An Island Between Us

by K'Anne Meinel

  “Ah, no one has used that dock in years. I think the city condemned it,” he said musingly.

  “I certainly hope not since we purchased it a few weeks ago. They gave us a bill of sale for it and the three parking spots along here,” she indicated where her truck was parked and the ones on either side of her. They weren’t readily visible, but the paving was better here than in other spaces, which were mostly dirt.

  “Oh, you must be those city gals that bought Whimsical Island,” he answered knowingly.

  Marion could imagine that they were the talk of the town. She nodded as she answered, “Yes, that is us,” she said, wondering if she should be angry at the gossip.

  He smiled, showing even, white teeth. His face was weatherworn and tanned, despite the early spring weather. “Well, if you need anything, I’m Thomas O’Flaherty, and that’s me ship o’er thar,” he said, pointing at a fishing vessel that was moored at a bigger dock about one hundred feet away.

  “Well, Thomas O’Flaherty,” she said, giving it a slight Irish brogue, which was common down in Boston and smiling in return to show she was teasing, “we appreciate your offer and may take you up on it at some point. I’m Marion Whiting, and this is my daughter Brenda.”

  “How do you do?” he said politely, pulling at his forelock that was blowing in the breeze as though he were tugging at a non-existent cap. “Me and my brothers fish off these waters. It’s nice to make your acquaintance. Your husband coming out?”

  Marion nearly laughed. She had been asked out many times since Brian’s death, always with discreet inquiries as to where her husband was, and this one was no different. “Nope, he gave his all in the war. My partner, Barbara is bringing our boat up, and we’re going to set up housekeeping out on Whimsical Island.”

  “Housekeeping?” he asked, aghast. “You know there’s no house out there?”

  “Ayuh,” she answered, using the Mainer phrase and relishing it. “We’re going to build ourselves a cabin.”

  “Two women? Alone?”

  “My mother can build anything she sets her mind to,” Brian Junior said suddenly from where he had come up on the two conversing adults. Seeing a man, any man, talking to his mother always brought out his protective instincts. He didn’t like the idea of someone taking his father’s place. So far, his mother hadn’t indicated she was interested in anyone, but still, he worried.

  “Oh, she can, can she?” Thomas answered with a smile. He put out his hand, “I’m Thomas O’Flaherty, and you are?”

  “Brian Whiting Junior,” he said proudly, grasping the man’s hand. Then, remembering his manners, he introduced Richard. “This is Richard Jenkins.”

  “How do you do?” Thomas replied, shaking the other boy’s hand, trying to hide his amusement at the young boy’s imitation of adult manners. Still, they had to learn sometime. “I was just telling your mother here that if she needs help, my brothers and I have a boat over there,” he indicated the fishing vessel, “and would be willing to help.”

  “We thank you, sir,” began Brian, but Marion interrupted.

  “Mr. O’Flaherty, I’m sure we’ll be taking you up on such a kind offer at some point. When we are all set up, you and your brothers and your wives will be welcome to come out to Whimsical Island for dinner. It will be nice to make friends here in Franklin.”

  “We will,” he said agreeably as he took the hint and bid them farewell. He looked back twice as he walked towards his boat and disappeared onto it. It was a large vessel, and they could see men working on it.

  “Where do you think my mother is?” Richard asked Marion. She could hear the slight worry in the boy’s voice.

  “Probably coming in anytime. Let’s go get something to eat and a room for the night, okay?” she asked to get their minds off Richard’s mother. She was worried. If Barbara wasn’t already here, where was she? Had she somehow left word for them? Maybe she had gone out to the island?

