Cona Island

Chapter 5

It was the day of the Coming of the Whales Festival. The Gholf Club grounds were booming with loud music, there were several stalls selling homemade items and eats, bric-a-brac or even second- or third-hand furniture. There were games like volleyball, pop-a-balloon and boat races to be played, and people stood at the barrier of the outlook to hopefully spot a passing whale through their binoculars. As was expected, Dave Andrews was devotedly manning the barbeque under a gazebo in ninety degree tropical heat with an ice-cold beer in his hand.

Melody and Bethany were in charge of manning Nanna’s baked goods stall. Everyone on the island was familiar with Emily’s bakes. And she didn’t really need the extra promotion of the Festival, but she baked a bunch of stuff every year to hand out for free. She didn’t mind, she loved baking.

Melody helped Emily lay out the raspberry brownies on a tray while Bethany stuffed a lemon slice in her mouth. “God, you’re so skinny and all you ever do is eat,” Melody grumbled.

“Just think how waiflike she would be if she didn’t eat all the time,” Emily laughed.

Bethany shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s the heat. It makes me hungry.”

Melody brought a flat palm to her forehead to shade her eyes. “I think Uncle Dave is cooking out over there.”

“He’s safe,” Emily said, “I slathered on the sunscreen like buttercream icing. It’s a miracle the tongs aren’t slipping out of his hands, really.”

“That’s an image I could’ve done without, you slathering Uncle Dave with cream…” Bethany c****d an eyebrow.

Emily gave her a half smile, and lathered it on. “I did it just as he got out of the shower,”

“Oh god,” Bethany shut her eyes at the image of the seventy-year-olds getting handsy. Melody giggled. She thought it was the sweetest thing ever.

Cliff came over to help Dave grill hot dogs, and Melody was instantly reminded that a lot of the game booths, tents and gazebo’s were set up by Drake. And he wasn’t even there to enjoy them. To set them up this fast, he had to have literally worked through the night. The thought worried her.

As if she had caught that, Emily asked, “Where’s Drake? Have you seen him yet?”

Melody sat down in the foldable chair and poured herself some lemonade.

“He’s not coming. He doesn’t like the crowds or the noise.”

She wanted to tell them more about him, to explain why he wasn’t coming, but at the same time she didn’t want to betray him. But she knew they would keep all her secrets in the family circle. That’s the way they were.

Just then, Dave came over to get more charcoal, and grabbed one of his lovely wife’s chocolate muffins. “Cliff says the turnout’s good this year. Think I’ll have to agree with him. Nearly every person on the island has attended this year.”

“Nearly.” Melody murmured dolefully.

Dave frowned as he took a bite of the muffin. “Cliff said that friend of yours left as soon as people started showing up. Just set up the last of the booths, then left without another word. He’s a little disappointed that he didn’t show.”

“Maybe he really doesn’t want to mix with us.” Bethany suggested. “He’s probably a rich city guy or something.”

“It’s not that,” Melody said. She felt irritation prickle at her skin.

“What is it, honey?” Emily asked.

Melody sighed, and gave them all a stern look. “You all have to promise not to tell anyone, especially not him. I don’t exactly have his permission to share this.”

“To share what?” Bethany insisted, taking her third lemon slice. Then Emily took the tray away from her.

“Save some for our neighbours…” she lightly scolded.

“He was a marine,” Melody said, “There was an explosion on his last mission. He lost his leg.”

Dave sniffed. “Thought there was something fishy about the guy wearing long jeans in this heat. Cliff told me,” he added before Melody could ask. “What’s that got to do with him not showing up, though?”

“It’s not just his leg,” Melody continued, “He lost some of his hearing too. He says the noise disorientates him and makes him feel sick because he can’t tell where the sound is coming from. He’s really self-conscious about it.”

“I suppose I can understand that, but there are lots of amputees in the world, sweetie.”

Melody then told them about his parents and even about his twin. A whole range of emotions flashed by on their faces.

“Well, now it all makes a lot of sense.” Dave said, “You sure you want to get involved with him?”

Melody smiled. She knew he didn’t mean it in a bad way. He was only looking out for her, because he knew she’d been through a lot. That was precisely why she had to get involved.

“I have a lot of baggage too, Uncle Dave. And he was unresponsive to therapy, just like I was. I think he’s really nice when he’s in a good frame of mind. But I can’t even get him to come to our house so you could meet him. He’s too…” she searched for a word, “ashamed.”

Emily flashed Dave a look, and some unspoken words passed between them. Dave laughed softly. He loved his wife. And he knew she could be ever so convincing. He almost felt sorry for the lad to have the wrath of three Andrews women raining down on him.

“What?” Melody asked suspiciously.

“Well, he’ll have a tough time resisting the charm of the entire Andrews family. And god knows it sounds like that boy could use a family. A real one.”

