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April 1971—Greenfield, Massachusetts
After about a mile of walking, Remi and the kids reached a little country store called Harper’s, and they bought some snacks while Remi asked for directions. Outside, Angela shared a blue ice pop with Julian. He squealed with delight, and both their mouths turned blue. When they got going again, they turned down another road and found the town’s public swimming pool. It wasn’t open for the summer yet, but they decided to explore. Several small sand beaches were set on a riverbank and there was a concession building. A footbridge to the other side of the river led to some picnic tables and grills.
“This is nice!” said Marie. “Maybe we could stay in Greenfield a while.”
Remi walked over to a group of hippies who were smoking and drinking under some huge weeping willow trees by the water. They had loud music playing on a tape player, and a couple of girls were dancing. “Hey, do you guys know where I can find a gas station around here?” he asked.
A white guy with a huge Afro smiled and said, “Sure! Go up that way to the end of this road, take a right and a left, and keep going. It’s maybe a mile. Want to join us?”
“No thanks, I’m good.” He saw that Marie and Angela had joined the hippie girls in dancing to the music while holding Julian and Theo. Remi felt anger rising up in his neck, and he growled. “Let’s go now.” He didn’t like music. He didn’t trust it.
Just as Afro Guy said, after about a mile they reached a Sunoco station, so Remi went inside, described his problem to the owner, and signed a work order to tow the car and take a look at it. Remi asked about restaurants, and the gas station owner suggested a few nearby choices. They continued walking until they found the A&W restaurant.
While they were sitting at a picnic table eating food and drinking root beer, Marie saw a line of boys on ramshackle bicycles come flying down the hill behind the restaurant, each skidding to a stop. While they ordered food, she walked over and asked one of them, “Hey, where did you guys just come from on your bikes?”
“Poet’s Seat. We rode the trail back here. It’s wicked!”
“We’re not from around here. What’s up there?”
“There’s a stone tower, but the rest of it’s just woods.”
Marie went back to the table and told Remi what she learned. “Maybe we can go up that trail and make a camp.”
After they ate, they walked up the narrow dirt path on the forested hill. There were many different types of trees, but their leaves hadn’t yet fully emerged. As they went on, the trail skirted the edge of a cliff, which made them a little nervous. They found the tower and went up it, climbing a series of stone staircases. Near the top, a narrow, black-metal spiral staircase led to the top floor. That made them nervous, but they braved the climb all the way up.
Marie’s face lit up. “We can see the whole town!” They took their time looking around, but when the baby started fussing, they decided to head down to the base of the tower.
Marie found a rock outcropping and started to feed Theo while Angela made sure Julian didn’t fall down the cliff.
“You stay here,” Remi said. “I’ll go see if there’s a place for us to camp.”
About an hour later, Remi led them down the road and into the woods to a small cave. He then walked all the way back to the gas station, where his car was sitting outside the bay.
“I’m afraid your car is shot,” the station owner said. “The engine is seized. It’s scrap.”
Remi was shocked. He asked, “What should I do?”
“Well, you owe me eighteen dollars for the tow, but I can sell the car for scrap. So, just get your stuff out of the car, and we’ll call it even. Do you want your plates?”
Remi thought that without his car and license plates, it would be impossible for the police to find them. “Yeah, I’ll take the plates. It’ll take me a couple of trips to empty the car. Thanks for your help.”
After making another trip with Marie to get the rest of their stuff out of the car, Remi went to get rope, more blankets, and tarps to set up a camp. It didn’t take them long to fall asleep once the sun went down.
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The next day, Remi brought the kids to a Grand Union supermarket for supplies. Every time he ran into a group of hippies, he engaged them and asked about where they were headed. After they got back to their campsite and had some lunch, the girls walked downhill to the bank of the Connecticut River to bathe. The water looked dark and deep and was rushing by very fast, so they decided it wasn’t safe to wade in. Marie instead asked her father to get some buckets and rope so they could draw water.
After the sun went down, Marie was able to use their new battery-powered lantern to start a book called The Black Pearl, which she’d bought at the grocery store. The story took her away to a tropical paradise where a boy was diving for pearls. She was completely engrossed in the book when Angela screamed from the cave. Marie ran into the cave to find Angela half-naked and furiously kicking at her father, who had lowered his pants. Marie hit him in his right ear, which caused him to spin around, enraged. “You get out of here, right now!” yelled Marie. “You’ve already ruined me, and you will not touch her!”
He pulled up his pants with a scowl on his face. “You know, Marie, you’re getting to look too much like your mother. But Angela’s becoming quite a beauty.” Marie hit him in the face with the heel of her hand and heard a crunch. He gagged, and his nose started gushing blood. Marie kicked him toward the cave entrance, and he stumbled out. Marie ran over and hugged Angela who was shaking with fear. “This will be over soon, Angel. Don’t you worry.” Marie helped Angela get her panties and pants back on and comforted her, knowing all too well how she felt.