The Beautiful Life of Laura Humphrey

By Lesley Sunas

Laura Humphrey has had her share of ups and downs. She's loved her job teaching high school music for over twenty-five years in her hometown with a special gift for musical theater. She is devoted to her church, family, and friends. In addition, a romance may be on the horizon with the high school coach, a widower and longtime friend. On the negative side, however, Laura has always doubted her worth to others and has always struggled with sadness over a failed marriage and having no children of her own.

As the book opens, Laura has just received a difficult and potentially life-threatening diagnosis. As she is undergoing chemotherapy and struggling with some of the aftermath, several of her former students reach out to make sure Laura knows how much she has meant to them. The novel delves into Laura's interactions with each student, their particular struggles (poverty, abuse, parental abandonment, psychiatric illness, parental disappointment), and how Laura's help changed the course of their lives. Likewise, Laura's closest friends reminisce over their shared friendships, how they met, and the huge blessing knowing Laura has been. Laura's faith is an integral part of the book as is her love of college football, namely the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Enjoy learning more about Laura's life and her vital impact on others in this book that spans 1976 to 2012.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798891575691

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The Beautiful Life of Laura Humphrey

Lesley Sunas

Copyright © 2024 Lesley Sunas

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2024

ISBN 979-8-89157-551-6 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-89157-569-1 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Laura Stokes Humphrey

Chapter 2

Laura Stokes Humphrey

Chapter 3

Matthew Price

Chapter 4

Tom and Susan Davis

Chapter 5

Paula Jenkins

Chapter 6

Mindy Conway Pappas

Chapter 7

Celia Blake

Chapter 8

Rebekah Carson

Chapter 9

Jaden Johnson

Chapter 10

Diana Free

Chapter 11

Michael Jones

Chapter 12

Cynthia Dabbs Myers

Chapter 13

Ginny Capps

Chapter 14

Donnie Humphrey

Chapter 15

Laura Stokes Humphrey

Epilogue

Notes

About the Author

Chapter 1

Laura Stokes Humphrey

June 2010

I've always wondered if people have a premonition just prior to an earth-shattering event. Do they have a strange feeling? Do they realize their life is about to change drastically? Or do they feel the same as any other day?

For me, there were no warnings or even a gut feeling that things were about to go off the rails. I had slept in more than usual. I was excited about my date tonight with Tom and wanted to sleep in and keep busy, so I wouldn't dwell on it. Normally, I had very little time to dwell on anything, but I was out of school for summer vacation, so things were slower than usual.

I teach music at the local high school, Coffee County High School, in Elba, Alabama¹. We only have one high school in our town, so every child in the town goes to the school. I've taught music there for twenty-five years, and I absolutely love it! I feel like I'm a bit of an institution there, but I think most of the kids like me and have enjoyed my class. I teach choir, music theory, and drama, but my passion is musical theater. It's nice because the classes are not required, so I only have the kids in my class who really want to be there. We do a big spring musical every year, so it's nice to have a little downtime the first few weeks of summer vacation. I also teach a summer class at the community college. On top of that, I am the assistant choir director at our church, play the organ for the church services, and give private voice and piano lessons, so my schedule is generally pretty full.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was trying to keep busy before my dinner tonight with Tom. You see, I've liked Tom for a while now, maybe a year, but had not been sure if he was interested in me. Tom lost his wife, Susan, a couple of years ago in a tragic car accident, and I guess he was finally ready to start dating again. Tom and Susan had both been good friends of mine, and we all worked together at the high school (Tom was the football coach and Susan was the school counselor). I was hopeful that Susan would be pleased that I was the first person Tom chose to ask on a date.

After I got moving, I had my coffee and read the newspaper. Afterward, I decided I would tackle some home projects that day, so I began organizing my closet and bathroom; not the most exciting thing in the world, but it needed to be done. Plus, I had a vacation planned to Grayton Beach on the Florida panhandle next week with my three closest friends, so I knew I needed to jump on the home-improvement tasks.

