Barefoot in Beaufort I: A Visit Back to Beaufort in the 1940S

By Kay Salter

Barefoot in Beaufort is a trilogy containing the first three books in the Sarah Bowers series. The books are for young ladies ages eight to eighty. Girls today should find the books interesting and insightful as they learn that over half a century ago their grandmothers were taught values much like girls today.

Twelfth Summer is the first in the series of eight historical novels set in the 1940s. Each of the books is fast paced-containing adventure, danger, sadness and hilarity. Fishing, a secret hideaway, a hurricane and a cousins wedding all conspire to make the summer on the coast with grandparents anything but ordinary. The Bowers children learn from parents and grandparents the importance of family ties strengthened by traditional values. Using good manners and showing respect for others is learned and maintained within the family unit.

Thirteenth Summer follows. Sarah Bowers looks forward to once again spending time with her maternal grandparents in the little town by the sea. She renews friendships made the summer before, observes and is influenced by their attitudes, beliefs and diverse personalities. Sarah makes a tough choice because it is the right thing to do. She watches as her younger brother courageously brings home a stray dog and stands strong before the disapproving looks of his mother, grandmother and most of all, Clara, the cook. Sarah receives a strange request from a special someone in Canton, Ohio.

Fourteenth Summer finds Sarah in Beaufort because of the threat of infantile paralysis. Characters from the first two books are reintroduced. Throughout the book Sarah, her friend Nancy and Granny Jewel embark on the daunting task of finding a suitable bride for Uncle Herb. He surprises all with a request to bring someone home to dinner. Sarah is asked secretly if she would return the following summer and be a bridesmaid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477204375

Kay Salter

Kay Salter, a journalist and playwright, has written for the New York Times and Food & Wine, among other publications. She and her husband James, an author, live in Colorado and on Long Island. She is the co-writer of Life Is Meals: A Food Lover's Book of Days.

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Barefoot in Beaufort

I

A Visit back to Beaufort in the 1940s

Kay Salter

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AuthorHouse™

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© 2012 by Kay Salter. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/11/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0436-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0438-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-0437-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012908165

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

An Expression of the Heart

Chapter 1      Daddy Goes to War

Chapter 2      Off to the Coast

Chapter 3      Waking Up in Beaufort

Chapter 4      Going Fishing

Chapter 5      The Red Haired Boy

Chapter 6      A Painful Misunderstanding

Chapter 7      The Ladies’ Luncheon

Chapter 8      A Secret Hideway

Chapter 9      Shopping on Front Street

Chapter 10      Daddy’s Long Weekend

Chapter 11      Picnic on Piver’s Island

Chapter 12      Torture by Needle and Thread

Chapter 13      ‘Taking the Air’

Chapter 14      Family History Found in Quilts

Chapter 15      Made by Lovin’ Fingers

Chapter 16      Matrimonial Emergency

Chapter 17      A Flowerless Wedding

Chapter 18      Olivia’s Big Day

Chapter 19      Floundering in Darkness

Chapter 20      Lesson Learned

Chapter 21      Making Amends

Chapter 22      Treasure in a Trunk

Chapter 23      A Friend’s Anguish

Chapter 24      Hurricane!

Chapter 25      In the Face of Fury

Chapter 26      Good News! Really Good News!

Chapter 27      A Summer’s End Surprise

If you enjoyed Twelfth Summer… .

Dedication

Gratitudes

Acknowledgements

An expression of the heart

Chapter 1      Adjusting to Amy

Chapter 2      Easter Break Excursions

Chapter 3      To Beaufort By Bus

Chapter 4      Storytelling

Chapter 5      The Shot that Backfired

Chapter 6      The Hangin’ Tree

Chapter 7      Little Dog Lost

Chapter 8      A Home For Frisky

Chapter 9      Miss Nettie

Chapter 10      Missing Companion

Chapter 11      A Friend in Need

Chapter 12      So-Called Spirits

Chapter 13      A Surprise From Raleigh

Chapter 14      Amy’s Baptism

Chapter 15      A Welcomed Suggestion

Chapter 16      Morning With Marnie

Chapter 17      Guardian Angels

Chapter 18      Familiar Face

Chapter 19      A Real Compliment

Chapter 20      Witnesses

Chapter 21      On the Side of Right

Chapter 22      In Search of a Suit

Chapter 23      Beach Party

Chapter 24      Lindsey’s Letter

Chapter 25      Sarah’s New Look

Chapter 26      Loss of a Loved One

Chapter 27      Saying Goodbye

Chapter 28      Joshua Receives Advice

Chapter 29      Summer’s End

If you enjoyed Thirteenth Summer…

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Chapter I      Making Plans

Chapter 2      Back to Beaufort

Chapter 3      Papa Tom’s Vigil

Chapter 4      Cookin’ fish in a Factory

Chapter 5      The Search Begins

Chapter 6      Clara’s Wise Words

Chapter 7      Trying Not to Sew With Nancy

Chapter 8      A Daring Rescue

Chapter 9      After the Rescue

Chapter 10      Sarah Gets a New Hairdo, and Emily Makes the Short List

Chapter 11      Emily’s Unsuitability

Chapter 12      Sarah Receives a Marriage Proposal

Chapter 13      The Agony of Sharing

Chapter 14      Fourth of July Celebration

Chapter 15      Quilts and Secrets

Chapter 16      Fear Born of Mackie Fuller

Chapter 17      Fire!

Chapter 18      Storing Treasures and Retribution a-la-Clara

Chapter 19      A Tough Lesson—Repaying Bad with Good

Chapter 20      Sarah’s Very Own Room

Chapter 21      Uncle Herb’s Strange Request

Chapter 22      Cleaning the Shed and Alarming the Family

Chapter 23      The Stern Kicker vs. Oars and Oarlocks

Chapter 24      Lunch in a Fifty Acre Marsh

Chapter 25      Cupid Club Makes an Amazing Discovery

Chapter 26      The Red Haired Boy’s Request

Chapter 27      Miriam Meets the Family and Sarah

Makes a Promise

If You Enjoyed Fourteenth Summer… .

