Blown Away! Page 4

  “It’s part horse, part donkey,” Mom explained.

  “What’s its name?” Star sputtered, her mouth now full of spaghetti.

  “Jewel,” I answered.

  “Can I have a ride on Jewel?” Star asked.

  “No, you can’t. Jewel’s a working mule; she’s not a pony,” I told her.

  “You’re mean, Jake,” she said with a pouty face.

  Mom pulled Star over and wiped her face with a napkin. “Sharkey could use some help hauling in his boats and getting around with his bad leg. The mule might come in handy for him.”

  “Sharkey said he was glad you went with him today, Jake,” Dad said.

  “You know what? Even though he can be real grouchy, I’m getting to like Sharkey!” I told them. “He’s taking me fishing tomorrow morning.”

  “I need you to watch Star tomorrow morning,” Mom said.

  “Mom! Sharkey’s going to teach me how to use his flies.”

  “Not tomorrow he’s not,” Mom stated with a frown. “You’re watching Star.”

  “Mom, I can’t! The fishing contest is tomorrow, and I need Sharkey’s help to win.” I glanced at Dad for reinforcement, but Mom had already given him a glare that meant, Back me up here.

  Dad looked down at his plate and pushed the meatballs around. “Jake’s already got plans with Sharkey, Louella,” he finally said.

  Mom’s eyes narrowed. “I have to make pies and biscuits and sandwiches for the weekenders, Doug. You know it’s hard to work on Saturdays with Star getting into things.”

  “Maybe Jake can take Star fishing with him,” Dad suggested.

  “I want to go fishing with Jake!” Star begged.

  My heart sank. I’d go crazy with Star. She’d be pestering me every minute. “No, Dad! I watch Star all the time. Billy and Roy said I’ll be a nursemaid when I grow up!”

  “They should talk!” Mom said. “They have to watch Bessie, don’t they?”

  “But there are two of them, so they at least have some time to themselves.” I turned to Dad again. “Dad, this is my chance to learn from Sharkey. Maybe someday I can be a guide for the millionaires, like he is.”

  “I want to go fishing too!” Star whimpered, her eyes filling up with tears.

  “We’ll work something out,” Dad said, with a nod at Mom and a wink at me.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I said gratefully.

  “There’s nothing to work out,” Mom said. “Jake watches Star tomorrow morning. That’s it!”

  Dad and Mom were staring each other down, and Star was crying. It was a good time for me to leave and keep my fingers crossed that Dad would win. I got up from the table, accidentally knocking a meatball on the floor as I went toward the kitchen. “Don’t spill anything on my genuine American Oriental rug!” Mom yelled after me.

  I grabbed the meatball and then deposited my dishes in the sink with a loud clatter. “Why do I have to be stuck with Star all the time?” I muttered, loud enough to be heard over Star’s howling. I went outside and let the door slam behind me, not stopping to put on my shoes.

  7

  MARA’S SOLUTION

  I marched up the steep incline to the train tracks and headed toward town, still muttering and miserable. I knew I could win the contest tomorrow if I could just go fishing with Sharkey. But now everything would be ruined because I had to watch Star. Up the road, Ripper was barking fiercely at something. It seemed like that dog never stopped howling. “Shut up, you mutt!” I yelled. He snarled and barked even more viciously at my voice. Goose bumps prickled my arms and neck.

  As I approached Miss Edith’s house, Mara waved to me from the porch. “Jake!” she called. “Come down and visit!”

  I stumbled down the embankment and slumped on the porch steps. Mara and Miss Edith were sitting in faded wooden rocking chairs. “Join us in some dessert,” Miss Edith said. “There’s a nice breeze tonight, and the mosquitoes are somewhere else for a change.”

  “Aunt Edith made these Polish kruszczyki today,” Mara said, passing a plate of cookies.

  “No, thanks. I’m not hungry,” I said gloomily.

  Mara handed me a glass of limeade. “We’re out of ice until the iceman comes tomorrow, so it’s a bit warm.”

  “Thanks,” I said, taking the glass she offered.

  “Is everything all right, Jake?” Miss Edith asked. “You were marching along the railroad bed like you were on a mission.” She looked down at my bare feet. “No shoes, either.”

