Box Set: The ArringtonTrilogy (44 page)

“I’ll see you later, kid. I’m going to go
read for a while,” he said.

“Bye, Heath.”

I eagerly caught his inspiration and ran up
to my room to take out one of the books I hadn’t yet read. I
shuffled through the box and picked up The Innocents Abroad, by
Mark Twain. Once again, as always when I read, my mind was
transported to a place far away—to countries I imagined visiting
some day. There I would meet new people and have new adventures,
just like Mark Twain. I envisioned my journey taking several years,
and by my side would be the man of my dreams. Before, the man I
would someday marry had only been a vision as thick as the fog that
rolled in almost every night we were stationed on Rock Ledge
Island. Now my vision was clear, and for certain, the man who would
share my adventures would be Heath Dalton.

_______________

At week’s end, Daddy, Momma, and I took the
row boat and headed towards the harbor and the mainland. It was a
once-a-week excursion Daddy and I made, if not hindered by the
weather. Momma came along only that one time.

The village was large, twice the size of the
tiny harbor village we journeyed to from a vessel that took us off
of Rock Ledge Island in years past. Then it was only for a day, and
not more than twice a year. Then Daddy had been quiet, his
expression forlorn. Momma had been thrilled to get off the
isolated, gloomy island, as was I.

This new village we ventured onto was
bustling with activity. There were two large shipyards and several
taverns by the docks. There were fisherman, as well as children and
families walking the road up to the main street, where there was a
general store and several shops. There was a bank, a hotel, and a
post office. It wasn’t long before I caught sight of the school
house and the church just up a small hill. Momma and Daddy had
never taken me to church. We did our Sunday praying at home and
studied the Bible for most of the morning. Momma loved to sing
hymns, and one day wished to have her very own piano. From what
Momma told me, the Daltons rowed to the village every Sunday for
services. She told me we wouldn’t be doing that. Momma also said by
the end of the summer we were going to get back to our studies, and
I wasn’t going to attend school with Heath and Ayden. I didn’t
understand why.

“But there is a school, and Heath will row us
to the village. Momma, please, can’t I go?” I cried one night as
she sat in her rocker and sewed a loose button back onto Daddy’s
uniform.

“No, Lillian. I am your teacher; you stay
home with me.”

“I don’t understand,” I pouted.

Daddy returned from the woodshed and
overheard our disagreement.“You will do as your mother says,” he
stated, and threw her a look of concern.

I stopped arguing with her about attending
school with Heath and Ayden. Daddy’s law had been laid down, and I
would never dare challenge it.

I followed Daddy into the general store while
Momma went over to the post office to pick up our mail. Usually,
the only letters we received were envelopes with Daddy’s wages.

Daddy talked to the store owner for quite a
while as I walked around the small shop. On a high shelf sat a row
of porcelain dolls. I had never owned a real doll before. These
were beautiful; some had golden-blond hair, but the one I liked
most had chestnut brown hair, the same exact color as Momma’s. The
doll’s dress was navy blue with red ribbon, and she had on tiny
black shoes.

Daddy came up behind me and put his hands on
my shoulders. “I’m finished here. Let’s go find Momma.”

“Daddy, do you see that pretty doll?” I
asked, pointing up to it.

Daddy reached over, turned the price tag, and
shook his head.“It is very pretty, Lillian, but it costs more than
we can afford. And besides, I have a secret to tell you,” he said,
lowering himself down to whisper in my ear. “I have ordered Momma a
piano for her birthday next month.”

I couldn’t imagine where Daddy got the money
to buy Momma a piano, but it really didn’t matter. I knew how happy
it would make her. I smiled widely, and Daddy reminded me to keep
the secret hush. I swore I would.

Momma had Daddy’s pay in hand, and together
we headed over to the bank. Afterwards, we strolled back through
the village. I walked ahead, noticing the other children playing in
small groups by the docks. Because I was busy staring at them, I
didn’t see the large man that stepped out of the tavern and plowed
right into Momma. I spun around and watched Daddy throw a punch at
the man while bystanders rushed to help Momma up.

