by Abigail Keam
4
“You’ve got to do something. You’re going to have to call the police or the Coast Guard, I don’t know, but SOMEBODY!!!” complained River Egan’s daughter. Apparently, her father hadn’t been seen for hours.
Eva and Lillian listened sympathetically to the woman’s concerns after exchanging a furtive glance.
“Perhaps he went on a tour,” suggested Lillian, Eva’s night manager. “I remember showing him brochures about scuba diving and snorkeling tours. Or maybe he’s at Aussie Jack’s across the road.”
“He would have told me,” insisted the daughter.
Jenny came into the office from swimming and stood by the door, wrapped in a pool towel.
“I can call the hospitals if you like,” Lillian proposed, “but it’s too soon to call the police for a missing person.”
The woman pounded the desk. “Someone has got to do something and do it now!”
“Where was the last place you saw Mr. Egan?” Eva asked.
“He was sitting on the pier,” his daughter replied.
“Oh, golly!” gasped Jenny.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Mr. Egan went kayaking and said he would be back before dark.”
Eva sighed with relief and turned to face Mr. Egan’s daughter. “See there? Nothing to worry about. Mr. Egan will be back soon. Just went for a nice kayak spin.”
“I demand that you send a boat out right now to look for my father and bring him back.” The woman then turned to Jenny. “And how do you know where my father went?”
“I saw Mr. Egan down by the pier, and he asked if he could borrow my kayak, and I said sure. I gave him the kayak that I was using. He called me Themis.”
“I know it was my father, then. Who else would call someone Themis? And, young lady, why didn’t you let me know he had gone?”
Jenny remembered that she had promised Mr. Egan that she would tell his daughter where he had gone.
“I . . . I don’t know. I went swimming and I forgot,” Jenny stammered, looking frightened and glancing back and forth between Mr. Egan’s daughter and Eva.
“Likely story,” accused the distraught daughter. “It seems your daughter has a habit of making things up.”
Eva bit her lip to help her resist suggesting that the woman pack up and leave the motel. She was the most tiresome guest who’d ever stayed at the Pink Flamingo. She turned to Lillian and said, “Can you watch the desk for me? I’ll take the boat out and look for Mr. Egan.”
“No problem,” replied Lillian, keeping track of Mr. Egan’s daughter out of the corner of her eye. “I’ll take care of everything here.”
Eva grabbed the keys for the motel’s boat and started out the door. “You want to come with me, Jenny?”
Jenny’s eyes widened and a look of near panic overtook her. She shook her head and darted behind the counter.
“Lillian, give Mary a call and ask her if she will keep Jenny until Mike gets off work, will you?”
“Never you mind, Eva. I’ll take care of her. Jenny likes to help me, don’t you, honey?” Lillian replied cheerfully, smiling at Jenny, who was hiding behind the counter now.
Mr. Egan’s daughter harrumphed. “I’ll be in my bungalow waiting for news of my father,” she announced as she stomped past Eva and out the door.
Eva rolled her eyes at her night manager on the way out. Lillian grinned back.
Hearing the door slam shut, Jenny jumped up. “Is she gone?”
“Eva or the guest?”
“Both!”
“Yes, Jenny, you are safe. They are both gone. Now tell me why you didn’t give Mr. Egan’s daughter the message that her father had gone kayaking. It would have saved her from worrying that her father had fallen into the bay and drowned.”
“I just forgot.”
“Next time a guest gives you a message, come to the front desk first thing, and we will make sure the message gets to the right person. Then you won’t have to worry about it. Does that sound like a plan?”
Jenny nodded.
“Why didn’t you go with Eva to look for Mr. Egan?”
“Didn’t want to. Don’t like boats.”
Lillian laughed. “Don’t like boats. Well, child, then you shouldn’t live in Florida, especially the Keys.
Seeing Jenny’s stricken face, Lillian immediately regretted her remark. “But then I guess boats are not for everyone. C’mon. Help me with these towels.”
Lillian pointed to several baskets of pool towels.
Jenny went over and began folding. “Lillian?”
“Yes?”
“What’s a Themis?”
“She’s a who, not a what. Where did you hear that name?”
“Mr. Egan said I was a Themis. Is that something bad?”
“Quite the contrary, it’s good. Themis was the Greek goddess of justice, so Mr. Egan was saying you’re a just person.”
“Is Themis real?”
“No, she was just a character in a tale from long ago, but the sentiment is real. And Mr. Egan is right, you do take after Themis.”
“So it’s okay that he called me Themis?”
Lillian helped Jenny fold the pool towels. “I think it is a lovely thing to call a person.”
Jenny smiled and heaved a big sigh. She felt better than she had in a long time.
5
“Daddy, am I in trouble?” Jenny asked.
“No, honey, you’re not in trouble, but I think we need to get a few things straight,” answered Mike. He sat down beside her on the dock in their backyard. “Actually, I think that perhaps you can help me. I’m confused.”
“What are you confused about, Daddy?”
