Biebe: Thanksgiving
(Direct sequel to Thorne: Where I Want To Be)
By Atonia Walpole
Part 1:
The property that John and Donna Biebe bought on Belfast Bay contained the main house and another smaller house with several cottages and a boat house. The cottages were summer rentals and the smaller house was rented to an elderly couple who had lived in that area most of their lives. They had at one time owned the property but had to sell it to take care of Mr. Pringle’s illness. Mrs. Pringle now helped Donna in the main house with the children when she needed it and had been a big help to her getting settled in the area.
The main house was a large salt box, gray-shingled affair. The house had been built onto many times over the generations and rooms seemed to have been added on an as-need basis with no particular plan in mind for the appearance of the house. The front presented the typical square salt box, two stories tall with a bricked pathway leading down to the water’s edge and another leading off to the drive. John used one of the buildings as a garage; other outbuildings held lawn and garden equipment. Three cottages nestled in the trees behind the house. Two ells jutted out from the house on either side and the courtyard between the two ells was bricked and planted with trees and shrubs. Donna added some seasonal flowers along the borders. There were several tables set about and in the summer she offered an afternoon tea and sometimes a wine and cheese on weekends. The Biebe’s had become innkeepers of a sort.
John supplemented this income in Belfast where he was a deputy with the local police department. They had never been wealthy and with three children money was always a sticking point. After selling their property in Alaska and with the “magic money” left over from the House of Four Seasons they had been able to buy this property but they still had a mortgage to meet every month.
John was working the night shift because it paid more and so far it suited them as he was home during the day and it allowed him to spend some time with his kids. All in all it had been a good move for them. Donna was happy and therefore John was happy.
John pushed the shovel under the deteriorating jack-o-lantern on the front steps and took it over to the compost pile. Donna washed the steps with a hose and turned the water off.
“John, I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving and I was wondering what you would think about inviting your brothers over for the holiday.”
“Thanksgiving? I’m not sure they celebrate that holiday, Donna. Terry’s an Aussie and Max is a Brit, so is Jack.”
“That’s true, honey, but Toni and Connie are American and I’m sure they wouldn’t let the day go by without turkey. Besides, they’ve all been talking about wanting to visit. We’ve certainly got the room with the cottages empty.”
“How long are you planning for them to stay?”
“However long they can, but I thought maybe a week.”
“Toni might want to go home to Virginia. I don’t think they’ve been back since they moved to London.”
“Do you mind if I ask?”
“No, go ahead. Be kinda nice to have them here without some emergency to contend with, you know, like a real visit.” John rolled up the hose and disconnected it from the faucet. “Want me to pick up Joey from kindergarten?”
“That would be nice and I can make my phone calls.” Donna gave him a quick kiss and went inside the house. John looked out over the bay and watched a fishing boat come in for a bit, then left to pick up his son from school. He hoped Donna had a contingency plan for feeding five more adults for five days. It bothered him that he had to think that way but he did.
Donna was a good manager and she wouldn’t have suggested inviting John’s family if she didn’t have it covered. She and Mrs. Pringle planted a large vegetable garden and she had the freezer packed with frozen vegetables and the old root cellar in the house held apples and potatoes and onions. Mrs. Pringle canned tomatoes and other things but that was beyond Donna. And, she thought, no doubt Toni and Connie would add to the larder. Seafood was plentiful and Mr. Pringle, a former fisherman and lobsterman, could get the day’s catch right off the boats at a good price for her.
John came home with Joey. He had some new artwork to show his mommy and she was finding a place on the fridge to display it.
“Did you make your calls?” John asked, heading for the coffee pot.
“Yes, and Toni and Connie accepted. I think Max and Connie are going to fly over with Terry and Toni on the company jet. They’ll be coming in on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and leaving the next Sunday. I’ll leave it to you to contact Jack. I have no idea how you go about that.”
John grinned, "Jack has a Blackberry. How it works I do not know but he has one. Jack’s half magic anyway.”