  “I was mad when I left the house and I forgot my shoes,” I said.

  “What’s wrong?” Mara asked.

  “I was planning to go bonefishing with Sharkey tomorrow. He was going to teach me to fish with his special flies. But now Mom wants me to watch Star.”

  “That’s his little sister,” Miss Edith explained to Mara. “She’s a darling child.”

  “She’s a pain in the neck, that’s what she is!” I burst out. “My whole day will be spoiled. The kids are having the fishing contest tomorrow, and I’m going to have to miss it.”

  Mara and Miss Edith rocked silently in their chairs. Then Mara asked, “Aunt Edith, what are we doing tomorrow?”

  “I had nothing planned, except to gather some eggs in the morning.” Miss Edith sighed. “I would show you around the town, except my arthritis has been acting up lately. There’s not much to see anyway. We live simply here, my dear.”

  Mara looked over at me. “Jake, I can watch Star while you go fishing.”

  “Oh wow! That’d be great,” I said. “But Mara, I wasn’t hinting … I mean, I didn’t expect you …”

  “Oh, I know,” Mara said. “I’d enjoy watching Star.”

  I thought about the three dollars I got from Sharkey. “I’d be glad to pay you something.”

  “No. You don’t need to do that,” she said with that bright smile of hers. “But don’t forget that you promised you’d teach me to fish sometime.”

  “I sure will!” I said, jumping up. “Why don’t you walk down to my house with me, and we’ll tell my folks.”

  “Do you need me here, Aunt Edith?” Mara asked.

  “No, I’m fine, dear,” Miss Edith said. “I’m enjoying myself sitting right here. It’s not often we can do this and not be eaten alive by the mosquitoes.”

  Mara and I climbed back up the railroad bed and headed to my house. “Jake, look over there,” she said, pointing to the sunset over the bay. “The sky and water look like a stained-glass window—all gold and red.”

  I looked out at the bay and stopped. “You’re right. I never thought about it, but they do look like church windows.” Mara seemed to notice everyday things in a different way.

  We went into the store and up the stairs to the family kitchen. Mom was washing the dishes, and Star was sitting on Dad’s knee with her book of poems. “Hello again, Mara,” Dad said.

  “This is Mara,” I said to Mom.

  Mom wiped off her soapy hand and held it out. “Welcome to Islamorada, Mara.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Pitney,” Mara said, shaking Mom’s hand. “Jake has been very kind to me since I arrived.”

  “I heard that your papa died,” Mom said. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you.” Mara replied.

  “Mom, Mara said she’d watch Star tomorrow morning so I can go out fishing with Sharkey.”

  Mom frowned at me. “Did you ask Mara on her first day here to take over your responsibility?”

  “Oh no, Mrs. Pitney,” Mara assured her, “Jake didn’t ask me. I offered to do it. I love children.” She walked over to Star, who hid her face in Dad’s chest. “Hello, Star. Would you like to visit me tomorrow?” Star shook her head and wouldn’t look at Mara.

  “Star,” Dad said, “you’re not being polite.”

  “Star’s always shy with new people at first,” said Mom.

  Mara won’t want to take care of Star if she won’t even speak to her, I thought.

  Mara took Star’s book from Dad. “Hmm, Wind and Stars and
Bright Blue Skies. This sounds like a nice book. Tomorrow we’ll sit on my porch and I’ll read it to you—or you can read it to me.” She thumbed through the pages. “What sweet pictures and poems. Is this your favorite book?” Star turned her face away from Dad’s chest and nodded at Mara.

  “Tomorrow morning I’ll come for you, and you can show me your favorite poem. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Star said.

  “And I’ll tell you my favorite poem, too.”

  Mom smiled at Mara. “This is so kind of you, Mara.”

  “I’m glad to help,” Mara replied.

  After I put on my shoes, Mara and I went back outside and headed toward town again. I noticed that a group of people had gathered near the packinghouse next to the train station.

  “I wonder what’s going on,” I muttered. Mara and I picked up our pace to see what all the commotion was about. Veterans who worked on the highway were milling around Mr. Ashburn, Billy and Roy’s dad. He was hollering and flailing his arms.

