第3章礼物TheGift
哈蒂·梅·拉特里夫HattieMaeRatliff
myoldestdaughter，Rhonda，rushedinmyfrontdoor。“Mom，themjusthappened。”
Ismiled，rememberingRhonda'senthusiasmasayounggirl，whenshewouldebarrelingintoourhomewithnewsofherday。Now，asawifeawo，shecouldstillenergizearoom。
“G，Rhonda，andagtoyoutoo，sweetpea，”Isaid，pigupmytwra'ssitandhavedcookies。Thenyoutellmeallaboutyoururningaround，Ilookedatmydaughter。“Areynant?”
“No，Mom，”Rhoingwithhercoffeed，shesighedwithext。“Mrs。PerkiorofSaintFranethismthatananonymouspersonispayingGreg'stuition。Mom，they&aphistuitionforthe>
Rhonda'seyesfilledwithtearsasshegrabbedmyhand。“Wasityou，Mom?Youanddad?”
“No，Iwishwecould，butitos;tus。”Isaid。
Rhondaandherhusband，Gilhadbothselectedtheroleofeducatorsfortheircareers。Irememberedwhen，asheysetofffortheirfirstteagjobs，readytogetheworld，oatime，ifnecessary。
AfterRebekahwasborn，Rhondaaotightesandliveononeine。Rhondagaveupherpaidteagjobaime，stay-at-hherteagforherownlittleone。
Thiswasgreatfortheirbuthardobshowedsignsofbeingagifteddcouldreadattheageofthree。RhondaandGiltalkedatlengthaosendhimtoaprivatepreschoolfortwodaysaweek。Theschoolereatteacherswithsmallsandproducedgoodresults。Knowingtheywouldhavedifficultypayiioheyhadrequestedapartialscholarship。Thedirectorassuredthemthisradthattheyhadseveralalumfromtimetotime。Noonehaddreamedsomeonewouldpaythewholeam'stuition。
Rhonda，stillholdiefromthesherhand，said。“IjustwishIkneassogenerous。”
“Rhonda，Ithinkthat，whoeverthebeoris，itmustbeimportaokeeptheiridentityprivate。“Givingherahug，Iued，“tys。Andsomedayyoueforsomeoneelse。”
“Mom，you'resuchaPollyanna!ButIsurewouldliketoknoos;salotofmoeathank-younoteandaskedMrs。Perkihedo。”
&hslater，heschoolyear，RhondaingRebekahoffatmyhousetospendacoupleofhourswhilesheransomequids。Wesaidood-byesasRhohroughherpurseforhermisplacedkeys。
“Shottosighis，”shesaid，retrievinganenvelhadbroughthomeapermissionsliptoatterip。Wheheenvelope，asmallpiekpaperfelltothefloor。
“os;sthis?”Iasked，pigupthepaperandhandingittoRhonda。
Rhohepaper。“Mom，look，”shesaidastearsrolleddowwasChristie，ChristieLeeks。SomeoFranusthaveputthisreGreg'seake。”Christiewasmakingmonthlypaymentsof$12'stuition。
ChristieLeekswasayounggirlwhohadbeeninRhonda'sfirstdathehighschoolwhereshehadtaughtfiveyearsearlier。ChristiehadlivediHomeasawardofthestate。RhondaandGilhadtakeherstudentwholivedatthefosterhomeuheirwiedthemtotheirhomeforSundaydinhembirthdaycakes，seledahem。Aftertwoyears，RhondaandGilmovedtoayaheylosttactwiththeotherstudent，whohadmovedoutofthetry，butstayedintouchwithChristieovertheyears。RhondaaraveledbacktoattendChristie'shighschoolgraduationandthenhelpedhermoveintoa。
“Hoayforthis?”RhohishastobeahardshiponherIknowsheisonlymakiwages。os;tacceptthis。Ihavetocallheraop。”
“Rhonda，it'sobviouslyimportanttoChristieforyounottoknoos;ttellheryoufou。”
&hslater，duringGreg'ssummervaschool，Christiestoppedbytovisitaeabelatedbirthday。Thatnight，RhondaandChristiesatuptalkiofthehouseholdslept。Christie，abouttograduatefromcollegewithhonors，hadmetaspean。
“Iamsoproudofyou，Christie，”Rhondasaid。“Youhavegroean。Ialould，fromthefirstdayIsawyouinclass。”
“Mrs。Davidson，Iwanttoshowyousomething，”ChristiesaidasshewenttarievedherBible。Openingit，sheremovedthethank-younoteRhondaandGilhadwrittentotheanonymoustributor。“Wouldyoureadthis，Mrs。Davidson?”
AsRhohenotealoud，shehadtoswallowthelumpi。
Rhohelastsentence。。。
Weoonedaywegivetoachildasyouhavesiventoourchild。
“Don'tyouknow，Mrs。Davidson?Iamthatr。Davidsontaughtmeandgavemesomuch。ThiswasasmallwayIcouldsay‘Thankyou’。”
Ioftehisreerienmydaughter'slifeandonChristie'sgey。IthinkofalltheotherstudentswhoseliveshavebeeedbyRhondaandGil，iwoyoungteacherswillneverknow。WithChristie，theywerefortuonlydidtheygettoseethepositiveouteofthelifetheytouched，buttheyalsosawtheirgiftofpassiohem。
一天早上，大女儿朗达从前门跑进来，冲我喊道：“妈妈，刚才发生了一件非常奇妙的事情。”
我笑了，记得朗达小时候就是一个热情洋溢的小女孩，她会冲进家门，把一天听到的新闻宣布出来。如今，朗达结婚了，并且已经是两个孩子的母亲，但她的热情仍然能使整个家庭充满活力。
“早上好，朗达！小豆子，你也早上好！”我一边打着招呼，一边抱起两岁大的外孙女，“坐在这里，吃些点心，喝些咖啡。吃完早餐，把你知道的新闻全部告诉我。”我转过身去，看了看朗达，“莫非是你怀孕了？”
朗达答道：“不是，妈妈。”她端着咖啡，激动地说：“今天早上，圣弗朗西斯学校的校长柏金斯太太告诉我，有一个人支付了格雷格的学费，但是那个人没有留下姓名。妈妈，那可是一整年的学费。”
朗达紧紧地抓住了我的手，眼眶中充盈着泪水，说：“是你们吗，妈妈？是你和爸爸付的学费吗？”
我告诉她：“我们很希望能够替你付学费，但不是我们。”
朗达和她的丈夫都选择了教师这个职业，他们准备改变世界，必要的话，至少改变一个孩子的命运。记得他们刚刚结婚，就开始了第一次教学工作。