“I hope he can come, too. I really like all your brothers but he’s, well, he’s special.”
“Yeah, all the women think so. But at least I can offer him a turkey for what he did for us, you know, explaining about where we came from to you and all.”
“That was special, and it allowed us to get on with it, to move here. It’s a whole new life, John.”
“I know, and a good one, too.” He sat down at the kitchen table with Joey and his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “Can I have a bite?”
Donna came back in with the apple of his eye, baby Claire Ann, and handed her off to John. “You know, Donna, I would have missed so much if we’d stayed in Alaska. I don’t mind working nights at all because I have time to spend during the day with you and the kids.”
“I like having you around,” Donna smiled and wiped up spilt milk from the table.
John bounced the baby on his knee. “What do you want, pretty girl?” He reached over and pinched a little piece of Joey’s sandwich and gave it to her.
“Don’t feed her that.”
“What, peanut butter? Good grief, Donna, see she likes it.”
Across the big pond Toni checked on Jacky before going next door to their room. “He’s asleep but I don’t know for how long. I wound up his little dog to play for awhile.”
“He shouldn’t have had that late nap.” Terry adjusted the pillows behind his back.
“I know but I couldn’t bear to wake him. He just fell asleep playing. I’m glad you agreed to go to John’s for Thanksgiving. I don’t usually accept invites without checking with you but it’s been ages since we’ve seen them.”
“I don’t mind going. I’d like to see where he’s settled anyway. Do you want to take Anna with us?” Anna was their nanny.
“No, I don’t want to impose on their hospitality. We’ll manage the little fella on our own.”
Terry and Toni moved to London in mid August. They found a four story Victorian in the Battersea area. It was a tall, white townhouse with shiny black shutters and a bright blue door. The large kitchen was in the basement with a walk out to the back walled garden. Black wrought iron railings led the way up the curved stairs to the first floor balcony. From there through the French doors you entered a reception room. On this floor was a study off the foyer and a dining room that faced the front of the house. Up the stairs to the second floor and you came to a landing. Off to the right was the master bedroom with a connecting dressing room being used right now for Jacky. Their bedroom overlooked the back garden. Another smaller bedroom was just to the left of the landing. The fourth floor contained three bedrooms and a narrow staircase that led up to the attic. The attic was divided up into small rooms and one open area where in past times servants would have slept.
The Thorne’s had a housekeeper and a maid who came daily. Anna occupied the smaller room on the third floor. It had been a trying time finding the right people but Toni was satisfied and their lives all moved smoothly from day to day. At first Toni rejected the idea of a nanny but she came to realize how much she had depended on Munchie in Virginia. She and Terry liked to go out by themselves a few times a week and in the end Terry insisted she get some help.
Toni plumped her pillows and climbed in the bed. “Are you sleeping in your clothes?”
“Always trying to get me naked, aren’t you?” Terry got off the bed and pulled off his shirt.
Over in Provence Max had just tossed a lizard out of their bedroom window. “Too bad lavender doesn’t deter lizards."
“You have to get used to living with them, love. They eat small insects.”
“Not in the bedroom they don’t. We don’t have small insects in here.”
“You can thank a lizard for that.” Connie moved over in the bed to make room for Max.
“So what plans did you make with Toni? How long are we staying in Maine?”
“A week. We can fly to London and board Terry’s private jet. Ah, the only way to travel!”
“Hmm. Terry’s company is doing well. In spite of my misgivings I think it was the right thing to do. It’s been a year since I’ve seen John. We were at the House of Four Seasons, weren’t we?”
“I believe we were. It was nice of Donna to invite us for Thanksgiving. Poor Dad, he was thinking of inviting you over, hoping to mend a few fences I think.”
“I’ll let him work on them from his side for awhile. I think he knew I wasn’t going to turn my vineyard over to him but he had to whine and moan about it. I asked a fair price, knowing what he was going to do with my grapes.”
“He thought we would be married and it would all be one happy vineyard, his and yours combined.”
