DISCOVERY AND REFLECTION-PART III
WEDNESDAY-INNER HARBOR
Amanda and her family arrived at Inner Harbor around 11:00 a.m. Phillip and Jamie ate lunch in one gulp.
They asked if they could be excused so they could go fishing. An adult chaperone was not needed for this
venture. Inner Harbor had fishing set up to make sure experienced adults employed there supervised the
children as part of their job responsibilities.
"I thought we were going to spend time together as a family and do things," sighed Amanda to her mother.
She was finishing up her lunch.
"The boys are at the age when having adults around all the time bothers them, since they are beginning to
show their independence. You went through the same thing, dear," Dotty reminded her.
"Amanda, how about walking down to the Pavilion with me, and scouting the little shops near there. The
outing would do you good. All you're doing is moping around."
"No thanks, mother, we have time later on in the week to shop. You go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'm going to lay out and get some sun," she sighed.
"Amanda, is there anything else I can do to get you out of these doldrums. You need to cheer up, enjoy
the holiday." Dotty was concerned about her daughter.
"Mother, I'll be fine. You go and enjoy yourself. Don't worry about me. This is just a temporary down time for me, it will blow over."
"I never knew any temporary down time lasting this long, dear."
"Mother, please," Amanda was definitely getting irritated.
"All right, dear, all right. Get yourself a good tan. You are going to wear that blue bikini you just purchased, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'll try it, with reservation. See you later."
Her mind wandered to the source of her blues, Lee Stetson. She wondered what he would be doing over
the Fourth. She wanted so badly to be with him, to walk along the beach holding his hand, to be held in his
arms and more, and to make him happy above all else.
Tears came to her eyes as she went to change into her bikini. She wondered what Lee would think if he saw her.
Lee was not enthusiastic about much of anything. The trip to Inner Harbor was mundane. The beach house
was kept up nicely, the Chesapeake Bay was beautiful to view at low tide.
He changed to green swim trunks and headed into the bay to catch a few waves.
Nothing was any good without Amanda. Lee decided to lay out and get a tan.
As he reclined on his large beach towel, he took in the beautiful scenery. His eyes came to rest on a luscious, blue bikini-clad brunette. She was tall, slender, and her danced in the breeze. Her figure was
made for that bikini. 'She reminds me of Amanda,' he thought, 'but it couldn't possibly be her, and I'm
too chicken to ask.'
After a long while in the sun, the brunette folded her beach towel and walked toward the third house from
his rental. Lee made a mental note.
It was time for him to go in, he had a good burn already.
Later, Lee dressed casually and headed to the seafood restaurant he had seen earlier. He ordered clams and
fries, and sat outdoors to eat. He decided he would walk along the beach after dinner.
DINNER TIME AT AMANDA'S
Phillip and Jamie talked a mile a minute about two sisters they had met earlier in the afternoon; 13 year old
Betsy Martin, and 11 year old Kim. The boys were getting along famously with both girls. The Martins
were staying two doors down from Amanda's rental.
Dinner consisted of hot dogs, fries, and a salad.
Dotty had met a polite, mannerly older gentleman, Dick Saunders, and had already left for dinner with him.
Amanda was glad for her.
The boys asked if they could play miniature golf with the Martin girls. Amanda said yes, as long as she
met their parents beforehand.
Shelly and Bob Martin were very nice. They promised they would have the boys back before 11:00 p.m..
The martins extended the invitation for Amanda to come along.
Amanda declined saying she needed to do some thinking and was going to take a walk along the beach.
She added that the boys' grandmother would be home by then.
The moon was full and lent a celestial appearance to the surrounding bay and beach. Mixed with the brilliant stars, the atmosphere was decidedly romantic. Couples walked hand in hand along the edge of the waves barefoot with eyes only for each other.
Lee had grown tired ad took a respite on a large flat rock. He looked longingly at the happy couples
strolling, and wished with all his heart that he could be walking with Amanda now.
He wanted the chance to just hold her, and to explain his aloofness toward her lately. He was scared of revealing his deep feelings to her, scared he would lose her. He had so much personal loss in the past.
He couldn't take losing Amanda. He was so caught up in this train of thought, and the emotions evoked
by just wanting to touch her, that he replied without thinking out loud, "Oh, Amanda, I need you so much
right now." He blushed red when he realized what had just come out, but there weren't many people about
at the moment to hear him.
Amanda had just passed within Lee's proximity. She heard his cry and looked toward where the voice was
coming from. His head was down resting on his arms.
'It looks like Lee,' Amanda thought, 'but how could it be?'
She walked toward him quietly, hardly a sound produced by her steps.
Lee, in agent mode, knew someone was approaching him.
He turned to grab the offender by the arms, and looked right into the chocolate brown eyes of his partner.
Time stood still for a few moments.
When he realized she was really there, it was all he could do to keep composed.
"Amanda," Lee said, astounded. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"I'm just as amazed as you are, Scarecrow," she returned.
"I'm so glad to see you, Amanda," he whispered, pulling her into a hug.
