17–Finale
MELCHY AND TABITHA12
April eighth dawned bright and clear with a warm breeze blowing up from the bay. Carolyn, who at eight o'clock had already been up three hours and had actually seen the dawn, answered her children's hesitant knock with a happy "Come in." She had wanted to finish her article and get it out of the way since she planned to take the day off.
They had all agreed at a clandestine meeting at Norrie's the night before that Martha, Claymore and the kids would prepare for the party while Carolyn would keep the Captain busy. She smiled at the thought of the many long walks the two of them had enjoyed that week. Ed was supposed to bring the chart rack up later in the day. She felt a little uneasy about Ed being involved. It wasn't fair to him, or to Captain Gregg, she thought. But what else could they do? It wasn't right to use his truck to haul it in and not ask him to come to the party.
"Good morning Mom!" Candy and Jonathan greeted her, each laying a kiss on her cheek.
"Are you ready for this evening?" she whispered in a conspiring tone. They had gotten this far without the Captain finding out and she didn't want to blow it now. He had even managed not to discover their secret when he had surprised Carolyn in the station wagon earlier that week.
"I think so." Candy looked a little doubtful. "As long as Jonathan doesn't forget the words." She rolled her eyes in her best older sister fashion.
"Me?" Jonathan was indignant. "You're the one that keeps giggling in the middle," he said a little too loudly.
"Jonathan." Carolyn put a finger to her lips.
"Sorry, Mom," he said much lower. "But she does!"
"Well, I'm sure you'll both do fine. Remember it's for the Captain."
"When are you going to give him the chart rack, Mom?" Candy asked so low, her mother had to lean in to hear her.
"After dinner, and the cake. I think we will have the song, and Martha says she's made him something, and I'm sure Claymore will bring at least a little something. And then right at the end, we will show him the chart rack. I've arranged for a bow to be tied around the top, with a card."
"I can't wait." Candy squealed. "He is going to be so surprised!"
"Well, why don't you both get ready for breakfast?" Carolyn reminded them. "I think Martha said she was going to make waffles."
"Yum!" They both ran from the room, calling 'DIBS' on the bathroom.
Carolyn found Martha at the stove, making waffles on an ancient waffle iron. Captain Gregg was already at the table, a stack of the hot steaming breakfast food in front of him. He was covering them with syrup when Carolyn walked in and he flashed her a smile. "I haven't had waffles since I was a lad," he beamed. "This is such a treat Martha!"
"Well, I thought you might get what you want for breakfast once in a while. Especially on your birthday."
"I'd almost forgotten it was my birthday." He wiped a drop of syrup that was tottering on his lips. "What with just finding out recently when it was, and then the early party and all. Birthday waffles!" Carolyn couldn't help but think he looked very much like an eager little boy.
"Would you like a couple, Mrs. Muir?" Martha held up a plate.
"Maybe a couple." Carolyn nodded, her stomach actually growling at the sight of the golden treat. "After all, it is the Captain's birthday." She took her plate from Martha and sat down beside the seaman, who passed her the butter and syrup without her asking. "Thank-you," she smiled.
Jonathan and Candy burst upon the scene and Martha gave them both huge stacks of the treat.
"What are you two planning to do today?" The Captain asked them. "This is your last day of your holiday, is it not?"
"Yes," they both groaned. "We have to go back to school on Monday." Candy frowned. "This was the shortest week in history."
"Vacation weeks are always short, darling." Carolyn said with a smile and a look of regret. "But if we waste the last day thinking about how it's almost over we won't enjoy the last day!"
"Right," Candy agreed.
"Who's worried?" Jonathan asked helping himself to another waffle.
Carolyn tried to hide a smile, as she turned in her chair to face the Captain. "I thought that maybe in honor of the day I would not work and that perhaps you could show me the house where you were born? I've wanted to see it ever since you told us about it."
He looked thoughtful, rubbing his hands together, almost wistfully. "If you would like that, I would be more than happy to be your tour guide."
"I'd like that very much," she assured him with a smile that was made only for him.
"Well, then you two get out of my way." Martha bristled. "You may be taking the day off and these two might have the last day of vacation, but the housekeeper's work is never done. So off with you all!"
