Graduation

 

"You were serious about diplomas?" I asked, startled. "Wow, this is great! Hey, Tom, your first diploma!"

"Ha, ha!" Spending so much time at the barbershop had still not made Tom's comebacks razor-sharp.

Clyde proceeded to hand to each of us a beautifully framed, official-looking diploma from the Miller School of Financial Planning. He shook our hands and commended us for having taken the top three spots in our graduating class. Despite Clyde's kidding, the three of us were elated with our performance.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, we have a little something for you, too, Roy," I announced. Cathy presented Roy with a nicely wrapped package that obviously contained a framed picture.

Roy opened it carefully, so as not to tear the gift wrapping.

"Going to reuse that paper at Christmas?" James Murray joked. "The virtue of thrift and all that stuff."

When the picture was finally visible to him, Roy's eyes became misty. My talented sister had painted the front view of Roy's impressive house, capturing it in the warm glow of a sunset. The engraved gold plate adorning the frame read simply "The Rewards of Common Sense."

"This is wonderful. . . I'm deeply touched ... I just love it. Marj will want it hung in the main living room, for sure. You shouldn't have," an emotional Roy insisted.

"It was the least we could do for our financial mentor," Cathy said sincerely. "We owe a great deal to you."

"In fact, we owe our good fortune," I added, smiling, "to the wealthy barber!"