I was deeply involved with sorting my clothes into three piles—keep, toss, donate—when the shrill sound of the phone startled me. I was hoping it was either Tom calling to update me on our date later this evening or maybe Diana calling to discuss our beach trip, but instead, it was Dr. Salomon's office.

Ms. Humphrey, said the voice on the phone.

Yes, this is she, I replied.

The voice on the phone continued, Ms. Humphrey, we wondered if you could come in today to discuss the results of your tests.

That's odd, I thought. They usually only send a letter to tell you the results are normal.

The truth of the matter is, I had been having pain in my lower abdomen and lower back for the past few months. It hadn't been too bad at first, and I was busy with our spring musical, so I hadn't really worried about it. The last few weeks, the pain had gotten worse, so I finally scheduled an appointment with my doctor. The doctor seemed more concerned than I had ever seen her in the past and referred me for several tests. I'm not a person who worries about my health a great deal, so I had just assumed the tests were a precaution, that Dr. Salomon was being a worrywart, and that these tests would rule out the big things so we could then figure out what to do to eliminate the pain.

Sure, I managed to get out as the realization hit that this was a pretty big deal. What time would you like for me to come?

We'll see you at one o'clock.

Chapter 2

Laura Stokes Humphrey

October 2010

So in case you haven't heard, chemo is no fun. I had completed the twelve weeks of chemo, and we were all hopeful it had done its job. I had lost some hair but thankfully not all of it. (If only you could tell the chemo where you wanted to lose hair and where you wanted to keep it.) Ovarian cancer is tricky because it's often not detected until it's already spread into surrounding tissues. Unfortunately, that was the case with me as it is for many others. However, the doctors and I were feeling positive that the chemo had gotten all the cancer; I was hoping to receive the ‘all clear at my next visit.

I had started my chemo immediately after my beach trip back in early June. I had tried to go to Grayton and act as if nothing was wrong since I didn't want to spoil the beach trip for the others, but I wasn't that good of an actress. I was with my three closest friends—Diana, Mindy, and Rebekah—so it was easy to confide in them. Plus, I wanted to tell them in person rather than by phone and didn't want to tell one before the other, so this was really the perfect time.

We were seated on the back deck of the beach house, staring at the pristine, white sand and cerulean gulf when I told them. They all stared at me for a second then began to respond as I would have predicted. Diana's eyes began to water, and I could tell she was trying not to cry; Rebekah became still and very quiet, almost as if she were shutting down; and Mindy began asking questions to ensure she had the most up-to-date information so she could research treatments.

What stage is it? asked Mindy.

Stage two to three, I replied.

Rebekah dropped her head into her hands.

Okay, we can work with that. That's much better than stage four. Many people with ovarian cancer have stage four before it's even detected, Mindy said, trying to reassure all of us.

Mindy was married to a physician. Although he was an orthopedic surgeon and not an oncologist, she knew more about medical problems than the rest of us. Furthermore, she had worked as a nurse for several years, so she was our health guru.

What type of treatments are they doing? she then asked.

I replied that we were going to start chemotherapy as soon as I returned. I told them the doctors had wanted to start immediately but felt that a one-week delay wouldn't really hurt and were willing to wait for me to have this beach trip I looked forward to every year.

Diana finally spoke, Then this will be the best beach trip we've ever had!

We laughed, swam, walked on the beach, ate too much, and did a lot of praying. My best friends also promised to ask their local Bible study groups to pray for me as well as their friends from church. Diana and I lived in the same town and went to the same church, but Mindy lived in Birmingham, and Rebekah lived on a beautiful piece of property outside of Mobile.

I could feel their prayers during the time I went through chemo. I can't tell you what it means to have Christian friends praying for you during a terrible ordeal. The chemo made me fairly sick but not horribly ill. As I mentioned above, I lost some hair but still had a lot left. My energy was not great, but I was still able to take care of my house. I was not, however, able to go back to school at the beginning of the school year.