“I was under the impression that you were kinda afraid of the ocean and boats, stuff like that, but today I hear that you went kayaking by yourself. Help me understand what I’m getting wrong here.”
Jenny shifted and looked down at her feet. Deciding to tell part of the truth, she swung around and pointed to at the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the road in front of their house. “I’m afraid of that. That’s the water that killed Mommy.”
“How is that water different from over here in the bay?” asked Mike, his face lined with concern.
“This water isn’t scary. No big waves. Lots of animals live here, and the water is shallow with islands everywhere, and our manatee is here.”
Mike rubbed his chin. “So you consider the bay water to be different from the Atlantic Ocean?”
Jenny nodded.
“How come you’re not afraid of kayaking?”
“Mommy and I went kayaking all the time. I know how to do it. I do it just like she taught me. I stay close to the mangroves. I don’t paddle in water deeper than my waist, and I wear my life jacket.”
“And you are still afraid to ride in a boat?”
Jenny hung her head and wouldn’t look at her father.
Mike tried a different tactic. “Would you be willing to ride in a boat with me now?”
Jenny emphatically shook her head.
Mike knew he had pushed Jenny as far as he could on that subject, so he switched topics. “Jenny, I’m very serious when I say that I don’t want you kayaking alone. It bothers me that you didn’t tell anyone what you were doing and where you were going. What if you had tipped over and hit your head?”
“Mike!” called Eva, sticking her head out the kitchen window. “Can I see you right now?”
“I’m having my talk with Jenny.”
“I know, but I need to see you NOW!”
Mike glanced at Jenny. “Stay here until I get back.”
He got up and went into the house. “What?” he snapped, and was immediately sorry. Being a grouch was not the best way to start off a new marriage.
“I just wanted to warn you to be careful. We’ve been wanting Jenny to show less fear of the water. And now she has. It may not be the way we wanted, but she did get into a kayak and go on the water. We don’t want to stomp that initiative
out of her.”
“I realize that, Eva, but it’s not safe to do what she did.”
“I know, but how old were you when you started going out on the water on your own?”
Mike frowned. “I was younger,” he admitted, “and I remember my mom yelling at me too.”
Eva shot Mike a quick smile. “See? Jenny’s not so different from her old man. I know you don’t want to be a helicopter parent. We want her to explore, but not give us a heart attack while doing so. She’s going in the right direction, Mike. It might be hard for you to see or accept it, but Jenny’s growing up. Go easy.”
Mike exhaled. “You’re right. Maybe she’s feeding off my fear because of what happened to Beth.” He gave Eva a quick kiss and went back outside.
Jenny was playing with her kitten, Snowball.
Mike went over and gave her a pat on her head. He looked out over the bay.
“Am I in trouble, Daddy?”
“No, baby, but next time you want to do anything in the bay, tell me, your grandmother, or Eva first. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“And if anyone tells you that they want to give you a message, tell them no. Tell them to call or go to the front office. Messages are not in your job description.”
“Okay.”
“Jenny, I mean it. I want you to remember that.”
“I will, Daddy.”
Mike sat down next to his daughter and playfully pulled on her ponytail. “Jenny, is there something on your mind? Is anything bothering you?”
“No, Daddy.”
“Are you sure?”
Jenny looked at Mike with guileless sincerity. “Yes.”
“You would tell me if something’s not right?”
Jenny giggled at an antic of Snowball’s and completely ignored Mike’s question.
Sensing that Jenny had passed her point of concentration for her age, Mike got up and went back into the kitchen to help with dinner.
Tomorrow he would call his mother and ask for advice about Jenny. He felt he was missing something important, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. Maybe his mom would point him in the right direction. With three different females in his life, Mike sometimes felt overwhelmed by the estrogen.
Jenny watched her dad walk back into the house. She couldn’t believe that she had just lied to her father. Jenny knew for certain she had sinned, since she didn’t tell him the whole truth. Yep, Jenny was sure she was going to go to hell, and her punishment would be drowning–just like her mother.
6
It was Saturday. On Saturdays, Jenny worked at the Pink Flamingo from eight till lunchtime and got paid fifteen dollars if she did a good job.
She was raking the beach sand into a pretty design when River Egan walked up to her.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” Jenny replied.
“Now I know why this beach always looks so nice.”
Jenny blushed, trying hard to hide her pleasure at his compliment.
River continued. “I understand my daughter caused a quite a ruckus yesterday and you were in the thick of it.”
Jenny kept raking while keeping her eyes on the sand.
“I just wanted to apologize to you.”
“I’m not allowed to take messages anymore. My daddy said so.”
“I see. Well, I realize that was partly my fault too. I’m sure you had more important things on your mind. I never should have asked you to do that.”
“Your daughter got real mad and yelled at Eva.”
“I know. I s’pose I caused a real mess.”
Jenny nodded.
“I just wanted to tell you I had a lovely time. I saw bald eagles, flamingos, ospreys, all sorts of fish, a shark, and a manta ray. So, thank you for loaning me your kayak.”
“It’s not mine. It belongs to the motel. You can take it out any time you want.”
