The Good Son

When his father became too sick to farm, Bobby Stiles knew what had to be done. so did his hometown

That done, the adults wondered what they could do.

How could they say they were sorry about what was happening?

How could they show they were proud of Bobby?

Someone had an idea, but for the idea to work, it would have to be kept secret.

That night, home from the hospital for the evening milking, Bobby made his decision: He would postpone college. It would only be for a semester. After that, he would see where things stood on the farm.

None of the adults in the hog barn knew of Bobby's decision when they started collecting money Monday morning. By Monday night, when the Barnyard Olympics began, the collection had grown.

It continued to grow, at Tuesday's quilting demonstration, at Wednesday's tractor and semi-truck pull, at Thursday's turtle races. Friends gave, neighbors gave, even strangers who overheard gave. Money poured in, a shower of $10s and $20s, and it kept coming, even after the auction started.

Bobby's father had come home from the hospital earlier in the week, but he arrived too late Friday night to see Bobby sell his first hog for $1.50 a pound. If he'd been there for the beginning, he would have seen the Grand Champion go for $3 a pound. He knew from his own 4-H days that every hog auctioned after the Grand Champion was supposed to sell for less.

Janet had driven the van up to the show ring, close enough that Tracy would be able to see Bobby without having to get out. When she slid the door open, the scene that rushed in was familiar: the smell of the livestock and sawdust, the sight of their neighbors on bleachers, the sound of their son's name broadcast over the loudspeaker.

"Coming into the ring is Bobby Stiles. He has a hog weighing 285 pounds."

Bobby had shown so many hogs he wasn't nervous. He knew it would all be over soon if he could keep "Dodge" in line.

But Bobby didn't know the secret.

The bidding started fast.

"2, 2 ... 2-and-a-half, 2-and-a- half ... 3, 3."

Bobby didn't hear it climb.

"6, 6 ... 6-and-a-half, 6-and-a- half ... 7, 7."

He didn't see the bidders. Here. There.

"10, 10 ... 11, 11."

They were coming from all over.

"13, 13 ... 14, 14."

Then the numbers caught his attention.

"Going once ..."

They were higher than he'd ever heard.

"Going twice ..."

Could it be?

"Sold!

"For $16 a pound!"

The bleachers erupted when the clerk revealed the secret: "Bought by the friends of Bobby and Tracy Stiles."

Some people stood and cheered. Some wiped their eyes. Bobby's mother ran behind the cows and cried.

Bobby was ushered to an area beside the show ring, where he had his picture taken with his hog, with the Ag Expo Queen, with the adults who had collected $4,560.

He had done the math in his head and he was shocked by the amount, embarrassed by the attention, and it wasn't until later that night that he understood how humbling it felt to have his entire town standing behind him and his dad.

Though he didn't see his father in the van, Bobby knew he'd been watching. He knew without looking that he was embarrassed, too, and in that way, if not in many others, Bobby had already stepped into his father's shoes.