Some people may enjoy getting a break from their work, but my job was more of a calling than really a job. I'm not going to lie—I loved summer breaks, but I also loved getting to go back to school each year, meeting the new students, and trying to help those who were marginalized or hurting find joy. I hope I had helped a few along the way stay on the right path and avoid life's pitfalls.

I was hoping to be able to return to school in a few weeks. I knew being away from the students and the chemo had probably made me a little depressed, but I was determined not to give in to the sadness or feel sorry for myself. I knew other people had it worse and had to worry about taking care of aging parents or small children while going through this ordeal, and I really just had to worry about me.

The cancer had definitely given me more time to reminisce. That night, I snuggled with my two cats, Mozart and Beethoven, and thought about some of the happier times of my fifty-two years. I had had a good childhood, and I was truly grateful that Mother and Daddy didn't have to witness me going through this ordeal. My parents, John and Vivian Stokes, had me when my father was forty and my mother was thirty-nine. They had not thought they would be able to have any children, so as you can imagine, they were beyond thrilled when I was born. On the one hand, I was doted on, but on the other hand, all their hopes and dreams were on my shoulders. My father definitely spoiled me, but my mother was fairly strict and could be demanding. She was always fair but had certain standards for behavior that she expected to be met at all times. She was a bit of a force of nature, and I generally toed the line—except for a couple of big exceptions that I won't get into right now. Having said that, I would still say that my mother and I had a close relationship, and I always knew I could count on her. My mother had died just two years ago at age ninety of dementia. She had been a high school English teacher and especially loved English literature. I chuckled as I thought of her and how she perfectly encapsulated the term formidable, which you rarely hear used now but was used routinely in the hundred-year-old-plus novels she loved.

My father had died ten years ago of a heart attack. He was an attorney who loved God, his family, Alabama football, the law, and golf. I never knew how much he had done for others until his funeral. Several people I barely knew told me that he had provided legal services to them at no charge. Others said he had told them to pay when they could. He was the epitome of a Southern gentleman and rarely spoke a cross word to anyone.

I was also thankful to have my cats during this time—I was always grateful for them but now more than ever—and that they were sweet and cuddly, rather than standoffish. When I was tired, they would join me on the blanket to watch TV, read, or just reminisce. Mozart and Beethoven were both eight years old. They were rescues that I had gotten from a cat shelter that Rebekah supported. Rebekah had wanted me to get a dog too, but I didn't think it was fair with my crazy schedule, especially since I lived alone. Fortunately, both Mindy and Rebekah had dogs, so I was able to get my dog fix when I visited them.

Chapter 3

Matthew Price

November 2010

I was thrilled! Dr. Salomon and my oncologist, Dr. Rice, were both very pleased at my results from the chemotherapy and felt it was safe for me to go back to teaching. They had worried about me catching an illness from the students while I was undergoing chemo (since my immune system would be weakened) but had finally decided I could return in November. The substitute teacher had done a good job getting the kids ready for our holiday show. I just had some tweaks to make, like getting the basses to blend (one, in particular, sang every song as if it were a solo) and making sure everyone stayed on pitch.

I was thinking of some ideas for solos for the Christmas program when my phone rang. I had been getting lots of well wishes from people from church, the community, former students, and old friends from college, so I wasn't surprised even though it was nine in the evening.

I answered and the fairly cultured voice with just a hint of a Southern accent said, Hi, Ms. Humphrey. I hope I'm not calling you too late. This is Matthew by the way. Matthew Price.

I was thrilled to hear from Matthew. It had been a while since I had seen him, and he was one of my favorites from my first year of teaching in Coffee County. Matthew was an attorney, who had lived in Washington, DC, for at least the last fifteen years. The last time I had seen him, probably five years ago, he seemed quite polished with a great car, not to mention very nice clothes, so I felt fairly certain that things were going well for him financially. I had heard through the grapevine that he had married, but I had not yet met his wife.

Hi, Matthew, it's so great to hear from you. How are you? I responded with enthusiasm.

Matthew replied, I'm doing well, but I'm more interested in how you are. Listen, I'll be in Elba next week to visit my mom. Can I come by and visit you?

