Summer of the Loon

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Just as the clock struck six, Ali heard the men coming into the room beyond and Ben and Chase walked through the back door into the kitchen. The four began serving supper to the men in the outer room. Freshly brewed coffee was poured, water glasses were filled, and the food was brought out to the tables. Ali pitched right in alongside Jo, Chase, and her grandfather, making sure the guests had everything they needed before the four finally returned to the kitchen and served up their own supper.

  "Ah, nothing like fresh fish," Ben said as he filled his plate with fish, potatoes, cooked carrots, and a warm corn muffin.

  Jo and Chase dug right in too, but Ali hesitated when the platter of fish came her way.

  "What's the matter? Don't you like fish?" Ben asked.

  Ali looked at the three faces that stared back at her. "I've never really liked fish," she said, feeling bad after having watched Jo work so hard to prepare it.

  Ben frowned at her. "Well, that's because you've never had fresh water fish before. This is Walleye, the best fish you'll ever taste." He forked up a fillet and placed it on her plate. "Go ahead, try it. You won't know if you like it unless you do."

  Ali looked down at the fish, then up at Jo.

  Jo smiled encouragingly. "Just try a bite, dear. It really isn't fishy at all. If you don't like it, you certainly don't have to eat it."

  Ben grunted and started eating his own food.

  Ali scooped a few potatoes onto her plate and mashed them with her fork like she'd seen everyone else at the table do. She buttered them, then took a warm cornbread muffin and buttered it also. When she could no longer put off trying the fish, she broke off a small piece with her fork, took a deep breath, and placed it in her mouth, chewing it quickly.

  Chase had been watching her the entire time with a small grin on his face. Finally, he asked, "Well? Do you like it?"

  Ali swallowed. She was surprised there was no fishy taste, and the texture wasn't gooey, either. It actually tasted good. "Yeah. Actually, I do," she said.

  Jo smiled wide and continued eating and Chase winked at Ali. Ben, however, grunted again. "Of course you like it," he said. "It's the best fish there is."

  Ali sighed. She ignored her grandfather's comment and dug right into her supper, even eating a second piece of fish. Ali especially enjoyed the cornbread muffins. Slathered in butter, they were heavenly.

  Later, after everyone had finished supper and had enjoyed a piece of the chocolate cake Jo had made earlier, Ali helped Jo clean up the kitchen. Chase and Ben had gone off again to work outside, although Ali had no idea what they were doing. As the two women finished up the last of the dishes and wiped down the counters and stove, Jo casually asked Ali how she'd learned so much about working in a kitchen.

  "I worked at a small restaurant for the last two years," Ali told her.

  Jo stopped and looked at the young teen. "Really? As a cook or a waitress?"

  "I started as a dishwasher, cleaning off tables, setting them, and running the dishwasher," Ali said. "After I turned sixteen, the owner let me wait tables so I could earn tips. I made a lot more money that way."

  "So, you've been working since you were fourteen?" Jo asked.

  Ali shrugged. "Longer than that, if you count babysitting for neighbors. I started babysitting nights and weekends when I was twelve. It wasn't a lot of money, but at least it was something."

  "Well, you certainly are a hard worker," Jo said, smiling at Ali. "What about here? Are you thinking of finding a summer job?"

  "I'd like to," Ali said. "I need money if I want to keep my phone working. Kat at the coffeehouse asked me if I'd like to work there this summer, but I'm not sure if my grandfather would let me drive his truck back and forth to town. Plus, I still have to get my Minnesota driver's license before I can drive by myself."

  "Maybe I can help," Jo said. "I was wondering if you'd like to work here, at the lodge. You could help me with meals and cleaning out the cabins and rooms. I usually hire someone for the summer, and I thought you'd be perfect since you're such a good worker and you live right here."

  Ali's eyes grew wide and she smiled broadly. "Really? That would be great. I'd love working here with you."

  "Good. I can only pay you minimum wage. I hope that's okay."

  "That's fine. When do you want me to start?"

  Jo laughed. "It seems as if you've already started, what with all the work you've done already."

  "Oh, I don't mind. I like helping you."

