CANDLELIT CHRONICLES: HISTORIC HAUNTS

June 29+ and Free Read 924 wc

Plenty of items of note today:





Abby Sunderland, 16 year old solo sailor whose circumnavigation of the globe was interrupted by damage to her sailboat during heavy weather in the Indian Ocean, has safely returned home to Thousand Oaks, California (amid controversy I am sure).





California Highway Patrol is alarmed that five patrolmen have been killed in six weeks, two on Sunday.





Last night the BoycottBP site of “Bayou Lee” on Facebook was removed by FB; it's back now. My first thought when my adult daughter informed me this morning that the site had been pulled was, “Shades of the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention-repression of free speech.” Those as antique as I will well remember the protests and police dogs.





Tropical Storm Alex threatens to upgrade to hurricane status; we all need to pray it does not, and in fact that it dissipates, quickly.








I continue to have Internet access problems, which causes a lot of irritability , even on a “new” PC with a tremendously faster system.





Finding The Abandoned Child, my novel of Environmental Disaster Fantasy:





Chapter Thirteen





         Oh, I knew JUST what was coming on now: Mamma was about hear exactly what I had discovered such a very short while ago, whom, when, where, and she would piece together instantly (as if she had not already) that I was where and when I was told not to be. Oh, no, she had never specifically told me not to be at Denguer Road at Swan Street at that particular time; but she surely had ordered me to remain at the Shelter with the cousins, she sure had indeed. And I had not. And had been “officially” discovered, as my discovery would be recorded at The Treasury just as soon as Constable-in-Training Peggott Larrs returned there from the site.





         But oddly it seemed Mamma did not wish to discuss that just yet, or perhaps she only wanted to discuss it in private, with me (and administer her own brand of discipline-not corporal per se, but multitudes of chores and solitude. Of course, the solitude I never minded, nor did I mind spending hours dusting-and reading-in Pastor Janns' study, my usual discipline.)





         Instead Mamma now announced:





“Jah-leeahl, you and Janthro will move in with us. Our new compound has plenty of space to contain us all. It is much more expansive than the compound we have lived in since...you left.”





         An aunt of whom I knew nothing-and now a family secret? My ears perked for sure now, and from the middle of the street where I walked behind my newly-discovered aunt and cousin, I yearned to hear more. But of course, as was Mamma's way, I was not to learn anything further just yet.





         “Fenrich, when we are settled-that is, as soon as all our possessions are carried in, you and I and the nephews are going to the waterfront to help on the clean-up. Janthro, you are welcome to come as well.”





         The boy-my “new” cousin-looked at Mother but did not speak. His mother, however, answered.





“I too will join in, as soon as we have reached your new compound and I can change to more appropriate clothing.”





         Currently she wore a long dull black skirt, and a long-sleeved shirt of a matte black fabric. Personally, I thought it would be too hot, but-perhaps she was in mourning. Although she did seem not to know of the death more than a year ago of her sister! Apparently they (she and her son) had been living in town, right close to the City Center, on Denguer Road, yet knew nothing of Mother's family? Or they did know, but chose not to involve themselves. I didn't know, and likely would not find anything out for some time to come, seeing as how my mother-and sometimes Pastor Janns-could be extraordinarily close-mouthed.





         So it seemed that in addition to my lovely morning walk as far as Swan Street and now on to Mohltrissen, to the new compound, and carrying packages from Denguer Road partial distance up the Palm Highway, and getting to help unload and unpack at the new home, now I would get to spend my day (and probably many days to come) helping in the clean-up at the Wharf.


This, at least, I could do and appreciate, because it was essential and because it would help-the fisherfolk, the ship workers and equipment builders, and if we could, the sea life (although about that I was not so certain at all). It was these long unnecessary walks trailing Mother who so quickly disappeared, the discovery of the infant, and explaining to the Constable-in-Training, the package-toting, that wore me out. But the cleaning up I could look forward to, because I would be making myself useful to others and helping out. Additionally, I was sure many people would participate as well, and I might see some of the young folks I knew, few as they were, because my family was rather insular (not as much so as my newly-discovered aunt's, apparently) and Mother kept us to ourselves, both she and Pastor Janns taking it as their responsibility to school myself and both cousins. I imagined now that Mamma would probably insist on schooling Janthro also, and that his mother would probably accede-seeing as how apparently they two were to live in our compound. Hmm-we already had five in our household before encountering them-this would make seven. I dearly hoped indeed that the new complex would be that much enlarged.