  Next to him a wooden crate of tomatoes had tipped over and broken, scattering the red fruit everywhere. In the midst of it all stood Jewel, who was curiously sampling a tomato. Rudy sat nearby, watching.

  Mr. Ashburn crowed at the top of his voice, “This crate was sealed and waiting right here for tomorrow’s train!” He spun around at the group of veterans who had joined the skirmish. “Sealed tight!” he repeated accusingly. “This was no accident.”

  “No,” Milt Barclay said, trying not to laugh. “It was downright thievery! I witnessed the whole thing.”

  “Who did this? Who vandalized this crate of tomatoes?” Mr. Ashburn asked.

  “It was that thieving mule right there,” Harry Webber called out, pointing to Jewel, who snorted, tossed her head, and spit out a squashed tomato.

  It was obvious that she did not like tomatoes.

  Mr. Ashburn looked over at Jewel, then scratched his head. “Where did this mule come from anyway? And whose dog is that?”

  At that moment Sharkey appeared from the path across the road. He hobbled as fast as he could toward the crowd. “They’re both mine!”

  “Since when, Sharkey?” Mr. Ashburn demanded.

  “Since today!” Sharkey’s voice was defiant. He brandished his cane and everyone backed off as he made his way into the center of the hubbub. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone broke into one of my crates and spilled tomatoes all over the place. They’re no good now—all smashed and ruined. They were going off to Homestead tomorrow to the farmers’ market. All these tomatoes are a loss of good money and hard work! Don’t you know there’s a depression going on?”

  “The mule did it!” a veteran called out.

  “Now listen here,” Sharkey said, taking hold of Jewel’s bridle. “Even though Jewel here is the smartest mule in Florida, she wouldn’t be likely to open a sealed tomato crate. Besides, it’s too neatly broken for a mule to have done it. See? There are only two slats cracked. The scoundrel who did it neatly cracked two of the boards and then spilled the contents. Jewel simply took advantage of the situation and helped herself to a tomato.” Sharkey whistled to Rudy, and without another word the three of them headed back across the road and into the woods.

  Everyone was silent, then after a few moments Mr. Ashburn said, “When I find out which one of you men opened that crate, I’m complaining to your boss. The government sent you down to build a highway—not to play tricks on the locals!”

  “We vets get blamed for everything around here,” Harry Webber grunted.

  “It was the mule,” Milt Barclay insisted. “I saw it for myself. She and the dog were wandering around, and when they came to the tomato crate, that mule poked at it with her nose. Next thing she kicked the wooden slats and broke them open.”

  “Time will tell who’s to blame,” Mr. Ashburn said. “If that mule and dog cause more trouble around here, I’ll run them out of town myself.”

  Mr. Ashburn righted the broken crate, and Mara and I began picking up the good tomatoes and putting them back inside.

  “Thanks,” Mr. Ashburn said to us. “Blaming a mule—huh! Those veterans are more trouble than they’re worth.”

  But I had a strong feeling that Jewel really was the vandal that broke open the tomato crate.

  It was getting dark as we headed back to Miss Edith’s. “Thanks for watching Star tomorrow, Mara. I was excited when Sharkey said he’d fish with me, and I was just about ready to move out when Mom said I had to watch Star instead.”

  “Sharkey is … interesting,” Mara said.

  “He’s lived here a long time in an old boxcar that was left over from the railroad. Folks know him and like him all right. But he can be unpredictable. He came chasing me off his land just yesterday, but then he hired me to help him today.”

  “Why’d he chase you off his property?”

  “He thought I was digging up a turtle nest. He’s so fussy about the sea turtles.”

  “He was protecting the nest?”

  “Yes. And he fights off any animals that might disturb it. But he chases kids away all the time.”

  “Why would they be on the property to begin with?”

  “They spy on him.”

  “Why on earth would they do that?”

  “Because of the rumors …”

  “What rumors?” Mara asked, slapping a mosquito.

  “Sharkey used to be a wrecker. They’re men who go out to shipwrecks to salvage cargo.”

  “So? That sounds like a respectable job.”

  “Wreckers sometimes find old shipwrecks with gold and don’t tell the government, but just keep the gold for themselves.”

