Thirteenth Summer: Third Edition

By Kay Salter

More fun and adventure on the Carolina Coast.
Sarah Bowers and her family return to Beaufort in the summer of 1945.
Papa Tom takes his grandchildren to the health department for a vaccination which will prevent typhoid fever. The grandfathers bravery disappears when he learns it is time for him to be vaccinated, too.
Sarah helps Miss Nettie through a terrible ordeal and discovers how happy it makes her feel to practice the Golden Rule.
Faced with a dilemma, Sarah must decide if she should she speak up and help a person falsely accused of a crime, or if she should remain silent?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491855263

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.

Book preview

Sarah bowers series

Thirteenth

Summer

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Third Edition

Kay Salter

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2014 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 2/28/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5527-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-5526-3 (e)

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

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Gratitudes

An expression of the heart

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Dedication

In memory of my dear friend, Nancy Duffy Russell.

Will time ever heal the wounds of separation?

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 of ‘Thirteenth Summer’ Their expertise and ability to perform mighty feats on a computer leaves no doubt I am still operating in the age of stone.

To Mikey, my dear and precious son-in-law, I am truly grateful for engineering the ‘new and improved’ Summer Series. Mike possess 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 there are brighter days ahead.

Gratitudes

To Mary Beth Correll whose interest and shared expertise qualifies her as the Bowers children’s fairy Godmother.

To my daughter, Amy, who makes me stick to a time line, even when I whine out loud.

A very special thanks to Miss Sarah Drury and Master Louis Daniel, for their patience and cooperation in the photographing of the cover of Thirteenth Summer.

An expression of the heart

If a single person expresses pleasure from reading the Summer Series, it will be worth the effort, I declared months before the second book in the Sarah Bowers series was published.

I am grateful to everyone who read Twelfth Summer and asked for more. Your expressions of pleasure and kind words about my first attempt at writing have sustained and encouraged me.

I am blessed to have made new acquaintances and friendships that would not have been possible if it weren’t for the Bowers children, their family and friends.

I hope you will enjoy sharing Sarah’s continued 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

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Chapter 1

T here’s that strange sound again! It reminded Sarah of a mewing kitten, but this sound was not outside – it was much c loser.

There it is again, Sarah whispered under her breath. Barely breathing, Sarah listened intently without making a sound. Once more she heard the strange, mewing cry. The sound was coming from inside the house!

Sarah sat boldly up in bed. I know what that sound is! It’s the new baby!

The cries from Sarah’s infant baby sister were different from the cries of an older baby. She sounded weak and out of breath. Was there something wrong with the baby? After all, this was Amy’s first night home from the hospital. She had been born two weeks earlier on a snowy February night. Sarah lay back, pulling the covers up to her chin to escape the chilly night air and thought again about the night her baby sister was born.

Daddy had come racing home from work when Mama called him. She was trying to look as if everything was normal but Sarah could tell from the pinched expression on her face that her mama was very uncomfortable. She would walk around the house for a few minutes and then have to sit down. She would only sit on the edge of a chair and kept her hands clasped in a tight fist.

Mama, asked Sarah, are you OK? Is there anything I can do?

Peggy Bowers looked up gratefully.

Yes, Sarah, call Grandma Bowers and ask her to come over and pick up you and Joshua. Make sure you have the overnight bags we packed last weekend for this very occasion. Joshua has clean school clothes and even lunch money in the zippered pocket. I know you packed everything you may need.

Of course, Mama. I am perfectly able to take care of my needs. After all, I am thirteen years old. I’m not a child any more, declared Sarah. I’ll call Grandma and round up Joshua so we will be ready when she gets here. Don’t worry about us. Sarah shook her head. Would her parents never realize she was capable of doing grown up things?

For a few minutes it looked as if Peggy Bowers was not worrying about her two children but was concentrating fully on the business of seeing that her third child was about to make his or her entrance into the world.

Sarah remembered that their front door had suddenly slammed with such force that she and her mother had both been startled. They looked up as James Bowers appeared suddenly in the doorway of the living room. He was out of breath and his eyes looked wild. He was making no pretense of everything being normal as Peggy had been trying to do. James hurried across the room and knelt in front of Peggy’s chair. He gently covered her tightly clasped hands in his and looked imploringly at her face. Are you all right, honey. Can you make it to the car or do you want me to carry you?

