CHAPTER 24
There were no problems encountered with the party getting back to the ferry and getting back across the Solent to Portsmouth. Unfortunately for May, she couldn't hold her cookies in on the first trip and ended up upchucking all of her breakfast. Ed had comforted her by cleaning her mess and giving her water to drink. Marie – who had been a little bit put out by May teasing her on the plane about her airsickness – thought about a little teasing payback, but seeing May's pale face, plus Ed going out of his way to help his girlfriend, decided not to do so.
"I thought about it too, Marie", Lee said as she had seen Marie's expression, "but Big Ed's got the situation in hand and teasing her about it probably ain't gonna be helpful".
After getting back to Portsmouth, the party got back to the ferry terminal carpark and into the minibus. With Chuck Statorowski driving, the van left Portsmouth and started back up the A3. Eddy – who was riding shotgun on this drive – was checking the road atlas and looking at his watch.
"You know, Mr. S", Eddy commented, "we're gonna be back in London pretty early. How's about we go to another place for a sight-see? We can kill a few hours"
"You know, Eddy", Chuck said, "that's not a bad idea. We do need to be back at the Petersham Hotel tonight, but is there any particular place that's not too far from London that you all wanna see?"
"Okay, Sockhead", Eddy said as he turned his head back to Edd – who was sitting by Marie – "you're the expert, so any suggestions?"
Edd gestured to Eddy for the road atlas. Eddy handed it over and Edd took a couple of minutes to look through it. He then looked up.
"Well, I heard that Brighton is a pleasant place to look at, but I have also heard that it is something of a tourist trap, so perhaps – if it isn't too much of an an imposition, Mr. Statorowski – perhaps we can go to Dover", Ed suggested.
"What's there, Oven Mitt?" Marie asked.
"Why, the White Cliffs, of course", Edd replied immediately, "There's Dover Castle, and there's a beach there so we can perhaps have a swim there too. As we all brought our swim wear with us, that would be an ideal place for us to enjoy such an activity".
There was a general murmur of agreement. Kevin leaned over – he was in the seat behind Edd – and said, "Great idea, Double-Dee".
"Any objections, People?" Mr. Statorowski called out to the others. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw the teens shaking their heads.
"All right then", Mr. Statorowski said, "then it's off to Dover. We should be able to have a couple of hours at least to enjoy ourselves there".
With that, Eddy quickly punched into the GPS the route request for Dover. The teens then quietly started to chat with each other…
While the party were driving towards Dover, back home in Peach Creek it was early dawn. Tabby Lonergan (nee Kanker) was up and just leaving her house in order to take her usual early morning walk. Her resolving to stay healthy had not only involved slowly weaning her way off smoking, but also a mild exercise regimen of walking.
Normally, her husband Rod would walk with her, but he had arrived back home only a couple of hours previously – exhausted – after his fire department had been called out to deal with an early morning blaze downtown. Rod was now deep in sleep and Tabby had taken care not to wake him.
Tabby had a set walking regimen of two miles, and she was glad that the morning temperature was cool. While summer temperatures in Peach Creek had been known to be rather hot and muggy, this morning was actually quite pleasant.
"Hey there, Tabby!", a voice called out as she left the front gate. Tabby looked up to see who was calling out and saw a middle-aged woman who had just gotten out of her car. As the car was parked in Edd's driveway, she knew exactly who it was. She walked over the street to her.
"Hey there, Doctor…", she started to say before the other woman raised her left finger to cut her off.
"I told you, Tabby", she said in mock reproof, "Please stick to my first name as I'm off duty and I'm supposed to be a friend. Okay?"
"Okay, Eunice", Tabby said with a chuckle, "I guess my working with a dentist makes me formal around doctors. Habits can be harder to break than smoking cigarettes!"
"You got that right, Tabby", Eunice replied, "We're all creatures of routine and when the routine is interrupted, it can be somewhat disconcerting; even for those of us with lots of letters after their names".
Tabby smiled and nodded. Eunice – in her occupation as a urologist at Peach Creek General Hospital – kept long hours treating patients. Her not being home on a 'regular' schedule meant that her son Eddward usually did things alone at the house such as cook and clean. Her husband John was overseas again doing some governmental work on Guam so in a way, it was a change in her routine coming home to an empty house.
"I can really use a cup of coffee", Eunice said, "and as John is away and Eddward is – hopefully – enjoying himself with the others in the UK, would you care to join me?"
Tabby thought for a couple of seconds, then nodded.
"I think my walk can wait for a little while, so please lead the way, Eunice", Tabby replied with a smile.
With that, both women entered Edd's house. Eunice gestured to Tabby to go into the living room, but Tabby shook her head.