  “So you think Sharkey may have a stash of pirate gold?” Mara laughed.

  I could feel my face redden. “Not me! I don’t believe it,” I said. “It’s the other kids—Roy and Billy and …”

  “If he has gold, why would he be living in a freight car?”

  “I wondered about that myself,” I said with a laugh.

  We passed by the Robinsons’ house, and Ripper began his loud growling and barking. “He scares me,” Mara whispered.

  When we reached Miss Edith’s house, the mosquitoes were out in full force. Miss Edith had shut the doors, and I could barely see the lantern light from inside, as the glass was thick with the buzzing pests.

  “I hope you’ll have a good time with Sharkey tomorrow,” Mara said, reaching for the latch.

  I swatted at the mosquitoes. “It won’t be fun. Sharkey is probably going to be cranky. But he’ll help me bag a bonefish.”

  “Jake, you just told me Sharkey protects the turtle nests, didn’t you?”

  “Well, yeah,” I said. “He does.”

  “Haven’t you noticed how gently Sharkey strokes Jewel and Rudy? And how he smiles at them?”

  “Yeah, he does love animals,” I agreed. “Just not kids.”

  “But Jake—why would he take you fishing if he doesn’t like kids?” She opened the door quickly and ducked inside.

  8

  THE BONEFISH

  M ara arrived at our house early on Saturday morning, and Mom insisted she join us for a bacon and eggs breakfast.

  “Aunt Edith’s favorite laying hen has disappeared,” Mara told us. “It looks like there was a huge scuffle around the nests. Feathers were scattered everywhere, and the other hens were frightened. We searched around but couldn’t find Henny Penny, so there were no eggs this morning.”

  “Well, enjoy these eggs then,” Mom said as she passed the gravy for the biscuits. “How long do you plan to stay here in Islamorada?”

  “Forever, I guess,” Mara answered. “I have nowhere else to go.”

  “It must be hard to leave your home up north. What about your mother?”

  I stopped eating and waited to hear Mara’s answer.

  “My mother … she’s gone too.”

  “Oh, how sad!” Mom continued. “When did she pass on?”

  At that moment Star, still in her p
ajamas, ran from her bedroom and climbed into Mara’s lap. “Can I go to your house? Shall I get my book?” she asked eagerly.

  Mara smiled down at Star. “First tell me where you got your name.”

  “My name is Estelle. That means star. I’d rather be called Star.” She began to sing loudly, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star …”

  “You’re a star, all right,” Mara told her.

  “She’s not at all bashful with you today,” Mom said, seeming to forget the question she had asked about Mara’s mother. I was curious to know the answer and was annoyed with Star’s interruption.

  “I’d better get over to Sharkey’s,” I said, getting up.

  “When you’re finished, go straight over to Miss Edith’s and get Star. There’s no need for Mara to be watching her once you’re back,” Mom said.

  “I will,” I promised, with a smile and a nod at Mara.

  “Let me take a look at your gear,” Dad said. We headed downstairs to the store. In the back room our fishing poles leaned against the wall. My father looked over my rod and reel, then handed his best rod to me. “Use this instead. It will work better with a fly.” He showed me how to work the reel and the thumb latch that controlled the release of the line.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I said, gathering the rest of my gear. “I’ll be back after the contest.”

  “Catch a good one,” he said. “And win that contest!”

  I walked as fast as I could while juggling the rod, a tackle box, and a bucket and slapping the mosquitoes that buzzed around me. When I finally got to Sharkey’s place, I was sweaty and breathless.

  Sharkey had his flat-bottomed guide boat fastened to the rickety dock and was filling the engine with gas from a red metal can. Jewel was tied to a tree with a long, heavy rope, and Sharkey had set up a run for Rudy with a pulley so he could walk around. But right now they were both lying on the ground, Jewel with her long legs curled under her, and Rudy with his head on his paws. When Rudy saw me, he sat up and barked a few times.

  “It’s okay, Rudy,” I said, patting him. He wagged his silky tail and lay down again.

  Sharkey looked up when he heard the bark. “I hope those animals will behave themselves while we’re gone,” he said crossly.