Glad I made the trip

I made it to Fort Smith and back. Don't laugh because there was a question in my mind on whether I would. That's a long haul, folks. It was an adventure, too. I gave myself plenty of time to make the drive and, since it was payday, I put some extra cash in my wallet. You know, just in case I saw a Bed, Bath & Beyond. Hee! Hee! Thank God, I did. And, no, I didn't go to a Bed, Bath & Beyond. Did you know when you pay cash for a room at the Comfort Inn, they now require a $150 deposit? The clerk gave me my room rate of about $125. He then said, "we'll have to have a $150 deposit." I gave him $150, without really thinking about what he'd just said. He had that look in his eye and I realized, "Oh, you mean an extra $150?" I dug deep into my wallet, not sure how much cash I had. Turns out, my stop at Chick-fil-A left me with $152. Needless to say, I was just a little nervous five hours away from home with $2 in my pocket. What if they didn't honor my press badge and made me pay to get into the game? Thankfully, they did let me in and ushered me to the pressbox. The game was delayed for an hour due to the inclement weather. I wasn't bored, though. Fort Smith Southside principal Wayne Haver introduced himself and proudly told me stories about the history of Rebel sports and the school itself. He's been there since the sixties. He's a nice guy ... a real nice guy. I told him and the Fort Smith sports writer of my experience at the hotel just to see if they found it unusual. They did. Neither seemed to know of a $150 deposit for a room. I shrugged it off. I was in the game and I knew I would get my deposit back when I checked out on Saturday. But, I was stunned when Mr. Haver pulled out his wallet, fished out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to me. I turned it down, of course, and explained I'd get my money back in the morning. He insisted, though. "You can't walk around with two dollars in your pocket," he told me. "What if you want to get something to eat?" I politely declined the money again but, again, he insisted until I finally slipped the twenty into my wallet. I can't explain what a comfort it was just knowing my two lonely singles had some company. When the game was nearing its end, Mr. Haver excused himself. I asked the sports writer if he was surprised at what he did. He shook his head. "He's a good man," he said. I can't express how thankful I am for the hospitality shown to me by Southside and Mr. Haver. I look forward to giving him his twenty back when the Rebels come to El Dorado next year. As for the trip, it was long and I don't look forward to making it again. But, thanks to Mr. Haver, I'm glad I made it.