Every time someone started to suggest something, Sam interrupted, with some trivial comment. Billy was beginning to get angry, but he did not say anything to Sam. The group finally agreed to hold an old-fashioned barn dance, to raise the money for the needed supplies, and then make the house repairs themselves. On the ride home, Sam noticed that Billy was very quiet and would not even look at her. When they arrived home, Sam asked Vicky; “What’s wrong with your brother? He seems upset about something.”
“I don’t know,” said Vicky. “Why don’t you ask him?”
After Sam changed her clothes, she went outside, and found Billy with the horses. She approached him and asked; “What’s wrong, Billy? Why are you in such a bad mood?” When Billy did not respond, Sam decided to lighten the mood with humor. “Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?” Then, she laughed.
Finally, Billy replied; “You are a very rude and selfish person, Sam. You kept interrupting everyone in bible study this morning. Do you always have to be the center of attention? Have you ever cared about anybody or anything besides yourself?” Before Sam could reply, Billy turned his back to Sam and walked away.
Vicky had walked up and heard most of the conversation. “Is that what you think too, Vicky?” asked Sam. “Am I just a spoiled brat who needs to be the center of attention?” When Vicky did not answer right away, Sam ran back to the house and began crying.
When Mrs. Wilkerson saw Sam crying, she asked what was wrong. Sam explained what had happened. “Don’t worry about Billy” said Mrs. Wilkerson. “He’ll calm down. He may have a short temper, but he doesn’t stay mad for long.”
“But, he and Vicky are right” said Sam. “I am a spoiled brat. I have never cared about anybody or anything before in my life. I do not like who I am. I don’t want to be that person anymore.”
Mrs. Wilkerson wrapped her arms around Sam, and hugged her tightly. “Then, do something about it,” she told Sam.” We can all help you.”
A short while later, while Sam was helping Gary collect the eggs from the chicken coop; Vicky and Billy entered the building. Billy started to apologize, but Sam stopped him.“You were both right about me,” she said. I have never cared about anybody but me. I have always had anything that I have ever wanted. I am just a spoiled princess. I need your help. Would you both help me to be a better person?”
“You got it, Sam,” said Vicky. “When you leave here next June, you will be just like a member of our family.” Then she hugged Sam. Billy apologized for losing his temper, and then, he too hugged Sam. Sam felt so good during that hug that she did not want to let go. When Billy finally pried himself loose, he quickly turned away before Sam could see how embarrassed he was.
Chapter 5
Sam’s transformation did not take place overnight. It took quite awhile, as it was hard for her to kick her old habits. She was a work in progress. Sam was determined to prove that she could do anything that was assigned to her. She shoveled the chicken poop out of the chicken coop, and cleaned up after the horses. She helped to plant and harvest crops, and even learned how to drive a tractor, and how to fix it.
Sam was also learning to do domestic tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and sewing. Mrs. Wilkerson and Vicky were teaching her to make clothes, and to make quilts. Within a few months, Sam had become quite skilled at knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint.
Billy and Mr. Wilkerson taught Sam all about irrigation, crop rotation, and soil PH. She also learned more about the coalmine where Mr. Wilkerson worked, and how dangerous it was.
Sam wrote letters each week to her parents, her grandparents and her great grandfather. She told them about all of the things she was learning. Unfortunately, only her great grandfather was interested in her new life. The rest of her family seemed bored, or worse; embarrassed by her new life.
By the time of the barn dance, Sam and Billy had grown quite fond of each other. When Billy asked Sam to the dance, she quickly accepted. By that time, the rest of the bible school class had accepted Sam as one of them. Sam helped with the decorations, and helped to prepare the food as well.
The dance was a huge success. They raised over one thousand dollars. Then, as the dance began, Mr. Wilkerson announced that there was also an anonymous donation of ten thousand dollars. He winked at Sam, and she winked back. She had written to her great grandfather telling him about the dance, and told him what the money was for. She asked him if she could have a small advance from her future trust fund.
Sam had attended several dances in Beverly Hills, but she had never danced with anyone that she really cared about before. That changed when she met Billy Wilkerson. The two of them danced every dance together.
The next day, the tens began purchasing supplies to fix up the farm of the elderly couple. When Mr. and Mrs. Johnson heard a commotion in their driveway that afternoon, they went out into their yard, to find several pickup trucks loaded with lumber and other supplies. As the teenagers and a few adults got out of their vehicles, they explained that their house would be as good as new in no time. Both of them were overwhelmed.
Over the next several weeks, the teens worked up to ten hours each day. Sam, had never held a hammer before, yet alone used one. Billy helped her get started, and by the time the project was completed, she was a pro at construction work.
When the community saw what the teens had accomplished, donations and volunteers began pouring in and they were soon doing repairs on several more houses around the town.
Chapter 6
As summer ended, Sam began to get nervous about going to a new high school. Billy and Vicky reassured her that she would do great. On the first day of school, Sam saw several teens that she knew from church, and she began to relax a bit.
