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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781490767086 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Trafford Publishing |
| Publication date: | 11/17/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 56 |
| File size: | 69 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Baiting Hollow
A Pastel Summer
By Patricia Clark Smith
Trafford Publishing
Copyright © 2015 Patricia SmithAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4907-6709-3
CHAPTER 1
Baiting Hollow beach has always held the possibility of the romantic. Brigid and Barbara loved their relatives' stories from the 1930's and 1940's of the fun they had with beach friends, soldiers patrolling the beach, and just hanging out with family and friends. There were stories of gathering for picnics, beach parties, holy day celebrations, and meeting for a swim after work on a hot summer evening.
Brigid and Barbara had their own childhood memories of summers at the Twomey family farm in Calverton, Long Island, and their Aunt Agatha and Uncle Al Meyer's Baiting Hollow bungalow three miles up the road from the family farm. Generations of Baiting Hollow families met, played on the beach, swam to the raft, walked to the creek, sat together around bonfires at night and became life-long friends. Beach kids attended college, moved away, went off to war, or answered calls to religious life. Some fell in love, married, and raised the next generation of beach kids.
It was Sunday, July 10, 2011. Barbara, now professor at Central Connecticut State University, and Brigid, retired elementary school principal, had waited all year to return to Baiting Hollow beach, to the mercottage they had rented for the past two summers. Their 2009 and 2010 two week vacations were wonderful. This summer would be even more fun, because Aunt Clare was staying with them! The little one room mercottage would be home to the three mermaids for two weeks.
Barbara and Brigid sat in a booth on the Bridgeport ferry enjoying their morning coffee while gazing out the window. Long Island Sound was still, a grey-blue stillness under the hazy morning sky. It felt as though they were passing through time and space from their busy and sometimes hectic lives in Connecticut to their vacation home on Long Island. They talked about movies like Shangri-la and Brigadoon, mysterious wonderful places just on the other side of our senses, which had some similarity to, but could not compare with the beauty and enchantment of Baiting Hollow.
Aunt Clare drove from East Islip, Long Island and met Barbara and Brigid at Applebee's restaurant in Riverhead. They had salads for lunch and caught up on news about family before going to Baiting Hollow.
Driving down Edward's Avenue, Barbara stopped the car at the top of the hill to admire the view of Baiting Hollow: the cliffs, water, gigantic boulders at the foot of the cliffs, cottages, sky, jetties, and beach. They paused for a few minutes, inhaled, and continued down the beach road to the back of the mercottage.
Aunt Clare, Barbara, and Brigid brought their suitcases, tote bags, and sleeping bags into the cottage and discussed sleeping arrangements. Barbara had the bunk bed, Aunt Clare would sleep on the bed, and Brigid had a cot from home.
The beach was magnificent: clean, breezy, full of sunshine. Ah, just as they had remembered. After taking in the views of the beach, putting their toes in the water, and arranging their belongings in the bungalow, it was time to go grocery shopping. They discussed ideas for meals and made a grocery list. Aunt Clare said she would like to stay at the cottage, so Barbara and Brigid went to the store.
When they returned to the bungalow, they found Aunt Clare, a vision of loveliness and peace, on the back deck in her red and white bathing suit sitting in a wicker chair and reading her book. So beautiful!
That evening around 8:00 PM, Barbara, Aunt Clare and Brigid set three sand chairs on the beach and relaxed, ready to enjoy the sunset. Their 2011 two week summer vacation in Baiting Hollow had begun.
Monday morning, they woke up to a magnificent sunrise. Aunt Clare made the coffee while Barbara and Brigid set up three beach umbrellas and sand chairs just above the high tide line. Around 10:30 AM, Barbara, Brigid, and Aunt Clare had their bathing suits, suntan lotion, and hats on and carried their sunglasses, beach towels, water bottles, and books down to the beach. They decided to go for a swim right away. The water was crystal clear, calm, and a little chilly.
That afternoon, Aunt Clare reminisced about harvesting mussels in the jetties at the east end of the beach, bringing them back to Aunt Agatha's bungalow, and having them for dinner. The three discussed their likes and dislikes of mussels, whether the water was clean and safe, and the fact that mussels were famine food during the nineteenth century potato famine in Ireland. Brigid said there were mussels on the third jetty right in front of the mercottage. She ran up to the bungalow to get three plastic bags to hold the mussels they planned to harvest.
Aunt Clare cleaned the mussels, cooked them, and served them with melted butter for dinner that evening. Barbara made a delicious salad for dinner, and Brigid washed and served strawberries for dessert. The table was set with a bouquet of wildflowers they picked on their walk to the creek that afternoon.
Brigid woke up Tuesday morning and looked around the quiet bungalow, no Barbara and no Aunt Clare. They were not in the bathroom or kitchen. She noticed two chairs were missing, heard the soft hum of voices, looked out on the deck and found them sitting on the side of the bungalow. Brigid said, "Good morning", then went inside to pour her coffee, and joined them on the deck. Aunt Clare was sharing her manuscript for her story, Growing up Twomey, with Barbara. She asked if Barbara and Brigid would read it with her one day and offer insights and comments. They said, "We'd love to."