  "How about tomorrow morning?" Jo asked. "The guests will be here until the afternoon but then we can get started on cleaning up the cabins and getting them ready for next weekend. For now, we'll only be busy on weekends, but as soon as June hits, we'll have guests here pretty much all the time."

  "This is so great. It will be perfect. Thanks, Jo." Ali was so excited about having a job for the summer that she reached out and gave Jo a big hug without even thinking about it.

  Jo hugged her back tightly. "I'm happy, too. This will be a great summer."

  ***

  Evening settled in early as the sun slowly slipped below the cliff across the lake. Ali sat on the old wooden dock that jutted out into the water, her legs dangling over the edge, her bare feet skimming the cold water. The spring chill made Ali shiver, making her happy she'd worn a heavy sweatshirt. Everything was peaceful. The water barely rippled, the breeze blew lightly, and the leaves on the trees swayed slowly.

  A loon swooped high above Ali and landed smoothly on the lake, laughing as it touched the water. It swam very close, allowing Ali to study it. She marveled at its black and white checkerboard back and its long, graceful neck and head that looked like black velvet. Then, when she least expected it, the loon dived straight down into the water. Ali waited and watched for what seemed like an eternity before it finally appeared again, a little farther away from her, shaking the water droplets from its head.

  "You're beautiful," Ali said aloud.

  "Who? Me, or the loon?" Chase asked as he came up behind her on the dock.

  Ali turned, surprised she hadn't heard or felt him walk up behind her. She'd been so engrossed in watching the loon, she'd forgotten she wasn't alone here.

  "The loon, silly," she answered. "I've never seen one close up before. He's so beautiful."

  Chase slipped off his sneakers and sat down beside Ali on the edge of the dock. "Yep. They're pretty amazing. There are a couple of nests here on the lake. Maybe sometime I can take you out in the canoe and show you."

  Ali turned and looked at one of the old wooden canoes lying upside down on the shore. It didn't look all that safe to her. "Why not a boat?" she asked.

  "A boat would make waves which might swamp the nest. Loons nest close to the edge of the water because they can't maneuver very well on land. Their legs are too far back on their bodies to walk very far. With a canoe, we could skim up closer to the nest to see it without causing waves."

  Ali tipped her head and looked at Chase. He was sitting so near, the sleeve of his sweatshirt was skimming her sleeve. His blonde hair was tousled, and his face was lightly tanned. He'd been cleaning fish all afternoon with her grandfather, yet he didn’t smell fishy. He smelled like lemons.

  Chase turned to look at her. "What?"

  Ali quickly looked away. "I smell lemons," she said.

  Chase raised his hands and smiled. "Lemon hand cleaner. It takes the fish smell away."

  "Oh," was all Ali could manage.

  They sat in silence a while as the night sky grew darker. Ali heard chattering in the trees above and croaking on the ground close by.

  "Is the croaking a toad?" she asked.

  "Yep. Frogs, too."

  "What's that chattering? A bird?"

  "A chipmunk," Chase said. "Probably yelling at a blue jay to get away from its nest."

  "I guess I have a lot of animal sounds to learn," Ali said. "So, does a bear make a sound before it attacks?"

  Chase laughed. "Was Ben teasing you about bears coming up to your room?"r />
  Ali frowned. "He said if I have food up there, one might come up."

  "He's just pulling your leg. I mean, a bear could get up there if he really wanted to, but it's unlikely, especially since Ben closes the garage door at night. Don't take everything Ben says seriously. He likes to tease."

  "Hmmm." Ali didn't find her grandfather's sense of humor funny.

  The loon was across the lake by now and began swimming faster, finally lifting its powerful wings and taking flight up and over Ali and Chase. It called out as it flew away, its tremulous call loud and musical.

  "He's going back to his own lake. His own home," Chase said, watching it fly away.

  Home, Ali thought. She no longer knew where home was.

  ***

  Ben and Jo sat on the swing in the screened-in porch facing the lake. The sun was almost down, the work was all done for the day, and now they could relax in the few minutes they had left before night fell.