"How did you come to stay at Inner Harbor, Lee?"
"Hal Wallis let me stay at his beach house about a mile and a half up the beach through Sunday. I wanted
to rest and relax"
"Which house is it, Lee?"
"Two doors down from the seafood restaurant, why?"
"We're staying at my cousin's beach home, three houses down from you," she smiled
"That's great," he grinned sheepishly.
"Lee, I heard what you said out loud, that's why I came closer. I think we need to talk right now," she sat
down closely beside him.
"Yeah, I do too."
"Can I put my arm around you," Scarecrow contritely asked.
"Yes, Lee."
Once his arm was in place, Amanda asked, "Please go ahead, Lee."
"Amanda, I'm very sorry that I've been so hard on you these past few weeks. What it comes to are feelings, feelings between the two of us."
He took both her hands and tried with all his heart to find the right words to convey. Words were so hard
for him.
"I----I---love you, Manda," he whispered, "for such a long time now. Yes, I need you badly, more and more
each day. I think about you all the time, and dream about you. What I wanted most for the holiday was to
be with you and your family. I've been miserable keeping that inside me, and scared to tell you. I'm so
sorry"---he let his words trail off. Lee's eyes grew misty. "I didn't want to scare you away."
Amanda stood Lee up and shook her head. "You are forgiven ,Lee." She threw her arms around Lee's neck, holding him closely to her. Scarecrow wrapped his arms around Amanda's waist.
Amanda pulled away slightly, and looked deep into those beautiful hazel eyes of her partner. "I love you,
too, Lee, very much."
Lee's face was all smiles, and his eyes glistened. He leaned in for a kiss, lightly at first, to see what his
partner's reaction would be.
Amanda smiled at him, leaned in again, and took his lips possessively and passionately. Lee responded
eagerly. She parted her lips for him, and their tongues explored each other, as the intensity grew deeper.
They finally had to break for breath.
Lee pulled her close for a hug, "now my holiday is perfect, you're here with me."
"I would like nothing better than for us to spend the entire holiday together, but you'll have to share me
with my family."
"I don't mind at all, Amanda. In fact, I want to meet your family."
Lee took both her hands again. "Amanda , could you forgive an old Scarecrow with no brain. He had the
best thing that ever happened to him right under his nose, and didn't even realize it."
With tears in her eyes she whispered, "Yes I can. Lee, it just took a little longer for you to find your heart,
like the tin man.
"Amanda, you make everything worthwhile in my life. I'm so glad I found you."
Two happy people joined the other couples strolling, and Scarecrow got his wish.
The End
.
WEDNESDAY-INNER HARBOR
Amanda and her family arrived at Inner Harbor around 11:00 a.m. Phillip and Jamie ate lunch in one gulp.
They asked if they could be excused so they could go fishing. An adult chaperone was not needed for this
venture. Inner Harbor had fishing set up to make sure experienced adults employed there supervised the
children as part of their job responsibilities.
"I thought we were going to spend time together as a family and do things," sighed Amanda to her mother.
She was finishing up her lunch.
"The boys are at the age when having adults around all the time bothers them, since they are beginning to
show their independence. You went through the same thing, dear," Dotty reminded her.
"Amanda, how about walking down to the Pavilion with me, and scouting the little shops near there. The
outing would do you good. All you're doing is moping around."
"No thanks, mother, we have time later on in the week to shop. You go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'm going to lay out and get some sun," she sighed.
"Amanda, is there anything else I can do to get you out of these doldrums. You need to cheer up, enjoy
the holiday." Dotty was concerned about her daughter.
"Mother, I'll be fine. You go and enjoy yourself. Don't worry about me. This is just a temporary down time for me, it will blow over."
"I never knew any temporary down time lasting this long, dear."
"Mother, please," Amanda was definitely getting irritated.
"All right, dear, all right. Get yourself a good tan. You are going to wear that blue bikini you just purchased, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'll try it, with reservation. See you later."
Her mind wandered to the source of her blues, Lee Stetson. She wondered what he would be doing over
the Fourth. She wanted so badly to be with him, to walk along the beach holding his hand, to be held in his
arms and more, and to make him happy above all else.
Tears came to her eyes as she went to change into her bikini. She wondered what Lee would think if he saw her.
Lee was not enthusiastic about much of anything. The trip to Inner Harbor was mundane. The beach house
was kept up nicely, the Chesapeake Bay was beautiful to view at low tide.
He changed to green swim trunks and headed into the bay to catch a few waves.
Nothing was any good without Amanda. Lee decided to lay out and get a tan.
As he reclined on his large beach towel, he took in the beautiful scenery. His eyes came to rest on a luscious, blue bikini-clad brunette. She was tall, slender, and her danced in the breeze. Her figure was
made for that bikini. 'She reminds me of Amanda,' he thought, 'but it couldn't possibly be her, and I'm
too chicken to ask.'
After a long while in the sun, the brunette folded her beach towel and walked toward the third house from
his rental. Lee made a mental note.
It was time for him to go in, he had a good burn already.
