Poor-Boys and Pilgrims/Candy

In "Poor-Boys and Pilgrims," a man's carefully constructed life shatters in an instant, sending him on an impromptu road trip to Graceland that becomes both an escape and a search for meaning. At 46 years old, Tom finds himself fleeing Corpus Christi in the middle of the night, tears streaming down his face, desperate to outrun a personal crisis he can barely articulate even to himself. With Paul Simon's "Graceland" playing on his truck's stereo, he impulsively decides that Memphis holds the elusive "grace" he so desperately needs. As Tom traverses the highways and back roads of the American South, his journey becomes populated with characters who unknowingly guide his path toward healing. In the Texas brush country, he reconnects with his cousin Joe and childhood friend Candy, who reminds him that while he cannot control external circumstances, he can choose his response to them. An unexpected encounter with his former mentor, Mrs. Williams, and her psychologist husband in Hope, Arkansas, forces Tom to consider whether he's running from or toward something. Each interaction peels away layers of his emotional armor. Tom's initial impulse to flee transforms into a pilgrimage of self-discovery. His arrival at Graceland brings not the epiphany he sought, but something more valuable, a quiet moment of self-forgiveness that begins to fill the void in his soul. Candelaria "Candy" McCutchsum, a fiery 13-year-old with a foul mouth, a quick temper, and an unwavering sense of justice. Recently expelled from private school for punching a classmate who dared to call her the "B-word," Candy returns home to her small Texas town, where her parents—practical-minded Vivian and good-natured Greg—struggle to manage both their headstrong daughter and their financially troubled family slaughterhouse. Set in the early 1980s, Candy captures the vibrant tapestry of rural Texas life, where community gatherings at local ranches serve as the backdrop for both adolescent drama and adult negotiations. As Candy navigates the precarious terrain between childhood and adolescence—getting her first bra, shaving her legs for the first time, and experiencing the confusing flutter of feelings for her longtime friend, Freddy—she finds herself entangled in the complex dynamics of small-town relationships. Teenage tensions collide with adult concerns, while Candy and her friends deal with awkward dances, failed attempts at teenage rebellion, and confrontations with bullies, while her parents face their own challenges: the potential sale of their family business and the social politics that govern their community. Through Candy's authentic, unfiltered perspective, the story explores universal struggles of adolescence: the desire to be taken seriously, the embarrassment of having parents, the fierce loyalty to friends, and the gradual awakening to the complexities of adult life.