He doesn’t even know I’m in the room, Sarah realized. I might as well be a stick of furniture. Very slowly James helped Peggy to her feet handling her as if he thought she might break. Slowly they made their way to the front door. Now, aware of Sarah’s presence, James called over his shoulder, Sarah, go upstairs quickly and get your mother’s suitcase. I’m taking her to the hospital right now.

Sarah flew up the stairs, taking two at a time. She knew where her mother kept her already-packed suitcase. Grabbing it she hurried down the stairs and out of the front door, happy to be a part of this family drama.

Joshua met his parents at the front door as he was coming in from playing with his neighbor next door.

What’s wrong, Mama, he asked in a high pitched voice he always used when he was alarmed. Are you all right? You don’t look so good.

Mama gave him a hasty kiss and tried to assure him that everything was just fine. She climbed awkwardly into the front seat of the family car. Joshua had looked in the window with a quizzical look still on his face.

We’re going to the hospital now to get our new baby, Joshua, Mama told him between gasps of breath. Sarah had come up just in time to hear him tell his mother,

It’s still not to late to cancel the order. He could not understand when everyone laughed. Daddy had then pulled out of the driveway, yelling back, I’ll call you from the hospital when the baby arrives. Mind your grandmother! were the last words they heard as the car sped down the street and out into traffic. They did not hear Joshua’s last instruction, Don’t forget to leave the baby there if it is a girl.

Sarah and Joshua were turning around to go into the house when Grandma Bowers drove up. She was a tall, thin woman with gray hair. Sarah could never remember a time when she wasn’t smiling. Now she fairly bubbled over with excitement. She gave each of her grandchildren a big hug and said, Isn’t this a grand day! Soon I’ll have three grandchildren to love and adore.

Joshua began once again to explain about the new baby. Grandma, if the baby is a girl we don’t have to keep it. If it is a boy they’re going to bring it home.

Joshua’s explanation was met with merry laughter. It doesn’t matter what the baby is, my darling, you will love it forever!

Grandma breezed into the house leaving a very troubled boy standing in the yard. You don’t suppose she’s right, he wondered.

Sarah remembered the call came early in the evening. They had just finished eating dinner when the phone rang. Grandpa Bowers was closest to the phone and answered it. When he realized it was his son calling he said quickly, Wait, son, I want the children to hear the news first. Then they can tell your mother and me.

Sarah remembered her father’s excited voice over the telephone. He was half laughing and half crying. Sarah, he blurted, you have a baby sister! She is as beautiful as you were when you were born. Tell Joshua the good news. Sarah rolled her eyes downward toward her little brother. He was staring at Sarah with an expectant look.

No, Daddy, he is standing right here. Maybe you should break the news.

Sarah thrust the phone in her brother’s hand. Sarah and her grandparents stood quietly by while Joshua listened to his father’s incredible news.

Sarah had watched her grandparents’ expressions as Joshua talked to his father. When he used the word, ‘her’, they both laughed and hugged each other.

A girl! That’s wonderful! Now you can have the pleasure of making little dresses for her, Sarah, said her grandmother, Sylvia Bowers.

Joshua handed the phone back to Sarah so she could ask how her mother was feeling. He had heard his grandmother’s last remark and rushed to explain again the plans for the new baby girl. Oh, no, Grandma. I couldn’t stand having two sisters bossing me around. My daddy promised me a long time ago that if the baby was a girl we could find her a good home. There is bound to be a family somewhere that would want a baby girl. I put in an order a long time ago for a brother so we could play Army and go hunting. Girls are not much good so I asked Mama and Daddy not to keep her. I’d rather have a new comic book.

Sarah had now heard about all she wanted to hear from Joshua. It was time to have a serious talk. Her grandparents were still standing by the phone in stunned silence.

Grandma, if you can spare us for a little while I would like to have a talk with my little brother. I think it is time he came to understand a few things.

Why yes, Sarah, that might be the very thing to do, they both agreed.

Joshua, why don’t we go upstairs to the room that was Daddy’s before he married mama.

They climbed the stairs and went into their father’s bedroom where there were still toys and trophies from his childhood.

Joshua, sit down on the bed and listen carefully to me. There was something in his sister’s voice that he was not accustomed to hearing and Joshua knew instinctively that he needed to listen. He did as his sister asked and looked up into her face.