Sarah Bowers Series

Twelfth

Summer

Second Edition

Kay Salter

The Second Edition of

Twelfth

Summer

Is further dedicated to Joshua and Sarah Noe

Acknowledgements

To my dear friends, Tom and Jewel Myers, I will be forever grateful for allowing me the imaginary use of their home as the setting for the Sarah Bowers Series.

Amazement mingled with gratitude goes to Rochelle Hodge and Sarah Noe who, with the aid of a cold, impersonal instrument, created a lovely work of art for the cover of the second edition. Their expertise and ability to perform mighty feats on a computer leaves no doubt I am still operating in the age of stone.

Thanks to Sarah Drury and Louis Daniel for posing for the cover of Twelfth Summer. Looking at the cover, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to live on the very edge of the powerful and impersonal Atlantic Ocean.

To Mikey, my dear and precious son-in-law, I am truly grateful for engineering the ‘new and improved’ Twelfth Summer. Mike possesses a rare and God-given talent for understanding and speaking the language of contracts and fine print.

Last and foremost, I wish to thank the little angel on my shoulder, who has seen me through a time of toil and turmoil and whispers in my ear that there are brighter days ahead.

An Expression of the Heart

"If one person expresses pleasure from reading Twelfth Summer, it will be worth the effort," I declared months before the first book in the Sarah Bowers Series was published.

I feel blessed the first edition was so well received and I am grateful for requests from so many readers for the remaining seven books in the Sarah Bowers Series.

Through book signings and personal appearances, I have made new friends and acquaintances I would never have known were it not for these imaginary people in a time long distant.

My hope is that you will continue enjoying Sarah’s journey through adolescence and young womanhood as much as I have enjoyed creating these tales of a loving family in a beautiful little town by the sea.

Kay

Chapter 1

Daddy Goes to War

No, Daddy. Please don’t go! You can’t leave us! These were the heart-rending words of Sarah Bowers. Her father was telling his family farewell for what could be a long time. She looked imploringly at her mother as tears stung her eyes. Mama, tell him he can’t go be in the army. We want him to stay home with us.

Peggy Bowers, Sarah’s mother, tried to comfort her daughter as she stood in the front yard of her parents’ home. Sarah, honey, give your father one last hug and join your brother and grandparents in the house. Daddy has to go. We don’t want him getting back to Raleigh late tonight.

Once more Sarah threw her arms around her father’s neck as he leaned down for a final hug. She closed her eyes and bit her top lip to keep from bursting in tears. Her throat ached as she choked out the words, I love you, Daddy. I’ll pray for you every night and even during the day. Please hurry back to us.

I’ll do my best, Sissy. But, it’s not up to me. You know I’ll be back as soon as possible. Sarah closed her eyes tightly. The odor of her father’s after shave still lingered after the long, hot drive from Raleigh, one hundred and fifty miles away.

Give me a big smile, Sissy, before I go. That’s how I want to remember you. Sarah dropped her arms and began backing away, trying valiantly to smile for her daddy. It was so hard to do with a trembling chin. As she turned to go into her grandparent’s home, she saw her parents embracing one last time. She watched as her daddy walked around to the side of the car and got in. Her mother leaned in the window for one last goodbye kiss and suddenly, he was gone. Sarah turned and hurried into her grandparents’ home. She flew up the staircase and into her grandparents’ bedroom. From the big bay window, she stared down at the street below. Where their family car had been parked, there was only the black asphalt of the street. Rain, that had threatened all afternoon, now came down in huge, pelting drops. Sarah could hear it pounding on the tin roof overhead. It sounds as if the rain is furious with someone, she thought. Maybe it’s mad because my daddy had to go off to war.

Sarah curled up on the window seat and looked out on the street below. No one was stirring on this wet and dreary Sunday afternoon. From this quiet spot she now stared out at the crystal rivulets of water cascading down the window pane. The tiny rivers of raindrops were very much like her tears.

Why, Sarah asked herself for probably the one hundredth time, did Daddy have to go to war and feel he should leave us here?

Here, was her grandparent’s home in the tiny town of Beaufort on the coast of North Carolina. Sarah, her brother Joshua and their parents lived in the city of Raleigh. A few days before, her father had come home early from work, because Mama called and told him of an official-looking letter from the United States War Department. Mama had looked worried ever since she collected the mail. Her eyes seemed as if they were focused on something very far away, and she would not answer unless you called her name several times. Joshua, only six years old, was unaware that anything was wrong. Sarah had an uneasy feeling that, after today, their lives would never be the same. She had no idea just how true this premonition would be.

Sarah was the first one to hear her father’s car pull into the driveway. Mama, Daddy’s home, she reported to her mother who was in the kitchen. She felt that perhaps now, since she was twelve and a half years old, and no longer considered a child, she might be included in her parents’ discussion about this mysterious letter.

As her father came through the door, her parents exchanged a look which told Sarah that this was going to be one of those adult conversations in which she would have no part. It hardly seemed fair that she was given more responsibilities around the house, especially in watching Joshua and cleaning up the kitchen, but was not considered mature enough to have a part in making grown-up decisions. She was occasionally reminded by her parents that she could no longer revert to childish tactics in order to get her own way.

Daddy turned and headed for the kitchen with barely a hello to his children, Mama following close behind. Sarah knew they would sit at the huge old oak table that Granny and Grandpa Bowers had given them several years ago when her grandparents had moved to a smaller house.

There’s no reason for two old people to rattle around in a big house with all the children grown and gone, Grandpa had announced one day, and with that he and Granny Bowers had set forth to find a smaller house, then proceeded to give away all the large furniture they had collected through the years.

