Blond, Black, and Blue

by Ruth Temple Taul

  Even the little girls cleaned their plates and wanted to come back here again.

  Leaving the restaurant, they decided to visit a craft shop they had seen earlier. The craftsmen of Alaska were very talented people.

  “We women have had a wonderful day, I think” Sarah stated excitedly.

  “Yes, we have Darling, we have seen things we never dreamed of,” Caitlyn replied.

  Carrying their treasures, the ladies then decided to visit Seward’s docks to watch the boats and people for a while.

  On arriving, they were surprised to see many people swimming. Even though it was July, it was too cool for their taste to go swimming.

  When the ladies returned to their motel, they found the men there. They had gone back to the soup restaurant when their fishing was finished. They had even brought containers of soup for the ladies.

  The men were bone weary from their busy day and pleaded that they might stay in tonight.

  They spent the next hour exchanging the many experiences of their day.

  Sarah gave a glowing account of the birth of the baby Moose and showed them where Mother and her offspring were.

  Amber told the story of the reasons the Mother’s come near the houses to give birth.

  Reid told the frightening story of a man who tripped and fell in the Kenai river and of the way he had been rescued.

  Ben had cast his line out and the hook caught the man’s jacket. He had then swung to the left near the bank. Victor and two strangers had pulled him ashore nearly frozen.

  An ambulance was called and the man taken to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

  Logan ended that story by relating his story of catching the biggest salmon. Of course he felt compelled to give details of the struggle the fish gave him.

  Since the men and boys were going deep sea fishing the following day, everyone retired early except the women who decided to play cards or scrabble until they felt more like sleeping.

  The next morning the group had a hearty breakfast at their favorite restaurant. They had awakened refreshed and eager for their last full day in Seward.

  Tomorrow they would retrace their steps to start their journey back to Seattle, Washington, from there they would drive home to Branford, Massachusetts.

  Just the thoughts of being on the Marine Highway again had them all anticipating the exciting return trip.

  For today, the men had to be at the dock in thirty minutes to board their deep sea fishing boat. The fare was modest, but when the Captain said he got half their catch, they were shocked.

  A native Alaskan noticed them and spoke up, “I do not mean to intrude sir, but you will catch so many halibut today you will be glad to give the Captain his due. We have a service that takes them directly to the processor if you do not wish to carry or clean them,”

  “If we catch more halibut than we can carry I will speak for us all and say yes!” Victor assured him warmly.

  The time involved in getting to the fishing waters made Victor and Reid reminisce about their mishap on their Caribbean cruise. “We would never want to be blown aground on an island in this part of the world, would we son?” Victor questioned.

  “Not when it snows Dad. We do not have the clothes for this country,” Reid answered manly.

  When the first line was cast, the fish grabbed it at once. Getting excited over the size of the halibut just caught, the boys hurriedly baited their hooks and were casting out.

  Logan gave a shout almost at once, he had a halibut so heavy he could hardly hold his fishing rod. The nearby fishermen were cheering him on. Hold him steady! Keep his head up! Atta boy! This one might win you the first prize of five hundred dollars. You hang on until you can bring his head out of the water, your dad can help you then. Hang on tight son!” In the meantime Reid had brought in two nice fish.

  The men were bringing in fish too, but Logan had eyes only for his prize! He had struggled for thirty minutes when the head finally broke the surface of the water. Shouting for his dad, he said, “Dad! Come quick, the head is out of the water but I can hardly hold him!”

  Running to Logan’s side, Daniel took over the task. The fish was so heavy he did not know how Logan had held him so long. As he was raising the fish, many hands were helping pull in the line. Finally it was near enough for the gaff hook, then the huge halibut was flopping on the deck and everyone was congratulating Logan on his catch! The fish weighed four hundred thirty pounds.

  The photographer wanted Logan to stand beside the fish. Whether he won the prize or not his picture would be in the news paper.

  Of course Daniel had recorded the catch and Ben had run the camcorder while Daniel assisted Logan.

  As the day progressed, they caught fish until they stopped counting them.

  When the Captain announced it was time to return, all the fisherman gave a sigh of relief. They were tired of standing, their arms ached from pulling in the fish.

  Logan and Reid stretched out on a bench and slept. The adults played poker with fish instead of money until it became a joke, the laughter rang out over the lounge.

  The Captain woke Logan from his nap to tell him he had the biggest fish by one pound four ounces then gave him his five ,hundred dollars which he shared his money with Reid.

  Back in Seward, they were glad they had sent the fish to the processor for them to package and freeze , then fly them to Massachusetts along with the elk steaks Daniel had bought.

  The frozen food was to be shipped in two weeks, giving them plenty of time to complete the drive home from Seattle.

  The following day would begin their journey home. The train ride through the mountains was even more exciting than the first one. They saw many more animals than on the first trip. Black bears were in abundance, often with twins, a group of about thirty sheep were climbing all over the mountains. Strait up the mountain at a seemingly impossible .angle. It looked as though they were defying gravity.

  They even saw a polar bear up close. It stood up and looked to be at least ten feet tall, making the boys glad they were safely inside the train.

