Archie’s mother, known by most as Chef Annella, was one of three notable chefs who lived in Outlandish. Each of them owned their own restaurants and they’d all won awards for their dishes.
Annella didn’t work at the restaurant because she had to, for her husband, Albert, was rich; Annella worked because cooking made her happy. She would have done it for free just to watch people react to the flavors of her dishes, but Albert, an entrepreneur, bought her the seaside restaurant so they could make a profit off of her talent. He would say, “It’s just good business.”
Albert wanted to call the restaurant “Annella’s,” but she insisted on calling it Flavors of the Earth, because flavors were Annella’s life. She’d invested a good many years establishing what tasted good with what. Her admiration for food was slightly amusing, but she took it so seriously that no one would ever dream of laughing at her.
Flavors of the Earth only had one table inside with an umbrella, and it sat in the back corner by the kitchen. That table was Archie’s, and it was where he sat reading his book on the evening of his birthday. His mother did come out of the kitchen on occasion, and his father even popped by for a bit while on an errand, but Archie mostly entertained himself.
He had just returned to his table with a cup of tea and stuck his head back in his book when he heard a voice say, “Hello. Is this seat taken?”
When Archie looked up and saw the same blonde from earlier in the day, he felt his heart quicken and worried he’d find himself in a full-fledged panic attack, so he purposely took some slow, deep breaths (hoping it wouldn’t be obvious that he was trying to recover).
Though he knew his voice would certainly be shaky, he still attempted to speak. Unfortunately, when his lips parted, no sound came out. He opened his eyes a little too widely in surprise at his failure and then tucked his chin toward his neck.
Determined to prevail, he tried again.
“This. This table is private,” he managed to say. “I mean to say . . . um . . . there are other tables available . . . ones you may sit at.”
“Oh,” she said, looking a little disappointed.
“Would you like me to locate one for you?” he asked. “This is my mother’s restaurant, after all.”
“Oh, is it?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes,” answered Archie.
She turned to take a quick look around the restaurant, looked back at Archie, and said, “So I can’t sit here with you?”
Archie, caught off guard by her question said, “Well, no. I mean . . . there’s no need for that.”
Spreading his arms toward the room, he said, “Look. Tables. Everywhere.”
Archie noticed red blotches beginning to appear on her face and neck.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Ye-es. Why do you ask?”
He put his palms out toward his face and wiggled his fingers a bit. “Well, you’re a bit . . . um . . . well, a bit, splotchy.”
She put her hands up covering her lower face and neck.
Speaking through her hands, her words were a muffled, “Oh, I always do that.”
“But you are all right?” Archie asked again.
“Yes,” she said removing her hands from her face. “I do that when I’m embarrassed.”
“Oh, did I embarrass you?” Archie asked.
“Yes, I guess you did,” she replied with a little smile.
“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping his head, feeling a little shame. “I’m afraid if I did it is because I am a bit shy of strangers. It wasn’t my intention.”
The lady put her hand out with a little reservation and said, “I’m Tallie. Tallie Greenleaf.”
Archie hesitated in putting his hand out to shake as he still felt a little jittery, but because her hand was outstretched, he could think of no way around it.
“Ms. Greenleaf,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Oh, no, just call me Tallie,” she said, taking his hand.
Archie nodded.
Tallie stood waiting for Archie to introduce himself, but when he remained quiet, she asked, “And you are?”
Archie’s body jerked as if coming out of a trance, and he said with a nervous laugh, “Oh, sorry. I’m Archibald Plumby.”
Tallie smiled, “It’s very nice to meet you, Archibald. Please forgive me for being persistent. I’m not stalking you. I do have a purpose.”
“Oh?” said Archie.
“Yes, I’m a photographer-in-training, actually. I’ve been working with Gemma Perrelli.”
Tallie waited for Archie to react to the name Gemma Perrelli, but his expression didn’t change.
“You haven’t heard of her?” she asked, shaking her head.
“No.”
“Oh. Well, she’s a very well-known photojournalist,” she answered.