Plans and decisions for the family were always discussed and agreed upon as the family sat around the large table in the kitchen. James Bowers loved to tell his children how when he was a boy, he had sat at that table every night and studied his lessons, so he would make good grades in school. Sarah and Joshua were expected to continue this tradition.

When they reached the kitchen, Sarah started to follow them. Her mother heard her footsteps, turned, and in a distracted way said, Sarah, take Joshua upstairs and entertain him. Your father and I have something important to discuss and we don’t need to be interrupted.

I feel just like a little child again. They won’t let me take part in their discussions or help them make decisions.

Come on, Joshua, she said, as if she were resigned to always having to tend to her younger brother. As they climbed the stairs, Sarah thought back to that December Sunday in 1941 when she was only nine years old. The family had been in the living room listening to the radio. Joshua, three years old, had been playing on the rug in front of the big radio when it was announced that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. Although Pearl Harbor was located in the Hawaiian Islands, half a world away, Sarah felt as if it were right on the North Carolina coast. The expressions on her parents’ faces then were very much like the way they looked now.

As Sarah and Joshua entered his bedroom she asked, Joshua, would you like to play a game or do you want me to read to you? While he was deciding, Sarah sat down on his bed and asked herself, why must there be a war? Why can’t people just learn to get along? Children are expected to get along at home, at school and at church. What’s the matter with grown-ups that they have to fuss and fight with each other?

Sarah knew from history class in school, that Germany and Italy had soon joined forces with Japan. America had joined her allies and soon the war was being felt in almost every corner of the globe. Sarah realized that because of World War II, their lives might be changed forever.

Every night after dinner, the family gathered in the living room to listen to the war news on the radio. The lights were kept low, making the green light on the radio dial glow an iridescent green. The voice of H.V. Haltenborn would fill the room as he announced the progress our troops were making in Europe and in the Pacific Ocean. Sarah and even little Joshua knew not to interrupt their parents at this time. If they had a question or wanted to share something that had happened that day that they had forgotten to tell at dinner, they knew it would have to wait until the war news was over.

Joshua had found his favorite book, Raggedy Ann and Andy in the Deep, Deep Woods.

Read it Sarah.

Joshua, you’ve heard this book a hundred times! Pick something else!

Sarah knew she was being cross with her brother and knew it was probably from being nervous about what was happening in the kitchen.

You’re not being very nice, Sarah. I think I’ll go tell Mama.

Sarah could tell that Joshua was getting upset. She knew if he decided to bolt out of the door, run down the steps and burst into the kitchen with his complaint, she would have to take the blame for interrupting their parents. In order to keep peace, Sarah opened the book, smiled sweetly at Joshua and apologized.

Come here and sit by me, Sarah said and patted the bed. Joshua, sensing that he was going to get his way, smiled and climbed up beside his sister. Sarah turned the worn pages of his favorite book, and began, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were sitting under a tree in the deep, deep woods, filled with fairies n’ everything, drinking a glass of soda water through two straws. It was a very… .  Sarah heard her parents’ footsteps on the stairs and stopped reading. Both children listened as the footsteps drew nearer. The door of the bedroom slowly opened as Peggy and James Bowers stopped in the doorway, and looked at their children sitting together on the bed. Sarah looked up at her father. She had never seen such a sad expression on anyone’s face. He stared at his children as if he were trying to memorize the scene before him.

I’ll take this scene with me wherever I go and for however long I am gone, whispered James Bowers.

Sarah looked from one parent to the other. Gone? What was Daddy talking about? Surely he wasn’t going to go away and leave his family! Daddies and uncles of many of her friends had gone to war, but surely it wasn’t going to happen to her daddy!

She could feel herself grow tense as her parents came slowly into the room, never saying a word about toys left in the floor from earlier in the day. They stepped carefully over the toys and sat on the bed with their children. Joshua was silent and watchful as he looked from one parent to the other. It was his first awareness that something was different.

James Bowers spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Children, he began, "you know that our country has been at war for several years. I couldn’t tell you this before, but I have been working closely with the war department through Bowers Chemical Company. I got a letter today from the war department saying they need my help with a special project which could end this terrible war. James paused a minute before he continued. Sarah held her breath as she watched her father struggle for the right words to say. She looked over at her mother, who had been sitting quietly and staring at her daddy. Now she began twisting a button on the front of her dress. For some reason, Sarah turned and stared at the hapless button, which was now in danger of popping off the dress.

Joshua asked the question no one wanted answered, Do you have to go to war, Daddy?

James seemed a bit relieved that his son had saved him the necessity of putting the harsh reality into words. Now he looked from one child to the other, and answered, Yes, Joshua, I have to help defend our country.

Joshua and Sarah crawled up into their father’s lap. At that moment Sarah didn’t care whether it was childish to sit in a parent’s lap or not. Both parents held them tightly as each dealt with the news in his own way. Sarah fought back tears only by swallowing over and over again and by blinking her eyes.

Why does it have to be you? wailed Joshua. Sarah felt like reacting just like Joshua, but she knew this would make the situation just that much harder for her parents. Suddenly she realized that growing up was more difficult than she ever dreamed it could be. She felt her carefree childhood slipping away. Sarah thought about her father going to work every day at the Bowers Chemical Company. She wondered how her daddy’s business could possibly help win the war.

James interrupted her thoughts, Let’s go downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of lemonade and make some plans for the future. Daddy’s voice sounds almost cheerful, but his face looks so sad, thought Sarah.

Lemonade did sound like a good idea to Sarah because her throat was very dry. Joshua wiggled off his father’s lap and headed for the door. He raced down the stairs with Sarah following at a slower pace so her parents could see that she no longer behaved like a child.

With everyone seated around the kitchen table, Mama poured lemonade in the tall, fancy glasses which were used only for company. Sarah watched her mother’s hand tremble as she served each of them. The cold, sharp flavor of the lemonade trickled down Sarah’s dry, aching throat. It felt good to not be so thirsty.

