A Good Move Eliza was so excited! Her parents had just bought a new house because her house was getting old, and her family needed a new one. It was going to be beautiful, and Eliza loved beautiful things. She couldn’t wait until she arrived at school the next day, so she could tell Mary Beth, her best friend, the wonderful news.
The following morning, she hurriedly brushed her hair and her teeth and threw on her clothes. Eliza quickly ate breakfast, kissed her mother and father goodbye, and ran out the door. She walked down to Mary Beth’s house, three houses down, and waited impatiently for her on the front lawn.
When she finally came out of her house, Eliza jumped up to greet her, and she accidentally hit Mary Beth’s elbow, which caused her to drop all of her books. Eliza quickly picked then up for Mary Beth, apologized, and said, “I have wonderful news!”
“What is it?” Mary Beth asked with excitement in her voice. “Oh please tell me!”
“Well, my father told me last night,” Eliza answered, pausing, “that we are moving, isn’t that great?”
“No, it is not great, it is horrible,” replied Mary Beth with an angered tone to her voice. “I don’t want you to move away!”
Laughing Eliza said, “Oh no, I’m not moving far, I wouldn’t be happy about that, I’ll still be here in Birmingham, Kentucky. We’re just moving to Monroe Street.”
The girls slowly walked down the road towards their school.
“Oh, that is just the next road over,” Mary Beth happily stated.
“Yes, I know,” Elizabeth informed Mary Beth. “Well we’d better get on to school or we’ll be late!” The girls then sped up their walking in order to arrive on time.
After an exhausting day at school, the girls were on their way home again. They were chatting excitedly about Eliza’s new house.
“So what will your new house look like?” Mary Beth asked.
“Oh, it is going to be beautiful. It is white, and inside is a parlor of a beautiful deep purple color! I even get to have my own room, and so does Franklin, but he is too young to be excited,” Eliza declared.
“That’s great,” Mary Beth said, dully. “Well, I need to get home and do my schoolwork,” Mary Beth called out as she ran down the road ahead of Eliza.
Eliza didn’t know what to think, as she stood on the road in the stirred up dust from Mary Beth’s quick exit. As she walked home, she imagined what her new house would look like. She couldn’t wait to move in on Sunday.
As she walked the remainder of the way to her house, a thought came across her mind. Was Mary Beth jealous of her because she was going to have a big and beautiful house? She knew Mary Beth’s family didn’t have much money, so she probably was jealous of her. Eliza’s family was one of the wealthier families in the town. This difference had never hurt their friendship before. Why would it now?
By now, Eliza had reached her house and her mother was waiting at the door. “This difference had never hurt their friendship before. Why would it now?
By now, Eliza had reached her house and her mother was waiting at the door. “You took quite awhile getting home, what were you doing?” questioned Elizabeth as Eliza walked in the door.
“I was just thinking about…well…stuff,” replied Eliza.
Later that evening at the dinner table, she told her father and mother about how she thought Mary Beth might be jealous of her. Elizabeth told her that this could be what was wrong. Frank, Eliza’s father, asked his daughter if she had sort of bragged about the new arrangement. She said that she might have had, but not meaning to.
Another topic discussed at the dinner table was about a new lake that might be built. Frank informed his family, “TVA has announced that they might build a lake, if this operation takes place. The lake will be called Kentucky Lake.”
“Oh what wonderful news,” Eliza said in delight.
“Well it might not sound so good if it does really happen.”
“Why wouldn’t a place to swim and have fun around here be food father?”
“If this project does happen, we would have to move, because Birmingham would be flooded from the lake water.”
Elizabeth had stayed quiet while this conversation between her daughter and husband was going on. She then asked, “Will the lake likely be made?”
Her husband replied, “That I do not know, so I cannot answer your question.”
“It probably won’t happen, so let’s not talk about the bad things that could happen in the future, but the good things that are happening right now.”
After that, Eliza’s family dropped the subject of the Kentucky Lake and discussed their new house. The subject was no longer spoken of, or thought about from then on.
Late that night, as Eliza lay in bed, she thought about the walk home that day. She remembered that Mary Beth had gotten quieter and eventually went home when she mentioned how big and pretty her new house would be. Did that hurt her feelings? Eliza decided that she would talk to her about it tomorrow on the way to school.