“Nice to know that. Well, I can see I’m taking up your time. Just wanted to tell you about my adventure and apologize. I never meant to get you into trouble.”
When Jenny didn’t respond as she raked, River walked away.
He felt uneasy and restless. When had he become so old that a simple kayak excursion had resulted in a rescue boat being sent out to fetch him?
River had been surprised and embarrassed when Eva had come after him. He was angry, too. He knew his daughter had reacted out of concern and love, but River now felt like less a man and more like a child.
And he didn’t like it.
7
Mary also helped at the Pink Flamingo on the weekends. Saturday mornings were always busy for Eva, so Mary did what she could to ease the workload at the motel. She was in the laundry room when she spied River Egan talking while her granddaughter raked the sand.
After River walked back to his bungalow, Mary went over to Jenny. “What did Mr. Egan want, Jenny?”
“He said he was sorry for causing trouble.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I think it was very nice of Mr. Egan to apologize, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
Mary sensed that Jenny didn’t want to talk anymore, so she went back to the laundry room, where she sorted sheets until she saw River emerge from his bungalow and take charge of a hammock stationed between two palm trees.
She checked the washing machines and then loaded the dryers before she headed over to where River was happily munching on a breakfast sandwich.
“Hello,” said Mary.
“Good morning,” replied River, trying to stand up from the rocking hammock.
“Don’t get up,” said Mary. “I just wanted to thank you for apologizing to Jenny. Most adults are not sensitive to children’s feelings.”
“I’m afraid I made a muck-up of things yesterday.”
“I think too much was made of it, don’t you?”
River gave Mary a big smile. “I was thinking the same. When did I start needing a baby-sitter?”
Mary laughed. “I know the feeling.”
“You have a nice smile, you know that?”
Mary scowled. “Do you always have to say such things?”
“Let’s turn that frown upside down. I’ll quit saying such things if you’ll agree to have dinner with me.”
“Staff is not allowed to fraternize with the guests. Eva is very strict about that.”
“Now, Mary, that doesn’t apply to you, and you know it. You’re not staff, you’re family. Look, I hear there’s a great seafood restaurant right across the street, down by the ocean.”
Mary shook her head.
“Come on. I’m single. I’m charming. I’ll wear something appropriate so I won’t embarrass you. I can converse on a number of subjects. I won’t spend the evening talking about myself like most men do. And I’ll pay.”
“You’ll pay? One of the last of the big-time spenders, huh?”
River’s face broke into a wide grin. “What have you got to lose? You might even have fun. C’mon, surprise yourself.”
Mary was tempted. Since Mike had married Eva, Mary spent most of her evenings alone, and she was tired of watching television and working in her garden to span the lonely hours. “All right. I’ll meet you at Aussie Jack’s at eight tonight.”
River clapped his hands. “That’s the ticket. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Mr. Egan, may I make a request?”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Will you please shave?”
River rubbed the stubble on his face. “A small sacrifice to make for a man’s ladylove.”
Mary snorted.
“Too much?”
“Yeah, a little too thick.”
“I’ll tone it down.”
“Um, I wish you would.”
“Consider it done.”
Mary glanced at the laundry room. “I have to get back to work. See you tonight.”
“Eight o’clock, then,” River confirmed.
“Sh
arp.”
“I’ll be there. Oh, and Mary, remember–it’s River.”
Watching Mary return to the laundry room, River felt better than he had in ages. He liked her, and he hadn’t “liked” a woman in a long time.
Now he just had to figure out a way to sneak away from his overprotective daughter.
8
“I can’t believe you climbed out a window!!” laughed Mary. She and River were finishing their meal at Aussie Jack’s.
“I told my family I was tired and going to bed early, and then snuck out my bedroom window.”
“But why?” Mary asked.
“Because I’d get a lot of questions. Where am I going? Who am I going to meet? When will I be home? Blah, blah, blah. I mean, I diapered that woman, and now she’s treating me like a child.”
“Once a man, twice a child is how the saying goes.” Mary looked out the window for a moment. “When did we get so old?” she asked, turning back and looking intently at River.
River sighed. “That’s just the thing. I don’t feel old. Do you?”
“I still feel like I’m sixteen.”
“Me, too. I’m in good health. I’m strong. I can’t do the things I used to do when I was twenty, but then I sure know a heck of a lot of things now I wish I’d known at twenty.”
Mary teased, “Like what?”
“Like realizing when I have a good woman sitting in front of me.”
“Phsaw, there you go again. I told you not to lay it on thick,” warned Mary, looking for their waitress. She wanted more coffee.
She caught Lillian’s eye. In addition to working for Eva, Lillian still worked weekend shifts at Aussie Jack’s.
Lillian hurried over with a coffee pot and filled Mary’s cup.
River put his hand over his cup while scrutinizing Lillian. “Hey, don’t you work for the Pink Flamingo?”
“Yes. I have the privilege of working both places.”
River hitched a thumb toward Mary. “Well then, you know me. Tell this gal I’m not Blackbeard, will ya?”
