Based on a true story …

THE SONG OF NORMA JEAN HANKINS
August 2, 1939 to April 25, 2009

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, ‘If you meet and make one good friend in the course of your life – count yourself fortunate indeed!” Most people find this to be true - especially the people in a little town called Olustee, Oklahoma, the home of one Mrs. Norma Jean Hankins. With great privilege and honor, let my story begin there.

My name is Apollo. I travel here and there across this great country of ours and the reason I do this is because I am a motivational speaker. Not many months ago my travels led me through the aforementioned small town of Olustee. Coincidentally enough, the so-called ‘witching hour’ was upon me and it was at precisely 12:00 midnight that my front tire succumbed to the rigors of the many miles I had driven. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere!

I am a stout and sturdy fellow, but I must confess that the time of night, the unfamiliar location, and the immediate frustration regarding the tire all rendered me somewhat intimidated. This feeling only intensified as the bright lights of a rather large truck pinned me to the road while it came to a stop no more that100 feet behind me.

As I stood there gathering my courage, anxious and alert (something about ‘fight-or-flight’), the door finally opened, very slowly, with something of a grinding sound. Imagine my surprise when out of the cab climbed a small, frail, matronly looking woman who started walking toward me with strong, confident strides. Also, she had something in her hand. I quickly sized up the situation and determined it was much too soon to second guess this person. It was a dark road; it was late, she was a woman, I was a man and I did not rule out the possibility of bloodshed, especially mine if she should mistaken the moment. I did not have anything in my hand except a sweaty palm. I just wanted to dive into my car, lock all the doors and hope she chose to drive on. Then, she spoke. Her voice was an immediate relief; like cool shades on a hot day. The compassion was unmistakable. The integrity resonant. “Mr. are you OK?”

Instantly I felt my nervousness leave and my masculinity return as I replied, “Not a problem. Just a little flat tire.” She chuckled as though she could see right through me. Her strong gaze assessed me and her expression suggested that to her I was just a “city slicker” and couldn’t manage things if I had 4 spares in the trunk. Just between you and me, she was correct. I realized I needed her help at the same moment the sensation overtook me that our meeting was not mere chance. There was something pervasive about this woman. Almost as though she was surrounded by an unseen band of angels.

“I appreciate your stopping, it it’s really not safe out here. Perhaps you should go on,” I warned. Ignoring my prompting, she demanded that I open my trunk. She then went to her truck for the appropriate tools. When she returned, she placed an old-fashioned cassette player on the ground beside my crippled tire and went to work. Seemingly without a care in the world she began humming along to beautiful voice that was coming from the cassette player. The artist, accompanying herself on the piano, was unknown to me – or was she?

By this time I couldn’t even remember my own last name or where I was going. I just wanted to dig deeper into my present outstanding situation. “Who is this artist and what is your name ma’am?” There was no response – not one word. She just continued to hum along to the beautiful song as though she was a million miles away. After a few minutes I questioned her about the artist again; “Ma’am, what is the name of this beautiful artist?” Suddenly, with a blank look on her face, she looked up from the ground and said the lady was more than an artist – she was my friend: Mrs. Norma Jean Hankins of Olustee, Oklahoma.

Instantly, I was startled by three little voices behind me. And each one humbly said that she was my friend too. Because it was so dark out on that country road, I never noticed her three kids in the back of her pick-up truck. But I had seen – and felt – their pain and suffering for the absence of someone very special. Someone so special, God had sent His angels for. If only they had realized that it had been a most divine day. A most special day – just like her:
Special.

While their mother continued struggling with my tire – she never stopped humming along to the sound of the kind piano melody. As well, she never took her eyes off me while I asked her children to tell me more about Norma Hankins. Immediately all the children came to life and started chattering away all at once.
The littlest girl was trying to ask me if I had an extra piano because she was poor and couldn’t afford one. She went on to say that she wanted to take Mrs. Hankins old job of making people happy by playing the piano and singing all over town.