After everyone had taken a few sips, James began, Every year we plan a trip during summer vacation. Now that school is over for the summer it’s time we discussed what we want to do with our free time. He looked from one family member to another. The children’s eyes were on their father, waiting for his next words. Since I will not be here this summer, it will be up to the three of you to decide.

Before Sarah or Joshua had time to think, he continued, Your mother and I have discussed it and… .  Oh, brother, Sarah thought, rolling her eyes, if he’s beginning a sentence with Your mother and I have decided, there’s no way it will be a family decision. Our summer has already been decided. Sarah braced herself for what was coming.

Since I will not be home for several months, we felt it would be better if you all spent the summer with your Granny Jewel and Papa Tom down in Beaufort. They have been begging all of us to come for a long visit, but we’ve been too busy with school and work to stay for more than a long weekend. James Bowers’ eyes searched their faces, willing them to agree.

Once more Sarah could feel tears fill her eyes. She didn’t like the idea of being away from home the whole summer and especially in Beaufort!. There’s nothing to do in that boring little town. I don’t know anyone my age. They don’t have any plays or concerts down there. All my friends will have something interesting to do every day. The most I will have to look forward to is piddling around in the salt marsh, being eaten alive by mosquitoes and covered in sticky salt water.

Sarah could feel anger rising and started to protest when she noticed her mother’s face. It was the first time she had smiled all day. Granny Jewel is Mama’s mother, Sarah knew. She realized that they seldom ever got to see each other. Suppose I could only see my mama a few times a year and then only for a short time. I would miss her so much.

She stared at her glass of lemonade. Condensation on the outside of the glass had formed and was making a round circle on the wooden table. Sarah hurried to get coasters for all the glasses. Mama had forgotten the coasters! She is so happy about seeing her parents this summer, Sarah realized. I will make the best of things for my mama’s sake, she silently promised.

Joshua was having quite a different reaction. He was so excited he could not stay in his chair. He was bouncing around the table, stopping with each new idea that came to him.

Will I be able to swim in the ocean every day? Can I go crabbing with Papa Tom? Will they let me sleep out on the upstairs porch at night?

Mama replied, "Your grandparents love you dearly and will see that you have as much fun as possible under our present circumstances. Making you happy is their pleasure.

Another way to say that is, your grandparents will go to any lengths to spoil you rotten, thought Sarah.

The room grew silent as each began to realize just how different their lives would be with daddy gone.

The discussion was over. Mama began moving around the kitchen preparing the evening meal. Daddy went into the living room to make phone calls. Joshua tore out of the house to tell his friend next door the unbelievably good news of spending his summer on the coast. Sarah remained at the table, watching her mother. Slowly Peggy turned and faced her.

This is going to create a hardship for you I know, dear. You will have to give up your friends for the summer, and nothing will be the same with Daddy gone. It’s up to you and me to be brave and strong so Daddy won’t have to worry about us and to keep Joshua from being frightened, Peggy said quietly.

She sat down in the chair next to Sarah and looked searchingly into her face. Taking both of Sarah’s hands she said, I’ll get to see my parents this summer. I miss them so much and they miss us. It should be a good summer. You and I together can make it be a good summer.

Why, Mama is talking to me just like I’m a grown-up, thought Sarah. She really needs me to be her friend and helper as well as a daughter. At that moment Sarah felt a special rush of love for her mother. She returned the warm pressure of her mother’s hands.

You bet we can take care of things for our men, Mama, Sarah said confidently.

They got up from the table and started the evening meal. That night, after the four had eaten, Sarah willingly helped her mother clean the kitchen. As one washed the dishes and the other dried, they began making plans for the very busy days to come. Mama, we have to call our friends tomorrow.

I know, Sarah. We have to decide which clothes to pack. We’ve never been gone this long before. At least we won’t have to worry about winter clothes. They both laughed at this remark. Sarah knew she had to have her diary and few stuffed animals for her bed.

The next day Sarah enjoyed helping her mother decide what to pack and how to go about closing the house for the summer. It thrilled Sarah when her mother listened carefully to her suggestion, and then agreed.

After supper, the family moved to the living room to listen to the evening news on the radio. They all sat quietly, hoping that there would be news that the war would soon be over. Now, with Daddy going to war, it was more important than ever for the fighting to end soon. But to Sarah, the battles in Europe and the islands in the Pacific Ocean seemed as fierce as ever.

After the program was over, Peggy turned to Sarah, Would you please help Joshua get ready for bed? Make sure he brushes his teeth for more than one second and remind him to use soap while he’s in the bathtub. Oh, and check behind his ears for any dirt he may have missed.

Daddy and I want to sit here and listen to some other programs before turning in.

Smiling back at her mother, Sarah took her little brother by the hand and started upstairs. Sure, Mama, Sarah replied. She tried pulling Joshua up off the floor where he had been reading a comic book. Come on little brother. It’s time for a bath and bed. Joshua greeted this news by growing limp and lifeless. I can’t move, Sarah. I might catch a cold if I get all wet and soapy. Besides I don’t see any germs. He carefully studied both sides of his hands. When he saw that these excuses weren’t going to work, he slowly got up. They kissed their parents goodnight and went upstairs. Tonight Sarah didn’t feel resentful about having to oversee her brother’s preparations for bed. After all, Mama had asked her, not told her, what to do.

While Joshua played in the bathtub with his rubber boats, Sarah sat on the side of her bed and let her thoughts run wild. What would happen to their home if no one was there all summer? Would it stay empty and locked? How would she know what to pack for the whole summer? Would she be able to make new friends? Sarah heard her brother’s constant chirping in the tub and envied his simple trust that everything would ultimately be all right. She was relieved when Joshua finally yelled for her.

Sarah, will you please dry my hair? Now Joshua was using his usually well-hidden manners. What else would surprise her today, she wondered, as she dried his hair with a soft towel.