That afternoon, the sky grew dark, the water turned blue-green, and a strong wind blew across the beach. Later they learned that type of weather is called a sheer.
That evening Peter Shilling, next door neighbor, invited the three mermaids to come to his bungalow for a glass of wine. They accepted his invitation. Wine, conversation, stories, memories, laughter filled the bungalow. Peter shared two statements he believed, "Women are just as screwed up as men. I don't know anything about women." He told a story about how he met his wife. She was the girlfriend of a buddy of his. He traded his car for a date with his friend's girlfriend. They were later married. Peter shared stories about his Uncle Frederick Shilling.
Aunt Clare said she knew his parents, Nancy and Peter Shilling. "Theirs was a great love story of Baiting Hollow," Aunt Clare remembered.
Then Aunt Clare, Barbara, and Brigid shared their wishes for vacation. Barbara wished for her brother, Eddie, to be safe and well. Brigid wished for a peaceful, happy vacation. Aunt Clare wished to gather mussels again, cook them, and eat them.
Barbara wondered how many waves hit the shore in Baiting Hollow since the glaciers receded. Brigid thought it might be more or less than the national debt. Peter said, "Less!" and laughed. He started to estimate by listening to the waves while watching the clock: 16 waves per minute X 60 minutes X 24 hours a day X 365 days in a year X 50,000 years ... He then said he'd have to take more data samples, not just one.
Brigid wondered how the tide shifted directions. Was there an energy shift? Peter explained the moon's pull.
Peter walked the ladies home that evening. He said there had been a rainbow in the east that afternoon after the storm sheer.
Wednesday morning was cool and windy with choppy waves on the sound. The water was stirred up with seaweed from yesterday's storm. Aunt Clare, Barbara, and Brigid had their coffee and breakfast. They sat on the deck and talked about the fun they had the night before at Peter Shilling's bungalow, and that he was a gentleman for walking them home.
The three mermaids had plans to meet relatives (Patsy, Dottie, and Henry and Pat) at the Cooperage for lunch that day. It would be so nice to see everyone. During lunch Henry talked about going to sporting events with his grandson, Stephen. Pat said their granddaughter, Savannah, was going into second grade. Patsy shared that her granddaughter was 14 years old and an accomplished dancer with the American Ballet in New York. Dottie told us that Peter Shilling scared her to death when they were kids. They were at the raft. He kept dunking her. She said she felt like she was drowning.
After lunch Aunt Clare asked Barbara to drive to Riverhead, so she could show Brigid and her where the Kaelin home was in Riverhead. Grandma Margaret J. Kaelin Twomey, her mother, grew up there. Barbara then drove to Saint John's Cemetery where they visited Aunt Clare's husband's (Uncle Frank) grave and the Twomey and Kaelin graves. Aunt Clare cleaned the geraniums Patsy had planted that spring.
When they arrived back at the bungalow, the sky was blue, sunny, and breezy. It was low tide. Aunt Clare and Barbara went for a walk to the creek. They stopped on the way and talked with Laurie Erickson sitting on the jetty.
Brigid decided to work on the Twomey and Kaelin family trees which she was making for Christmas presents for her family. Then she read an article in Dan's Magazine on "Turtle Migration" by Dan Rattiner.
At 6:30 PM, Brigid brought the sand chairs down to the beach for sunset. Laurie Erickson waved and said, "Hello." Aunt Clare and Barbara returned from their walk with a surprise. They reported they saw a large red and purple jellyfish in the creek. They also said that, Will you marry me? was written with stones in the sand dune near the creek. "How very romantic," Brigid whispered. Baiting Hollow is always full of surprises.
Laurie took a picture of Aunt Clare, Barbara, and Brigid from her deck. Then she came to sit with them and watch the sunset. Bobby and Marcy Edwards came to visit with their chairs and set them on the beach. Peter and his girl friend, Madi, came and joined everyone.
The sunset was spectacular. The sky and sound were a pastel wash of pink, orange, red, and purple. As the sun set and the colors faded, a great full moon appeared. Every star was shining. The lights on the Connecticut shore were sparkling. It was a beautiful evening full of stories, teasing, and laughter.
Aunt Clare shared the great love story of Peter Shilling's parents' meeting in Baiting Hollow. Then, Brigid shared the story of her mother's and father's meeting at a party one night and how he proposed to her that evening. They were married three months later.
Barbara shared Dottie's story about Peter's dunking her. Peter denied it and tried to figure out who she might have been thinking of.
When the conversation quieted, Bobby pointed to Peter and Madi and asked, "Who are the speeders? There are little kids running around. Slow down." Peter and Madi nodded in agreement. Brigid and Barbara always considered Bobby Edwards, the guardian of Baiting Hollow. They admired him for speaking to Peter and Madi about speeding on the dirt beach road.
On Thursday, Brigid awoke to Aunt Clare's whispering to Barbara that she was driving home to East Islip this morning to copy the second half of her story. Her granddaughter, Alyssa, was visiting after work, so Aunt Clare would be back before sunset.