  She had each of the children carry their own satchel of nightclothes, and after locking up the truck, they headed towards the hotel where Marion and Barbara had stayed so many weeks ago. Before they washed up in the shared facilities and then headed to the diner for food, Marion arranged with the staff that they would show Barbara to their room if she arrived during the night. During their meal, she tried to steer the children away from any mention of Barbara, getting them to talk about what they might want in a house instead. Their ideas were quite inventive as they had seen movies of mansions and many other homes in their young lives. The thought of having a dumbwaiter or an elevator in a house intrigued the boys, but Brenda made her laugh when she talked about hidden passages behind bookshelves. Their imaginations were a delight. They really enjoyed themselves and finally returned to the hotel and went up to bed and slept soundly. They woke to find Barbara passed out across the bottom of the boys’ bed. They hadn’t heard her enter their room in the night.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Barbara was scared. She knew she wasn’t lost, but it was taking much longer than she had intended. A couple times, she had entered a curvy inlet that wasted time and gas and made her feel frustrated, but she worried more about going too far out and losing sight of land. The thought of being turned around and lost at sea terrified her. She hadn’t realized how long a trip this would be. She knew Marion had probably gotten there the previous day, and she didn’t want to worry her. But if something had happened to them, she wouldn’t know. Her whole life was her son, Richard, her love of Marion, and by extension, Marion’s two children. She couldn’t lose them. Losing her husband hadn’t caused nearly as much terror in her heart as the thought of losing Richard or Marion.

  As she got low on gas once again, she used the last of the fuel in the final gas can and anxiously began looking for somewhere to fill up once more. She couldn’t find anywhere and wasted more gas looking for a village or somewhere with docks. She saw a lot of pretty, coastal woods but not the towns she knew she needed to find in order to fill up. Nearly out of gas, she was relieved when she finally pulled into a town and saw the gas pump on the dock. A man came out and looked curiously at her and her boat. As she filled the boat’s tank, he watched her closely. Women usually didn’t drive boats, and this was a fine, if filthy boat. She filled each of the gas cans carefully and paid cash for her purchase. “Do you have any snacks inside?” she asked, looking to stretch her legs on dry land after days in this boat. She got up stiffly on the dock beside the gas pump and went into the small store. It was small but stocked from floor to ceiling with everything an ocean-going fisherman could need. She imagined something like this on their island, right down to the gas pump, and wondered how they would ever build, much less afford something like this. Still, she dreamed as she made a few purchases to keep her hunger at bay. She had more substantial fare on board the boat in a picnic basket Marion had insisted she take. Marion had packed it like Barbara was going to be at sea for weeks. It was a nice, thoughtful idea.

  As Barbara drove away from this nameless dock with her gas tank and gas cans full, she felt better. She’d used the facilities to go to the bathroom, something she had done a few times on the trip, tipping the bucket she had used over the side and washing it out with sea water. Using fresh water in the bathroom had felt much better on her skin, even if the facilities weren’t very clean. Men didn’t seem to care as much if the facilities were clean. She continued on her northeasterly course up the coast until she finally admitted she wasn’t going to make it to Franklin that third night and headed in when she saw lights in the twilight. She would have to gas up the boat the following day as the small store on the pier was closed for the night. She tied off her boat at both ends and grabbed her satchel to find a room for the night. She had no idea she was only a few miles from where Marion and the children had also stopped for the night.

  The next morning, she got breakfast and headed down to the pier only to find the boat was gone. She found the local sheriff and learned it had been confiscated since she hadn’t had permis
sion to tie it off on that pier. It took her most of the morning to explain and try to get out of the heavy fine they were insisting she pay to get the boat out of impound. Crying finally worked, but they were startled to see tears from the rather large and muscular woman, not expecting her to be emotional. She had only used tears as a last resort. She did not have money to spend frivolously, only enough for gas and food if she needed it. She worried about catching up with Marion and the children, and because of this incident, she was well off her time schedule. After paying a minimal fee to dock the boat overnight, then gassing up the boat and filling her gas cans, she finally made it away from this disagreeable, little town. It took her all day to make it to Franklin and park at their pier. She was relieved to find the truck and trailer parked at the other end as she carefully tied off the boat. She was so tired, her mind had played tricks on her those last few miles out on the ocean. The thought of losing the boat in that last town had really played on her mind, and she was exhausted from worry.