Sarah was so exhausted that she went to bed soon after Joshua. She realized she was tired from the day’s stressful events. As she began to drift off to sleep, her last thought was of calling her friends the next day and telling them the news. Downstairs her parents could be heard laughing at something funny on the Amos and Andy Show.

The next morning Sarah lay in bed listening to the household sounds. She could hear her mother in the kitchen setting the table and getting the heavy iron frying pan out of the cabinet. It was the usual kitchen clatter that Sarah was so accustomed to hearing. Daddy was showering, and Joshua was yelling at his friend across the yard. Sarah sprang out of bed and put on her dungarees and an old shirt.

I must call Lindsey, my best friend, Sarah thought. She’ll be so disappointed when she hears my news. Together they had made plans for the summer. They wanted to spend as much time as possible in Pullen Park, especially in the swimming pool. Several of the girls in their class were included in their plans. Now they were all going with out her. It was depressing to think about them having fun at the park without her. Wait a minute! A wide grin replaced Sarah’s glum expression. I’ll have the whole Atlantic Ocean for my swimming pool. For some reason, this made her feel better.

Chapter 2

Off to the Coast

The next day as Sarah was making up her bed, her father poked his head around the door. Are you ready for breakfast, Sissy? That was her father’s pet name for her and no one else ever called her that. Sarah wondered briefly how long it would be before she heard Sissy again.

In the kitchen Mama had breakfast ready. She appeared cheerful and acted as if everything was normal. Joshua attacked his bowl of Rice Krispies with great enthusiasm. Daddy glanced at the headlines on the front page of the Raleigh News and Observer as he slowly sipped a cup of hot coffee. Sarah and her mother exchanged looks. We can get through this, Mama’s expression seemed to say. We have to be strong and stick together. Sarah smiled and winked. You can count on me, Sarah said with a smile and a nod.

Before Daddy left the table, he said in a voice that attempted cheerfulness, Well, when I come home today, you may not even know me. I’ll be wearing the uniform of a United States Army officer.

Joshua looked at his father in awe. Wow, Daddy, that’s great! Can I try on your hat? Will they give you a gun? Can I hold it? All thoughts of breakfast were forgotten.

We’ll see, Daddy answered. Joshua was still asking questions as James left the room.

Sarah and her mother were left sitting at the table after Joshua left to find his friend. Neither of them seemed interested in eating. After a long silence Sarah asked, Have you called Granny Jewel and Papa Tom?

Your father and I called them after you and Joshua went to bed. You know Granny Jewel. She was so excited she could hardly talk. She got Papa Tom on the phone so he could hear the news from us. They both acted like children on Christmas morning. They started right away making plans for things we can do while we are there.

Mama is excited about our summer plans, thought Sarah. She’s looking forward to going back to the home where she grew up. Sarah felt a stirring in her chest. I guess Mama’s excitement is catching.

If you don’t need the phone for a few minutes, I’d like to call Lindsey and my other friends and tell them of our plans, Sarah said as she rose from the table.

Of course, Dear. I’ll finish up here while you talk to the girls.

Hi, Lindsey, said Sarah as she heard her friend’s voice on the line. She took a deep breath and blurted out the news. Daddy has been called to active duty by the Army. My parents were sort of expecting it to happen any time. We’re going to spend the whole summer in Beaufort with my grandparents. Daddy’s going to drive us down tomorrow before he has to leave. There was silence on the other end of the phone line, and then Sarah heard a wail as if Lindsey’s heart was breaking.

Oh, Sarah, this is positively the worse news I have ever heard. What about our great plans for the summer? What will become of me for the next three months?

Lindsey had been to the picture show just last week and had seen her favorite actress, Bette Davis. Lindsey loved Bette Davis because she was so dramatic; now if Sarah hadn’t known better, she would have thought that it was the actress herself she was talking to.

You will have to manage somehow, my dear, replied Sarah, also sounding a bit like the famous actress.

The two best friends talked for a few more minutes, and then Sarah realized she was taking too much time on the phone. Quickly she said her goodbyes to Lindsey, promising to write every few days. She wondered how she would ever fill up a page of stationery that often with exciting things that happened in a small town.

Sarah then called her other school friends and told them as quickly as she could about her summer plans. They all said how much they would miss her, but not one had a bit of envy in her voice.

By this time Mama was through in the kitchen. Joshua played Army games in the backyard with his friend from next door. With all the windows open on this early summer day, Sarah could hear his voice above John’s as he told him that his father was now a real soldier and how he and his mama and sister were going to Beaufort and go fishing every day.

Let’s go upstairs and decide what you and Joshua will need to pack for the summer, suggested Mama as she started up the steps. Sarah followed, thinking that would be easy—shorts and more shorts with a few old blouses that were no longer nice enough to wear to school. She would need a pair of sneakers and must not forget her bathing suit from last summer.

Since she would not be going to the pool in Raleigh with her friends, it would not matter what her suit looked like. Who would see her in it anyway, a lot of old turtles and bug-eyed fish?

Sarah was getting depressed again. She sat down on the edge of her bed and let the weight of fear, disappointment and anger wash over her. It was just not fair that their lives should be disrupted because the Japanese and Germans wanted a war. She could feel tears of frustration and tried to disguise them as her mother came into the room. Peggy knew immediately that something was wrong. She sat down beside Sarah and put her arm around her daughter.

I know this is not going to be easy, but I think about the refugees we see on Movietone News in the picture show. Because of the war, people in some countries not only lose their loved ones, but their homes and all of their possessions. Keep these people in your prayers and our sacrifices will not seem so great.

Peggy held a curious little flag in her lap. She unrolled it, and Sarah could see that it was made of shiny satin. The background was white, trimmed in red. There was a gold fringe around the edge with one blue star in the middle.

What is this? asked Sarah, intrigued by this beautiful little banner.