The next morning, Eliza took a little more time getting dressed. She wanted to put off talking to Mary Beth for as long as she could. She didn’t know how to go about telling her friend that she didn’t mean to brag.
When she arrived at Mary Beth’s house, her mother said that she had already left for school. Eliza was puzzled, was Mary Beth really avoiding her? She thought that Mary Beth must be really mad is she didn’t even want to talk to her.
Mary Beth ignored Eliza all day at school. When it came time to leave, Mary Beth sped home. Eliza, trying her best, could not catch Mary Beth before she reached home. She decided that if Mary Beth didn’t want to talk to her, then she didn’t want to talk to Mary Beth either.
That night at the dinner table, Eliza told her parents what had happened that day between her and Mary Beth. Her mother suggested that she go over to her friend’s house, apologize, and see what happens.
“I will come with you to Mary Beth’s. I haven’t talked with her mother in quite a while, so we will do some catching up while you talk with your friend,” said Elizabeth to her daughter.
When they reached Mary Beth’s house, Eliza found her and apologized to her. She accepted the apology and in return, apologized to Eliza for ignoring her and leaving her in the road. They both laughed at their silly fight and were soon back to normal. The promised that they would remain dear friends for always and eternity.
The next Saturday was spent packing for the move. Mary Beth came over to Eliza’s house to help her friend get ready for the move. Now, Mary Beth seemed more excited than Eliza about the new house!
“It will be great, but what will you do with all the extra space?” questioned Mary Beth.
“Well, I guess one room will be yours since you will be over there so much,” said Eliza jokingly. Both girls had a laugh over that remark.
It was Sunday! Finally, the day had come! Eliza and her family were so excited. They put their trunks and bags in toe back of their brand new car. Now they said their last good-byes to their neighbors, and received good lucks in return. Finally they were off, and on their way to their new home.
A year had passed and they still loved their house. Mary Beth had come over almost every weekend to visit. She was like a part of the family; it was like she lived there too. Mary Beth was no longer jealous and now knew that money did not matter.
One Saturday, Eliza’s father came home looking upset. Eliza asked him, “Father, is something wrong?”
“Well, I guess you can say that. Someone just told me that TVA has just announced that all Birmingham, Kentucky residents must relocate permanently.”
“What does that mean, father?”
“Well,” there was a long pause, and then Frank said, “we have to move.”
“Oh, but that just can’t be. We just moved into this house, and I love living here,” Eliza said, her eyes misting over.
“I wish it wasn’t true, but it is, and we will be moving to Benton,” said Frank sadly.
“But, father, you said that you didn’t think the lake would be built,” Eliza stated.
Frank said, “Oh no I didn’t say that, I said that I didn’t know if they were going to build the lake or not.”
Eliza pleaded, with tears now in her eyes, “Well, you need to go tell the TVA people that you don’t want them to build the lake, and that you like living in Birmingham.”
“Oh, honey, I wish I could do that, but I just can’t,” her father declared.
Eliza quickly ran over to Mary Beth’s house and told her the devastating news. She was very sad too. Not only for having to leave her house, but Eliza leaving hers.
Something good happened, though, Mary Beth was moving to Benton too! Also, Eliza was moving to a house that was just as nice as her former one and Mary Beth would live in a house that was just as nice as Eliza’s new one would be. Now, they would be closer than ever before! So, there was something good that would be in Benton. Something else that would happen is that there would be a lake! Now, there would be a place to go swimming in the summer.
The day finally came to move. Both girls were very excited. Once again, good-byes were said to neighbors, and in return, good lucks were given. They were on their way.
When they reached their new house, Eliza was amazed. Her house was beautiful, and Mary Beth’s right beside it, was equally beautiful! Eliza was glad her family had to move.
For the rest of their life, Eliza and Mary Beth remained friends. They grew up, got married, and had children of their own. They always took their kids to the Kentucky Lake to swim on Saturdays. Their children had fights with their best friends, just like Eliza and Mary Beth did, but these wise mothers knew that the feuds would only bring them closer.
These women are now thankful for the Kentucky Lake because good come out of it. Eliza and Mary Beth said that they would remain friends for always and eternity and that was true. They stayed together, and will, forever. They kept their promise.
Taylor
North Marshall Middle School