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Jonathan waited on the front porch until he saw his mother and the Captain disappear down the road toward the beach and then ran into the house. "They're gone Martha, let's get hoppin!"
The three of them managed to get the front room decorated with the crepe paper and balloons that Carolyn had kept in the car. Martha had made a paper cutout of ships that they hung over the front of the piano and Candy put out her little pastel pom-poms that put a splash of color in each corner.
Around noon, the phone rang, startling them a bit. "That better be Claymore explaining why he's late in helping," Martha grumbled. But when she came back into the room she had a worried look on her face. "That was Mr. Peavey. He's sick with the flu and won't be able to come tonight."
"How are we going to get the chart rack here?" Jonathan asked in despair.
"Claymore will have to bring it," Martha said in her 'that settles it' voice. "I'll call Claymore and tell him that the plans have changed and then I'll call Ed and tell him he has to let Claymore borrow his truck. And that will be the end of that. Now, lets see what else we need to do."
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The sun was setting over the horizon when Carolyn and her Captain came up the flagstone walk. If they could have seen themselves the way Martha did, they probably wouldn't have believed it. Both of them seemed to be actually glowing.
"Good evening Mrs. Muir, Captain." The older woman came out on the porch. She was wearing a new dress, Carolyn noticed, along with the apron the Captain had given her for Christmas. "I hope you had an enjoyable day."
"We had a wonderful day," Carolyn said, giving the housekeeper a questioning look, who returned it with a reassuring nod. "Dinner is almost ready, why don't you come in?"
The house smelled of pot roast, something that wasn't offered often in the Muir household and Captain Gregg was sure his mouth was watering. How many years had it been since he had had a good slice of beef?
"Go on into the kitchen and settle yourselves at the table, I'll be in, in a minute."
The table was set with the best china and silverware and everyone had a wine goblet, although the children's were filled with milk. The Captain was so overcome by the entire scene he didn't even insult Claymore who sat at the end of the table looking nervous.
"Sit here." Carolyn pulled out the chair at the head of the table. "Tonight you are the guest of honor, Captain."
"Me?" he asked, looking actually humble for once.
"It is your birthday, Captain."
"But I thought we had already celebrated my birthday . . . early?"
"April Fool! " Candy and Jonathan shouted together. "We gave you that party so you wouldn't suspect this party." Jonathan looked proud of himself.
"You certainly did surprise me!" The seaman sat down, looking over at the children with affection in his eyes. "I don't know how to thank you. All of you." And he gave Carolyn a smile that made her heart speed up. "And I'm certain they could not have pulled this off without your help, Martha," he addressed the housekeeper as she came into the kitchen, a bottle of wine in her hands. She beamed at the Captain's praise and told everyone to get started on the food before it got cold.
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After dinner, the kids came up to Captain Gregg, and each taking an arm, helped him get out of his chair. "Come on, Captain, we have something special to show you," they urged.
"Another surprise?" he asked, clearly delighted.
"Yes – come on, we have something we want to . . . well, give you sort of."
The Captain looked around at the decorations and balloons and then he noticed the huge sign hanging in the window that said in huge green letters WE LOVE YOU, CAPTAIN GREGG! And for the first time in ages he was sure he felt the stinging of tears in his eyes. Could it be possible?
"I'm not sure what to say." He looked at everyone in turn, even giving Claymore a look that didn't say 'I want to kill you.' "I don't think I've ever had such a birthday!"
"Sit down." Jonathan pushed on the Captain's back in the direction of the couch. "Candy and I want to show you our present."
After making sure he was seated comfortably, the children stood by beside the piano and giving Martha a nod, she began to play. Carefully they listened for the refrain and then began to sing:
A capital ship for an ocean trip, Was the Walloping Window-blind!
No gale that blew dismayed her crew or troubled the Captain's mind.
Laughter went around the room; the Captain gave Carolyn an inquiring look. She only smiled.
The man at the wheel was taught to feel contempt for the wildest blow,
Tho' it often appeared when the weather had cleared, that he'd been in his bunk below.
"Blasted landlubber he was," the Captain said, clearly enjoying the song.
