"Are
ya sure this is the right way?" Bosco asked carefully making
his way across a one lane pontoon bridge.
"That's
what the guy at the gas station said. Now would you get a move on?
People behind ya are gonna start honkin'," Faith said for what
seemed like the fifteenth time. The bridge wasn't that long for all
this drama she thought rolling her eyes. It was the bridge or don't
go at all. There was no other way to Sunset Beach, North Carolina.
"Hundreds of cars cross it every day, Bos. Don't worry about it," Faith reasured him trying hard not to laugh. Bosco and his precious car, however, going off into the water doesn't sound like the thing good vacation memories are made of.
"Geez, you'd think they'd build somethin' more permanant with all the people and tourists," Bosco said on a sigh of relief as they finally drove onto solid ground.
"They probably could, but then a hurricane would come and destroy it," Faith teased. He was so easy to torment.
"It's not hurricane season is it? I wouldn't wanna get stuck out here ya know."
"It's not hurricane season," Faith said chuckling. She leaned her head back basking in the sunshine. She sighed as she watched the clouds float lazily by through her cheap, 80s era sun glasses. It was a perfect late spring day. The sky was blue with just the right amount of puffy white clouds. It was warm, but the sea breeze made everything comfortable. Comfortable was something Faith hadn't experienced in a long, long time.
"I'll be right back," Bosco said before climbing out of the car. He went inside a small building emerging a few minutes later with a key and a map. "You sleepin'?" he asked as he got back inside and started the motor.
"No, just enjoying the quiet. You never said where we were staying."
"I called ahead and they had a last minute cancellation for a cottage on the beach. We've got it for the rest of the week," he said taking one last look at the map and pulling away from the rental office.
"Wow, this is a cottage? Are you sure this is the place?" Faith asked looking wide eyed at the house. It was two stories with a wide white porch. Stairs extended down to a short walkway that connected it to the carport Bosco was pulling into as she spoke.
"Well there's one way to find out," he answered dangling the keys. "You comin' or do you wanna wait until I check it out?"
"I'll come with," Faith answered looking around dubiously. The clapboards on the house looked freshly painted in a soft shade of gray. There were flowers in low planters along the walkway and on the porch. This didn't look right. It looked expensive. She made her way slowly up the stairs watching as the key in Bosco's hand opened the door.
"You need some help?" Bosco asked looking down the steps at her.
"I'm good," she answered watching him smile and disappear inside the doorway. She couldn't believe the progress she'd made. Two days ago, she had to have Bosco carry her down the fire escape, now she didn't even need her crutches. She was slow getting up the stairs, but she was doing it on her own power. She was going to need to rest when she got there though, no question.
She stepped inside letting her eyes grow accustomed to the cool dark interior after the warmth of the bright sunlight. To her right she saw a small galley kitchen, a breakfast bar connecting it to the rest of the room. Past that, there was a dinette for four, a wood floor gleaming underneath it. Looking ahead there was a large living room with light furniture and a door opening off either side. She could see Bosco standing outside leaning over the railing the ocean stretching out before him through the bank of windows that surrounded a sliding glass door. She slowly made her way out the door and sank into a lounge chair in the shade cast by a balcony above her.
"Isn't this great! I'll go get the bags and then we should get some food. The lady at the rental office said there's a store around here somewhere. You wanna come or will ya trust me?" Bosco asked smiling the biggest smile Faith had ever seen on his face.
"Bosco, there is no way we can stay here."
"This is my vacation and I'm stayin' here. If you don't like it, that's too bad," Bosco said the smile disappearing as he stomped back into the house.
"Bosco!" she called unable to get up and go after him. She felt like she'd just kicked a puppy. He was happy and she'd ruined it. She heard the front door slam and the loud noise of his engine starting a moment later. She put her hot pink sunglasses back on and watched the surf beat on the shore. All she could do was wait. Wait and think of how to make it up to him when he came back.
"Hello? Hi! Are you Mrs. Boscorelli?" a woman called from the sandy beach below the deck.
"Um, no, I'm Faith Yokas. Sorry, but he just left. He'll be back soon if you wanna wait for him," Faith said standing to lean over the railing. I hope he'll be back soon she added silently.
"Oh, well, no that won't be necessary. I just thought I'd drop these off," the woman said waiving a stack of colorful fliers before disappearing under the deck. She reappeared a moment later at the top of the stairs. "He didn't take any information about the local sights. I saw you in the car and thought you might be interested. Men don't think about things like that," she said handing the papers to Faith.
"Well, thank you," Faith muttered self consciously removing the sunglasses.
"If you only do one thing while you're here, make sure you leave a message in the Kindred Spirit Mailbox."
"The Kindred Spirit Mailbox?" Faith asked looking the woman over. Definitely Bosco's type - long legs, blonde hair, vacant expression.
"It's on Bird Island. You can walk there from here at low tide. The legend says that if you leave a message about your dreams, wishes, and desires, your kindred spirit will answer and make them come true."
"Oh yeah? Sounds too good to be true," Faith replied.
"Well, anyway, it's a nice walk. The beach is beautiful and secluded. You should try it. Very nice meeting you Mrs. Boscorelli," the woman said descending the stairs.
Faith opened her mouth to correct her, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Inside, she left the brochures on the table and started to explore some more. She had decided she wasn't going to say another word about where Bosco had picked to stay. She also was going to make an effort to stop complaining. Maybe getting dunked in the Reflecting Pool had done some good, she thought with a chuckle.
