Fannie Flagg - Standing in the Rainbow

Their candidate was very careful not to attack Betty Raye and went after Hamm, but one of his top aides was overheard saying something snide about Betty Rave's backwoods gospel-singing beginnings and the newspapers printed it. It was just the thing Hamm had been waiting for. He jumped all over it. "My wife and I, unlike our honorable Republican opponent, are not ashamed of being God-fearing Christians.

My wife is a humble woman but she is proud that she comes from a family with the rich traditions of the Oatman Family Gospel Singers. And I'm proud to be the son-in-law of such a fine woman as Minnie Oatman.

"I say to attack folks because of their religion is downright unAmerican and, if I may say so, not very gentlemanly. Frankly, I'm ashamed of him and surprised he would stoop so low as to take a swipe at my wife and her family." By the time Hamm got through dragging him over the coals, people had forgotten that it had not been the candidate who had said anything in the first place. During the campaign, al though Hamm and Vita talked every day, Vita did not see as much of Hamm as she would have liked, but she was thoroughly enjoying the show and watching Hamm in action.

On the morning of November 5, almost everyone had their television sets on.

"Well, it's ladies' day in Missouri this morning," said a smiling Barbara Walters on the NBC Today show. The male co host snorted slightly, then caught himself and changed the subject, but not before adding his congratulations to the new Governor Sparks.

Bobby and Anna Lee both sent her telegrams of congratulations, as did Doc and Dorothy and Mother Smith. The first Sunday after Betty Raye had won the election Dorothy ran into Pauline Tuttle, Betty Raye's old high school English teacher, at church. The very same Pauline Tuttle who, sixteen years ago at the A & P, had predicted that Betty Raye would never amount to anything. Dorothy did not want to rub it in but at the coffee-and-cake get-together in the parish hall afterward, she knew she shouldn't but she could not help saying just a little something as she passed by. "So, Pauline," she said, "what do you think about our girl up in Jefferson City?"

Pauline stood there holding her plate and looked at her with a helpless expression. "I just don't know what to say, Dorothy, I'm speechless. How that shy little girl could grow up and become the governor of the state is simply incomprehensible; frankly, the whole thing baffles me."

No more than it baffled Betty Raye. How she had let Hamm talk her into this charade was still a mystery to her but she had and now she was trapped. It was like being six months pregnant. She couldn't go back if she wanted to. She had no choice but to go forward.

And so on Inauguration Day, as much as she dreaded it, she went through the necessary motions of being sworn in and posing for the pictures and although her hands and her knees were shaking, she read the short speech they had written out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with the utmost humility that I accept this office today. And with your support and the help of my husband and number one adviser, I promise to carry out my duties as your new governor to the very best of my abilities, so help me God."

Cecil then signaled the band to start up and she and Hamm walked down the avenue to the governor's mansion on the coldest day of the year.

But the streets were lined with well-wishers and Hamm strutted beside her, smiling and waving at the crowd. Some said if you did not know better, the way he was carrying on you would have thought that he was the new governor. As they walked, even though the streets were lined with the cheering people, Betty felt lonely. Her mother was not there today because the Oatman family had an engagement they could not change. Dorothy and Doc were invited as well but Mother Smith was ill and they had to cancel at the last minute. When they arrived at the mansion, Betty Raye saw a familiar face at the top of the stairs waiting for her. "Welcome home, Governor Betty," said Alberta Peets, the ice-pick murderess. "I've already taken care of Governor Hamm's things and put them in his room and your things is all ironed and ready to go and so is the boys."

Betty Raye was never so glad to see anyone in her life. "Oh, thank you, Alberta."

"I'm glad to do it. You know it's not good for me to be idle. What do they say? Idle hands is the devil's workshop. Or something like that."

After she gave the boys their baths and got them ready for bed she came back in Betty Raye's room.

"I see that Figg man is here again."

"Cecil? Oh yes. Everybody's back, the same old people."

"Well, all I can say is he better be careful this time. My feet is worse than ever and he comes down in my kitchen and makes me wear them shoes again, no telling what I'm liable to do."

When Betty Raye was dressed and ready for the Governor's Ball, she sat down on the bed. "Alberta," she said, "I'd give a million dollars not to have to go tonight."

"Well, now that you're a governor too I'll bet they gonna have you do a lot of things you don't want to."

"I hope not."

Cecil Figgs knocked on the door. "Darling, I don't want to rush you but we need pictures before we go, so come on down as soon as you can. Do you need me to help you with anything?"

Betty Raye sighed and stood up. "No, I'm ready."

Cecil opened the door and said, "Oh you look wonderful." Then he noticed Alberta standing behind the door and added gaily, "Hello, Alberta, isn't it exciting. Here we are all back together again."

"Uh-huh," she said, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Here we are again."

From the moment that they walked into the governor's mansion after I Betty Raye's inauguration it was clear that nothing much had changed. Hamm immediately went to his office with his staff and they started set' ting up meetings and going over bills and laws that had not been passed during the last four years, figuring out ways to change them and still get what they wanted. However, Alberta's prediction was correct. From then, on Betty Raye's days consisted of hours of standing around having her picture made with every beauty queen, FHA winner, Girl Scout, Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, Teacher of the Year, Businessman and — woman of the Year, and anyone to whom Cecil promised a picture with the governor, while Hamm and the boys sat in the other room working on state government. At the end of each day she sat with pen in hand and signed everything that Wendell put in front of her and then went upstairs to bed, alone as usual.

But life was not all bad. She spent most of her free time over at the new house, simply wandering around happily or outside doing a little gardening. And several months after the election, Neighbor Dorothy and Mother Smith, who was over her terrible flu, came up and visited for the day. She laughed when Dorothy gave her the chili dog Jimmy had wrapped in tinfoil to send her and she caught up with all the news about f' Bobby's new job and Anna Lee's new baby. They were surprised to see how big her two boys had grown. All in all it was a wonderful day.

Neighbor Dorothy never liked to brag, so after they had returned from visiting her friend the new governor of the state, close to the end of the show she simply told her listeners this:

"Over the weekend Mother Smith and I were lucky enough to have had a lovely visit with an old friend of ours and it was so good to see her.

And this morning, before we run out of time and get too busy, I just want to take a moment to tell you how grateful Mother Smith and I are having all of you in our lives. We just don't know what we would have done all these years without all of our precious radio friends out there, who continue year after year to make our days so happy. And speaking of friends… one of our sweet listeners, Mrs. Hattie Smith of Bell Meade, Missouri, sent along this thought: "When you plant seeds of kindness, you are sure to grow a crop of good friends."