Chapter 43

Day Eight was a cloudy morning, but with more blue patches than gray patches in the sky. A slight breeze was blowing, but that did not stop the teens from getting back on board the ferry and enjoying the sights from on board.

"Well, we're finally on our way", Chuck Statorowski said to the teens as the Condor Express departed from the Esplanade at St. Peter Port, "It's going to take some time off the French part of the trip, but at least we got to enjoy Guernsey".

Chuck had been referring to an unfortunate problem with the Condor Express ferry after they had arrived at St. Peter Port. The original plan was for a two-hour layover, then proceeding on to Cherbourg by the same ferry. However, there had been some kind of breakdown with the Condor Express' engines, so the party ended up sleeping over in a hotel at St. Peter Port while repairs were being made.

"I could think of worse places to stay than the Old Government House Hotel and Spa, Mr. S.", Eddy said, "though it must have cost a lot to get us in at such short notice".

All of the teens were on the upper deck watching the departure from the island. St. Peter Port was actually quite a quaint place and none of them were really annoyed to have had to stay there for a night. Chuck was thankful that the Old Government House hotel had enough rooms available. While not quite as lavish as the Petersham Hotel in Richmond, the Old Government House Hotel and Spa certainly wasn't minor league. In fact, the teens had made good use of the spa facilities after their quick walk-about.

"Just be thankful that all of you didn't bankrupt me during your London shopping spree, or else we all would have been bunking in the ferry terminal lounge instead, Eddy", Chuck replied with a smile on his face.

"As Double-Dee said to me once, Eddy", Ed said in his usual dopey voice, "Don't look a golf course in the mouth".

"The idiom, Ed, is to never look a gift horse in the mouth", Edd corrected.

"I thought you said 'golf course', Double-Dee, though I did wonder what that had to do with getting gifts", Ed said with a confused expression.

"Don't sweat it, Lumpy", Eddy said with a chuckle, "Okay, so we stayed in St. Peter Port last night instead of Cherbourg, but once we get to France, we can still have a good look at Normandy, so no big deal with the ferry hold-up".

"Eddy has a point, Mr. Statorowski", Lee said, "and those rooms were pretty comfortable. Not to mention the spa".

"I'm glad that my Oven Mitt knew about the history of the Channel Islands", Marie said, "seeing those old German bunkers and fortifications kind of brings it home that there was a war and that even the British had it's share of Nazi occupation.

The British Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by Nazi Germany during World War 2. It was a big part of Hitler's vaunted 'Atlantic Wall' defenses. During the quick look that the teens had at some of the preserved bunkers, Edd had taken pains to point out what the effects of the occupation had on the islanders, plus told them about the Nazi concentration camps on the nearby Channel island of Alderney.

"I wouldn't have liked to have lived here during that time", May commented.

"Neither here, nor in France, thought I bet the French in Normandy would have been overjoyed to see the Allies coming in to liberate them", Johnny said.

Ed nodded at that. He knew that his maternal grandfather had been killed when the plane carrying him and other parachute troops of the 101st Airborne had been shot down over Normandy before he could jump that night on June 5, 1944. It was not far from a village called Sainte-Mère-Église, and Ed wanted to see it. True, his maternal grandfather - First Lieutenant Thomas Meeham – didn't live to actually fight, but the men under his command did, and Sainte-Mère-Église was one of the places where they fought against the Germans.

"How's your tummy feeling, May?" Marie asked. Now that they were heading back into the English Channel for the cruise to Cherbourg, Marie was somewhat concerned about May's seasickness and today's channel conditions were somewhat rougher than yesterday's…

"I'm okay, Marie", May replied, "looks like those pills are working, thank goodness".

"That's good to hear", Ed said, "I really don't like my Little May being sick".

May smiled and hugged her boyfriend.

"Beats me why people would like to live on an island like this though", Kevin mused, "it really isn't all that big, and the nearby island of Jersey is about the same size as Guernsey".