She opened the door to the left of the living room to find a large bedroom. A queen size bed was situated so that the occupant had an unobstructed view of the sea. Opening a door next to the bed, she found a large walk in closet that connected the bedroom to a bathroom. The bathroom had the expected nautical theme with sea shells adorning the walls over a large whirlpool tub.
"Wow," Faith said returning to the living room. She crossed to the other side of the room and entered another bedroom. It had basically the same layout only smaller. This room opened into the screened part of the deck. It had the same closet, but the bathroom just had the standard shower and tub. Going back into the main room she saw stairs going up to the second level. This place is huge she thought with a sigh. Way too expensive.
She decided she would take the smaller room of the two not even considering going up the stairs. As a penance for hurting Bosco when he was just trying to be nice? Yeah, probably. She also decided that she would get him to let her split the cost with him.
She sat down at the table and looked over the brochures finding the one about the Kindred Spirit Mailbox and Bird Island. She looked at the clock on the wall wondering if Bosco was coming back at all. "Couldn't hurt," she said to the empty room then set about looking for a pen and paper.
Bosco set the groceries and a pizza down on the counter before flipping on the kitchen light. It was quiet and he wondered if Faith had called a cab and left. He took his time putting away the groceries - eggs, bacon, peanut butter, jelly, bread, coffee, ice cream, and soda - the essentials. If he was alone, he didn't want to know yet.
He went back outside and retrieved their bags and the bags from their stop at Walmart the day before. He smiled at the memory of their escape from Washington DC. It was a lot of fun. He hadn't had fun in a long, long time.
As he walked toward the first bedroom, he looked outside and in the fading light saw Faith in the same lounge chair she'd been in when he'd left. "Dammit," he mumbled dropping everything and rushing outside. She had been trapped in that chair, unable to get up the entire time he'd been gone he thought.
"Faith?" he said in near panic skidding to a halt next to her. He looked down and noticed she was holding a pen and a small pad of paper. Her head was resting against the cushion. She was asleep. Bosco collapsed onto the lounger next to hers, his head in his hands. He took a deep breath in an effort to get his racing heart under control.
"Bosco? What's wrong?" Faith said waking slowly.
"Nothin' I just thought you were stuck out here when I left earlier. Sorry I woke you," Bosco replied leaning back in the seat and looking out at the ocean.
"It's okay. I musta dozed off. You picked a really nice place. I looked around while you were gone. I'm sorry about earlier. I just meant it looked really expensive is all. You gotta let me pay part of it if we're gonna stay here."
"It's the off season so it's not as much as you think. Plus they had that cancellation and they were anxious to get it rented. They gave me a good deal. Don't worry 'bout it. What were you writtin'?"
"It's nothin'," she answered. It really was nothing. All that she'd managed to put on the paper were some doodled flowers. "If you could have any wish, any dream, come true, what would you wish for?"
"Somethin' to eat. I got pizza. You want me to bring it out here?"
"Yeah, that'd be good," Faith said shaking her head.
Bosco picked up the bags as he went. He deposited Faith's things in the large bedroom, his in the smaller. He'd deserted her twice now. He owed it to her to give her the bigger room. Maybe she'd let him try out that whirlpool tub one night.
He piled a couple of paper plates and two cans of soda on top of the pizza box and carried it outside. He set the box down on a table next to the lounger and settled in. He handed Faith a soda and a slice of pizza. Grabbing his own he sat back and watched the waves roll in.
"So now that you got food, what dream do you wish would come true?" Faith asked before taking a bite.
"I wouldn't want any of the dreams I've been havin' to come true. Why do ya keep askin' me that?" Bosco joked around a mouthful of pizza.
"While you were gone, your friend from the rental place stopped by. She left some stuff about sights to see in the area. She told me about this mailbox - it's kinda silly. Never mind," Faith said.
"Tell me, Yokas," Bosco insisted.
"Here, you read it," Faith said pulling the brochure out from under the pad of paper she'd been drawing on.
"Kindred Spirit Mailbox? So you put down what you want and somebody'll make it happen?" Bosco asked after looking it over.
"It's just a legend. It's not real or anythin'. It was somethin' to do while I waited to see if you were comin' back," Faith said taking the brochure back and launching into her pizza once again. They ate in silence for a while, the gentle rhythm of the waves hitting the beach the only sound.
"She kept callin' me Mrs. Boscorelli," Faith snickered. "I tried to tell her I wasn't in case you were interested, but she just couldn't grasp the concept."
"Yeah, like that'd happen," Bosco said standing up and gathering his empty can and plate. He picked up the pizza box and headed back inside. He came back a few minutes later with two bowls of ice cream.
"Oh, I don't know, Bos, she seemed like your type. All legs and hair and no brain," Faith teased taking a bite of the ice cream. Mint Chocolate Chip, her favorite.
"That's not what I meant," Bos mumbled taking a bite of his ice cream. "You know, those clothes are still wet from yesterday. I saw a washer and dryer in there. I'm gonna go wash 'em."
"I knew what you meant," Faith said, but he was already gone.
If you start walking along Sunset Beach at low tide (about an hour's walk) you can get to Bird Island, a sanctuary for birds and coastal wildlife/flora. On Bird Island, if you can find it, is an old mailbox known as The Kindred Spirit Mailbox, and there are different legends associated with it. It is said that if you write a letter talking about your dreams, your wishes, your desires...your true love...and put it in the box, your 'kindred spirit' will answer you in the form of what your heart has been waiting for. I think they used to say that literal answers would appear in the box, and no one ever knew who the author was...so it was as if the 'spirit of love' itself was answering you. It's a trip that lovers are supposed to take together.