“It’s not my fault that didn’t happen, Connie, but I’ve come to the conclusion people don’t get married anymore. Half the world is living without benefit of a marriage certificate.”
“Except for Terry and Toni.”
“Terry did that because Toni was pregnant and he didn’t want his son to be a bastard. Terry is in some ways a very old-fashioned man.”
“You think that’s old fashioned? I don’t…he did the right thing. I would hope you’d do the same thing if I were pregnant.”
“You aren’t are you? I didn’t think so. I’m not sure I need to reproduce. Wait a minute. Did you just say…”
Part 2:
John woke up around noon and came ambling down to the kitchen where Donna was busy putting together baskets of pumpkins and gourds.
“What are you doing? That’s not for me, is it?”
“You don’t want to eat this? Aw…I’m making a little decoration for the cottages, something pretty for the tables.”
“Do you think Max is going to notice that?”
“No but Connie will and he might. Terry might…I just thought it a nice touch.”
John gave her a look and headed for the coffee pot. “Breakfast would be noticed.”
“How was your night?”
“Long and boring. Carried a drunk home, helped unlock a car. Not much goes on around here and that suits me. What’s Mikey doing home from school?”
“He’s got a fever this morning and a little cough. I told him to stay in bed.”
“We don’t want him sick this weekend. He didn’t have a test or anything today, did he?”
“I don’t think so. Why, do you think that’s why he’s sick?” Donna took eggs and bacon from the fridge for John’s breakfast.
“Wouldn’t be the first time. He’s pulled that before.” He took a drink of his coffee. “Anything I need to do today?”
“Firewood for the cottages. Mrs. Pringle and I cleaned them all this week and got the beds ready.”
“Did you find a crib for Jacky?”
“Mrs. Pringle’s daughter had one but I need to find bedding for it. We set it up in the Shell Cottage. I thought I might ride over to Sealport. There’s some kind of outlet there. Mrs. Pringle said I could find nice sheets and things very inexpensively.”
“Inexpensively is a good word. This week is gonna cost a bundle.”
“Not as much as you think. I’ve been stocking up a little at a time.” Donna placed his breakfast in front of him.
John caught her arm and pulled her onto his lap. “Have I told you lately how proud of you I am for what you’ve done here?”
“Um, no, not lately.” She gave him a kiss. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.
“Well, I am, Donna. I know money’s tight but you seem to make everything come out okay.”
“We do all right. We have more now than in Alaska where everything cost an arm and a leg. Quit worrying so much.”
“That’s my job. Sometimes I feel like the poor relation, you know. I know Jack has money problems but he’s taken care of. You have no idea how these people live, Donna. Max and Terry they spend more on one night at the pub than we do for groceries for a week. They have mega bucks.”
“I don’t envy them one mega. Want more coffee?”
“Yeah, still it would be nice not to have to worry about the gas bill every month.”
“There’s a delivery truck coming down the drive.” Donna looked out of the kitchen window.
“You haven’t ordered anything, have you?”
“No.” Donna went to the front door. She was back in a minute for John. “You have to come and sign for it, three crates of wine from Max,” she smiled.
He said he was picking us up.” Max looked at his watch.
“Maybe he’s back there in that line of traffic. What kind of a car is he in?”
“Toni’s Mercedes.” Max and Connie were in the passenger pick-up area at Heathrow, surrounded by luggage. “Oh, that’s him!” A black Mercedes pulled up in front of him and Terry got out.
“Hi ya, Max, Connie.” He kissed Connie on both cheeks and shook Max’s hand. “Traffic is a bitch.”
Max stowed the luggage in the trunk and got in the passenger side of the car, Connie in back with Jacky’s car seat. Terry maneuvered them out of Heathrow and headed for London.
“How’s Toni?" Connie asked.
“She’s fine, trying to get everything ready to go for tomorrow.”
“What time are we flying?” Max asked.
“Ten. That should put us there around one o’clock their time.”
“I’m anxious to see your new home, Terry,” Connie said.
“It’s a lot bigger than the flat.”