We decided on a time, and I hung up feeling excited to get to catch up with Matthew. The few times I had seen him since high school had been in a group setting, so I hadn't had a private conversation with him since he graduated.

When Matthew arrived for our visit, he was dressed casually but expensively. I wasn't sure how warm his greeting would be but decided to let his behavior be my guide. I needn't have worried because he grabbed me in a big hug. We chatted about his life in DC, his condo near Georgetown, and his law practice in which he had recently been named a partner.

There was a brief silence, and then he said, Ms. Humphrey?

Matthew, for Pete's sake, I'm only like ten years older than you. Call me Laura.

Matthew laughed and said, I'll try. Okay, Laura, I want to talk to you about a couple of things from high school. I know you know you meant a lot to me and were my favorite teacher, but I'm not sure you realize how much of an impact you made. I don't really love talking about my high school days, but I think it's important.

Okay, let's get a glass of iced tea first and then have at me. I was being a bit flippant but wanted to put him at ease as he seemed to have tensed up a bit when talking about high school.

1985–1986

I was in my first year of teaching at Coffee County High School when I met Matthew. It was actually my sixth year of teaching, but the prior five years had been done in Decatur, Alabama. The couple of years prior to my return to Elba had been awful, to say the least, but I was finally recovering and excited to be back in my hometown. Not to mention, this job was my dream job! Rather than strictly teaching music and chorus for grades nine to twelve as I was in Decatur, I was also hired in Coffee County to teach musical theater and was able to stage a musical every year. I had decided that the musical, Oklahoma, would be perfect.

A girl had already approached me to play the female lead, but I wasn't sure about the male lead. Matthew, who was a junior, seemed like the perfect young man to play Curly, but he hadn't reached out to me about it or asked about auditioning. Matthew was a good singer and a really good dancer, not to mention an excellent student, so I knew he would be perfect for the part, but I wasn't sure how he felt about it. He was also on the football team, and I felt pretty certain that football would take precedence over anything else. I didn't know if Matthew was any good at football (I didn't remember hearing his name called much this past fall during football season), but I knew his dad had been great and had played offensive line for Paul Bear Bryant at Alabama. I had been a small child when Matthew's dad played, but I remembered my father talking about how good he was and how excited everyone in our town was to have a hometown boy good enough to play for The Bear. Since the musical wouldn't be until later in the spring and not during football season, however, I was hopeful everything would work out.

The next day after drama, I asked Matthew to stay after class. Matthew, how would you feel about auditioning for the role of Curly?

Matthew's eyes lit up. Do you really think I'm good enough to do it? he asked excitedly. I thought the lead roles would only go to seniors.

I absolutely do! I responded. All things being equal, I would rather have a senior play the lead. However, if the junior is more talented and a better fit for the role, then a junior can certainly get the part.

Then I'd love to audition for it, he said enthusiastically. Mrs. Humphrey, you're the stuff! he said happily.

I wasn't sure what you're the stuff meant, but I was young enough to know some of the teen speak, so I knew it was good.

I was pleasantly surprised. For some reason—I couldn't quite put my finger on it—I had expected some pushback from Matthew. However, he seemed as eager to play the role as I was for him to do it. I should have known it wouldn't be quite that easy.

Matthew auditioned and was the obvious choice for Curly. As good as his dancing was, his acting chops were his real strength. His sense of timing and theatrical presence were things that were hard to teach and seemed to come naturally to him. His voice was pretty good, but it was obvious he hadn't had a lot of vocal training outside of school. I asked if he could meet after school a couple of days a week to go over his solo numbers and let me begin to teach him some vocal techniques. We did this for several weeks until his vocal numbers O What a Beautiful Morning, When I Take you Down to the Surry, and People Will Say We're in Love were spot-on.

Everything was going along perfectly until April 1 (how appropriate!). The musical was planned for the end of April, so we were rehearsing most afternoons after school. On that first day of April, Matthew just didn't show up for rehearsal. I