“Momma,” I cried, and ran over to her. Daddy
laid a second punch into the sailor’s strong jaw, sending the man
to the ground. He lay there, holding his face, glaring up at Daddy.
Momma got to her feet with some help, and I hurried to let her lean
on me.

Daddy towered over the man that made Momma
fall and protected her, just the way Heath had done for me.

“Come, Garrett, take me back,” Momma said,
her voice shaking.

He turned his back on the man and took hold
of Momma. “Are you sure you are all right, Amelia?”

She nodded.

All the way back to the island, I let Momma
lean on me as we sat side by side in the boat. Momma was too frail
to be knocked down. I saw the worry in Daddy’s handsome face. He
rowed on against the current until finally we were back on Jasper
Island. Daddy pulled the boat onto the shore and carried Momma off
and all the way up to the house. Heath and Ayden came over to see
what was wrong.

After I had explained what happened, Heath
hurried to get his mother so she could help tend Momma. Ayden stood
there for a moment and stared at me, and instead of scowling, his
eyes softened, and he helped me up the embankment without a
word.

That night, Momma didn’t come up to brush my
hair. She slept through supper. I helped Opal prepare supper then
clean up the dishes. Edward took on the night shift, and Ayden
assisted while Daddy stayed with Momma and watched her sleep. I
stood at my window and gazed up at the sky, which was full of
stars. I used to wish on stars when I was younger—that Momma would
someday not be tired and sick. But as I grew older, I realized that
my wishes weren’t coming true.

Down below, I saw Heath make his way out to
his telescope by the light of the moon. It wasn’t long before I was
outside, trailing behind him. He didn’t see me and wasn’t aware
that I sat and watched him peer through his telescope into the sky
as the light from the beacon rotated out to the ocean. I watched
him for what must have been hours, until I tired and my eyelids
grew heavy. Too tired to fight it any longer, I rested my head on
the cool, sandy ground, and drifted off to sleep. Later, I was
woken by a sharp jab in my leg. I sat up and rubbed my tired eyes,
trying to focus. With my vision blurred, I gazed up at what I
believed was Victor’s ghost! He was an old man, probably more than
one hundred years old.

“Are you Victor?” I gasped.

The ghostly old man didn’t speak, but turned
and disappeared into the blackness. With great fear, I scurried up
and ran back to the house. I did the best I could to quietly creep
in, not to wake Momma and Daddy. I was successful, and as soon as I
got to my room, I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up over my
head. Ayden was right; the ghost of Victor was real!

I didn’t mention my encounter with the ghost
to anyone as a long, stormy week went by. I stayed inside and kept
my nose in my books, or when I wasn’t reading, stayed with Daddy in
the watch tower. With the bad weather, the light needed to be
flashed throughout the day. By the fifth day of endless rain and
fog, the inclement weather finally broke, and Momma emerged from
bed. Daddy was worn from the days and nights tending the light and
worrying over Momma. The light he kept on the sea now shined
through Daddy’s eyes when she came and hugged him, then placed a
long kiss on his lips. Daddy held her close to him and told her he
didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost her. The two stood
before the fire in the kitchen, unaware I was there. Their passion
for each other tuned everything else out; the rest of the world
didn’t exist. Even I was a mere shadow in the room.

It wasn’t long before we were celebrating
Momma’s birthday on a hot July evening. Edward, Heath, and Ayden
had just finished the lengthy process of repainting the lighthouse
tower, and they washed up just before we served supper. Opal showed
me how to bake a cake, which I would present to Momma afterwards.
Opal was very talented at baking, and I memorized her instructions.
Daddy had been to the mainland and had the boat loaded up with the
piano. I couldn’t imagine Daddy rowing the piano out to the island,
but sure enough, he did, and with the help of the Daltons, brought
it to shore and up to the house. They put the piano in our parlor,
Momma unaware. She had been preparing the chicken all day.

After supper, I presented Momma with the
cake. Everyone was very impressed, although the cake was slightly
lopsided. Ayden was the first to dig in, and he gobbled down his
giant piece.

