The Eclipse of Moonbeam Dawson

by Jean Davies Okimoto

“Duh. Like you think I’m stupid. That I haven’t noticed.”

  Abby walked up the steps. Reid didn’t say anything as he followed her. He’d gotten off on the wrong foot, getting bent out of shape about Harvey. It just bugged him sometimes the way the guy had moved in on her. He wasn’t a bad guy. Probably a pretty decent guy. What set him off was how she expected him to not even blink. Just welcome the guy with open arms like they’d known him for a hundred years. Saying that stuff about recognizing that Harvey was important to her! Like he was always supposed to recognize what was important to her. Like living on Palmer’s Land, for instance. What about what was important to him for a change? Did she ever think about what he needed? Reid decided he better stop thinking this way. He’d have to chill out if he hoped to get anywhere with her about the loan.

  At the top of the stairs Abby pointed to the bench on the bluff. “I suppose we can talk over there.”

  “I’d rather go to my apartment. It’s more private.”

  “Okay. If you say so.” Abby followed him down the path. “It’s still hard for me to believe that you live somewhere by yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t be, if you wanted a job here.”

  Chill. Be nice. Don’t blow it. Maybe actually needing something from her was what was getting him so uptight, Reid thought as they walked toward the employee apartments. It had been a long time since he had asked her for anything. He couldn’t remember how long. She was always the one asking him for help.

  They didn’t say another word until they reached the apartment. Reid opened the door and she went in after him. For a minute Abby just stood in the middle of the living room, like she didn’t know how to act.

  “Have a seat, Mum.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She sat in the chair across from the couch. “So, do you like it here?”

  “It’s great.”

  “Have you been keeping up with your school work?”

  “Pretty well.”

  “That’s good.” Abby looked at the pile of books on the table. “So what did you want to talk about?”

  “I need to borrow some money.”

  “What about the money you make here?” Abby scowled, looking confused.

  “I don’t get paid until next week, after I’ve been here two weeks.”

  “Well, how much do you want to borrow?”

  “Two hundred seventy dollars, and I’ll pay you back next week as soon as I get paid.”

  “Moonbeam!”

  “Aggh.” I hate that stupid name!

  “What in the world do you need that kind of money for?”

  “Why does it matter, since I’m going to pay it back?” He stood up and went to the kitchen and got himself a Coke. “Want something?”

  “No thanks,” she snapped. “It matters because I’m still your mother. How do I know it’s not for drugs or something!”

  “Gimme a break.”

  “I’m serious. I’m not participating in something I don’t even know about.”

  “Okay, okay.” Reid tried not to sound as exasperated as he felt. “It’s for a plane fare.”

  “Where? Don’t you have to work?”

  “I’m going to Vancouver and back on Thursday. It’s my day off.”

  “It’s to see that girl, isn’t it?”

  “So what.” Reid drank his Coke, swallowing it in large gulps. “How do you know about her anyway? Did Harvey say something?”

  “No, he didn’t. I saw Gretchen Coe in town and she mentioned it.”

  “What a bunch of busybodies around this place. I can’t believe it.” He took another swig of the Coke.

  “There usually aren’t many secrets in a place this small.”

  “Where have I heard that before?” he mumbled.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. So can I borrow the money or not?”

  “I think you’re making a big mistake. And I’m not just saying this because of what her father does for a living.”

  “Good. Because it’s not her fault.”

  “Believe me, I know girls like that. I grew up with them. They’re materialistic and superficial and you’re going to get hurt. She can dabble in your world, but you don’t belong in hers. You can’t believe how snotty she was in Anne’s shop. Gretchen told me that’s who it was that day.” Abby stuck her nose in the air, impersonating a snob. “My mother only buys Missoni.”

  “You can’t judge someone from one little thing like that.”

  “I can’t stand her type and I know it well. You just met her. You don’t really know anything about her.”

  Reid smashed the empty Coke can. “You’re one to talk! You get involved with this Harvey guy and you hardly know him! You just jumped right into it!”

