It was agreed that Phoebe should have a crack at it. The audience in the meantime was wondering just what was going on, especially when they saw the instructor and Mr. Pelky both signing memos. Mr. Pelky gave Phoebe the nod. Phoebe flexed her shoulders once more, stepped onto the heavy padded mat in her bare feet, grabbed the barbells, hosted them to above her knees, then up to her chest then finally above her head.
Letting the barbells go plunk onto the thick mat she swiftly picked them up and hoisted them above her head for the second time. The applause was wild. Mr. Pelky and the instructor were still in discussion as a Phoebe pulled on her shoes and waved them a little toodleloo with a wrist wave as she headed for her table.
As she passed tables, some people reached out to shake her hand. Joanne told Phoebe that she had to put her hand over her mouth. She thought for sure that she was beat, saying that she had to try the lift frequently.
Phoebe told Joanne that, ‘It was quite some time since I loaded tomatoes, corn or pumpkins. I had to pull a muscle.’
Trevor said, ‘If you don’t mind me asking you, what charity did your direct the donation to?’
‘Oh that, I was disqualified on the grounds that I didn’t hoist the barbells on my first effort. That was the least of my concerns. I wanted to prove to myself that I could hoist the blamed things. I’m sure that Mr. Pelky and the instructor had a difference of opinion on that matter. Anyway, they should forget about it all. It don’t matter. It’s less than a hill or shucks.’ Phoebe took it all in stride.
Trevor said, “Members of this congregation, I have news for all of you and your Phoebe doesn’t have a clue as to what this news is. I have an envelope in my pocket and it contains a thousand dollar bill for your church committee. Come here, Phoebe.”
He handed her the envelope. “Now, Phoebe, it’s your pleasure to present it to your secretary.”
The Rev. Little rose to his feet and took Dell and Phoebe to centre stage. Now the ball was in Phoebes court. Phoebe was awestruck and short for words. With moist eye and the kleenex in her hand, she handed Dell the envelope and said, “You take this envelope, Dell, and make a good use of it in the name of our church. Incidentally, Dell, I haven’t a clue where it came from. My advice to the committee is to spend it fast before the law catches up with you.”
There was applause and laughter.
Trevor said, “Honestly, ladies and gentlemen, did anyone of you ever see or hear of Phoebe hoisting barbells? Come on now, speak up.”
There was complete silence. Trevor said, “In that case, I had better fill you people in on how this all came about.” Trevor turned and looked at Phoebe. “Phoebe, you are so modest I know how you feel but, Phoebe, don’t you think that the congregation should know?”
Phoebe replied, “But I didn’t use a gun.” At the same time she gave him a nod to go ahead.
Trevor said that the health club was entertaining his club the same night as Phoebe was his guest. They were arm bending, weight lifting, demonstrating the power of the muscle etc. They were all dressed up in gym suits. There was one fine young well-built lady who was demonstrating her ability to hoist the barbells. When she was finished, the instructor took hold of her hand and announced, ‘If there is a lady in the house that can duplicate this lady’s ability to hoist these dumbbells, our club will donate five hundred dollars to the charity of her choice.’
Phoebe whispered to Joanne, ‘I I think that there is a little fraud here. I’m going to have a crack at it.’
Joanne said, ‘Phoebe, you are going to look foolish if you cannot lift them barbells. They are very heavy.’ The instructor scans the audience and said, ‘No takers.’
Phoebe rose in her feet and headed for the stage. As the saying goes, at least the instructor was surprised. He looked at Phoebe and demonstrated that the barbells would have to be well above her head. Phoebe told him that he would have to give her a little time to get the feel of them. Phoebe flexed her shoulders and bent over a few times, then flexed her two arms, then she gripped the barbells and lifted them above her knees and dropped them on the thick mat.
Phoebe flexed her shoulders and bent over a few times, then flexed her two arms, then she gripped the barbells and lifted them above her knees and dropped them on the thick mat. By this time, the instructor was feeling pretty good. He was sure that this girl had overestimated herself. She gripped the barbells and lifted them as high as her stomach, then again up to her chest.
Phoebe took off her shoes so she could protect her ankles. The instructor stood between her and the barbells. He said, ‘Lady, you have disqualified yourself. You took too many tries.’ Phoebe said, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in your donation. I just want to see if I could hoist the darned things.’
‘That’s fine, lady, but if you injure yourself our insurance might not cover you seeing that you are disqualified.’
Mr. Pelky, who was watching, came over and asked what was the problem. The instructor explained that she has disqualified herself by making too many efforts. ‘Now, if she should get injured, our insurance might not cover her.’
Mr. Pelky said, “Did you explain the rules to her at the beginning?’
‘I thought she was well aware of them.’
Well so far so good. Mr. Pelky explained that ‘She was entertaining a club through your challenge. Now I guarantee you if your insurance doesn’t cover her ours will.’
There was Phoebe standing there in her stockings soles listening to this drivel. Mr. Pelky asked if she still wanted to have, as you say, another crack at it. ‘
‘Well, no if I’m going to cause anyone problems around here.’
‘It’s entirely up to you. If you feel you’re not up to it, we will still admire you just the same.’
Phoebe told them both that, ‘This Insurance is a big joke. Down our way, if you roll off the top of a haystack or a load of hay, they come pick you up and that is that. Oh, sometimes they have to load you onto to a wagon but as a rule you pull through. Well I may as well have another crack in these dumbbells.’
Phoebe bent over a few more times and touched the floor with her fingers. She stepped onto the thick mat and took her time in gripping the barbells. Then, with one effort, she hoisted the barbells up to her chest. She then got her legs in position and hoisted the barbells high above her head. Then she let them fall on the mat with a thud.
Mr. Pelky and the instructor were still discussing something when, and without hesitation, Phoebe bent over and picked up the barbells once more, hoisted them above her head and held on there to a count of five.
Then Phoebe, like the rest of the lifters, held out her arms and flexed her muscles. In no way or form to discredit the other athletes. The applause drowned out the conversation between the instructor and Mr. Pelky. Phoebe slipped on her shoes and was giving the two men a slight hand wave from her wrist and heading for Trevor and Joanne. Mr. Pelky reached to shake her hand and said, ‘Phoebe, we will keep you informed through Trevor and Joanne. The executives of the two clubs will have to get together on this and thrash it out. But do not worry, Phoebe. I will see to it that the donation comes through’.
‘Mr. Pelky, I’m sorry that I have caused you all this trouble. As far as I am concerned, I wish that you all would forget the whole episode.’
On her way to Joanne’s table, different patrons reached out to shake her hand. One man said, ‘Young lady, you played it smart by not trying to lift them barbells on your first try.’
‘Sir, it’s no different lifting them barbells than it is lifting up a butchered hog onto a dressing table.’
It was all his friends could do to keep from laughing. When Phoebe sat down at the table, Joanne said, ‘Thank God you are here. Trevor and I had to put our hands over our mouths. We thought several times that you were beat.’
‘Well, Joanne, it was like most things that I attempt. I made a boo-boo of it. I disqualified myself but don’t ask me how.’
All of a sudden, Trevor wanted all the details of the situation.
‘Well, Trevor, apparently I made too many tries before I hoisted the barbells. Now, Trevor, here it was my problem. It has been sometime since I lifted crates of tomatoes and boxes of harvested corn cobs for the canning factory not to mention field pumpkins. So Trevor, in no way was I going to take a chance on a rupturing myself. That wouldn’t be worth all the money that these clubs possess.’
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