  Inquiring at the hotel, she was relieved when they confirmed Marion had left a key for her. She quietly unlocked the door and undressed down to her long underwear, pulling her jacket over her as she gently lay across the bed, her legs hanging over the edge as she attempted to sleep. She found it easier to lay diagonally as the two eight-year-olds were sleeping soundly, and they never realized as she crawled on the bed with them. She would have loved to crawl in next to Marion but saw that Brenda was sprawled out next to her mother, and she didn’t wish to disturb them. She would have slept on the floor, but she was cold and tired, and there was room for her if she didn’t mind her legs hanging off the end of the boys’ bed.

  “Mom!” Richard woke her shouting joyfully when he realized she was there with them.

  “Shhh,” Marion tried to stop him, but it was already too late as Barbara woke with a snort.

  “What...?” she began, wiping at the drool leaking from the side of her mouth.

  “Ewww, Mom!” Richard complained, seeing the moisture.

  “Richard, your mother is still sleepy. Leave her be,” Marion directed, seeing how tired her partner was. She smiled at the brunette, pleased to see her safe and sound. “Why don’t you children get dressed and I’ll take you to breakfast, so Barbara can sleep,” she directed this comment at her children but included Richard. They got off the bed, the boys racing to get to the bathroom and nearly slamming the door in their haste. “Boys!” Marion hissed, cautioning them. “There are other people sleeping!” A more contrite pair opened the door and headed to the bathroom only to find it occupied. They stood before the door in their pajamas, hopping from foot to foot and focused only on using the bathroom to empty their full bladders. Both boys hid erect penises behind their towels, hoping whoever was inside would hurry and no one would notice.

  “Are you okay?” Marion asked Barbara quietly as she crawled up farther on the bed the boys had just vacated and put her feet under a blanket.

  “Just tired,” she admitted, not willing to complain about the trip. “I was so glad to see you all safe and sound.”

  “I was glad to see you too,” Marion said affectionately, tucking her in and admonishing her, “Go back to sleep. I’ll bring you breakfast in bed.”

  Barbara smiled sleepily and turned over, away from the door.

  Brenda watched her mother’s friend for a moment before she hopped off their bed and quickly changed into dungarees and a shirt.

  Marion changed too since the boys were out of the room and then laid out the clothes they had jumped out of the previous night, so they wouldn’t jar the bed when they returned. They were taking an inordinate amount of time, so she peeked out of the room to check on them and saw them standing outside the bathroom door, hopping from foot to foot. “What are you doing?” she whispered, not willing to wake up their neighbors.

  “Someone’s in there,” Brian complained, trying to hide the noticeable bulge in his pajamas from his mother.

  “Did you knock?”

  The boys exchanged a look, and hesitantly, Richard knocked on the door. There was no answer. Tentatively, he turned the doorknob only to find there no one was inside the bathroom and they had been waiting for nothing. Both boys quickly went inside to pee. Marion shook her head as she closed the door quietly. When they returned, she admonished them against being noisy. Barbara was once again asleep, snoring slightly and tired from her travails. She was so relieved to see her partner that she forgot about her own trials as she and Brenda headed for the bathroom for their morning absolutions, toothbrushes and toothpaste in hand. They both used the toilet, turning away to give the other privacy while the other brushed her teeth. Marion fixed her hair back in a ponytail and put Brenda’s in pigtails, which was easier.

  She sent the boys back to brush their teeth and hair since they had missed that the first trip, and they were now dressed. She instructed them to hurry since she was certain there were others waiting to use this communal bathroom. She also wanted them to be out of the room for a while, so Barbara could get more sleep. Marion could tell she was drained and wondered at her trip.