If a member of your family is serving with the armed forces the government will give you a banner. There is a blue star for each family member serving in the armed forces. Your father and I have known for some time that he may have to serve a few months of active duty as a chemical specialist. This banner came in the mail two days ago.

Sarah now remembered seeing these banners in people’s windows. Some of the banners had as many as three or four blue stars. Sarah shuttered to think how lonely these families must be with their loved ones so far away, having to face danger every day.

Let’s take it with us and hang it in one of Granny Jewel’s big front windows, Sarah said with enthusiasm.

I had hoped you would say that, Sarah, her mother agreed quietly. I knew you would understand the meaning of this banner.

As Peggy Bowers got up to leave, she reminded Sarah to pack her Sunday dresses, white socks and her ‘Mary Janes’. She always felt so dressed up when she wore her black patent leather shoes with the tiny strap across the top of her foot. Sarah didn’t realize how quickly a suitcase can fill up and soon she was pressing everything down in order to close the lid.

Mama was in Joshua’s room getting his clothes organized with Joshua helping her. He argued about her choice of items in his suitcase. Mama, I have to pack all my toys. There’s no room for clothes. Well, maybe my bathing suit and a pair of old shorts. When Mama brought out his Sunday clothes and shoes, Joshua let out a howl that could be heard next door. The only way Mama could reason with him was to remind him that his grandparents went to Sunday School and church every Sunday. He fell across his bed and lay there. All right, Mama, we’ll take the old dress up clothes, she heard him mumble against the bedspread.

When she saw Sarah standing in the doorway she said, Come and sit beside me on Joshua’s bed. I have something I want to say. Peggy thought for just a minute and then began, Children, I am looking forward to being with my parents this summer. They still live in the house where I grew up and it is full of wonderful, cherished memories. My parents are not young anymore and will probably welcome our help around the house. I’m sorry it has to be under these circumstances, but it cannot be helped. There are many thousands of families being uprooted from their homes because of this war. Sarah and I have been talking about this. We will all have to be brave and carry on with our lives. We must be brave for Daddy’s sake and pray for his safety every night and for all the other men and women all over the world who are fighting for our freedom. We must pray that Daddy will soon come home to us.

Sarah knew that these words were to both of them, but she looked over the top of Joshua’s head as she spoke and stared straight into Sarah’s eyes. It was moments like this that Sarah felt she was being rushed into adulthood. Maybe growing up was not such a good idea after all.

She looked down at her little brother and suddenly envied his carefree life. Still, Mama was counting on her to help out in any way that was needed. Sarah reached over and took her mother’s hand in hers and squeezed it. Peggy answered with a squeeze.

Suddenly Peggy jumped up. We haven’t much time, Sarah. I have a lot of phone calls to make and food from the refrigerator to dispose of.

Sarah remained upstairs with Joshua so her mother would not be interrupted while she was on the phone.

I have a little bit of room left in my suitcase if you want to pack a few more toys, Sarah told him. Joshua began tearing through his toy box for more treasures before his big sister could change her mind.

You’re the best, Sarah, he said as he continued choosing toys that might be his only playthings for weeks to come. Sarah returned to her room and unpacked the few stuffed animals she had chosen to take. Now you all sit right here on my dresser and wait for me to come back, she said, smiling at her animals. She carefully packed her diary in the suitcase so she could write in it every night. Oh, brother, Sarah wondered, how will I ever fill the pages of my diary in Beaufort? I can see the pages filled with activities like, ‘Dear Diary, Today I went swimming just like I did yesterday, and the day before. Tomorrow we are planning to go to Atlantic Beach and you guessed it—go swimming!’ This struck Sarah as funny and she laughed out loud. Joshua looked at her curiously.

It’s nothing, little brother. I was just thinking about how much fun we’re going to have this summer.

At five o’clock Sarah heard the front door open. She walked into the hallway just as her mother came from the kitchen. For a moment her heart stood still; there in the doorway stood a tall, handsome Army officer. She was accustomed to seeing men in uniform, but the terrible difference was this soldier’s face, for there, standing before her was her daddy—but he didn’t look like daddy. He acted self-conscious and proud at the same time. When the moment of shock was over, everyone began to talk at once. Joshua saw him from the upstairs hall and rushed down, yelling with every step. When he got to the bottom step, he tried to give a snappy salute, Mama made a joke about there being something about a man in uniform. Sarah overcame her temporary shyness and rushed into her father’s arms.

When everyone settled down, James Bower’s said, Now listen up, troops. We have only a little time before I have to report for duty. We must be packed and on our way to Beaufort by noon or, as the military says, twelve hundred tomorrow. We’re going out to dinner tonight so we can close up the kitchen and store everything we’re not taking with us.

Wait, James, said Peggy. Let’s go out on the porch where the light is good. I want to take a picture of you in your uniform.

Mama rushed to the hall closet and took a small black box off of the shelf. It was a Brownie box camera and needed a lot of light in order to take a good picture. Daddy posed with each member of the family. One of the neighbors came over just in time to snap a picture of the whole family together. The next door neighbor was impressed with James in his uniform.

I tell you what, soldier boy, he said, grinning at James. I’ll see to it that your lawn gets cut every week while you’re gone.

That is a generous offer, exclaimed James.

You won’t think so when you get my bill at the end of the summer, he laughed. Other neighbors and friends, when they heard the news, began drifting in that evening to tell the Bowers good-bye.

Sarah’s Raleigh grandparents, as she called them, came over before bed time. Sarah watched in fascination as they talked to and treated her father as if her were a little boy. Granny B. kept wiping tears from the corner of her eyes and Grandpa asked, Honey, what are you trying to do, embarrass the boy.

I can’t help it, George. He’s my baby and I’m going to miss him.

Boy, baby, marveled Sarah. They were talking about her father like he was younger than Joshua. Granny, he’s not a child anymore, laughed Sarah.

Oh, yes he is to me, Darling. He’s my little boy and always will be.