  Abby stared at him. Then she stood up and went for the door. “Fine. If you think the decisions I make at age thirty-five are the equivalent of what you do at fifteen, then there’s nothing else to say.” Then she walked out.

  “Fifteen and a half!” he shouted at the door as it closed behind her.

  Oh great. Now she’s mad, too. What a mess. Reid picked up the Coke can and threw it in the trash. Why did it matter to her who he liked? It was his life. She could do what she wanted with her life and he was going to do what he wanted with his. He didn’t care what any of them thought. There was no way he would give up trying to see Michelle.

  He knew he could always wait until he got his paycheck and then just buy a ticket for his day off next week. But the more he thought about that, the more next Thursday seemed really far away. Like a year. Hey. Maybe all he had to do was ask Jim Goltz for an advance on his pay. Why not? After all, he was supposed to get his check on Monday anyway. And it wasn’t like he was asking for money he hadn’t earned. He could even ask for a check to cover the days he had worked so far and then just get the rest of what was coming to him on payday. It was worth a try.

  He didn’t see his mother again. He didn’t want to try and find her. He had too much pride. He thought about hanging around the lobby or down at the marina to maybe just bump into her. But he was too proud for even a lame attempt like that. And he knew she had been too mad to try and find him because she left early that afternoon without saying good-bye. But after the dinner shift, when he came back to his apartment, he found a note on his door.

  Dear Moonbeam,

  Too much has changed too fast. Let’s be like the United Nations and at least keep talking. I’ll be back next Wednesday.

  Love,

  Mum

  P.S. Anne asked me how you got your nickname. I just said that I didn’t know because I didn’t know what she was talking about. Do you?

  Reid put the note on the table with his books. He’d probably have to tell about his name. He knew she’d be really upset, but he should probably take the hit and get it over with. Then maybe in a few weeks this would all have blown over and he and Mum would actually be able to talk to each other without fighting for a change. He hoped so; he didn’t like it when they weren’t getting along. He glanced at the note again, and then went to take a shower. He thought it would be best not to be all pitted out and stinking like a gymnasium when he went to ask the boss for an advance.

  * * *

  Jim was in the office when he got there. Reid was glad he didn’t have to go looking for him all over the lodge, he might have lost his nerve.

  “Got a minute?” Reid stuck his head in the doorway.

  “Sure. Just going over the books.” Jim swung his chair around away from the computer and motioned to the chair across from the desk. “Have a seat.”

  “Thanks.” Reid looked around the office. Had it really only just been a few weeks since he and his mother were here, when he applied for the job? She was right. A lot had changed, and it had been fast.

  “Wait just a second while I finish this.” Jim turned back to the computer, entered something, and then swiveled around to face Reid. “Now, what can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if I could have an advance on my paycheck. O
r at least the part I’ve earned so far?”

  Jim leaned back in his chair. “It’s our usual policy not to do that. It just messes up the books, and believe me, they’re hard enough as it is. But payday’s Monday. Is there some kind of emergency?”

  “No. I just wanted to go to Vancouver for my day off tomorrow and need plane fare.”

  “You don’t have to buy a ticket.” Jim smiled.

  “Huh?”

  “The lodge reserves seats all season on Wickaninnish Air Charters. It’s a service we provide for guests. If all the seats aren’t taken we let the employees fill them.”

  “You’re kidding?” Reid couldn’t believe the good news.

  “We don’t make a big thing of it, since the guests have priority. But all you do is go down to the marina at eleven A.M. when the first flight leaves. If there’s an empty seat, you can get on.”

  “Really? That’s great, but what about the return?”

  “Those are booked in advance for guests arriving through Vancouver. I can check and see how it looks.” Jim turned back to his computer and brought up a different file. “Looks like there’s a threesome that will be picked up at six and that will leave a vacant seat, unless of course one of the guests wants to take that seat in the morning. But unless that happens, you’re in luck. You’d just have to be sure to be at the plane by six.”