"I'll help with the coffee, Eunice", Tabby said with a smile, "You've been working all night and besides, the kitchen nook seems a better place to share a cup of joe and chat with a friend.
After the coffee was made and Eunice poured two cups of the aromatic brew, both took their respective cups and sat down at the nook. Eunice gestured to the table at which they sat.
"I came back from work a little early one evening and I saw both Eddward and Marie sitting here eating", she remarked, "Eddward had made tacos for them both and they were chatting and enjoying their meal. They really do belong together, don't they Tabby?" she finished with a question and smile.
"Definitely", Tabby replied as she sipped her coffee, "your son is the perfect gentleman and he treats my daughter with an almost incredible degree of respect and courtesy. Certainly not what you'd expect from teens these days".
"But do you think that before too long they'll being going 'all the way', as the teens in this generation seem to so quaintly put it?" Eunice asked.
"What do you think?" Tabby countered, "We both know what it's like at that age when the hormones start interfering with thinking. If they do, at least in their case they will be doing so fully informed".
"I know", Eunice replied, "and I want to thank you again for your telling me about Eddward talking to you on the subject. I – and John – had talked to him about sex, and he indicated that he clearly understood, but when you told me about him chatting to you – and how you replied to it, my love for him – and respect for you, by the way - went up a further few notches".
"Thanks, Eunice. He confided in me a lot of things. His concerns about what sex can do to a person and worrying about Marie's well-being were on the top of his mind. He also told me about James, by the way", Tabby said next. Eunice's eyes widened some.
"What?!" Eunice exclaimed.
"A few months ago, Edd and Marie were returning home late on that three-seater bike and I asked them both where they were. Edd apologized for being late and told me that he had gone with Marie to the cemetery where James was buried. That's when he told me about how he got his burn scars on his scalp and why he wore that ski hat for so long. I am sorry about your loss", Tabby exclaimed.
"Thank you, Tabby. You know, I think that Eddward kept wearing that hat more to show homage to James' memory than being embarrassed about the scars. When Eddward put on the custom wig that Marie had bought for him that Christmas and 'modelled' it for me, I was simply speechless", Eunice said.
"Same here when Marie gave Rod the money that Edd had saved so that we could fix her 'lazy-eye' condition", Tabby remarked, "Those two are truly in love. After what Eddward had told me about what his twin brother was like, it was a real pity that James didn't live to see them both happy", she finished quietly.
"Eddward and James were inseparable", Eunice said quietly after about thirty seconds of silence, "the fire that took James' life is something that we still vividly remember each and every day since it happened all those years ago, even if John and Eddward didn't have those scars from the blaze. I know that Eddward goes to James' grave from time to time. I really worried about him for a while. But I didn't know that he took Marie with her".
"Edd and Marie have been there a few times. You know, when I lost my younger sister to drugs, I didn't know how me and my family would cope", Tabby said, "and things did go downhill for quite a while, but thankfully we managed to bounce back. Still, I think about Kate each and every day. We're not the first to have had close family losses, and unfortunately we won't be the last".
"Too true, Tabby", Eunice agreed, "even though I'm a urologist, I do pass through the Emergency Room and Traige at the hospital and I do see too many Code Blue patients".
'Code Blue' was a term referring to a patient that had just died. Tabby knew what Eunice had meant.
"In any case, Tabby", Eunice said in order to lighten things, "I'm very impressed with Marie. Her singing and piano playing are remarkable. She really stole the show at the High School talent contest last month. Eddward gave her a run for her money with the pedal steel guitar, but he wasn't exactly saddened to lose out to her".
"She wants to see if she can make a go of a singing career, but she is also wanting to go to art college", Tabby replied, "she knows how difficult it can be to succeed in show business and she wants to develop her artistry skills as a backup".
"I know all about her art skills", Eunice said, "She had painted a beautiful portrait of Eddward in oils and John had it framed. It's hanging in the den".
"I didn't know that", Tabby replied, "I'd like to see it'.
Eunice gestured to the den. Tabby stood up and walked into the den with her coffee and saw the painting hanging over the sofa. Even though Tabby knew how talented her daughter was as an artist, she said a silent "wow!" on seeing Marie's work. Even without the ornate frame, it looked like it had been painted by a master.
"You've got a gifted girl there, Tabby", Eunice said as she walked into the den to join Tabby.
"All my daughters are gifted", Tabby replied, "and I'm so proud to be their mother. Lee has been offered a place at the Royal Ballet School, and May is poised to make it to the U.S. Junior Girls softball team when she gets back from their European vacation.
"They're all growing up", Tabby said next, "It makes me feel rather old. But that's the way of things. Regardless, I know that Marie and Edd will do the right thing".
"I'll drink to that", Eunice said as she raised her cup. Tabby smiled, raised her cup as well and clicked it against Eunice's cup.
