult. He didn’t know the expression then, but it says what I observed in Cleo that afternoon and during that period of his school days: It was as if he were saying to himself and the world, “Yep, I’ve got this.”