  The children had slept through the first train ride and were thrilled anew at each curve of the tracks. They were sure they would never forget the breath taking scenery.

  It was a disappointment to the children when they reached the end of the line where they would once more take the Marine Highway. They were very much in love with Alaska

  Alaska was not through amazing the group yet. The second afternoon out everyone was on deck playing shuffleboard when someone screamed and pointed to the sky! It looked as though several rainbows had fused with the clouds. The passengers were spellbound as the forms swirled and dived, then shot upward. The colors becoming more intense, and shimmered like something alive!

  “Is it the end of the world?” a woman asked.

  “Perhaps it is poisoned gas, manipulated by the Russians,” speculated a man nearby.

  Hearing the fear in their voices, the Captain came on deck with a loud speaker, “Folks, folks, take it easy, this is only the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights! Enjoy this show of nature while it lasts for we only see this about once a year and it will go away as quickly as it came,” he said soothingly.

  In the meantime, Ben and Daniel had been looking for a whale to film, and were catching the entire phenomenon on film. The show had lasted for ten minutes when it faded away to nothing.

  The passengers all tried to talk at once, reliving the spectacular sights, the activity and the beautiful colors.

  “I have never seen anything like it,” said one.

  “It frightened the wits out of me,” said another

  The show was still being excitedly discussed when the dinner bell rang, reminding everyone to return to the dining room.

  All too soon the ferry and the Marine Highway were just a memory as they docked in Seattl
e to prepare for the road trip back to Massachusetts and home.

  The boys once again rode with Ben and Millie while the three girls were with Daniel and Caitlyn.

  They stopped at many points of interest on their journey home, always stopping early so the children had time to run and play before bedtime.

  As the group neared Massachusetts the children started listing the things they missed the most at home.

  Sarah started with the dogs. Logan missed the pool. Everyone laughed when Victor stated he missed his bed. The game lasted over an hour as the children were enjoying silly things to laugh about.

  Eventually Ben and his family turned off the Interstate toward their home.

  Daniel delivered Ben and Betty to their home, soon the Connelly family, exhausted but happy, were at their home at last.

  Caitlyn had not mentioned the Safe House on their trip, but it had been on her mind constantly since they left Seattle. She felt a strong need to be with her women. Her plan was to get her family settled then call the Safe House speak to Allison. She could give her any news of current events.

  For today, Caitlyn basked in the wonders of their fabulous vacation. It was so educational for the children, Daniel had been so lovingly considerate during the trip. How Caitlyn wished it were possible to introduce her abused ladies to someone just half as good as the man she had the good fortune to be married to.

  While Daniel and their three children were enjoying their pool the following day, Caitlyn called the Safe House. What she heard made her blood chill! Allison informed her there had been a kidnapping and a murder while she was gone!

  “What happened? Who was killed? Are the rest of you safe?” Caitlyn asked horrified.

  “It was Dinah, she is in jail for killing her husband! You know how proud she is of her job with the grounds. Well, she was outside the gate cutting the weeds by the fence when her husband, with another man, forced her into his car. They then drove her to his house where he beat her up again. Her husband slammed her against a wall, then she picked up a lamp and hit him over the head. It was not a metal lamp, but it killed him. The ladies she cared for are devastated they miss Dinah, .as does the rest of the staff

  They want to charge her with murder now. She was only defending herself as anyone would,” Allison explained.

  “I will be there tomorrow and Daniel will be at the lawyers office. How did her husband find out where she was?” Caitlyn wanted to know as they had been so careful.

  “There was an article in the newspaper about Mrs. Appleton donating her home for a Safe House for women. He figured out the rest. We feel so bad for her, we miss her terribly.

  I want to hear all about your vacation when you’re here again, we can hardly wait to see you “ Allison said.

  Hanging up the phone Caitlyn proceeded to tell Daniel about Dinah, it would be almost impossible to replace her.

  “Not to worry Sweetheart, I will take care of Dinah while you have your session. For now, slip into your bathing suit and enjoy the pool with your family,” said Daniel.

  The following day found Daniel at the police station early. He expressed his concern for Dinah.

  “We did not really want to lock her up, but we felt her neighborhood would be too dangerous Mr. Connelly. She has been beaten pretty badly so do not be surprised at what you see,” the officer informed him.

  As the officer led Dinah to the waiting room, Dinah’s eyes filled with tears as she recognized Daniel.

  “Oh Mr. Connelly, thank you for coming to see me. I’m in big trouble now,” she said.

  “I did not come to see you Dinah, I came to take you home. Everyone misses you,” Daniel answered.

  “Are you going to allow me back in the Safe House?” she questioned hopefully.

  “Of course we are. As far as we are concerned you have a right to defend yourself When you go to court you will have Mrs. Appleton’s lawyer for your defense. In the meantime, you are sorely missed at Safe House.” Daniel assured her placing his arm around her shoulder.

  “I was afraid I would never see my pretty room again, I love the little grannies I take care of. Thank you Mr. Connelly, you’ll never be sorry you took a chance on me,” she said sincerely.