“This is really good,” he mumbled between
bites. It was Ayden’s first compliment, though not a very
gentlemanly one at all. Heath praised me for my efforts and
complimented me on learning how to bake so well under his mother’s
guidance.

Momma was thrilled. Daddy couldn’t wait to
give her the big surprise. As soon as she took her last bite of
cake, he swooped her up and guided her back to our house. He even
tied a handkerchief over her eyes then led her inside. When Daddy
removed it, Momma’s eyes flew open and she covered her mouth to
muffle her cries of joy. Daddy stood back and watched her run her
delicate fingers over the keys as her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, Garrett, how did you manage—”

He stopped her before she could continue.
“Sit down, Amelia, and play a hymn for us.”

We all encouraged her, and after some
persuasion, she agreed.

“It has been years since I played,” she
admitted with some apprehension then she began with “Holy, Holy,
Holy.” Momma’s voice must have been created by angels, for angels.
It brought a tear to everyone’s eyes. Heath appeared especially
touched and stared at Momma. Her angelic voice sounded all the way
up to the heavens.

“Thank you all for such a wonderful
birthday,” Momma cried, sending a shy smile over to where Daddy was
smoking his pipe.

When the evening grew late and Daddy made his
way up to the tower, Momma came in to say goodnight. I sat on the
bed, and she gently brushed my hair. Momma was unusually quiet and
kept gazing out my window, to the light that flashed every few
seconds. Daddy was up there, cranking the weights every few hours
to keep the Fresnel lens turning.

“Did you really have a good birthday, Momma?”
I asked when she was just about done.

“I did, Lillian. Thank you so much for the
delicious cake. You did a fine job,” she said, then kissed my cheek
with her soft, warm lips. She smelled especially good that evening.
I recognized her perfume. She wore it only on very special
occasions.

“You sleep tight, my darling,” she sang, then
blew me a kiss from the doorway. I knew where she was going. Daddy
would be pleased to have her company. Daddy hated when Momma was
away from him, even if it was only for a few hours. I wondered if
all husbands felt that way about their wives. Would my husband one
day feel that way about me? I wondered.

The first Sunday after Momma’s Bible lesson,
after Daddy read two gospels, she sat at the piano and for hours
played her favorite hymns. The Daltons had made their way to the
mainland to attend services, but I couldn’t imagine being more
inspired or closer to God than at our very own house. Momma never
looked more beautiful than when she was at the piano, and Daddy’s
eyes never left her, not even for a minute.

By late day, the Daltons had returned, and we
all sat down for Sunday supper. Instead of eating outside as we had
done almost every day since we arrived, Daddy invited the Daltons
to dine with us at our house, and Momma and I prepared the entire
meal.

They arrived in their Sunday best. Edward
described the service that Reverend Martinson gave. Daddy sat back
and listened while Opal and Momma talked about the late-summer
agricultural fair. Opal was working on a quilt she wanted to
enter.

“There is going to be a circus coming next
week,” Ayden announced.

It all sounded like so much excitement for
the summer. I had never been to either one of those things.

“Do you think there will be elephants?” I
asked.

Heath chuckled and patted me on the head,
then said, “I’m sure there will be, kid. Maybe even some
clowns.”

Everyone laughed at Heath’s response.
Everyone but Ayden. I felt that I was the joke, that Heath thought
I was a silly little girl. I asked to be excused, and Daddy allowed
me to leave the table. I hurried up to my room and plopped down
onto my bed. I needed to show Heath that I wasn’t a baby. I then
remembered that somewhere in my box was an astronomy book. It
didn’t take me long to find it, and I sat back on my bed and
studied the constellations. I was going to memorize them all and
prove to Heath I was just as smart and mature as he was.

He was standing on the bluff adjusting the
telescope when I appeared out of the darkness. Startled, he stepped
back then realized it was me.

“Lillian, what are you doing out here?”

“I came to study the constellations with
you.”

Heath looked back at the house, then back to
me. “It’s late. Don’t you think—”

I interrupted him. “Up there—that is Draco.
And over there—” I pointed. “Is Hercules.”