“What did your flat go for, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“1.5 million. It paid for the house, Max. I couldn’t believe it, triple what I paid for it.”
“That area is booming so I’ve heard and now you’re in Battersea, another booming market.”
“Keeping up with it are ya?”
“I keep up with where the money is,” Max smiled.
“Do ya miss it, Max, running with the bulls?”
“I don’t miss it and I can come back to it when I want to anytime I need an adrenalin rush.”
Max and Connie were spending the night with Terry and Toni and took only one bag up the steps to the front door. Toni had a blue pot on the little front porch, which was really a wide first step. It held a selection of flowers Connie noticed contrasted nicely with the blue door.
They entered the black and white tiled foyer and Toni came from the reception room with Jacky on her hip. “There you are!” She kissed Max and Connie.
“And this is Jacky. Oh, how cute he is! Look at those curls!” Connie exclaimed.
“This is your uncle Max,” Toni introduced him and was surprised when Max took him and walked down the hall with him. She raised her brows at Connie.
“I told him the only way I would marry him is if I were pregnant. He’s thinking about it.”
Toni laughed and followed Max and Terry down the hall to the lounge room and hearing the word haircut, remarked, “He’s not getting a haircut until he’s a year old, so forget it, Terry.”
“He looks like a girl, Toni.”
“He looks adorable,” Connie answered.
Max sat down on the sofa with Jacky, who was fascinated with his glasses. “He is kind of cute.”
“He’s crawling now and beginning to pull up on things.”
“I wonder if he has a touch of magic?” Max said, seating Jacky by his side.
“Too early to know,” Terry said, “but I wouldn’t be surprised.” He sat down on the other side of Jacky, who climbed in his lap. He ran his hand through his son’s golden curls. Max handed him a toy he found between the cushions of the sofa.
“Anyone like a drink, coffee, tea, something a little heavier?”
“Tea would be nice, Toni,” Connie answered.
Toni and Connie went down to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
Part 3:
The Penobscot River emptied into Penobscot Bay and that was the view from John’s house. The bay area was dotted with small islands. Every morning the fishing boats could be seen in the bay as they left Belfast for the open sea. John’s tenant, Mr. Pringle, used to own one of those fishing boats until rheumatoid arthritis took its toll and made his hands almost useless. He was a good neighbor to John and went down to the docks with him to see what the day’s catch might bring.
“Donna’s hoping for clams.”
“Gonna make some chowder, I reckon.” Mr. Pringle waited until his old fishing buddy pulled in and docked. “Well now, let’s see what we got.”
John came home with a cooler full. He had clams and lobsters, which he could get for less than three dollars apiece. Donna would be pleased, he thought as he pulled up in the drive and waved Mr. Pringle off toward the path to his house with his cooler on wheels.
Donna looked in the cooler. “Lobsters! Oh, wow! We’ll have a feast tomorrow night.”
“I got eight of them. They’re not that big but big enough I thought.”
“Have you heard from Jack?”
“Not a word.”
Jack was on the water in an 86-foot schooner, in modern dress and trying to blend in with the other passengers. He had with him a canvas bag containing his clothes and personal items and he carried his violin in a case. Not something he would be seen doing in his world, but he wasn’t in his world. He’d left his ship at sea and sailed into Camden where he found passage to Belfast. He watched the sailors hoist the sails in silence. He wasn’t the captain on this ship.
He sat on a locker with his arm draped across the railings, wind in his hair, and listened as the helmsman talked about how the bays used to freeze solid in winter but didn’t anymore because of global warming. Jack had no idea what global warming was but it seemed the water temperature had risen. As they sailed farther out he could see the many islands and thought what a navigational nightmare that would have been for him. He’d never been to this part of America before and was unfamiliar with the coastline.
To pass the time he took the helm for awhile and liked how the schooner handled. The invitation had come as a surprise to him but one he gladly accepted. He didn’t see John as often as he did his other brothers and by all accounts he was doing well since coming out into reality. As for Terry and Max, he wasn’t quite sure what kind of reception he would get from them. He hadn’t seen or communicated with them since the incident in Marseilles when he’d delivered Toni to Max and Terry.