  "What do you think they're talking about?" Ben asked, nodding his head in the direction of the dock where Ali and Chase sat.

  "The mysteries of life, I suppose," Jo replied with a grin. When Ben slid a disgusted look her way, she continued. "More likely they're talking about living up here, the lake, maybe even that loon swimming out there."

  "They're sitting awfully close together," Ben said, grumbling.

  "So. You're sitting awfully close, too," Jo said, referring to him being only inches away from her, his right arm draped casually behind her over the back of the swing.

  "That's different. I'm old. I can do whatever I want," Ben said. He slid over even closer to Jo, making her laugh. This brought a smile to his lips.

  "I offered Ali the job. She was excited about it," Jo said.

  "Humph. Well, don't come complaining to me when she doesn't give you an honest day's work."

  "I don't think that'll be a problem," Jo said. "She's a hard worker. She's been working in one form or another since she was twelve."

  Ben's brows rose as he turned and looked at Jo. "Twelve? Whatever for?"

  Jo shrugged. "She didn't say. She babysat for neighbors for two years and then she started working in a restaurant when she was fourteen."

  Ben's gaze turned back to where Ali and Chase sat on the dock. "Hmmm."

  "You should ask Ali to go fishing with you in the morning. Remember how much Jen used to enjoy it? Maybe Ali will, too. It would give you two time together to talk," Jo told him.

  Ben frowned. "What? Are you kidding? I could barely get her out of bed for breakfast. You think she's going to want to get up before five to go sit in a boat for an hour?"

  "Wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?"

  "What in the world would we talk about?" Ben asked.

  Jo sighed. "Just stuff. Her mother, maybe. How her mother died. How she feels about it. Ali's been through a lot this last month, maybe even longer. It wouldn't hurt for you to connect with her and let her know that you care."

  Twilight was upon them. The frogs and toads were busy with their nightly chanting and the loon flew off the lake, heading home, his laughter echoing in the evening sky. Ben looked over at Jo. She looked like a young girl, even though there were only nine years between their ages. Her porcelain complexion was soft and smooth, and a smattering of freckles ran across her cheeks and nose. Her lips were full and still held a rich, rose color, and when she smiled, the tiny lines around her pale blue eyes only made her lovelier. Jo was the only woman, besides his Lizzie, who'd ever gotten away with bossing him around. But he never gave up without a fight, or at least without having his say first. In the end though, Jo usually won.

  "The girl's been here less than forty-eight hours and you've already given her a job, and now you want me to take her fishing and talk to her about her feelings. Don't you think we should give her a few days to adjust to this new life?" Ben asked softly.

  Jo smiled up at him. "She's not going to adjust until she's comfortable around you and feels like she belongs here. No better time than the present to start making her feel at home."

  Ben shook his head, but didn't respond. He reached up and tugged playfully at Jo's ponytail, which only made her laugh, then stood, stretched, and headed out the screen door.

  "Let's head up," Ben called out to Ali.

  ***

  Ali sighed and said goodnight to Chase before slipping on her sneakers and following Ben up the gravel road to the cabin. His flashlight beam led the way, and once they were there, Ali waited inside the garage while he started up the generator.

  "Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" she asked. It was almost nine o'clock and she was afraid if she didn't shower tonight, she'd have to go another day without one.

  Ben waved her on. "Go ahead. Make it quick."

  Ali rushed up the stairs to her room and grabbed her night clothes and bathroom items, along with her blow dryer, then headed back down and into the bathroom. She showered quickly, afraid her grandfather might turn the lights off, and the water with it, in the middle of her shower. She combed out her hair and dried it, dressed in her night clothes—a T-shirt and boxer shorts—then hesitated a moment, wondering if she should leave her bathroom items in there. She finally decided if she was going to be living here, she needed her things in the bathroom, so she left her shampoo and conditioner on the rim of the tub, her blow dryer under the cabinet near the clean towels, and made a space in the medicine cabinet over the sink for her toothbrush and paste. She stepped out of the bathroom with her wet towel and washcloth in hand and stopped when she saw her grandfather sitting in one of the rocking recliner chairs in the living room.

