Rhode Island Story – Part 5

 Good morning!

Did any of you see the Super Moon last night? We did. It was huge and kind of a mix of orange and pink. We do serve a wonderful God.

Well, the King's Daughters' Writing Camp opened its gates yesterday. Camp doesn't officially start until the 1st, but already we have more campers than we have ever had before. We even have new campers inviting their friends to come and join. It's exciting to see so many girls, older and younger coming together to write, encourage one another and have some fun.

Guess what?! I sent "Phil Wood" off to my synopsis writer! That means it's nearing completion. I still have to get my proof copy after the synopsis gets written, and then do edits in there, but that is mostly a read through by another person or two looking for typos, formatting problems and such. I designed the front cover and only have a little bit to do on the cover once I get the synopsis. It's pretty exciting! :) At least I think so. ;)

 And with that, here's the next part of this story. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Rhode Island Story
Part 5

    “I . . . I don’t know any other Dales except Daddy and Mother, and my sisters,” I admitted, wishing someone would come along the beach and distract the woman from me.
    “You mark my words–” The lady shifted, lifted her cane, and shook it in my direction. “You mark my words,” she repeated, “they won’t come back. Not one that’s left will come back here.” She took a step toward me. “And good reason.”
    I stepped back again.
    “There’s more than one Dale who’s run. More than one.” She lowered her cane and leaned on it. “Now go away. This is my beach now. Git!” She waved her hat at me.
    Without a word of farewell, I ran. I ran up through the long coarse grass and into town and didn’t stop running until I was out of breath and had to sit down on a bench. I had forgotten all about my shoes and socks.
    Sitting on the bench, I pressed a hand over my racing heart and tried to fill my lungs with oxygen again.
    “Are you all right, deary?”
    I started and nearly fell off the bench. But it was only the mayor’s mother. She sat down beside me and patted my knee.
    “I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said. “Are you– What happened to your cheek?”
    “M . . . my cheek?” I had forgotten about the hat pin. Putting a hand up, I gingerly touched the scratch and winced slightly. “It was a hat pin, ma’am. Her hat blew off and hit me.”
    “Whose hat? And, deary, you can call me Grandma. Everyone else around here does.”
    Nodding, I drew a deep breath. “Grandma.” I ventured a small smile. “I don’t know who the lady is. She was on the beach, and she’s old and walks with a cane. I don’t think she liked me even though I gave her hat back.”
    Grandma frowned thoughtfully. “I wonder who that could be.” Looking around, she called, “Josiah!”
    “Oh, I don’t want to bother–” But I wasn’t given a chance to finish, for the mayor came up with a smile.
    “Good afternoon, Miss Bonnie, Mother.”
    “Josiah,” Grandma got right to the point, “do you know of an old woman who walks along the beach with a cane? And wears a hat with a hatpin?”
    “No,” came the thoughtful reply. “Is that person still at the beach? I might be able to find out who she is.”
    Grandma looked at me.
    “I don’t know,” I answered in a low voice, staring down at my hands. “She told me to run away because the beach was hers now, so I came here.” I swung my foot. “Oh!”
    “What?” Grandma and the mayor asked at once.
    “I left my shoes.” Reluctantly, I stood up. “I have to get them.”
    “Why don’t I walk with you,” Mr. Mayor suggested. “Perhaps we’ll see your old lady and I can find out who she is. What happened to your face?”
    “It was the hat pin, Josiah,” Grandma said. “I didn’t hear how the hat pin did the damage, but it did. I’ll wait in the book store for you.”
    I didn’t mind walking through the village with the mayor because he was very friendly and nice. But when we neared the beach, I grew nervous. My steps slowed as I recalled her words about the Dale family, and her shrill voice.
    “I promise it will be all right,” the mayor told me with a smile. “It is a public beach, and you don’t even have to talk to her if you don’t want to. We can get your shoes, and you can run back to Jack Frost’s while I find out who the woman is, if you’d like.”
    The sky was turning to darker shades of gray, and the puffs of wind were no longer just puffs, but actual gusts, which grew more steadily stronger. I wondered if it was going to rain. Perhaps I would just get my shoes and run all the way home to Aunt Betsy and Uncle Tony.
    We reached the beach, and I saw the woman over near the rocks where I had fallen asleep the first time. She was looking out to sea and didn’t see us as she stood there with her hat in her hand. Darting over to the grasses where I had left my shoes, I stopped short and looked around. They were gone.
    “Did you lose your shoes again?” Mr. Mayor asked with a slight chuckle.
    Slowly I nodded. “I left them right here. It’s where I always leave them when I come to the beach.” Tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t lose my shoes. What would Aunt Betsy and Uncle Tony say if I did? And what would Flo and Lyn say when they found out? Perhaps a dog had carried them away. But I hadn’t seen a single dog not on a leash since I had arrived. “They aren’t here,” I whispered.
    As I looked up, I saw the old woman turn around. I gasped.
    “What is it, Bonnie?” the mayor asked quickly.
    “She has my shoes.” I pointed to the woman.
    There was no doubt that the woman was carrying a pair of shoes. The laces were tied together ,and socks fluttered from where they were tucked inside the shoes.
    Mr. Mayor stepped forward with purpose, and I trailed along behind hoping she wouldn’t notice me much.
    “Ma’am,” Mr. Mayor said, stopping before the woman and speaking in a friendly voice, “I see you’ve found a pair of shoes. If you are looking for the owner–”
    “These are my shoes, young man.”
    Mr. Mayor smiled. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I think they belong to my friend here.” He motioned me forward. “Are those your shoes, Bonnie?”
    I nodded.
    “Maybe they were once,” the woman said, “but I found ‘em, and they’re mine now, so run along both of you.”
    If I had been alone, I would have run away, but the mayor just stood and smiled.

Are you excited for "Phil Wood"?

Have you been to KDWC before?

Did you see the Super Moon last night?