“Is she?” Archie asked.
“Yeah, anyway, I’m somewhere between her personal assistant and her student. Still learning the ropes, you know.”
Archie nodded and asked, “And is she here with you in Outlandish?”
“She will be. Tomorrow. She’s been in Europe. She sent me ahead to look for some new material.”
“Why Outlandish?” Archie asked.
“You tell me. Why is everyone so enamored with this place?”
Archie surprised himself by saying, “Well, maybe you should have a seat then?”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said with a look of satisfaction.
Archie stood and put his hand out to the chair across from him. Tallie sat down.
“You’ve not been here before?” he asked.
“No, I’m from Portland. Well, not actually from Portland. I’m staying with a friend there.”
“I see.”
“So Ms. Perrelli tells me Outlandish is known for being a little odd.”
“Odd?” asked Archie.
“Oh no. Did I offend you?” Before he had time to answer, she added, “Ms. Perrelli just said Outlandish has its own sort of culture—that things are different here. That’s all I meant.”
Archie shrugged and said, “I’ve lived here my entire life. In fact, I’ve only been away from Outlandish a few times, and not for many years, so I don’t really have a basis for comparison.”
“Okay,” Tallie said with a nod. “So why do you think people like Outlandish? I mean, people obviously love visiting.”
Archie surprised Tallie by asking, “Do you find it odd?”
“Well, I’ve only been here a couple of days, but yeah, a little bit.”
“Maybe I’m just a little odd myself and that’s why I don’t see it,” Archie said while shrugging one shoulder.
Tallie smiled at Archie. “Well, I only just met you, so I wouldn’t know, but who’s normal anyway? I think we’re all odd in our own way.”
Archie said, “I quite agree,” but then he looked up at the umbrella above him and turned his attention back to Tallie. “But then there’s my umbrella. It is what caught your attention, yes?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile, “I’ll admit, it did. I’ve been here a couple of days and every time I’ve seen you, you’ve been underneath it.”
“There are a lot of umbrellas on the beach. How did I manage to stand out?”
“Oh, it’s just that you seem to be the first one on the beach in the morning, and what’s visually appealing to me as a photographer is the look of the one man . . . under the umbrella with the wide shore . . . and the large sky.”
Archie lifted his eyebrows, surprised by her attention to detail.
She put both of her palms against the tabletop, leaned forward, and said, “And if you could see it from my point of view, you’d totally understand.”
“I think I can understand.”
“May I ask where you get your umbrellas?” Tallie asked. “Every time I’ve seen you, you’ve had a different one.”
“We actually order them from a man in London.”
“London, really? Why all the way from London?”
“Mostly because of the way they fold up. They’re much easier to manage.”
“How does it fold up?” she asked.
Archie took his umbrella from the wall and demonstrated underneath the large table umbrella. Holding it up, he said, “See how it looks like it’s inside out?”
“Yeah, upside down, too . . . like the handle’s on the wrong side.”
“That’s right,” he said. “What you’re looking at is the interior of the umbrella, not the exterior. When you push on this,” he said pushing up on the shaft’s runner, “it opens down over you instead of out and up.”
Pulling back down on the runner he added, “Then when you pull down on this to close it, the umbrella collapses from the outside in.”
Tallie looked perplexed and shook her head.
“It’s made my life much easier,” Archie added.
“You make it sound like you need the umbrella on more occasions than most people.”
Archie smiled and added, “The truth is, looking up into open space is quite a challenge for me. Impossible actually.”
“What do you mean, impossible?” she asked.
“Well, I can turn my head and look up. It’s not a physical inability. It’s my mind. It doesn’t quite know what to do with what it sees.”
“So you need the umbrella as a shelter?” Tallie asked.
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Oh. Is there a name for it?” she asked.
“Doctors have told us it is similar to anablephobia—which is the fear of looking up—but most people with anablephobia are only bothered by large open spaces, like the sky or an auditorium. I can’t even look at an eight-foot ceiling.”
