After supper, Grandma said, “How about a boat ride around the lake? I always miss being here when I’m away, so a boat tour will keep Hawk’s Creek fresh in my memory.”
“Sure, Grandma. I’ll get the life jackets.”
She let me steer the boat, and we headed across the lake, and around the western part of the shoreline. After we’d made our way to the farthest point, I turned the bow back towards our cottage. As our dock came into view, Grandma reached over and tapped my arm. She yelled over the motor, “Let’s stop here and watch the sun start to set. We’re close enough to home that we can dock before it gets dark.”
So we sat quietly, listening to the water lap against the side of the boat and the loon calling wild echoing sounds across the lake. The sun was setting in a blaze of reds and oranges.
I sighed. “Grandma, how could anybody want to be anywhere other than Hawk’s Creek?”
Grandma smiled at me. “It’s a bit of heaven on earth all right.”
After a while, I said, “I met Joe today. He’s very nice.”
A look of surprise crossed Grandma’s face, but then she nodded. “Yes, he’s one fine man.” She didn’t ask me what I’d been doing that far into the woods.
“Joe said that you were friends. I recognized Blue from your painting.”
“Yes, Joe and I spent a lot of time together this past winter. I’ve grown very fond of him.”
I knew Grandma was telling me something more. “Is he your boyfriend, Grandma?” I said teasingly.
“Well . . . one might say. We’re good company for each other. We’re at ease when we’re together.”
I was happy to know Grandma had someone. “Why’s he so reclusive and shy? He doesn’t even go into town for groceries.”
Grandma’s face turned serious in the fading sunlight. “His wife, daughter and grandchild were killed in a car accident about five years ago. Since then, he spent some time in the hospital but moved here a few years ago. His family used to come to Hawk’s Creek when he was a boy, so he came back to find some peace, I suppose. The accident broke his spirit for a bit, but Hawk’s Creek has been a good tonic.”
“Well, I like him, Grandma. He’s offered to let me build a birdhouse.”
“He’s quite a carpenter. He built that cottage and all the furniture.” Grandma looked towards the dock. “It’s time to head in now, dear. We don’t want to be caught out here in the darkness.”
The next day, Grandma left early for Thunder Bay. I got up and saw her off, then went back to bed. I woke up again, because the phone was ringing in the kitchen. I leaped out of bed and picked up the receiver on the fifth ring.
Leslie’s voice hummed in my ear, “Jen, what took you so long to answer?”
“I was sleeping.” I yawned loudly.
“Mom is sleeping too. She’s on nights.”
I knew what that meant. Leslie had to stay quiet and look after herself until mid-afternoon. Mom also got crankier as her night shifts went along. “How’re things with you, Les?” I asked.
“Good. Mom let Dad take me for the weekend. I helped in his garage on Saturday and then we went for pizza. He brought me home this morning, but we’re going to see a movie after lunch.”
“I wish I could be there too.”
“Do you, Jen? Are you coming home soon?”
“No. I might stay here and go to school. Grandma said I could.”
Leslie was quiet. I could hear the soft in and out of her breathing.
“You know I don’t want to live with Mom and Putterman. Staying here looks like my only alternative,” I said, trying to make her understand.
“Maybe I could come live with you too.” Her voice sounded hopeful.
“Mom would never let you go.”
“I could ask. She might want to be alone with Mr. Putterman when they get married.”
“He likes having you there, Les. Besides, Mom wouldn’t marry him if he didn’t like kids.”
“I could tell Mom he doesn’t like me. Maybe she won’t marry him then.”
I laughed, “The problem is, he does like you. Anyone can see that.”
“Stupid Mr. Putterman.”
“Stupid Dad. How did he get us into this mess?”
Leslie sighed. “Mom sure is mad at him. She only let me stay with him this weekend because Mr. Putterman is away on a conference.”
“How is Dad?”
“We had fun yesterday. He misses you too.”
“Well, say hi for me.”
“I will, and Jen?”
“Yeah?”
“I asked Dad for a cat to keep at his place, and guess what?”
“What?”
“He’s thinking about it! I’m going to call it Pooky.”
I could suddenly see Leslie’s eyes shining and her pixie hair cut bobbing up and down in excitement. I tried to sound happy. “That’s great, kid. You keep working on him.”
