Chapter 26
Molly was surprised when over half of the town showed up at her door carrying a Jack-pine-sea-monster-caber-clothesline-pole. She bustled around and tried her best to make pancakes, but she was saved by Nora, who showed up with a couple of bushel baskets of deep-fried grilled cheese sandwiches.
It was really something to see.
I was a little surprised that people could find the time to go to Molly’s, since everyone was so busy with their Fogopogo Festival preparations. The truth was, nearly everybody in town had been busy stringing streamers and repainting their houses and getting all of Deeper Harbour spruced up for the big day ahead.
The drugstore had a sea monster mural painted on its front window.
The town florist had a big sale on snapdragons.
The fishermen were decorating the fishing boats. They had built themselves a makeshift Chinese New Year’s dancing dragon out of long, flowing sailcloth that they duct taped to a dozen dory oars. They practised dancing with that dragon every day.
The preparations were both awesome and inspiring, but everybody still managed to find the time to come down and take part in the restoration of Molly’s pole. I guess that’s how a town works. People help people any chance they get.
People chipped in and did their part as we dug a new hole and poured the cement and raised up the sea monster, while others helped to raise the section of Molly’s fence that Granddad and I had trampled. We made sure that between the fence and a nearby tree it was almost impossible to see the sea serpent without actually coming into the yard.
“Me and Angus figure you’ll be able to charge admission to come look at the sea monster,” Warren explained. “If you get enough tourists, that’ll make you some money to buy new books for the library.”
Molly just shook her head sadly.
“There isn’t going to be a library,” she said. “The school is closing down. I don’t think even the tourists coming back will stop that from happening.”
Warren shrugged.
“I knew that already,” he said. “And I’ve been trying to doing something about it.”
We all stood there looking at him and waiting.
“I’ve been buying up lumber and building bookshelves in the back end of the boat shed,” he told her. “It will take a while yet, but I believe there will be a brand new Deeper Harbour library ready for you by the fall.”
So that was what Warren had needed the money for. And that was what he planned on doing with the shed. And that’s what he hoped to get a grant for.
I felt a little embarrassed that Granddad Angus and I had given Warren such a very hard time when he had said he couldn’t help us run Fogopogo anymore.
A lot of people said they would help Warren with the building supplies and insulation and wiring and they all sounded like they meant what they said. I looked at old boring Warren and wondered just where he had found the time to dream this up.
I guess people can surprise you if you let them.
Molly stood there and looked like she was going to cry.
Then she stepped over to Warren like a tidal wave rolling in on a dory, swooped him up in her arms and hugged him hard and kissed him even harder and, wonder upon wonders, Warren kissed back.
Dulsie looked at the two of them.
I could see anger and happiness arm wrestling in the shadows of her heart.
There was a story being told here, right before my eyes. There were no words involved and I did not know all of the details. I did not know all of the facts. I just knew that whatever this story was and however long it had been going on, it was the truest and deepest kind of story there is.
Finally, Dulsie stepped over and hugged the two of them. The whole town kept on cheering for the sea monster clothesline pole and Warren and Molly and the new library, while me and Granddad Angus grinned over what had just gone on.
Everyone was so happy.
Too bad things couldn’t have stayed that way.