The Deadline

The Deadline

The deadline was midnight. The next day I was just finishing reading the entries when the mail came. I looked at the pile, undoubtable containing entries that missed the deadline, it happens every year. I hated being the one required to decide who got the scholarship and who didn’t.

I read the last with relief, and dread. I had started by making a pile for possible winners and a pile of the rest; all my entries were in the second pile. Now I had to reread all and try to choose someone. They were all great kids but none actually “needed” the scholarship and you could tell applying was standard practice if you had Ms. Tree or Mr. Newbury as guidance councilor.

Taking a break, I went to the mail. Only one late entry this year. Picking it up I noticed it was torn and smudged. Perhaps caught in a sorting machine at the post office? Of course, it may have gone into the mail like that. But what if it wasn’t the mailer’s fault it was late? If it had been delayed at the post office, that could have lost a day, it was only a few hours late. Torn, even feeling that I was pushing the envelope, I decided had to give this one last entry the benefit of the doubt.

I opened it.

Dear Sir or Madam,
I will be the first in my family to attend college, I have worked very hard to make it this far and this scholarship would ease the load for my family. However, should anyone need this more than I do, please do not hesitate to give it to them. I will attend college and graduate no matter how long it takes; I have a dream…

I’d found my winner.