“I will. Bye, Jen.”
I listened to the dial tone long after she’d clunked down the receiver. I almost felt a tear slide out of the corner of my eye. Almost, except I blinked it away.
Kerry came before supper and stayed for two nights. Nothing exciting happened. The days were sunny and warm, and we swam a few times a day and suntanned. We also ate everything in sight, so it felt good to jog in the mornings while Kerry was still asleep. Every morning, I went by Audrey’s place, but I never saw anyone in the yard. I was too timid to repeat my trip to the Musquashes’ front door.
Kerry seemed a little subdued the second afternoon as we sat side by side in the hammock. Before I could ask her what was wrong, she started talking. Sometimes, Kerry rambled from one subject to another without breaks in between, and I had to pay close attention in case she popped a question at me. “You have it so good here, Jennifer. No little brat of a brother or parents breathing down your back. It’s like nobody in my family ever heard of the word privacy. The police never did prove that Audrey stole our stuff, by the way, and we thought it was pretty nervy that she denied breaking in. I’m glad you’re not hanging out with her any more. Leah Pinkett says she likes your hair. She’s thinking about getting hers cut.”
I took advantage of Kerry’s need to breathe and jumped in. “Well, maybe, you were wrong about Audrey. It’s not a good idea to form opinions about someone without knowing them.” This time, I would stand up for my friend, because I still thought of her that way.
“Oh, Jennifer. You say the cutest things. Next you’ll be telling me that there’s nothing biologically wrong with my little toad of a brother.” Kerry laughed and began rocking the hammock backwards and forwards. Her mood had lightened considerably, while mine had gotten worse when I remembered that I hadn’t been able to find Audrey to ask her what was going on with her and Jimmy. Maybe I wasn’t such a good friend after all.
Tuesday morning at around ten o’clock, Mrs. Randall came to pick up Kerry for her dental appointment in town. “Jennifer, would you like to come with us? Kerry wants to do some school clothes shopping before we come back to the lake.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Randall, but I don’t feel like shopping. Why don’t you both go, and I’ll stay here? I’m reading a good book, and I don’t mind being alone for the day.”
“Well . . . if you’re sure. I suppose it will be okay if I drive Kerry back after supper.”
I waved until they were out of sight. I’d forgotten how much Kerry liked to talk. She didn’t seem to care if I was listening or not. An afternoon alone without her chatter in my ear was stretching before me like a welcome friend.
Storm clouds gathered all day. By suppertime, ripples of thunder rumbled off to the east. Soon, fork lightning zagged across the sky, coming closer and closer until the storm was directly overhead and the rain started streaking the windows and pattering on the roof. I closed all the windows, noticing that the wind had come up and was beating rain onto the kitchen floor. To keep out the gloom, I lit the kerosene lanterns in the living room and started a fire in the potbellied stove. Soon the room was warm and cosy, although I could hear the wind howling around the house like an angry guest trying to get inside.
I was just sitting down near the stove with a supper of chili that I’d defrosted from the freezer when the phone rang, making me jump and spill milk onto my lap. I ran into the kitchen, dabbing at my pants with a paper towel as I grabbed the phone.
The line was crinkly with static. “Jennifer, is that you?” Mrs. Randall’s voice came faintly across the wire.
“Yes, I’m here!” I yelled so she could hear me.
“Good, dear. I’m afraid we got delayed in town. Someone stole the van, and we had to wait for the police to drive us back to the lake.”
“Oh no! Did they find out who did it?” I felt a sinking feeling. Audrey was sure to be blamed.
“No, they’re looking at a few leads. Anyway, Jennifer, with this storm, it’s not safe to come get you by boat. Will you be okay there overnight alone?”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”
The line was getting cracklier. “We’ll come across in the morning, first thing when the storm ends. Lock the . . .”
The phone was suddenly dead. The overhead light in the kitchen flickered and went out as well. This was beginning to feel like an evening out of a horror movie.
“Don’t be such a baby,” I told myself, but that didn’t stop me from rushing around the cabin to lock all the doors and windows. I was out of breath when I finally sat down in my grandmother’s chair to eat my cold chili. I decided to read the rest of my book by lamplight and go to bed early. With any luck, I’d sleep through the worst, and the storm would be over when I woke up.