Mort and Emily

In this town there were two mutes and they were always together. Mort lost his voice in fourth grade when Mrs. Donnelly made him stand in front of class and recite "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." Emily was born that way. Some said it was a curse on her mother for not attending Wednesday night prayer meetings. But then half the members of Rock Chapel Baptist Church didn't attend and their children had all their faculties.

Except of course, there was that young girl who was born with water on the brain and poor Mr. Hughes who had that terrible crippling disease and had to drag himself in his wheelchair around town with his good foot. But neither of them was born here so they didn't count.

Mort and Emily both lived out on the Seminole highway and rode the same bus to school. Emily usually sat alone on the front seat so that she could see the driver motion toward the door when it was time to get off. After awhile, Mort began to sit up front too. And eventually he sat in the seat next to Emily. She didn't seem to mind.