"Some people like being away from the big city, Kev", Nazz replied, "I personally prefer the 'burbs instead of the city, despite what you and the other boys think about us girls' shopping".

"Yeah, but the 'burbs back home are on the mainland and not on an island", Kevin pointed out, "things would either be not available, or cost a lot to import. Peace and quiet is one thing, but there's a price to pay for it".

"Personally, this Son of a Shepherd prefers not being in a big city. Too many persons make Rolf feel claustrophobic", Rolf said. Lindsay nodded at what her boyfriend had said.

"I suppose Laplanders don't have many big cities, Rolf, and if one is brought up in an environment like that, then one can certainly understand the preference for being in places with not so many people", Lindsay said.

"I couldn't see you living the rustic country life, Lizzy", Lee said, "You're definitely a city girl at heart".

"You're soooo right about that, LeeLee", Lindsay emphatically replied, "no insult, Rolf, but I just could not – like - live without the 'paradise' of shopping malls with – like – lots of consumer goods".

Everyone – including Rolf – chuckled at Lindsay's comment. Lindsay had (deliberately) slipped into Valley Girl-talk.

"Well, the way the world is going, pretty soon there won't be much in the way of 'rustic' locations left on the planet", Jimmy said, "so I guess we had all better enjoy it while it lasts".

The teens started getting a little bit glum at Johnny's comment, but Sarah grinned and said – in the same Valley Girl-talk, "What-everrrr, Jimmy!"

All of them burst into laughter. Lindsay winked and gave Sarah a thumbs-up.

The teens split into their little groups as the ferry increased speed. While Sarah and Jimmy went over to an arcade to play video games, Marie sat with her boyfriend on chairs facing starboard (towards the French side). Both of them were holding hands and enjoying the smell of the sea air.

"You know, Cutie", Marie said after a few minutes of quiet, "I never thought that you would had kept that nut".

"Hey, it was after all your token of love and fidelity at the 'wedding', Maire", Edd pointed out, "and you did personally put it on my finger… though it would be more accurate to say that it was jammed on my finger rather forcefully by you. It took a while for me to remove it, and it took a lot of soap at that. I would say that it was nearly as difficult as our trying to remove Ed's finger from that ship-in-a-bottle.".

Edd had been referring to the 'marriage' that the Kanker sisters had inflicted on the Edd's over two years ago at the old abandoned 'haunted mansion' in Peach Creek – the mansion that had actually been owned by Marie's grandparents. Marie's 'wedding ring' for Edd was a stainless-steel nut that she had unscrewed from a bolt earlier that day.

"That isn't…?" Marie said after Edd had let her into his hotel room earler this morning. Marie had wanted Edd to join her for breakfast and had knocked on the door of his suite. Edd had just emptied his pockets to see about leaving the last of his English coinage there as a tip. The nut was there with the change.

"I thought that you'd have tossed it away, Double-Dee"", Marie said, "that brings back a lot of memories".

"I had found it in one of the pants pockets of the clothes that I had packed for the vacation", Edd said, "and now that it's here in my possession, my intention is to see if I can make use of a metallurgic facility in Paris in order to have the nut shaped into a proper ring. It's a tight fit on my finger as it is, and as it was my first ever 'present' from you, I don't want to lose it. Having it shaped into a proper piece of jewelry seemed to be an appropriate thing to do as an enduring symbol of your love".

Marie blushed, and with tears in her eyes kissed Edd right there.

"You're lucky we're expected for breakfast, or else I'd skip with the rest of the 'confidence building' steps right here and now, Double-Dee", Marie said. Edd blushed furiously at Marie's comment, which led him in for some good-natured ribbing from the others when he entered the hotel restaurant with Marie to eat breakfast.

As Marie thought about the 'nut-ring', Chuck was sitting in another chair making phone calls to make alternative arrangements to take the delay in leaving St. Peter Port into account. He didn't want to cut short the visit to Normandy, but their needing to get to Paris the day after tomorrow meant cutting back on some sight-seeing. He hoped that there would be no further delays…