The bo'swain's mate was very sedate, yet fond of amusement, too;
He played hopscotch with the starboard watch, While the Captain tickled the crew!
"I wouldn't doubt it, " Claymore interjected, but was silenced from one look from his great-uncle.
And the gunner we had was apparently mad, for he sat on the after rail,
And fired salutes with the Captain's boots in the teeth of the booming gale!
The Captain sat in a commodore's hat and dined, in a royal way,
On toasted pigs and pickles and figs and gummery bread each day.
But the cook was Dutch, and behaved as such, for the diet he gave the crew
was a number of tons of hot cross buns chopped up with sugar and glue.
"So they knew my cook!" the Captain laughed.
All we felt ill as mariners will, on a diet that's cheap and rude.
And we shivered as shook as we dipped the cook in a tub of his gluesome food.
Then nautical pride we laid aside, and we cast the vessel ashore.
On the Gullibly Isles where the Pooh-Pooh smiles, and the Anagazanders roar!
Candy tried not to laugh when she stepped forward for her solo:
Composed of sand, was that favored land, and trimmed with cinnamon straws.
And pink and blue were the pleasing hue of the Tickletoeteaser's claws.
And we sat on the edge of a sandy ledge and shot at the whistling bee;
and the binnacle bats wore waterproof hats, and the danced in the sounding sea.
Everyone clapped, and then the two began to sing together again:
On rubagub bark, from dawn to dark, we fed till we all had grown,
Uncommonly shrunk, when a Chinese junk came up from the Torriby zone.
She was chubby and square; but we didn't much care, and we cheerily put to sea;
And we left the crew of the junk to chew on the bark of the rubagub tree!
The grownups clapped for the kids, Claymore calling out for an encore, Candy and Jonathan beaming. Jonathan went over to the piano and gave Martha a hug and everyone clapped for her.
That was called "Capital Ship" by Charles Edward Carryl," Candy told them.
"It was wonderful, children." The Captain said with great affection. "I couldn't ask for a better gift."
"Well, why don't we try a bit of the cake Martha made?" Carolyn walked over to the table, which no one had seemed to notice before. The cake was covered in chocolate icing with candy bits on top and when Captain Gregg took the first mouthful he thought if he could he would die right there. It was heavenly.
"It's called 'Better Than Sex Cake.'" Martha sidled up to the Captain. "I thought it might remind you of the things you still can enjoy . . . like chocolate."
". . . And cake." He said matter-of-factly. "This is divine. I'm not sure about the comparison though!" And he winked.
After indulging in cake and ice cream, Claymore gave his ancestor a book "with many blessings." Much to the Captain's delight, it was actually a book he liked — a book of great heroes of the Mexican War and even more, to his delight, he spotted his name in the index.
"Could anything be more pleasant?" He asked them all. "I can't image a better evening!"
"Come on, Mom! Time for the big present . . . right?" said Jonathan, practically hopping up and down. "Lets go!"
"Yeah . . . Come on, Mom!" said Candy, putting in her two cents, "I can't stand waiting much longer!"
"Heave to, kids!" said Martha, with a big smile on her face, "I haven't given my present to the ogr . . . Captain yet!"
"Why Martha . . ." Captain Gregg turned to her with a surprised look on his face. "I do think you've already contributed a great deal toward making my birthday party a happy one!" He counted on his fingers. "You cooked the dinner, made the cake, played the piano for the children . . . There was no need . . ."
"You know Captain . . ." said Martha. "Sometimes you can be a big pain in the aft!" She put her hands on her hips. "Here I am, trying to do something nice . . ."
The Captain held up his hands in mock surrender. "All right . . . fine, whatever pleases you!" He grinned at her. "Well? What is it? My favorite chocolate chip cookies?"
Martha handed him a small squishy package. "Happy Birthday Captain! Wear them in good health!"
Captain Gregg opened the gaily-wrapped package. He stared at the contents and frowned.
"My good woman!" He held them up for all to see. "Pray, tell me . . . what on earth . . ."