Later, Lee dressed casually and headed to the seafood restaurant he had seen earlier. He ordered clams and
fries, and sat outdoors to eat. He decided he would walk along the beach after dinner.
DINNER TIME AT AMANDA'S
Phillip and Jamie talked a mile a minute about two sisters they had met earlier in the afternoon; 13 year old
Betsy Martin, and 11 year old Kim. The boys were getting along famously with both girls. The Martins
were staying two doors down from Amanda's rental.
Dinner consisted of hot dogs, fries, and a salad.
Dotty had met a polite, mannerly older gentleman, Dick Saunders, and had already left for dinner with him.
Amanda was glad for her.
The boys asked if they could play miniature golf with the Martin girls. Amanda said yes, as long as she
met their parents beforehand.
Shelly and Bob Martin were very nice. They promised they would have the boys back before 11:00 p.m..
The martins extended the invitation for Amanda to come along.
Amanda declined saying she needed to do some thinking and was going to take a walk along the beach.
She added that the boys' grandmother would be home by then.
The moon was full and lent a celestial appearance to the surrounding bay and beach. Mixed with the brilliant stars, the atmosphere was decidedly romantic. Couples walked hand in hand along the edge of the waves barefoot with eyes only for each other.
Lee had grown tired ad took a respite on a large flat rock. He looked longingly at the happy couples
strolling, and wished with all his heart that he could be walking with Amanda now.
He wanted the chance to just hold her, and to explain his aloofness toward her lately. He was scared of revealing his deep feelings to her, scared he would lose her. He had so much personal loss in the past.
He couldn't take losing Amanda. He was so caught up in this train of thought, and the emotions evoked
by just wanting to touch her, that he replied without thinking out loud, "Oh, Amanda, I need you so much
right now." He blushed red when he realized what had just come out, but there weren't many people about
at the moment to hear him.
Amanda had just passed within Lee's proximity. She heard his cry and looked toward where the voice was
coming from. His head was down resting on his arms.
'It looks like Lee,' Amanda thought, 'but how could it be?'
She walked toward him quietly, hardly a sound produced by her steps.
Lee, in agent mode, knew someone was approaching him.
He turned to grab the offender by the arms, and looked right into the chocolate brown eyes of his partner.
Time stood still for a few moments.
When he realized she was really there, it was all he could do to keep composed.
"Amanda," Lee said, astounded. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"I'm just as amazed as you are, Scarecrow," she returned.
"I'm so glad to see you, Amanda," he whispered, pulling her into a hug.
"How did you come to stay at Inner Harbor, Lee?"
"Hal Wallis let me stay at his beach house about a mile and a half up the beach through Sunday. I wanted
to rest and relax"
"Which house is it, Lee?"
"Two doors down from the seafood restaurant, why?"
"We're staying at my cousin's beach home, three houses down from you," she smiled
"That's great," he grinned sheepishly.
"Lee, I heard what you said out loud, that's why I came closer. I think we need to talk right now," she sat
down closely beside him.
"Yeah, I do too."
"Can I put my arm around you," Scarecrow contritely asked.
"Yes, Lee."
Once his arm was in place, Amanda asked, "Please go ahead, Lee."
"Amanda, I'm very sorry that I've been so hard on you these past few weeks. What it comes to are feelings, feelings between the two of us."
He took both her hands and tried with all his heart to find the right words to convey. Words were so hard
for him.
"I----I---love you, Manda," he whispered, "for such a long time now. Yes, I need you badly, more and more
each day. I think about you all the time, and dream about you. What I wanted most for the holiday was to
be with you and your family. I've been miserable keeping that inside me, and scared to tell you. I'm so
sorry"---he let his words trail off. Lee's eyes grew misty. "I didn't want to scare you away."
Amanda stood Lee up and shook her head. "You are forgiven ,Lee." She threw her arms around Lee's neck, holding him closely to her. Scarecrow wrapped his arms around Amanda's waist.
Amanda pulled away slightly, and looked deep into those beautiful hazel eyes of her partner. "I love you,
too, Lee, very much."
Lee's face was all smiles, and his eyes glistened. He leaned in for a kiss, lightly at first, to see what his
partner's reaction would be.
Amanda smiled at him, leaned in again, and took his lips possessively and passionately. Lee responded
eagerly. She parted her lips for him, and their tongues explored each other, as the intensity grew deeper.
They finally had to break for breath.
Lee pulled her close for a hug, "now my holiday is perfect, you're here with me."
"I would like nothing better than for us to spend the entire holiday together, but you'll have to share me
with my family."
"I don't mind at all, Amanda. In fact, I want to meet your family."
Lee took both her hands again. "Amanda , could you forgive an old Scarecrow with no brain. He had the
best thing that ever happened to him right under his nose, and didn't even realize it."
With tears in her eyes she whispered, "Yes I can. Lee, it just took a little longer for you to find your heart,
like the tin man.
"Amanda, you make everything worthwhile in my life. I'm so glad I found you."
Two happy people joined the other couples strolling, and Scarecrow got his wish.
The End
.