  Reid thanked Jim several times before he left the office, not quite able to believe the great deal that might just possibly have fallen in his lap. Now, if only all the guests would cooperate. But that was out of his hands, so the only thing he needed to decide now was whether or not to call her to say he might be coming. He could probably reach her if he called early, before she left for school. But what if she told him not to come? What if she said she was busy? Then he’d never know if she really did have plans or if it was just an excuse and she didn’t want to see him. If he just showed up and surprised her, he could tell from how she reacted if she was happy to see him. A person couldn’t fake their feelings that easily when you surprised them. Then he’d know once and for all how things stood between them after the letter.

  To call or not to call. He went back and forth about it all evening and finally around midnight came to a decision. Not to call. He’d just take his chances that he’d find her home after school. Or find out where she was if she hadn’t gone straight home. He didn’t want to risk a phone call.

  * * *

  Thursday morning Brad Wellman waited for the plane with Reid. It was almost 11:00 when they heard its engine, and at 11:00 sharp Joe Martin waved from the cockpit as he brought it in for a landing. Brad and Reid helped secure the plane and then Brad opened the door for the two passengers who got out, rich-looking business guys loaded with fishing gear.

  Reid held his breath, turning back to the lodge, hoping no one else was coming. Maybe he’d make it. The two men left the dock, followed by Brad, loaded down with their gear.

  Joe climbed out of the cockpit and stretched his legs. “Nice morning. Wish I could get a little fishing in.” He stretched his arms and then checked his watch. “But I’ve got to turn around in about five minutes. This stop isn’t much more than a touch and go.”

  “I’m hoping to catch a ride with you,” Reid explained. “It’s my day off. Thought I’d spend some time in Vancouver, then come back with you at six.”

  “Doesn’t look like anyone else is going. Wait here while I check at the front desk.” Joe smiled. “If there aren’t any other passengers, you’re on.”

  While he waited for Joe, a large yacht sailed into the marina. Reid watched it come slowly toward the dock. It was huge. Sparkling white with gleaming brass and mahogany, it looked like the Regina II. The waves from the yacht washed against the dock and Harvey’s skiff rocked back and forth as they rolled under its narrow hull. Reid gazed at the skiff, remembering the deserted marina the afternoon they came back from Hope Island, being alone with her when nobody was around. Just the two of them alone in that skiff.

  “All set!” Joe yelled. He gave Reid a thumbs-up from the top of the marina steps. “It’s a go.”

  “All right!” Reid slapped the piling next to the plane. Then he opened the door to the Cessna and climbed in. It was happening. Luck was with him once more. In a few hours he would see her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Reid took the slip of paper out of his pocket and rechecked the address. The last thing he needed would be to get lost trying to find the place. It had already been confusing enough just getting the bus out here from Coal Harbour, where the plane had come in.

  He loved every minute of the flight from Stere Island. Reid had only flown one other time in his life, to the States to visit his mother’s family. That was it. They’d never gone back again after that. He was only about a year old and didn’t remember it anyway. But this flight was really something. It was incredible how they could be on this west coast wilderness with its miles of isolated sandy beaches, migrating whales, and colonies of sea lions and in just an hour come down to glass-and-steel skyscrapers and a city of over a million people.

  Reid walked along Southwest Marine Drive and stopped near the Marine Drive Golf Club to check the map he had gotten in the bus station. He was pretty sure he was supposed to turn right, and then it looked like Laurel was two blocks east of that. He put the map back in his pocket and crossed with the light.

  He had never seen such big houses. They looked like museums. Why did people need all that room? It wasn’t like they had such big families. Michelle only had her half sister, Ashley, and that was when she was living at her mother’s house, not her father’s. She was the only kid when she was there. Maybe he should have called after all. Shaunassey was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Vancouver, and he felt like he had landed on another planet. Most of the garages were three times the size of their cabin on Heather Mountain. And the yards were the size of soccer fields, with manicured gardens and flowering shrubs and fruit trees. Every mansion seemed to have rhododendrons as part of the landscaping, so huge their blossoms looked like basketballs. At first he wasn’t sure where to look for the house numbers. Then he noticed them on gates that ran across the wide driveways, or etched in stone pillars carved like lions or some kind of creature. Some would be on a plaque set in a stone wall that enclosed the whole property.