Tallie didn’t want him to regret opening up to her. She had a feeling it wasn’t something he did often. So in hopes of conveying a general curiosity without prying too much, she only said, “Interesting.”
Archie nodded. “Most people with anablephobia can just avoid looking up. They walk with their heads down or keep their eyes lowered. I don’t think there are many that require an umbrella.”
“Could it just be a more severe case?” Tallie asked.
“Maybe. But typically cases develop over time or after a trauma. I seem to have been born with it.”
“Will you ever be cured of it?” she asked.
“Not likely,” Archie answered. “I’ve tried a good deal of therapies through the years, but here I am, still me. Right where I started. Well, not exactly where I started, I guess. I do cope a little . . . a lot better now.”
“Do you mean you’ve learned how to live with it?”
Archie explained, “When I was twelve, my mother asked me if I would like to continue searching for treatment or just accept it and move on with my life. I decided I would like to accept it, and I’ve never given it another thought. It’s just the way I am. I have no quarrel with it.”
Tallie said in almost a whisper, “See, I knew there was something special about you.”
Archie set the left side of his face down into his palm and raised his eyebrows exaggeratedly. “Oh no, not special. Just an additional helping of peculiar.”
“Exactly!” said Tallie. “That’s what I mean. That’s why I’m here.”
Archie moved his hand off of his face and clasped his hands in front of him. “So what is it you want with me?” he asked.
“I would like to photograph you.”
“I’m afraid that will be impossible,” Archie was serious. “Posing for photographs has never been my forte. You’ve seen how much I like attention.”
“But would you be willing to let me get my photographs if I didn’t bother you at all? I’d like to photograph you as you go about your normal routine. I promise you won’t even know I’m there.”
“What will you do with your photographs once you have them?” Archie asked.
“I’m not sure, but I promise not to use them unless I have your permission.”
Archie sighed. “Well, go ahead and practice on me then, but I can promise you, if I see you taking them, I’m bound to run.”
Tallie laughed, “Yes, I believe you will.”
Annella walked out of the kitchen and over to the table with a fresh pot of tea, thinking she would share it with Archie. When she saw Archie sitting with someone (and wondered if it might be the same girl she had seen out the window), she decided she would serve them the tea instead.
She walked up to the table with the tea tray in hand and said to Tallie, “Hello. I’m Annella, Archie’s mother.”
“Oh, hi, I’m Tallie.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Tallie. Are you new to Outlandish?”
Tallie heard Annella’s question but was too delighted with her accent to answer. “You have an English accent! I love it!”
Archie looked at his mother and smiled. Annella smiled back at him before turning her attention back to Tallie. “Yes, I was born and raised in England.”
Tallie appeared a little embarrassed and said, “I’m sorry. I’ve always had this thing for English accents.”
Annella said, “Don’t worry dear, newcomers often take notice of it.”
“Oh good,” Tallie said. “Anyway, yes, I’m new here, but I’m just visiting. Doing some work actually. I’m a student photographer.”
Annella smiled, “Outlandish is a perfect place for a photographer. Isn’t it beautiful here?”
“Really amazing.”
“And how did you come to meet Archie?” Annella asked.
Archie didn’t wait for Tallie to answer. “Oh, she came in looking for a table, so I invited her to sit with me.”
Archie’s mother looked at him in disbelief, but then said with a smile, “Well, wasn’t that nice of you. Do you take tea, Tallie?” she asked, holding up the teapot.
“Not usually, but how can I refuse tea from an Englishwoman?”
Annella laughed while setting an orange teacup and turquoise saucer in front of Tallie. “I hope you’ll enjoy it,” she said pouring the tea.
“What pretty dish colors,” said Tallie as she ran her finger along the turquoise saucer.
“Mother loves colors—all of them.” Archie smiled at his mother.
Annella nodded. “Well, Archie, how nice to have someone join you for tea on your birthday.”
“It’s your birthday?” Tallie asked with surprise.
Archie was a little embarrassed by the attention and glanced at his mother with an accusing expression. Looking back at Tallie he said, “Yes. I guess it is.”
