Long, Lean, Lanky Leon Ledbetter

“Are you Leon Ledbetter?” Miss Landry asked. He nodded but said nothing because he was mute. His inability to speak, in addition to his height, aroused much curiosity among his classmates, who nicknamed him “Long, Lean, Lanky Leon.”

At recess, when the volleyball teams argued about who could choose Leon, he broke two twigs off a tree and motioned for each team to draw from his hand. The shorter twig would indicate the loser. Because Leon could easily knock the ball over the net without jumping, his teammates always tapped the ball to him. The losing team refused to play again, so Leon refereed the next game instead, which satisfied everyone.

In time, Leon became a class favorite. After teaching everyone sign language, other students enjoyed talking to him by using this new skill. Plus, he had a delightful personality — always smiling, always friendly. Leon volunteered to referee games, and because he was always fair, no one argued with his decisions.

In high school, the basketball coach was thrilled that Leon’s unusual height made him a great addition to the team, and he discovered something else by watching him play. Because the human body compensates for a deficiency, mute people develop unusually good hearing and eyesight. With his extra sharp vision and excellent coordination, Leon could shoot the basketball from mid-court and almost always scored a basket, bringing all his cheering classmates in the stands to their feet.

When boys and girls began dating each other, Leon was so self-conscious about his height and inability to speak that he was shy around girls. That is until he met Lucy Littleton. Strangely enough, she was very short, which made no difference to Leon, who thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

On Valentine’s Day, Leon left flowers on Lucy’s desk with an unsigned note that read: “I cannot express in words how fond I am of you.” Of course, Lucy knew who it was. After high school, he proposed marriage to her, and she accepted and even answered the preacher’s questions in sign language, as did her new husband. Leon’s coach, who attended the ceremony, handed him a letter from a famous coach in the National Basketball League and said, “This is your big chance, young man — go for it.”

Leon became a star player for the Louisiana Lions, and his teammates loved him so much that they learned sign language. They always called him the same name: Long, Lean, Lanky Leon Ledbetter.

NOTE: Jimmy Reed is a retired college professor and author of several books. This story is from his latest, a children’s book entitled FROM A TO Z, TO YOU FROM ME. Each story in the book maximizes the use of an alphabetical letter, enhanced by alliteration and assonance. The book is available on Amazon, or can be purchased directly from the author. His email address is jimmycecilreedjr@gmail.com.