  Taking the children to the diner, she noticed they were being recognized now as word spread about those city gals that had bought Whimsical Island. They knew she was one of the two women who had bought the island and people were curious about them. She thought about unpacking the trailer and filling the boat, but she wanted Barbara to help her as it would take several trips. She didn’t want to take things that they wouldn’t need or leave things unnecessarily exposed in the boat. She kept the children busy with their own breakfast for over an hour before she ordered pancakes, sausages, eggs, and hot coffee with cream to go. Carefully, she balanced the plate as she carried it to the hotel, the children holding doors for her. Richard unlocked the room as she brought the food in for Barbara, hoping that extra hour or so of sleep had helped her partner.

  “Barbara,” she called softly as she wafted the smell of pancakes, sausages, and eggs below her nose. She knew she had her as the smell of the coffee permeated her senses.

  “Ohhh, gimme, gimme, gimme,” Barbara murmured as she woke up and reached out blindly for the hot coffee. Marion didn’t release the cup until her girlfriend’s eyes were open, and Barbara glared at the blonde for not handing her the desired beverage.

  “Sit up, so you don’t spill,” she cautioned, the children delighted with the playful exchange.

  Reluctantly, Barbara sat up and made a lap. Marion handed her the cup of coffee and put the plate on her legs after spreading out a napkin to make a place. She placed another napkin, this one with silverware, next to her leg.

  “Oh, mmmm,” Barbara exhaled as she took her first sip of the still hot coffee. “It’s been days since I had decent coffee,” she complained good-naturedly.

  “The places you stopped didn’t have coffee?” Marion asked, wanting to know all about Barbara’s trip.

  “Yes, but this is better than their fare,” she admitted as she took a second sip and then looked for a table next to the bed to set it on. Not finding one, she handed the cup back to Marion. who was indicating she would hold it. Barbara picked up the silverware, then seeing a little pitcher of syrup, she poured it over the pancakes. “Oh, this looks good,” she said as she dug into the food.

  The children began to tell about their trip as Barbara and Marion listened, exchanging looks now and again, sometimes exasperatedly when the boys exaggerated something. Brenda got in her own version of the trip when she could. She’d been amazed and frightened by turns about the bridges they traversed, worried they were going to plunge over them and into the waters below.

  “The Waldo–Hancock Bridge was impressive,” Marion admitted, downplaying how nervous she had been. That had been quite a trip, and she didn’t care to repeat it. They’d have to, someday, to retrieve the rest of their belongings, but for now, they only had to worry about getting out to the island.

  “Mom met a man who said he’d help us.”

  “He has a b
oat.”

  “And several brothers.”

  “He’s dreamy,” this from Brenda.

  The children were shooting information at Barbara fast and furious until Marion quieted them and explained about meeting Thomas O’Flaherty and receiving his kind offer.

  “He might regret that offer,” Barbara stated wryly. She often wondered if the attention that Marion received, something she had never experienced, would turn to attraction. Still, after a couple years of raising their children together, Marion had never showed signs of wanting to go back to men. She admitted, between the two of them, Marion was the more aggressive in their relationship; she’d been the first to initiate a kiss. Thoughts of kissing Marion must have shown somehow on her face as she saw the dimples on Marion’s face appear and her blue eyes twinkled. Barbara quickly looked down at her plate and finished her breakfast. “That was delicious,” she admitted, pleased at having a fine meal and finishing it off with the last of the coffee.

  “I’ll take these dishes back to the diner,” Marion indicated the plate and cup, “while you get dressed. Come along, children.”

  “Oh, do we have to?”

  “Mom!”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  She heard various comments simultaneously from the children and fixed a look on each of them as they reluctantly got up from the bed where they had been telling Barbara about the flat tire and getting lost numerous times on their trip. Barbara’s eyes twinkled at her partner in return, and she waited for the door to close before getting out of bed. Her long johns made her feel peculiar as she pulled on her dungarees, wrinkling her nose at the odor from wearing them too many days. She pulled on a shirt as she made her way to find the bathroom. She felt much better after she washed up, brushed her hair out, and cleaned her teeth. She put her socks back on in the room and had her bag packed before they even returned. They quickly checked out of the hotel before they headed down to their pier and unlocked their trailer.