It was a magnificent day: blue sky, calm water, gentle waves lapping the shore, soft breezes. Brigid wondered what the day would bring.
Barbara and Brigid sat on the deck with their morning coffee admiring their precious Baiting Hollow. Peter Shilling stopped by to say they'd have a bonfire tonight. The girls said they'd be there. Then, he noticed his brother, "Oh, there's Roger and Sue walking back from the creek with their Doberman." Up and over the jetty the dog led with Sue holding on to the chain leash. Peter walked down to meet them.
After Peter left, there was a knock at the back door. It was Dottie and her husband, Frannie. They came with a tray of fresh fluke Frannie caught yesterday while fishing at Shinnecock on the south fork of Long Island. Frannie had cleaned them, so they were ready to cook for their dinner.
Dottie said she was thinking about the dunker story and realized it wasn't Peter Shilling. It was Peter Cummings who was the dunker.
When they left, Barbara set up the three beach umbrellas in the sand. Brigid brought the sand chairs down to the beach. Worried about the two jellyfish sightings, they brought meat tenderizer down in their beach bag just in case they were stung.
The tide was coming up so Barbara and Brigid decided to go for a swim. The water was clean with no sign of jelly fish. They said a little prayer to the Blessed Mother to keep the jelly fish away, dove in, swam back and forth, and floated around for awhile. Then they rested in the sand chairs under their umbrellas. Puffy white clouds dotted the northern Connecticut horizon and floated south and over the sound. A sailboat or two glided by in the distance, seagulls were flying and diving. There was a soft breeze. "Mmm, heavenly," thought Barbara.
Bobby Edwards, walking down the beach, came and sat with Brigid and Barbara for a little visit. He said he had a nice swim down by the creek and that the water here was cleaner than there. He told us that Marcy had fallen on her way back home last night and scraped her leg. She hit her head and her knee, but she'll be alright. "Ouch!" Barbara and Brigid said with a wince.
Laurie stopped by to say, "Hello."
A blimp floated by advertizing Hanger Vodka.
Peter Shilling hollered from the deck of his bungalow, "Are you hoping they'll land?" They all laughed.
A few minutes later Peter was in the water with his red bathing cap. They watched him swim to the creek (about a half mile), back to the jetty, back to the creek, back to the jetty, and then walk up the beach to his bungalow. The girls decided he was training for his triathlon he told them about Tuesday night. Laurie had to go make dinner for her family and said, "Good bye."
As Barbara and Brigid rested and read, a middle aged couple walking down the beach, stopped to talk. They mentioned they were the present owners of the Twomey farmhouse. Barbara told them that her mother, Lillian, was one of the Twomeys, and her sister, their Aunt Clare, was staying with them. The wife explained that they loved the house and had planned to live there forever. But, they just learned that the husband's job might be transferred down south, and they might have to sell. They asked Barbara and Brigid not to mention it to anybody before they knew for sure. Barbara asked if she could look at it before going back to Connecticut, and they agreed. "Stop in anytime." They gave Barbara their phone number and continued their walk.
When they left, Barbara and Brigid sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Barbara said, "Can you imagine it, Brigid? Maybe I could buy the Twomey farmhouse. I've always wanted to live on Long Island when I retire. Maybe this is my chance. I could live in my apartment in Connecticut Monday through Friday and leave Friday afternoon to spend weekends and vacations on Long Island. When I retire, I would live on Long Island permanently."
Brigid took a deep breath and exhaled. She said, "It is all very exciting, but is it possible?"
Barbara looked down at the sand, paused, and then looked up and said, "I want to go look at it now and talk with them. Will you stay here in case Aunt Clare comes home? I'll be right back."
"O.K.," Brigid agreed.
Barbara gathered her beach towel, book, hat, glasses, and lotion. Brigid said, "I'll take care of the chairs and umbrellas."
"Thank you, Brigid," Barbara said. She ran up to the cottage to shower and change. Barbara hollered back over her shoulder, "Wish me luck, cross your fingers, pray for me!"
"I will," Brigid hollered back.
Brigid sat staring at the book on her lap in a daze. "What just happened?" she thought. "Is it possible? Is it possible that Barbara could buy the Twomey farmhouse? It would be a dream come true."
Brigid closed her eyes and was transported back to 1960. She saw herself sitting at the farmhouse kitchen table with Aunt Mame standing by the stove in her blue Bermuda shorts, blue and pink plaid blouse, black tie shoes, white ankle socks, and yellow calico apron. Her short curly white hair framed her face (blue eyes, fair skin with freckles, pink lipstick, glasses, and a beautiful smile). Uncle Bud, Uncle David, Uncle Johnny, Uncle Chris, Sonny, Bobby, Richie, Uncle Joe and Joey came in the kitchen door for their 10:00 morning coffee break with Mame. She poured them all a cup of coffee. They each served themselves cream and sugar from the table. Then Mame went into the pantry and brought out a platter of powdered sugar donuts she made that morning.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Baiting Hollow by Patricia Clark Smith. Copyright © 2015 Patricia Smith. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
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