Sarah could tell that her daddy was embarrassed by his parents’ behavior. He seemed relieved when they finally left after many hugs and more tears.

Please help yourselves to any vegetables that ripen in the garden, Peggy told her friends and neighbors. Since the start of the war the government had urged people to plant what became known as victory gardens. This was necessary because so much food that was grown had to be sent to Europe or the Pacific Theater to feed the troops.

The family got to bed much later than they had planned. When Sarah finally put her head on her pillow she thought, this is my last night in my own bed. She stared at the ceiling and watched the familiar shadows created by tree limbs outlined against the street lamp below. I won’t even be able to see my shadows that help me go to sleep at night. As she was drifting off to sleep, her daddy slipped into the room. Well, Sissy, this may be the last goodnight kiss for awhile. Make this one last until I see you again.

Sarah threw her arms around her father. I will, Daddy and I’ll pray for you every night.

Thanks, Sarah. He closed the door softly and moved toward his son’s room to tell him goodnight.

Sarah turned on her side. Tomorrow night she would be sleeping at Granny Jewel’s house. It would be so different. It wouldn’t even smell like home! Sarah’s last thoughts were of the children whose homes were in London, England.

When Hitler began launching V-2 rockets on the city, parents hurried to send their children to homes in the English countryside where they stayed with anyone who had enough room to take them in. At least we’ll be staying with relatives and not with strangers, concluded Sarah. She fell asleep with the prayer of thousands of other children on her lips. Please God, let the war end soon and keep my daddy safe wherever he may be.

The following morning was just a blur in everyone’s minds. There was the hasty packing of the car, last minute errands to be run and checking the house once more to see that nothing had been left behind. Grandma and Grandpa Bowers drove up in front of the house and stood on the sidewalk, waving and crying, as the car pulled away. Sarah looked back one last time. To her, the house already looked abandoned.

Suddenly they were on highway 70 heading east towards Beaufort. It was a really warm day, and all the windows were down to allow a breeze to blow through the car. James had the car radio on a station that played the music of the big bands such as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.

If we were home now, Mama and Daddy would be moving furniture and doing the ‘jitterbug’ in the middle of the living room, thought Sarah longingly. Somehow she knew the big word ‘IF’ would be coming up many times in the next few weeks.

By the time they had been traveling for more than an hour, Sarah was thoroughly fed up with Joshua and his squirming. If only car makers would put safety belts in cars like the ones in airplanes. Then they could strap Joshua down so tightly he wouldn’t be able to move. Even then they would not be able to strap his mouth shut, thought Sarah, smiling.

Joshua leaned over the front seat, asking his father endless questions. Daddy, what are you going to do if you see an enemy soldier, close up? What kind of bait does Papa Tom use to catch blue crabs? Are we there yet? Their father answered each question patiently and in full detail.

The trip would have been very boring if they had not driven through the main street of every town from Raleigh to Beaufort. It was so interesting to watch the people on the sidewalks shopping in the stores. The windows of the shops were fascinating. Sarah especially liked to see the windows of the dress shops. It would be fun to stop for awhile and walk around, but there was no time to stop for anything but gas.

Two hours later the air seemed a bit cooler. Sarah wanted to ask her parents how much further they had to go, but hesitated because it might sound too childish. Just be patient, she told herself, we’ll get there sooner or later.

After a few more miles Sarah was certain she could tell a difference in the climate as the sky became dark and gloomy. The air was cool and moist instead of hot and dry like they were used to in Raleigh. Sarah noticed that Joshua’s hair had now taken on a life of its own. It was always wavy but manageable. Now it had become a head full of unruly curls dancing in the breeze.

Peggy turned around and looked back at her children. We’re almost there. It won’t be long now!

Sarah took a deep breath as she felt a growing sense of excitement. Suddenly, however, an awful odor filled her nostrils. Ugh! What is that awful smell? All thoughts of behaving like a dignified young adult fled.

Mama, who had grown up on the coast, laughed and turned around again. That smell, my dears, is the salt marshes at low tide. Itsmells glorious to me because I know I’m nearly home.

Daddy gave her a curious look. Honey, I never realized before how much you loved the ocean. When this war is over and our lives return to normal, this family is going on long vacations every year.

Sarah could see the little bridge up ahead that would take them over the channel into Beaufort. They crossed the causeway, which was a thin ribbon of land with a bay on one side and salt marshes on the other.

I was right. said Mama, It is low tide and the marsh is what you smell.

The scene beyond the marsh was troubling to Sarah. In the distance, great thunderheads were gathering. The sky below the towering clouds was a deep, dark blue.

There’s a squall makin’ up over the Neuse River, said Mama in a curious cockney accent. She sounded less like their mother and more like the way people in Beaufort talked. The people who lived on the outer islands east of Beaufort spoke with a more pronounced English accent. Sarah remembered her grandparents telling her father how people came here from England more than a hundred years ago and settled on the outer islands. Their customs and speech still held much of the old English flavor.

Soon they were at the top of the bridge. As the car started down the other side they welcomed the view ahead of them. There were tall elm trees on either side of Ann Street with limbs that arched across the street. It created a green tunnel under which they slowly drove. Every tree had a fresh coat of whitewash on the trunk.

Daddy, why do the trees all look like they’re wearing pajamas? asked Joshua.

Mama spoke up, These are elm trees which the town fathers planted many years ago. There is a chemical in the white wash which keeps insects from killing the trees. They get a fresh coat every spring. They look so pretty when you first drive into town and see them all in a row with their fresh white ‘aprons’ on.

They drove up in front of Granny Jewel and Papa Tom’s tall, white Victorian home. The front door flew open, and both grandparents came out and hurried toward the car. They must have been waiting by a window watching for us, thought Sarah.

Daddy stopped the car and there was a tangle of arms and hugs as loving people were together once more. A loud clap of thunder interrupted their joy. Everyone headed for the house as Papa Tom said, Looks like we’re going to get a real soaker this evening. He looked toward the sky which was getting darker by the minute.