  On the drive to Safe House Dinah chatted happily all the way. She had not dreamed of anyone helping her.

  “Mr. Connelly, I would like to go in the side door so I can shower and change clothes before my little grannies see me,” she requested.

  “Of course Dinah, you know they will be excited to see you . What have you done to have them loving you so much?” Daniel asked.

  “Just loving them, Mr. Connelly. I feel like they are my children,” Dinah explained.

  After Dinah showered and dressed, she looked like a new person. When she walked into the room where the elderly ladies were sitting, pandemonium broke loose.

  They were hugging Dinah, patting her on the back, stroking her hair, most of them were crying. Dinah too was crying as she hugged and kissed her ‘children. They had seen the newscasts of her unfortunate experience and every one of them felt she was justified in her actions.

  Dinah was just happy that most of her scars and bruises were covered with her clothes. Her ladies were so protective of her as she was of them. Most of them had no money at all when they had been dumped, very seldom did they even get a call to inquire of their welfare.

  It was a surprise when Mrs. Brown’s son came to visit her. He was all smiles and concern for about ten minutes. Mrs. Brown was trying to believe he had come for a visit because he loved his mother until he withdrew a legal looking paper from his coat pocket held it up.

  As she watched his face, reality surfaced. She knew at once he had found something else he needed her signature on. When he asked her to sign it, she simply reached for the paper and pen.

  “I want to look this over first son. If you want to leave your phone number I will call you if I decide to sign it. Here Dinah, please put this in my room until I feel like reading it over,” she requested.

  Her son grabbed for the paper, but Dinah held it high. She was much taller than he and she had a fierce look as she glared at him. How dare he upset one of her ladies!

  Young Mr. Brown already had plans for that money and he was not giving it up easily. He huffed and blustered but it did not faze Dinah at all. When he raised his voice and swore, Dinah got about six inches in front of him said, “Visiting hours are over Mr. Brown, Do you wish to give your mother a goodbye kiss? No? Then allow me to escort you to the door,” she said, taking his arm with her hand and walked him to the gate. He left in a huff, threatening a lawsuit.

  The interchange had embarrassed Mrs. Brown but Dinah calmed her by wisely saying, “We have all been shamed and abused by our families dear. Let us just be thankful we are in this lovely safe home where we can happily spend the rest of our lives,” Dinah said soothingly.

  Later when Sofia Brown looked over the document, she saw it was a sizeable sum. She had forgotten this particular investment, but now that it had resurfaced, she knew exactly what she was going to do with it. She would take Dinah and the rest of the ladies to the theater and out to a nice restaurant for dinner.

  Realizing what the expenses for this home must be, Mrs. Brown asked Dinah if she could speak with Caitlyn Connelly.

  Daniel and Caitlyn entered the room together. “You wanted to see us Mrs. Brown?” Daniel asked.

  “Yes, Mr. Connelly, I have been reminded that I have a small investment left. My question is, should I pay it to our Safe House, or would it be possible for me to buy Dinah and all of us mature ladies a night on the town?” she asked.

  “What do you think Caitlyn?” Daniel asked.

  “I think they should take their night out and celebrate. All of you will have a great time! Shall we make the reservations?” Caitlyn inquired.

  “Do not worry about paying for an
ything, Mrs. Appleton even has money put aside for new clothing occasionally. Since this will be an occasion, Dinah may take you ladies shopping for something pretty to wear while you are having your big night out.” Daniel answered happily.

  Although the ladies were in their sixties and seventies, they could have been teenagers from the sound of giggles as they planned.

  They were excited about shopping, laughing and teasing each other about the play they had decided on.

  Dinah was the soul of patience with her charges. They had to make three different trips to the mall before they were satisfied with their evening wear. Caitlyn felt it necessary to accompany Dinah to shop for her own clothes since she felt the money was only for the other residents to use. the two of them had a great time shopping.

  First, Caitlyn had Dinah get a new hairdo, then they shopped for clothes. It was a surprise to everyone when they saw the big change in Dinah. She was absolutely beautiful! With the new clothes she stood straighter walked gracefully. Dinah even spoke differently. What a change! The right clothes do make a difference.

  When Daniel walked into the room, his mouth fell open with surprise. Dinah was a knockout!

  “Hey, wait a minute here, we can not let all you gorgeous ladies go on a night out alone! If the wolves in this town find out about you, they will carry you off!” Daniel said, holding his head comically.

  He later suggested to Caitlyn that the younger ladies should have something special too.

  “Most of them are afraid to go out in public. Some of them are being relocated to other towns, we have two who will be here next week straight from the hospital. We are so spread out it would be difficult to plan anything. Being so transient makes it hard to plan ahead for them,” Caitlyn explained.

  “You’re right of course Sweetheart, when you come back here next month, the senior ladies will have had their big night out to tell you about. Isabella and I might have to challenge you to a swimming match. She is swimming like a little fish now, or you might even find time to make me a big chocolate cake. I have not had one since you were trying to talk me into getting married,” Daniel teased.