“Let me guess,” she said tapping her finger against her lip. “Twenty five?”
“No. Only twenty,” Archie said through a grin.
“Oh wow, I’m older than you! I was sure you had to be older than I am.” When Archie raised his eyebrows, she said, “I only meant you seem more mature than I am, that’s all.”
Archie nodded expressing doubt. “How old are you?” he asked.
“Well, not much older than you. Just twenty one.”
Annella chuckled. “I’ll just leave the tea tray and get back to work. You two enjoy yourselves.” Annella touched Tallie’s shoulder and said, “It was lovely meeting you, Tallie.”
“Yeah, you too!” Tallie answered.
“Enjoy yourself, Archie.”
Archie smiled and watched his mother walk away.
“Your mom called you Archie. Would you prefer if I did, too?” Tallie asked.
“No, I actually prefer Archibald, if you don’t mind. I’ve never been able to figure out why parents name their children one thing and then call them another.”
“Yeah, it is a little funny, isn’t it?” said Tallie. “But I think it’s like a pet name that’s meant to make a person feel special. Don’t you?”
“Yes,” Archibald admitted. “I’m sure that’s what it is, but still, I do like my full name and I don’t get to hear it very often” he said with a chuckle.
“Well then, Archibald it is.”
“Thank you,” Archie said with a look of satisfaction.
“So now that I’ve met your mom,” Tallie said, “I’ve solved a little mystery.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I noticed you say things a little formally and wondered why. Now I know.”
Archie waited for her answer.
“It’s because your mom’s English, right?”
“I suppose it might be. Honestly, I’ve never given it any thought.”
“Well, take it from me, someone who uses way too much slang, you speak very properly. Is your dad English, too?”
“No, Father is American.”
“Oh,” she said with some curiosity. “Well, your mother is stunning. I can see where you got your fair complexion.”
“Yes, Mother comes from a long line of blond hair and blue eyes.”
Tallie moved a little closer. “Your eyes aren’t blue though, are they? It’s a little dark in here. I can’t quite tell.”
“No, I have my father’s hazel eyes . . . and his dark, unruly hair, too.” He put both hands on his head as if to hide it. Tallie laughed and so Archie added, “I’m fairly certain I could grow a remarkable mustache like my father as well, but I think I’ll hold off for a few years.”
“Well, I don’t think your hair is very wild, and I can totally see you in a mustache.”
Archie turned his head away in embarrassment and mumbled, “Hm. Well.”
Tallie sensed his uneasiness and decided to change the subject. “So what do you do, Archibald?”
Grateful for the shift in conversation, Archie perked up. “I write a column for the local paper.”
“Oh? What column do you write?”
“The Observation Column.”
“What’s an observation column?” she asked.
“It’s a column of stories written by . . . my observations.”
“What do you mean?” Tallie questioned.
“I’ve always been one to watch activity. I see the things most people don’t stop to notice. I’m not sure why. So when something catches my attention, I hold it there for a while and see what little story I can come up with.” Archie glanced over at the restaurant entrance, looked back at Tallie, and asked her, “Would you like to see?”
“Sure . . .” she answered with a little hesitation, not knowing exactly what he would show her.
Archie grabbed his umbrella from against the wall, opened it up, and walked over to the foyer of the restaurant. He picked up a newspaper and walked back to the table. After sitting down, he opened the paper to his column.
“Here it is,” he said, turning it toward Tallie.
“‘Savory Sunscreen on the Beach.’ What’s that about?” Tallie asked.
“Well, I often make my observations on the beach.” Archie said it seriously and then realized how luxurious his job sounded and felt foolish. “Anyway,” he continued, “one particular day, I observed the bebumists on the beach were wandering, much more frequently, to the food carts. This continued for a few days, so I decided to follow them. I assumed there must be some new delightful food, but when I investigated, it was only the same vendors selling the same refreshments.
“The bebumists seemed especially drawn to the salty food carts . . . roasted nuts, popcorn, hot dogs . . . things of that nature. As I followed, I began noticing a very distinct smell of bacon. I went home and asked Mother to take a stroll with me just to confirm.”
