Cinnamon Diamonds: A Short Story

By Mark Piper

Cinnamon Diamonds is a short story based on the amazing events of a stormy night in 1847. The Felix Lighter a three-masted schooner survived a hurricane off the east coast of the United States. Reaching port wasn’t its most significant achievement. A young man named Hanson Gregory became a savior when he was inspired to create the first ever doughnut with a hole. His creation during the hurricane has become a thing of legend. This story couples his one and only interview with The Washington Post as well as repeated and no doubt distorted versions of the truth from his fellow sailors with whom he recited the tale to in his retirement in a Massachusetts sailors’ home.

This revised and extended edition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the The Washington Post article on which the story is based. The original newspaper article is included at the end of the story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 7, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987470010

Mark Piper

The author’s early years were spent in three small but beautiful Southern Ontario communities: Paris, Huntsville and Springfield. As a teenager Mark survived (more or less) by working (more or less) as a : gravedigger, farmassist, greens-keeper, construction laborer, tree planter, bartender and recreational (read – soft) drug dealer. (Life lesson to other aspiring recreational drug dealers: try to sell more drugs than you personally consume- it’s just sound business practice.) At the age of 20 – seeking some direction, adventure and hoping to stay out of trouble – Mark joined the Canadian Forces as a cook. Over a 33 year career, the author was promoted through the ranks to Chief Petty Officer First Class, and then Commissioned From the Ranks to serve as a Logistics Officer. Mark served proudly in seven Ships, on various multinational deployments at sea, and on peacekeeping tours in Israel and Afghanistan. While stationed in Halifax, he met his wife Elaine. They were married in 1986 and have 2 grown sons. Credit for any semblance of sanity or logical behavior exhibited by the author since 1986 is due entirely to the influence of the authors wife and children. Mark is currently co-owner and operator of GeckoBus: a large, green, delicious Burrito Bus. www.geckobus.com Disclaimer : “The opinions and views in this novel are those of the author alone, and do not represent Chef Inspired, Habaneros Taco Bar or GeckoBus in any way.” Come and see him if you want some amazing Mexican Fusion. Mark and Elaine live in Dartmouth and Lake Charlotte Nova Scotia. They love to travel, so if you are planning to visit, or if he owes you money, give them a heads up.

Book preview

For Marge & Adam

The fun has just begun.

Contents

Dedication

Cinnamon Diamonds

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Copyright

Cinnamon Diamonds

March 1916 – The Sailors’ Snug Harbor, Quincy, Massachusetts

Snow had fallen all night leaving a white veil upon the seaside town. Neat furrows had been carved out by the narrow wheels of buggies and carriages. The rising sun formed a thick fog that settled just below the tree line and stretched over the narrow beach and beyond to the steely blue of Town River Bay.

Trudging uphill through the icy slush towards The Sailors’ Snug hostel, John could feel the cold air burning his lungs with each breath. As many as eighty retired seafarers and mariners, of both the navy and merchant fleets, called this place home including Captain Hanson Gregory.

The main house was a pretty enterprise. A single story with an attic, pitched roof, gabled windows and a simple cottage garden hugging the front, which would be lush and colorful come spring. Immediately behind the house rose a three-story building with the kitchen, dining areas and dormitory for the weather-beaten tars, as Maggie the caretaker called them.

There was no knocker on the door, just a