The Boaz Scorekeeper–Chapter 25

The Boaz Scorekeeper, written in 2017, is my second novel. I'll post it, a chapter a day, over the next few weeks.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that the Flaming Five continued to go about their daily lives as though success and happiness were as fixed and unchanging for them as gravity was for the rest of us mortals.

By 1997, Wade Tillman was, for all practical purposes, the lead pastor at First Baptist Church of Christ.  His father, Walter, had been pastor since the late 50s and was experiencing some serious health problems.  Wade was just as much a Christian fundamentalist as his father, believing with all his heart that the Bible was God’s inerrant, infallible Word.

Wade married Gina Culvert in August 1972.  Everyone in the community had been surprised.  This was understandable since it was common knowledge Gina had a reputation for having loose morals.  She was not prime wife material for a future pastor.  What the community didn’t know was what I learned during Gina’s deposition.  Once law enforcement began investigating the disappearance of Wendi and Cindi Murray, Gina’s mother, Beverly Culvert, pressured Gina into telling the truth about what happened at the graduation party.  Beverly saw an opportunity.  After Raymond Radford and David Adams had talked privately with Gina and offered her a free college education in exchange for her false testimony, she called Walter Tillman and said that Gina would tell the truth unless Wade married Gina. 

Beverly was smart.  She had audio-recorded the conversation Gina had with Raymond and David and told Walter that the tape was in a safety deposit box and only her attorney knew where it was.  Beverly had promised that if any harm came to either her or Gina that the tape would be released to the press.  She even wrote out the definition of ‘harm’ to include Wade initiating any type of separation or divorce from Gina.  Beverly made all parties sign the document she had a Birmingham attorney prepare.  Ultimately, Walter and Wade’s mother, Betty, realized that they had been outfoxed and had no choice but to demand that Wade marry Gina.  Wade also valued his freedom and consented to marrying Gina Renee Culvert on a rainy Saturday afternoon in late August 1972 at First Baptist Church of Christ among a small gathering of family and close friends.

Once again, the community was surprised that Wade and Gina adjusted well to married life, with both going to the University of Alabama for degrees, and on to Dallas, Texas where Wade earned his Master of Divinity diploma from the Southwest Theological Seminary.  Within two years after returning to Boaz, Wade and Gina were the proud parents of two children: Warren, born in 1981, and Grace, born in 1983.

After graduating from Auburn, James Adams had no problem reestablishing himself as a leader in the Boaz community.  He quickly put his marketing degree to good use in recommending and initiating a move of Adams Buick, Chevrolet & GMC from North Main Street to the intersection of Highways 431 and 168, a much more visible and accessible location.  James also joined the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and First Baptist Church of Christ.  In September 1977, he married Rachel Carlisle, a young lady from Demopolis he met while at Auburn.  In 1979, Loree was born and in 1982 Rachel again gave birth, this time to a boy, Justin James Adams.

In 1992 James again motivated and directed another major building project.  This time, he and the other four members of the Flaming Five, spearheaded the creation of a campaign that raised cash and pledges of over $2,000,000 for the construction of the Faith and Family Life Center at First Baptist Church of Christ.  This facility, along with several large classrooms, included an Olympic size swimming pool, and a full-size gymnasium and basketball court.  The Flaming Five started an area youth league that focused on basketball and Bible.  The Center became a catalyst for new church members, drawing couples with children, both boys and girls, from as far away as Douglas and Crossville.  The modern facility was no doubt a drawing card but the real magnet was the vibrant reputation the Flaming Five had eternally etched into the minds and memories of basketball fans throughout North Alabama.

After a glorious career on the courts at Auburn University, Randall Radford returned to Boaz to join the family business—Radford Hardware & Building Supply.  Randall, like James, had not wasted his educational opportunities in college.  With a degree in Finance, Randall revolutionized how Radford Hardware & Building Supply made credit available to its customers.  Randall had learned that lowering credit requirements increased sales with very little decrease in collections.  Providing easy credit terms to most every customer also allowed Randall to keep prices at a premium.  Fred Billingsley at First State Bank of Boaz developed a factoring program for Radford Hardware that allowed Randall to inject cash into the operation when needed.  In 1978, Randall married Randi Bonds.  Randi was the younger sister of Ricki Bonds, Randall’s cheerleader classmate and frequent visitor to Camp Eden.  Randi had always been the studious daughter of Robert and Regina Bonds and had earned a pharmacy degree while at Auburn and now was a drug rep with Merck.  Randall and Randi had two children, Carrie born in 1980, and Clay born in 1982.  Randall was fully committed to Radford Hardware & Building Supply and dedicated at least 60 hours per week assuring that the fourth-generation business would continue for his son Clay, and hopefully his grandchildren.  However, Randall’s passion was ‘Double B’ as he called it: Basketball and Bible.  He worked tirelessly with James Adams to raise the money for the Faith and Family Life Center at First Baptist Church of Christ.  Now, Randall was spending every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and most Saturday afternoons, teaching and coaching teenagers from three counties—always with his 15-year-old son Clay by his side.  The sessions would start with a 45-minute Bible lesson in one of the modern high-media classrooms and then an hour on the basketball court.  Randall fully believed that a person could know Christ just as the disciples had known Him as they walked the dusty trails of Galilee over 2,000 years ago.

Fred Billingsley graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in banking.  He returned to Boaz and went to work at First State Bank of Boaz where his father, Fitz, was now both President and Chief Executive Officer.  He also owned a controlling interest in the thriving bank.  Fred started off as a junior accountant but by 1997 was Vice-President of Operations.  Fred married Phyllis Taylor from Albertville in June 1980. They had two children, Fulton born in 1981, and Stella born in 1983.  Fred and Phyllis joined First Baptist Church of Christ in 1978 and were active members from the start.  Fred, although not as active as James and Randall, supported the basketball and Bible youth program.  Fred’s main interest was money and spent most of his time seeking out opportunities for Club Eden.

John Ericson graduated in 1979 from the University of Alabama with a Masters in Real Estate Development.  He and his wife Judith returned from Tuscaloosa to Boaz for John to join Ericson Real Estate & Property Development as Vice-President, focusing on high-end residential sales, and subdivision opportunities in Boaz, Albertville, and Guntersville.  John and Judith Harrington had met in the summer of 1970 at Camp Winnataska, a Christian youth camp in Birmingham. Judith was from Montgomery.  They continued to pursue their relationship when they returned to the camp in the summer of 1971.  The couple married in June 1974 while both were students at the University.  They had two children.  Bridget was born in 1977, and Danny in 1981.  John and Judith likewise joined First Baptist Church of Christ.  John was equally as active as Randall in the ‘Double B’ program.