“Bacon?”
“Yes, but the smell wasn’t coming from the food carts, it was coming from the bebumists.”
“Wait. You’ve said that a few times and I don’t know what that is.”
“What what is?” Archie asked, confused.
Tallie said, “Be-bum—?”
“Oh! Sorry!” Archie said chuckling. “It’s what we Plumbys call the people on the beach. You know . . . beach, bum, tourists?”
Tallie laughed hard at that.
“Beach bum tourists! That’s hilarious! Okay, I’m following now. So the be–bumists smelled like bacon?”
Archie smiled. “Yes, so Mother asked a lady who seemed friendly enough, ‘Do you smell bacon?’ The lady said, ‘Yes! I’ve been smelling it all day.’ It took some more investigation, but we finally came to an amusing conclusion.”
Tallie put her hand on Archie’s arm and said excitedly, “The sunscreen!”
Archie nodded, “Yes, but you see, it was never meant to be. It turns out the sunscreen, which is made by a family here in Outlandish, was accidentally scented with one of their kitchen candle scents. The mistake wasn’t discovered until Mother and I went to inquire about it.”
“That’s so funny!” Tallie laughed.
“I thought so.”
Tallie slapped her hands on the table and leaned back in her chair. “I totally would have missed it!”
Archie answered. “I’m afraid I don’t miss much in the way of a story. There are days I wish I could just look past things, but I see stories everywhere. I’m constantly giving titles to scenes.”
“You should write books.”
“They would need to be very short ones. My mind moves on so fast.”
“Would you mind if I took a minute to read your article?”
Archie knew he would feel uncomfortable sitting quietly while she read his article so he responded nervously, “Yes . . . well. Why don’t I just go and grab us some more tea?”
“Okay. Yeah. Thanks,” she replied.
Archie watched Tallie from behind the swinging doors of the kitchen and only went back to the table when he could tell she had finished reading.
After Archie sat down, Tallie looked at him and said, “Archibald, your writing is so clever! Have you ever considered writing children’s books? They’re short.” She laughed and added, “But seriously, your writing has a childlike quality to it.”
Realizing he might take it as an insult, she added quickly, “I don’t mean you write like a child. I mean you write in a way that would appeal to a child. I really did mean it as a compliment. Not everybody can write like that.”
Nodding, Archie added, “Oh, don’t worry. I took it as a compliment. The lighter side of life has always appealed to me the most, and actually, I have played at writing children’s stories, a few of them. Of course, they’re only at home on my bookshelf.”
“They’re my favorite,” said Tallie. “I have my own little collection at home . . . although I didn’t write any of them.”
Archie looked admiringly at her. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” she said smiling. “Do you illustrate your stories?”
“I do,” he said. “Although I’m no artist. I’ve often wished I possessed both skills.”
Tallie said, “Now, you know you’ve piqued my curiosity!”
Archie squinted as if trying to solve a mystery. He then cupped his chin with his thumb and index finger and looked at Tallie. “I don’t think many of my stories are even worth reading. I wrote many of them when I was only a child myself, but you’re welcome to read them . . . if you’d like. We could have a good laugh together if nothing else.”
Tallie responded energetically by clapping and saying, “Yay! I’m excited to read them!” but afterward felt a little silly for her reaction.
Archie was actually entertained by her enthusiasm.
“So,” she said in a decidedly calmer tone, “I’m having dinner tomorrow with Ms. Perrelli, but maybe we could meet back here after that?”
Archie tried to look as though he was considering his schedule. “Hm. Yes, I think I am free tomorrow night.”
“Great! Does seven-thirty work for you?”
Archie looked at his watch (realizing immediately that it made no sense to do so), and momentarily forgetting her question said, “I think I’d better be getting back.”
Tallie’s confused expression reminded Archie that she was waiting for an answer, so he shook his head as if realizing his error and said, “But, yes, tomorrow night. Seven-thirty.”