Bethany excitedly shifted forward in her seat. “We should coordinate our moves to get him to come to dinner!”

But Emily held up her hand in defence. “Hold on, now. I have a simpler idea. Let me talk to Betty at the 24/7.”

“What for, Nanna?”

“Trust me, honey. I know how to snag the good ones.” She winked at Dave.

“Just please promise not to tell him what I told you.” Melody pleaded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Emily lifted her shoulder.

Melody leaned back in the chair and sighed. She could always count on her family. She admired the children racing little toy boats in a long narrow blown-up pool. So carefree. Children on the island had less of the stresses of mainlanders or city kids. No wonder tourists flocked here. Cliff was right. The turnout was great this year. And she wondered where Drake was while nearly everyone on the island was having a blast at the Festival. Few people knew that he even had a hand in setting it all up.

The next morning, Emily went to the 24/7 to buy some essentials for the house and some ingredients for her bakes. Well, that was one of the reasons she went there. She also went there to see Betty.

The chirpy sixty-year-old woman with her burgundy coloured hair that slightly balded on her crown, and who always dressed like a summer flower in bright, unmatching colours. Today she was dressed in a canary yellow skirt, with a cardinal red flowery top and a gold chain necklace that must weigh a ton. Thick golden bangles clanked on her plump wrist.

It wasn’t really anything unusual. She just happened to need a few things, and Betty was used to seeing her around every third day or so, and used to gossiping. Though she usually came later in the afternoon. But as the Festival winded down the previous day, and she helped to pack up, she couldn’t make the trip.

“Tell me about Drake Johnson, Betty.” Emily casually said as she inspected the expiration date on a pack of dried fruit. She had an inkling to make brandy fruit cake for Christmas this year.

“Who?” Betty scrunched up her nose and leaned her forearms on the cash counter.

“The guy from the Reef Bungalow. I imagine you see more of him than most people. Or does he go all the way to Pink Pearl Bay to buy groceries?”

Betty laughed and toyed with a massive golden ring with a green stone on her finger.

“Oh no. Boy hardly eats if you ask me. I’ve never seen him really buy groceries ever since he came here. He buys his hygiene essentials, coffee, and once a day he picks up something that Sarah made. Small stuff, you know. A sandwich, a bagel. Things that don’t need cookin’. Hardly talks more than what’s needed, though he’s polite enough. Got a bit of that cowboy drawl to his voice, kinda,” she circled her hand in the air, “kinda like an old country singer.”

She leaned forward now, like she wanted to share a secret. “Sometimes he comes in here looking all windswept, like he woke up after falling from the sky and doesn’t have a clue where he is. When he looks like that, I just want to get him out of here. It scares me a little. He’s come here twice now to buy a pack of glasses. What does a single guy do with so many glasses?” Betty asked suspiciously.

Emily smiled lightly. Distress. Melody had the same look after Jason on and off. “I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

Though the fact that he wasn’t eating properly was concerning. It didn’t matter if she didn’t know him. Emily loved with food. And in her eyes, he sorely lacked that love. And it seemed he didn’t have the capacity or the energy to take care of himself properly. She knew how it was with Melody in the first few months.

“You wanna talk to him, you’re in luck. Here he comes now.” Betty said, peering out through the glass doors.

Emily watched the tall man with the tousled hair step into the store. He was dressed simply in jeans, boots and a grey shirt. And she noticed the limp. He paused and she got to look into eyes the colour of whiskey. By then, she’d already made her assessment of him. He reminded her of a younger version of Dave. But she could all but see the ghosts that followed him.

“Morning,” he greeted politely.

“Morning,” Emily gave a nod, and watched him amble past her to the fridges. He hovered, then took out an electrolyte flavoured water. He sauntered on over to the deli, inspecting the quick eats that Sarah had prepared early that morning.

Emily saw her opportunity. She pushed her trolley over to him, and extended her hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Emily Andrews, Melody’s aunt. You must be Drake.”

He frowned a little, then shook her hand and managed a smile. He had a firm grip, she noted. “That’s right.”

“Melody really enjoys your morning walks.”

“I enjoy them too. It starts my day off right when I walk down the beach. And she’s good company to have around. I don’t talk much. She does.”

“Yes,” Emily studied his face, “The ocean soothes. I normally don’t come around this time of the morning. I got home late yesterday after the Festival. Thank you, for all the work you did there, by the way.”

He shook his head, and reached for the closest edible thing on the deli display, a toasted sandwich. “It’s nothing. I like to work.”

Emily furrowed her brow, and placed her hand on his’. He gave a slight start, as if she shocked him out of a daze. “I have a better idea than that,” Emily said warmly, “Come on out with me and I’ll show you.”

He nodded, because he honestly didn’t know what else to do. And she knew that, she meant to fluster him a little.

She paid for her things while he stood by waiting for her, leaving his bottle of water on the counter.