He was put ashore in Belfast and walked over to the pier, pulled the Blackberry out of his jacket pocket and called John to come and get him.
John almost didn’t recognize him with a beard and in modern dress. “I would have passed you by, brother,” he said, coming around his vehicle and taking Jack’s bag.
“I’m a little out of character right now. How are you, John?” He gave him a hug around the shoulders.
“I’m good. Just came from over here a little while ago. You should have called and let me know you were coming.”
“I couldn’t get this damned phone thing to work at sea for some reason and then I just pocketed it until I got here.”
“Well, you’re the first to arrive. The rest will be here tomorrow afternoon.”
“That may be for the best. I may not be very popular with that crowd right now.”
“Ah, that’s all over now, Jack. No worries, as Terry says.”
Jack glanced over at him. “If you say so.”
John pulled into his drive and stopped outside the garage. “Well, this is it, our little piece of the world.”
“You’re on the bay. If I’d known that I could have put in here. You’ve done well, John. This is very nice.”
“Come in. Donna will be glad to see you.”
Donna wasn’t quite sure what to do with him. He looked so different in jeans and a windbreaker jacket. She smiled and said hello.
“Hello, Donna.” Jack went over and hugged and kissed her. “Thank you for having me.”
“Well, you’re, um, in time for dinner.” Donna had baked a cod fish from the morning’s catch.
“I’ve timed my arrival perfectly then. Is there a place I might clean up a little?”
“I’ve put you in the Captain’s Cottage,” Donna smiled shyly.
“Have you now?” Jack smiled back.
“I’ll take you out, Jack. We rent these cottages out in the summer. There are three of them. Kind of works out perfectly for this week.” John opened the door to the cabin.
“This will do nicely, much larger than a captain’s cabin.” Jack walked through the little cottage, one bedroom, bath and tiny kitchen. “Am I expected to cook?” He turned to John.
“Oh, no,” John chuckled, “you’ll eat in the house. I’ll leave you now. Just come on over when you’re ready. You’ll meet my kids at dinner.”
“I look forward to it, John. Thank you.”
John and Donna were in bed. John had a hard time on weekends. He wasn’t sleepy at bedtime. “You know, if I’d seen him on the street I wouldn’t have known him. I’ve never seen him with a beard.”
“He said he was going to shave it off. I’ve never seen him in jeans.”
“He’s doing that for the kids, Donna. You know Mikey would be asking questions. Maybe when he’s older we can explain Jack to him.”
“I don’t know how you would explain Jack. I’m not sure I understand it. I’m glad he came.”
“Yeah, me, too. He got on with the boys all right. He can tell some tales about boys in the navy. Can you imagine Mikey going off to sea at his age? They did back then.”
“No, I can’t. John, I have to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Claire’s probably going to wake up about five.”
“I’ll find something to read sweetheart. You go to sleep and if Claire wakes up I’ll get her.”
John read for awhile and still wasn’t sleepy. The more he tried to go to sleep the more awake he became. He gave up and stared at the ceiling, thinking about Jack and how he moved from one world to the other. He’d said he was half magic and he meant it. He thought about Jack worrying about Terry and Max. John knew that was all over now. Jack shouldn’t have done it, summoned Toni and kept her for two weeks. He hadn’t seen Toni in a year and she’d been pregnant then. He was looking forward to seeing her again. She’d forgiven him for running out on her. It was time he forgave himself and got rid of the guilt. He turned over on his side and closed his eyes. He had to go to sleep.
Out in the cottage Jack pulled the covers over himself and lay back on the bed. He’d enjoyed the dinner and the domestic scene that was John’s life. It was much like his own when he was at home at Ashgrove. Wife and kids, he had three of his own. He thought about Sophie for a while and then he didn’t think at all; he was asleep.
ON TO BIEBE: THANKSGIVING PARTS 4 THROUGH 7
BACK TO THORNE: WHERE I WANT TO BE
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