"They're slippers, Captain!" said Martha with a chuckle. "My very own, specially-designed one-of-a-kind handmade knitted slippers! They're the same kind I have been knitting for the seamen's home for the last year! The same kind I make for Candy and Jonathan every year for Christmas!" she continued, with a grin on her face.
"I've watched you knit before Martha!" said Captain Gregg, trying to suppress a grin of his own. ". . . But never, NEVER have I seen you make anything — including slippers, using royal blue, red, purple, gray, lavender and forest green yarn! In stripes yet!"
Candy and Jonathan burst out in peals of laughter, imagining Captain Gregg's striped-clad feet.
"Well . . ." said Martha; still grinning broadly, "I wanted to make sure yours were unique . . . impossible to mix up with anyone else's, and I had all the miscellaneous leftover yarn from all the pairs I made and sent to the seamen's home, so I figured I'd make one really dramatic pair for you, Captain! Besides, when you get to pacing around in your 'wheelhouse' at night, sometimes your footsteps are loud enough to wake the . . . well, you know!"
Captain Gregg's smile was wide, and he blew Martha a kiss. "Point well taken my good woman! So . . ." He sat down on the closest chair and started to remove his boots.
"No, wait Captain Gregg!" cried Jonathan and Candy together.
"Yes, wait . . ." said Claymore.
The Captain stopped what he was doing to glare at Claymore, and Carolyn cut in on what was sure to be the beginning of another row between them. "I think . . ." she paused. "That the children meant . . ."
"It's time for the really big present now, Captain!" said Candy.
"Yeah, but it was too big to sneak into the house!" added Jonathan.
"So I brought it up in Ed's truck," added Claymore. ". . . But we could really use some help getting it out of Ed's truck! My back, you know!" In a totally sincere voice Claymore added; "Happy Birthday, Uncle Daniel! I hope to be around for many more of them!"
Daniel Gregg gave his nephew a look of acceptance and tolerance, and then looked at Carolyn.
"Madam, you had a hand in all this?"
"I did, Captain!" she said, her emerald eyes shining back at him. "Can we go outside now?"
"Come on, Captain Gregg!" shouted Jonathan. "Candy and me," he paused, and looked at his mother, "Candy and I have kept this a secret for a whole week! We can't take it, any more!"
Jonathan and Candy grabbed the Captain by his jacket sleeves. When they reached the front doorway of Gull Cottage, they instructed:
"Shut your eyes!" and together they lead him to the tailgate of Ed's truck.
"Now open your eyes!" they chorused.
Before him, Captain Gregg beheld a large object covered in burlap, and Carolyn offered him a pair of kitchen shears. "I'm afraid this is the only way to open this present . . . Daniel! Have at it! But be careful!"
Daniel Gregg started cutting away at the burlap and peeled it back.
"It's a chart rack . . ." he said slowly. "You found me another chart rack? . . . How very thoughtful of you all . . ."
"No, Daniel . . ." Carolyn said softly, a tear trickling down her cheek, "Not just a chart rack. YOUR chart rack. I found it in Keystone."
"Mine?" The Captain said disbelief, his voice cracking, "You found my chart rack?" He gently pushed aside the ribbon adorning the chart rack and polished the little gold plaque bearing his name, "Oh Madam . . . children . . . Martha . . ." He stared, but only for a moment, at Claymore, "How can I ever thank you?"
The Captain looked at Carolyn, and for a moment . . . a minuscule fragment of time, Carolyn could have sworn there was a tear on his cheek . . . but before she could make certain, he had vanished, followed in an instant by his chart rack. Carolyn, Martha, Claymore and the children found him a few moments later in the alcove, moving the chart rack back into a conveniently vacant (vacated by Martha, that is) section of the alcove. It looked as though it had never been removed . . . and the look of sheer joy on his face told them all what a happy birthday Daniel Gregg had truly had.
Slowly, the six walked back to the parlor. Martha stood by the piano. "Oh no!" she exclaimed, "We forgot something!"
"What?" they all chorused.
"The most important thing!" she exclaimed, and hit a chord.
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday Dear Captain!
Happy Birthday to You!
Carolyn glanced over at Captain Gregg. There was no mistaking it. There were tears in the seaman's eyes . . .
END