I learned this to be certainly true – for every type of function in the Olustee School where she taught to weddings, funerals, birthday parties, and most of all, church services. And what a special surprise it was to have her play for me, right then and there. Yes, that made it a special night.

The next oldest girl – I would guess she was about 8 years old – asked if she could drive my car when her mother fixed it. I laughed a little and told her that I didn’t think that would be a very good idea since with my luck another tire would probably blow. As if she was trying to change my mind about driving, she frantically tried telling me something about luck – her rabbit’s foot – and Mrs. Hankins. She told me that one time Mrs. Hankins was so sick she was loosing her hair. She said that she tried to give her a little pink rabbit’s foot so Mrs. Hankins would have better luck and feel better.

Next, the girl told me Mrs. Hankins said she already had one – and his name was Christ. Mrs. Hankins said if you will believe in Christ, always be kind, and help other people you will be just fine. The girl went on to say how she wanted to be just like Mrs. Hankins. She said Mrs. Hankins moved away to her new beautiful home and is not sick anymore. She even has all her hair back. I think my mama said her new address was Heaven.

It was all I could do to fight my tears as the little girl held up her rabbit’s foot for me so I would have better luck. So I would feel better. Something Mrs. Hankins would do. Actually, through this child, something Mrs. Hankins did do.

Click! The tape came to an end. There was nothing but pure silence and stillness on the dark country road. It was like we were all froze on stage with that bright light still shining on us! The now greasy mother was holding her heart with both hands as she sat on the ground beside my repaired tire and looked up to the little rabbit’s foot that was dangling in the air. She had lost her fight with the tears.

The last girl – maybe she was 12 years old – said that she didn’t want anything from me but to remember her mother’s kind deed and to pass it on to someone else in need. I agreed. Her mother was now smiling and so was I – another soul Mrs. Norma Jean Hankins had touched. Now everyone was smiling – even the girl that didn’t get my keys – and I was ready for some more. But wouldn’t you know it. “She’s all fixed sir! Get in the truck kids.”, she said. I told the kids good bye. I didn’t know the kids well enough to hug them – but I sure wanted to. I sure miss them.

While I was helping the kind lady put her tools up, the kids were watching me through the window of the old truck. It was like I was an old friend that they had to say good bye to – but didn’t want to. Their mother said she could tell they all liked me. I said I liked them too.

I sincerely thanked the lady for fixing my tire but couldn’t resist asking why she stopped in the middle of no where to help me. With a surprised but yet peaceful face, she just looked at me like I should have already learned that answer. With no answer, that was the last I saw of those four beautiful people. There were three little faces looking back at me as their truck sped off into the darkness.

This complete story has been written from my desk as I must realize and never forget the fascinating things that occurred between me and that beautiful family on that dark country road that night. The greatest lesson I learned is one positive person can change hundreds and hundreds of lives to come.

Norma Jean Hankins wanted to be known for her kindness. She loved God. She believed that love is the most powerful thing in the world! Her main focus in life was loving and helping people – just as she did for her own family. Forgiveness was something that was always done immediately. My main focus of this story is that you never forget Mrs. Hankins’ request: “Please never forget that my kindness stemmed from my tremendous love for God.” How did I come to learn so much more about what Mrs. Hankins wanted and how she affected so many people through helping and giving?

As I climbed back into my car on that dark country road that night, there was a Bible setting next to me. The lady had slipped it in my car for me. That was the little object she was initially carrying when she first got out of her truck. The object I had forgot about and property of Norma Jean Hankins. Wow! The strongest evidence of the power of love affecting others is what I found on top of Mrs. Hankins’ Bible that night. The same thing I’m holding in my hand right now. A turning point for even me – a pink little rabbit’s foot. Wow! I will call it Christ.

Mr. Apollo
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www.ApolloMotivates.com
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