“Good. I guess I should be getting back, too.”
Archie asked, “Where are you staying? I could walk you there.”
“Oh, that’s all right. If you need to get home . . . I’m in the circle at The Lupine Inn. It’s just a little walk from here.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Archie said.
Once outside the restaurant, Archie offered Tallie a place under his umbrella. “Shall we?”
Tallie noticed he had lifted his elbow for her, so she wrapped her arm around his and grabbed the shaft of the umbrella right above his hand.
“Does this work?” she asked.
“Perfectly,” he said.
Along with a few of Outlandish’s other businesses, Flavors of the Earth sat at the top of a short cliff. There were two paths up and down the cliff—one was a set of wooden stairs and the other was a winding road suited to those traveling on wheels.
Archie and Tallie took the stairs down to the path that followed the beach and eventually climbed a set of wooden stairs that led them away from the beach and into town. They walked in silence until Tallie stopped suddenly. Stepping out from under the umbrella, she looked up at the sky. Looking back at Archie she asked, “Archibald, can you come out from under your umbrella when the sky is dark?”
“If it’s very dark, yes, sometimes I can. But it has to be a small moon. No street lamps.”
“It must feel so amazing when you can!” Tallie said.
“Yes, it does. I have a place I go to just for that–away from the street lamps. But it’s a little far, so I don’t go often.”
“I would go every night if I were you,” she said.
“If you were me, you wouldn’t need to go every night. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it.”
Tallie regretted her words. “Of course. I’m sorry. I keep saying the wrong things. I just think it’s great, you know . . . to have that.”
Archie smiled easily at Tallie. “Please don’t feel bad about it. I’m not at all offended. And yes. It is . . . great.”
Tallie resumed her position under Archie’s umbrella and they continued to walk in silence until they reached The Lupine Inn.
When they approached the door, Tallie ducked out from under the umbrella and said, “This is such a pretty little town. Have you ever stayed here in The Lupine? No, of course you haven’t. You live here!”
Tallie laughed at herself and continued talking. “The floors are made of pebbles. Have you seen them? They’re smooth, like river stones. But then there are rugs laid down over them. The rugs are so many different colors and textures. It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen. I never would have thought to put them together, but they make the place so cozy. Everything in this town of yours is so vibrant . . . so . . . charming!”
Archie thought she was finished and began to respond, but then she surprised him by continuing.
“Then there’s breakfast! They serve these pastries that taste like orange cheesecake. I’m in love with cheesecake. But I do feel guilty eating them for breakfast. They’re definitely more like dessert.”
Archie added, “The Lupine also has a reputation for having the best coffee in town.”
“Oh? Well, I’m not surprised. It’s so good, I honestly wondered if they added coffee flavoring or something. Is there such a thing as extra coffee-ee coffee? Ha!”
Archie was entertained by Tallie and decided he could listen to her all night, but instead of telling her so, he only said, “Well, it sounds like you and The Lupine are getting along splendidly.”
“Yeah, I guess we are.”
“You know. They buy those pastries from my mother.”
“No way.”
“Yes, and you’re right, they’re as delectable as you say. One of my favorites as well.”
Tallie added, “You’re so lucky to have a mom who can cook. How do you stay so thin?”
“Good question. My father tells me to enjoy it while I can. So I do,” Archie said with a chuckle.
Tallie finally grew quiet, so Archie tried to fill in the void by saying, “I guess I’d better head back,” but Tallie spoke at the same moment.
“Thank you for walking with me.”
They laughed at their uncomfortable exchange but then had a second round of the same thing. Finally Archie scratched his cheek and said, “It’s been a pleasure, Tallie.”
Tallie smiled at Archie. “Yeah, it has.”
Archie put his head down, shuffled his feet a little, and then turned and walked away. It was an awkward exit, but Archie wasn’t sure how to avoid it. Tallie was caught off guard by his quick departure, so she wasn’t sure what to do, but then she hollered, “Bye!”
Archie turned his head a little and smiled, and Tallie stood and watched him walk away under the light of the lampposts.