Sam was shocked to see how much homework she had on the first day of school. She began to feel that she was in way over her head. In California, she had several tutors to help her with her homework and help prepare for tests.
As she sat at the dining room table, feeling completely overwhelmed with all of the assignments, Vicky walked into the room with her books and sat down. “If you want to, we can do our homework together,” she said. “Thank you so much, Vicky,” said Sam “I could sure use the help.”
It was not long before Sam had developed her own good study habits and soon, Sam was able to maintain a B+ average. Her favorite classes were history, agriculture and finance. She also became involved in extracurricular activities as well.
Sam and Vicky both joined the school newspaper and Sam discovered that she working behind the camera was more fun than always being in front of one.
Billy was on the basketball team, and Sam found herself taking plenty of photos of him in action. By the time the homecoming dance came around, Billy and Sam were smitten with each other. After dancing all evening, they returned to the house, where they sat on the front porch swing, talking and holding hands.
When Billy finally got up the nerve to kiss Sam, she did not resist. It had been four months since she left her old life in Beverly Hills. She had dreaded leaving it all behind, but now, she did not want to return. In that short time, Sam had changed from a self-absorbed stuck-up princess, who was used to being waited on hand and foot; to a caring unselfish woman. She was no longer motivated by greed. Now, she was devoted to helping others in need.
Sam was proud of the person that she had become, and she was hoping that her parents would be proud of her as well. She could cook, sew, fix a tractor, build houses, and was an excellent farm worker. Sam invited her family to visit her over the Christmas holidays, and they accepted her invitation. Sam even convinced Mrs. Wilkerson to let her cook the entire Christmas dinner all by herself.
Every evening, after Sam finished her homework, she locked herself in the sewing room and would not let anyone see the projects she was working on, not even Vicky.
Chapter 7
In the late fall, the weather began to turn colder. Sam helped The Wilkerson family preserve fruits and vegetables in canning jars, for the winter. Sam was enjoying school more than she ever had in California. When she finished her own homework, she even helped the younger children with their homework. Sam seemed to have a knack for helping them understand the material. For the first time in her life, Sam gave serious thought to a career when she finished school. She wanted to be a teacher, specializing in elementary education. However, when she wrote to her parents, she never told them her plans, because she knew that they would never understand, or approve.
Thanksgiving made Sam a little homesick for her family, but she tried to stay busy, helping with the dinner and decorations. As everyone sat around the table, they held hands and Mr. Wilkerson said a prayer of thanks. Then, each person said what he or she was thankful for.
When it was Sam’s turn, she remained quiet for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts before she spoke. The room got very quiet as she began to speak; “If you had known me six months ago, none of you would have liked me. I was a spoiled teenager with only one agenda; to keep all attention on me, as that was all that mattered to me. However, since I have been here, living with all of you, I have changed so much. I am a much better person and I have all of you to thank for that. I consider all of you to be my family, now and forever.”
December was a very busy month. Sam, Vicky and Billy were studying for their final exams, and everybody was busy making Christmas presents for each other. Sam was excited because her family was going to visit during the week of Christmas.
Chapter 8
Sam was very happy. She was in love with Billy, and the Wilkerson family was like a second family to her. On December 15th, Sam would become even closer to them because of two life-changing events.
The day started great. Sam was taking her final exams at school and she was sure that she would get A’s on most of them.
When she got home from school, Mrs. Wilkerson handed her a letter from her mother that her great grandfather had forwarded to her. Sam was eager to read the letter, but her excitement soon turned to disappointment, as she read it. As she began crying, Mrs. Wilkerson asked her what was wrong. Sam explained what was in the letter. “My parents and grandparents aren’t coming for Christmas, after all,” she said. “They decided to go to Europe for a few weeks instead.” Mrs. Wilkerson handed Sam some tissues, and after Sam wiped her eyes, she continued. “My parents would rather go to Europe, than come here to see me.”
As Sam continued to cry, Mrs. Wilkerson put her arms around her and held her. For the next two hours, Sam and Mrs. Wilkerson talked. Sam came to realize that she could not remember the last time that either of her parents had showed her any physical affection. They always showed their love for her by buying her material things. Sam actually felt closer to Mrs. Wilkerson, than she did to her own mother.
Sam was still very upset when Billy ran into the room and told them that there was a cave-in at the mine. All of a sudden, Sam’s problem seemed insignificant. Mr. Wilkerson and several other men were trapped several hundred feet underground.
Billy, Vicky and their mother drove to the mine to see if they could help. Sam offered to stay at the house and look after the younger children. Sam began calling all of her friends, asking them to begin praying, and asking them to call their friends. Soon, people all over the city were praying for a miracle.
Meanwhile, Sam was trying to keep up the spirits of the other children. All they could do was to wait. Shortly after two a.m., a miracle did indeed happen. The rescue workers were able to locate the trapped men and get them out safely, each and every one of them.
When Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson, Billy and Vicky walked in the door, Sam ran up to Mr. Wilkerson and hugged him, while crying tears of happiness. Then, she hugged Mrs. Wilkerson. Sam had never been that emotional with her own parents and it surprised her that she had become closer to the Wilkersons than her own family.
Chapter 9
In the days that followed the cave-in, the mine inspectors spent a lot of time making measurements with their sophisticated equipment and assessing the integrity of the mine. They released their findings on December 22nd, three days before Christmas. The report devastated the town of Fairmont. The final word from the state inspectors was that the coalmine was no longer stable, and it would be closed permanently.
For years, the miners had been told that the mine was running out of coal, but they always remained optimistic, that there would be a few more years of employment for everyone.
When the mine closed, it put many men out of work. There were not many other job openings within the town. In the Wilkerson home, expenses were cut wherever possible. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson told the children that since everything was already purchased; their Christmas celebration would proceed as planned, but told them that it might be the last celebration of any kind for quite a while.
Over the next two days, Sam could not think of anything except for the financial troubles of the Wilkerson family and other miner’s families in Fairmont. On Christmas Eve, she woke up and made a decision. She would call her great grandfather right after Christmas and discuss her decision with him.
At Church, that evening, at the Christmas Eve service, Sam prayed for guidance and asked God to help the people who were facing tough economic times ahead.
On Christmas morning, Sam and Becky were awakened by the younger children and for the first time in her life, Sam was not interested in what gifts she would receive, but was eager to hand out the presents that she had made for everyone else. For the younger children, she had made cloth puppets and for the older children, she made comic books with the Wilkerson children as the main characters.
For Mr. Wilkerson, Sam made a coffee mug in pottery class, and for Mrs. Wilkerson, she made a book of photographs that she had taken around the farm. Under each photo, she had written a short poem.
The last two presents that Sam handed out were for Billy and Vicky. Sam eagerly watched as Billy opened his gift and held up the shirt that she made for him. He held it up and she could tell that he loved it by the way he ran upstairs to put it on. When he came back downstairs, everybody admired it. It fit Billy perfectly.
The last person to open her gift was Vicky. She found a beautiful dress that Sam had spent several late hours making for her. Then, Sam showed her the dress that she had made for herself. It was the same design, but in a different color. She told Vicky that they could swap dresses whenever they wanted. After they ran upstairs to try on the dresses, there was a knock on the door.
Chapter 10
When Sam and Vicky came back downstairs, Sam got the best gift that she had ever received. There, standing in the living room, was her great grandfather; Jim McDonald. Sam ran over to him and gave him a great big hug. “You did come!” she exclaimed joyfully.
“I told you that I’d be here,” said Mr. McDonald. “I never go back on my word.” As he looked at Sam, he added, “Samantha, you are even more beautiful than I remember, and I have never seen such a beautiful smile. You must truly be happy here.
Vicky asked, “What do you think of our dresses, Mr. McDonald?”
“I think they are beautiful” he replied.
“Well, Sam made both of them.” Sam could tell that he was very impressed.
While Sam cooked the Christmas dinner, all by herself, Mr. McDonald got acquainted with the Wilkerson family. Later, as the family sat down to dinner, they were all amazed at all the delicious food that Sam had prepared.
As Mr. McDonald watched Sam talking and laughing, he was proud of the young woman that she had become.
After dinner, Sam told her great grandfather that she needed to speak to him in private. When they were alone, Sam made him a proposal and made a request. She told him how worried she was ab
out the unemployed miners and their families, as well as the future of the town.
Mr. McDonald considered everything that Sam said to him, and told her that he would see what he could do about her request. As to her proposal, he was quiet for a moment and then asked; “Samantha, are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“Grandpa,” said Sam. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
Jim McDonald hugged his great granddaughter and with misty eyes, he agreed to do what she had requested. When Jim asked Sam how she was doing in school, she replied; “That’s another thing that I wanted to ask you,” she said. “I want to stay here next year also. I do not want to go back to California. Can you please let my parents know? I do not think they will care, but would you tell them anyway?”
Mr. McDonald assured her that he would take care of it. Sam was right about her parents. When they learned that she planned to finish high school outside of California, they did not object. It would give them more time to themselves.
A week after Jim McDonald returned to California, Mr. Wilkerson and the rest of the town received some wonderful news. Two large companies had purchased land outside of Fairmont and were going to open up manufacturing plants, which would provide jobs for all of the unemployed miners, with jobs to spare.
When Mr. Wilkerson told his family the good news, they were overjoyed. Then, he told them some more good news. An anonymous benefactor would be paying each of the miners their old salary and their insurance premiums, until the plants were operating. Sam pretended to act as surprised as the rest of the family.
Later that evening, Billy and Sam were riding horses around the farm and Billy asked; “Don’t you think it is strange that just after the mine closed, two major companies suddenly decided to build plants in Fairmont?”