  He turned on Laurel Drive. Her street. This was it. His hands shook a little as he checked the address and began looking for house numbers. In the middle of the block was a huge English Tudor mansion. The wrought-iron gate was open and Reid stopped in the foot of the driveway and checked the address again, 24012 Laurel Drive. Not that he didn’t have it memorized, but he wanted to check again, just to be sure. No mistake about it. This was it. A large circular driveway curved from the street to the front door and back out to the street. A green Ford pickup was parked in the drive. Cautiously, Reid started up the driveway and went to the truck and read the lettering on the door. USHIBA’S LAWN AND GARDEN SERVICE.

  An Asian guy was clipping the edge of a lawn so perfect it looked like a putting green. Reid went over to him, feeling more like he was walking across a skating rink in slippery leather shoes than across an asphalt drive wearing sneakers.

  Reid cleared his throat. “Hi, um, excuse me.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m a friend of Michelle Lamont’s and wondered if she’s home.”

  “I just work outside. Ask the housekeeper.” He motioned to the front door.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Well, at least he knew for sure this was the right house. Michelle hadn’t given him a phony address or anything like that. So she must have really wanted for them to stay in touch, he tried to convince himself as he rang the bell.

  After a few seconds another Asian person appeared, a middle-aged woman dressed in a crisp pearl gray uniform. She looked like she could be related to Gloria, he thought. Or even him since he and Gloria were supposed to look something alike.

  “I’m Reid Dawson. Is Mic
helle home? I’m a friend of hers from Stere Island Lodge.”

  “Is she expecting you?” From her accent, Reid thought she might be Chinese. He could see into the huge entryway with its marble tile and dark mahogany beams. He’d never seen a place like it except the Empress Hotel, or something in a movie. But never anyone’s real house.

  “Well, no, not exactly.” Reid showed her the slip of paper with Michelle’s writing. “But she gave me her address.”

  The woman nodded. “She’ll be home from school any minute, then she go to ride.”

  “Can I just wait out here?”

  “Outside, yes. That be fine.” She closed the door, like she was relieved that he hadn’t asked to come in.

  Reid leaned against one of the pillars, watching the street for a sign of Michelle. The yard guy had finished and was putting his equipment in the pickup. Reid looked out over the manicured lawn and the elegant landscaping. Michelle’s house seemed about as far away from Heather Mountain as you could get. He had trouble believing he was actually here.

  But she did give me her real address, he kept telling himself again while he watched the street. She could have made something up. Or just told him to forget it, but she didn’t. And she was the one to make the move to kiss him good-bye, and in the boat, too. Maybe when she saw him she’d invite him to go for that ride the housekeeper said she was going to take after school. Maybe she would. Maybe she had some errands to run or something. And afterwards they could go to Stanley Park and stop in some secluded spot.

  Oh, Reid, I’ve dreamed of being with you again, like we were in the boat. Seeing you again so soon is the most wonderful surprise. Let’s make the most of every moment.

  Reid was closing his eyes, imagining being with her in the secluded spot at Stanley Park, when he heard a car. The gate automatically opened and a shiny black Land Rover drove in, swung around the drive, and pulled up at the front entrance. Michelle jumped out of the driver’s seat. There was an athletic-looking blond girl on the passenger’s side in the front and another girl in the back, pretty, with light brown curly hair. It looked like they were each wearing navy blue sweaters with some kind of crest on the pocket. He used to see kids in school uniforms in Victoria sometimes, kids who went to private schools. But he never pictured Michelle wearing a school uniform. He had only imagined her in jeans and casual stuff like she had worn at the lodge, that she would look the same, and everything would be the same.