To ease his awkwardness, she kept talking. “I have this dreadful habit of cooking way too much food at dinner. I usually pack up the rest and take it to the soup kitchen. Did you know we have a soup kitchen? It’s up in Seahorse Bay.

Cona Island mostly attracts people who want to retire, or who are searching for paradise. The Haven is a sort of rehab centre for people going through a tough time. They get shipped out here from the mainland for a few months until they find their peace. Learn life skills, find spirituality and all that. And then they return to life.”

“I didn’t know about that,” he said, and regretted that he hadn’t sooner. “I wish I had,”

She picked up the bags. And Drake remembered his manners. “Allow me,” he said, taking the bags from her.

“Ah, you’re wonderful. Thank you.” She smiled appreciatively.

Outside, she opened the trunk of her white Grand Cherokee. “I love going there and talking to them, so does Melody. You meet all kinds of people and hear about a lot of tragedy, but also foster a lot of hope. I figured you for a community service kind of guy,” she leaned in, pulled out one of her plates with beef stew, potato mash, green beans and carrots. She held out the plate to him, complete with plastic spoon. “I also figured you could use a little red meat…”

“I…uh…”

There we go. Now she really had his head in a flat spin. “You should come to dinner tonight. My husband would love to meet you. And it would mean a lot to Melody if you could come. We’re having lasagne. And after, crème brulee.”

“I…I’m not…”

Emily smiled enthusiastically and beamed mom-vibes towards him. Because hell, he really needed a little mothering. “You’re not going to say no to an old lady are you?”

He surrendered with a sigh. “No ma’am.”

She patted him on the cheek. “You’re a good boy. Be there at six. Seabreeze number 12. If you want to come with me to The Haven one day, just ask. They could always use help.”

Drake stood there, dumbstruck, watching her drive off, waving. He waved back mechanically. Then somehow he ended up back inside the 24/7 with the food in his hands, and with a stomach fluttering nervously. Betty narrowly eyed him, and Sarah peered at him out of the kitchen while chewing gum loudly.

“Uh, I’ll just have the water.” He said, taking a couple of notes out of his jean pocket, and plucking out one from the bunch.

Betty was amused, having seen that he got the Emily Andrews special. She lifted a glass lid from the display on her counter. Gestured to it with her eyes. “Go on then. Might as well have one of her cupcakes too. On the house.”

Drake couldn’t control the smile that spread across his face. “She always does that?”

Sarah wrapped burgers in paper behind the counter. “Only to unsuspecting victims.”

Drake pointed at a cupcake, surrendering more than anything else, and Betty boxed it for him. He didn’t really have much of a sweet tooth. But he knew Cliff did. Well, he liked sweet things, he didn't have many teeth.

“Thanks. Have a good day.” He said as he left.

They watched through the glass doors as he drove off in the pale red chevy pick-up.

“Hell, that’s the most he’s talked since he came in here,” Betty mused.

“He’s pretty fine-looking when he smiles…” Sarah noted.

Betty clucked her tongue at the skinny, dark-headed girl. “Am I paying you to cook or to gawp?”

With that, she disappeared into the small kitchen.

Emily drove up to Finkle Bay Watersports and Fishing. She parked in front of the store and grabbed the lunchbox she had brought for Dave. He never remembered to take it himself. It’s a good thing she went by at least once a day.

She found Melody and Bethany inside, one dusting the racks, one displaying swimming fins. Dave was reading the local paper and … supervising.

“Well, some people are working around here after all,” she rounded the counter, kissed her husband and handed him his lunch.

“Ah, what a darling you are.” he crooned.

“Ah, what an old man you are. We have a guest coming for dinner,” she announced, with her fist on her hip, leaning one arm on the counter.

Melody and Bethany froze, looked at her, then at each other, and back at her.

“No way!” Melody’s arms snapped down to her sides.

“Yes way. I saw your friend at the 24/7.”

The atmosphere turned to barely contained electricity. “What did you think, Nanna?” Bethany’s voice came out a bit louder than she probably intended it to.

Melody was wringing the dust cloth in her hands until her knuckles turned white, the eyes wide and shiny. Emily glanced at Dave, he was leaning toward her with keen interest.

She gave a shrug, and took a moment to relish in her own powers. “He seems like a strong, capable young man. He seems harmless.”

Sighs of relief erupted all around her. “How did you ever get him to agree?” Melody asked, stupefied.

Emily gave a soft laugh with her mouth closed. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, dear. Just ask your Uncle Dave.”

Dave gave a dreamy sigh behind her. “Never could get over that first meat loaf…”

She leaned over the counter to give him a kiss and grabbed her bag. “I need to go. Ya’ll better be at the house at six sharp for dinner.”

Emily left, and Bethany wrapped her arms around her sister, both hopping up and down excitedly.