  "I left some of my things in the bathroom. Is that okay?" Ali asked.

  Ben shrugged. "Don't see why you shouldn't. You live here now."

  Ali bit her bottom lip. He always sounded angry. "Where should I put my wet towel?"

  Ben stood and walked over to her. "Hang the towel over the shower curtain rod to dry so you can use it again. No sense wasting water washing a towel that's practically clean. There's a basket on the washing machine out in the garage where you can put your wet washcloth."

  "Washing machine?" Ali asked. She didn't remember seeing one.

  "Yeah. It's under the staircase in the garage. You must have missed it."

  Ali nodded, then ran back into the bathroom and hung up her towel. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of reusing the same towel, but she'd just have to get used to his ways. When she walked out of the bathroom again, her grandfather was no longer in the living room. She found him in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water.

  "I noticed there wasn't anything in the fridge when I was in here this afternoon," Ali said, hesitantly, as her grandfather stared at her with those stern eyes. "Could we buy some pop or juice or something to have here? Maybe some fruit to snack on, the next time we go into town?"

  Her grandfather seemed to be mulling this over. "I usually eat and drink everything down at the lodge," he said. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to get a few things for up here."

  Ali smiled at him. A small, slow smile, but one nonetheless. Instead of making her grandfather happy though, it seemed to unnerve him.

  "Well," he said gruffly. "It's time I turn out the lights. We get up early around here."

  Ali nodded and turned to go, but then stopped when her grandfather spoke again.

  "Say. Jo was thinking you might like to go out fishing with me in the morning. I go out early, by five o'clock, so you'd have to be up and ready on time. Is that something you'd like to do?"

  Ali stood, dumbfounded. She wasn't sure if she should say yes or no. It sounded like it was Jo's idea, not his, and maybe he really didn’t want her to go with him. "Um, sure. I'd like to go. But I'm starting work tomorrow with Jo at the lodge. Will we be back in time?"

  Ben nodded. "I'm always on time for breakfast. We'll only go out for an hour. Do you have an alarm clock?"

  Ali nodded.

  "Good. Dress warm. Be ready to go by five to five. If you're not down at th
e dock by then, I'm going without you," Ben told her.

  Ali nodded, then headed out the door to the garage. She placed her washcloth in the basket on the washing machine, headed up to her room, and closed the door tightly. She wasn't sure she even wanted to go fishing with her grandfather, but she didn't know how to tell him no. Besides, if it was Jo's suggestion, then she'd give it a try.

  She lit the oil lamp just moments before the generator shut off and the light went out. Then she set the alarm clock early enough so she could dress and get down to the dock on time. Tonight, after she'd blown out the oil lamp and slipped underneath the timeworn quilt, no tears came as she lay there listening to the nightly music from the woods. She fell into a deep sleep quickly, exhausted from her long first day of her new life.

  Chapter Six

  Ali was startled awake by a high-pitched beeping and it took her a few moments to remember that she'd set her alarm. It was pitch black in her room so she had to feel around on the nightstand for the flashlight she kept by her bed, hoping she didn’t knock the oil lamp over. Finally, she found the flashlight and turned it on, then turned off the offending alarm. Four twenty-five a.m. Her days were getting longer and her nights were getting shorter.

  Ali sighed and reached for the matches to light the oil lamp, but stopped when she realized she heard the hum of the generator. She reached over and clicked on the bedside lamp. Yes! Lights. Her grandfather was already up and actually using electricity.

  Ali shivered. The room was chilly, which reminded her that her grandfather had told her to dress warmly. Hurriedly, she headed over to where her clothes hung and picked out something to wear. She figured layers for the day would be best, so she put on a T-shirt, a thick, hooded sweatshirt, jeans, heavy socks, and her sneakers.

  Ali stood in front of the mirror that was connected to the dresser and quickly tied her hair up into a ponytail. Then she grabbed her flashlight, in case the lights went out again, and ran down the stairs to use the bathroom. The large garage door was already open. Great, I could have run into a bear. Instead, she ran into her grandfather in the kitchen where he was standing by the sink, drinking a mug of coffee.