Sarah’s grandparents exclaimed over how much the children had grown, and how Sarah was becoming quite a ‘young lady’. Maybe by the time I’m sixty-five I’ll finally be too old to be called a young lady, hoped Sarah, rolling her eyes.

The dining room in Granny Jewel’s house was huge. Everyone knew there was no time for a leisurely meal, since James had to return to Raleigh as soon as possible. In the center of the large table was a large bowl of boiled shrimp, along with salad and sandwiches.

I knew you loved boiled shrimp dipped in butter, James. Tom caught the shrimp but I wasn’t able to get my hands on any butter, apologized Granny Jewel. We’ll have to use oleo and pretend it’s butter.

That’s alright, Jewel. I can eat shrimp any way you fix them. They are so delicious.

In the middle of supper, everyone grew still and quiet, for this was Daddy’s last few minutes with his family. As if the parting was just too much to bear any longer, he quickly finished. "I can’t stay and visit as much as I’d like to, but I have to get back on the road. I have to report to Fort Benning, Georgia by tomorrow afternoon. Everyone looked solemn, and for a moment no one spoke. Now Joshua realized he was going to be separated from his father. He began crying quietly, almost as if he were afraid to let out his usual yell and break the silence of the room. Sarah felt as if the very air she breathed was being sucked from her lungs as she experienced, for the first time in her life, pain and a real sense of loss.

James rose from the table and moved toward the hall. Joshua followed and James swung him up in his arms. He bid farewell to his gracious in-laws and turned toward the porch.

In the front yard, James turned to his son, Be a good boy and mind your mama and your grandparents. I want a good report when I come home. After giving Joshua a big hug, James handed the boy to his grandparents who took the child back into the house. James then motioned to Sarah. She flew into his arms just as she had always done as long as she could remember.

Sissy, you and Mama are in charge of the family while I’m gone. This war has made a lot of children around the world have to grow up too soon. Now it’s going to do the same to you.

Sarah was still staring out of the rain-streaked window as she remembered her father’s last words. Downstairs, she could hear the rest of the family talking and moving through the house. Sarah wanted to be alone for awhile longer. Soon her thoughts were interrupted by her mother’s voice, Sarah, are you upstairs? Without waiting for an answer, she said, Come down, honey and visit with your grandparents.

Again Sarah gazed through the rain soaked window. She put her hand against the smooth, cool glass. I love you, Daddy! she called, knowing he could not hear her or see her wave farewell. Their car had disappeared under the elm trees which earlier had looked so tall and gracious, but now appeared menacing, as if their boughs had swallowed up her father forever.

Chapter 3

Waking Up in Beaufort

Sarah awakened the next morning in a room that was unfamiliar to her. Everything was different. The sounds below and even the odors were not what she was accustomed to. She slowly opened her eyes and gazed at her surroundings. The bedroom had tall ceilings and large windows. There was a fireplace on one wall. It was an old fashioned style with tiny ceramic bricks around the opening. Sarah remembered that all the rooms in the house had fireplaces like this, each with a different style mantle. She could just imagine how busy Papa Tom was in the winter keeping all the fires going. She thought they probably closed off the rooms they were not using to help heat the rest of the house. She was suddenly very thankful for the big coal furnace in their home in Raleigh. Every room was toasty warm even in the worst winter weather.

This house was much older than theirs. Papa Tom had built it before the turn of the century for his bride, Granny Jewel. It was built along the lines of other homes in that period. The high ceilings helped keep the rooms cool in summer and the tall windows caught every puff of wind from the southwest as the breeze came off the ocean. Sarah looked around at the room that was to be hers for the summer and thought of how perfect it would be if she just did not have to share it with her little brother! The soft lace curtains at the windows were folding and billowing from the fresh breeze off the ocean. There were soft, embroidered linens of the beds and a delicate scent of flower petals permeated everything in the room. It was just not a room for a boy, but Sarah realized once again that things were not normal in her life right now. She stretched once more, jumped out of bed, put on her shorts and top she had unpacked the night before and continued to unpack. Joshua’s bed was empty, which was no surprise to Sarah, since he loved getting up early mornings. She quickly made both their beds and decided that the room looked neat enough now if Mama decided to inspect it.

Sarah passed Granny Jewel and Papa Tom’s bedroom as she started down the wide hall to the stairs. Their room was bathed in morning sunlight. It flooded through the big bay window and gave everything in the room a cheerful glow.

The fireplace was far more ornate than the one in Sarah’s room. It had a lovely oval mirror above the mantle. Looking back at her was the face of a girl, not yet a young woman, but no longer a little child. Sarah did not think of herself as beautiful-not like her mama. Mama was short and cute and had bouncy blonde hair.

Sarah was growing so rapidly that she felt awkward most of the time, and sometimes she was down right clumsy. Sarah stepped closer to the mirror and studied the brown haired girl with gray eyes that stared solemnly back.

How will I ever know if I’m pretty? Sarah wondered. My family tells me I am pretty, but they would say that even if it were not so because they love me so much. Sarah thought about this for a moment and realized how fortunate she was to have such a loving family. Love beats looks every time, Sarah told the girl in the mirror. The girl grinned back.

Now Sarah could hear distinct voices downstairs. As she turned to leave the room her eyes once more focused on the window seat banked with soft, pastel pillows. She hoped she would be sitting right there when her father returned. She recalled her feelings of grief and separation from the evening before. No more tears! she told herself resolutely. There are things that need doing and responsibilities to be faced.

Sarah squared her shoulders and marched downstairs where the odor of frying bacon drove all other thoughts from her mind.

Mama and Granny Jewel were having coffee at one end of the long formal dining table. Good morning, Sleepy Head, Mama said cheerfully. You slept later than usual. It must be the salt-sea air. People believe that breathing it is very good for you.

Granny Jewel added, "When I was a girl, people would come here from