Sarah took a deep breath and began. There was a time more than seven years ago when I was the only child and the baby of the family. I did not have to share my parents with anyone. I saw no reason why my parents would want to change things, but one day they took me aside and told me that a new baby was coming to our house. I didn’t really mind after I got used to the idea. In fact, I was looking forward to having a cuddly little baby sister. When you were born I was so disappointed because you turned out to be a boy. Boys seemed to me to be loud, rough and loved getting dirty. When they brought you home I had to share my mother with you. It seemed like she was always holding you or feeding you and I began to feel left out. It was the same with Daddy. He would come home at first and want to know how his son was doing. He couldn’t wait to hold you and ask Mama what important thing you had done that day. Gradually though, I became Mama’s helper and even watched you while she hung diapers on the clothesline. I realized I was no longer the baby but a very important part of our family. I even forgave you for being a boy and learned to love you, Sarah looked dpwn at Joshua and smiled. I learned to love you like a brother.

Sarah continued, A baby is coming to our house in a few days. The baby is a girl and there is no changing that. We can’t let her come into the family with her big brother not wanting her. It would feel awful to know that you were not welcome in your family even by just one member. Do you want her to grow up knowing that her big brother wouldn’t look out for her because he didn’t love her? Suppose a big bully at school was bothering her and she had no one to defend her. She couldn’t say, I’ll tell my big brother on you and you’ll be sorry you ever messed with me!" Sarah didn’t know if this would work but she needed something to make Joshua respond with love toward his new sister.

He thought for just a minute then screwed up his face, made a fist with his right hand and pounded it into the palm of his left hand. If anybody dares to mess with my little sister I’ll punch them good and they will never bother her again.

That’s the ticket, little brother. We’ll both protect her every way we can.

Sarah and Joshua sat on the foot of their father’s childhood bed and shook hands, then broke out laughing.

Joshua tore out of the room and down the steps. He stopped in the living room just as his father was walking in the front door. He was smiling broadly as he hugged his children to him.

Daddy, tell us all about her. Who does she look like? Is she pretty? How is Mama? When is she coming home? Did you stop and get me a new comic book?

Help! James had cried. One question at a time. They gathered in the living room while James told the family every detail of their trip to the hospital.

I never got to see her until the nurse held her up to the window at the time when the babies are shown. There were other proud fathers and grandparents who wanted their baby shown so I didn’t get to see her very long. She looks like a perfect blend of Sarah and Joshua when they were born, he told his parents. Now he gave Joshua an uneasy look because he remembered how opposed he had been to having a baby sister.

Sarah smiled up at the ceiling of her bedroom as she remembered Joshua’s response on that night two weeks ago.

If anybody tries to beat up my little sister they’ll have to answer to me! My job from now on is to protect her. He strutted out of the living room with his shoulders back and his fists clenched. James and his parents exchanged wide- eyed looks. Then all three looked at Sarah.

I don’t know what you told him, Sissy, but it sure worked.

Sarah decided to brave the chilly room so she could check on Joshua. I need to see if he’s all right, she thought. He may have heard the baby crying and be upset.

Sarah got out of bed and padded down the hall to Joshua’s room. The hardwood floor beneath her feet was cold as ice so Sarah tried to step from one scatter rug to the next. She turned the knob on his bedroom door and slowly opened it enough to see if Joshua was awake. She could see that he was sound asleep, but had kicked his covers off and was curled in a tight ball in the middle of the bed. Sarah walked over and looked down at her sleeping brother. She felt a rush of tenderness toward him that was impossible to feel during the day when he was yelling for attention. After she had covered him up and tucked the blanket and spread under the edge of the mattress, Sarah tiptoed out of his room. As she was closing the door she saw a thin bar of light coming from under the nursery door.

Mama must be feeding the baby. I’ll stick my head in and see if she needs any help, Sarah whispered.

Ever so quietly Sarah opened the door to the nursery and peeped inside. Peggy was sitting in the white rocking chair that she had used to rock Sarah and Joshua when they were babies. Sarah noticed that she was looking at the baby with such a tender, loving expression it made Sarah feel a rush of jealousy. Was this tiny bundle in her mother’s arms going to keep her so busy there would be no time for them to have ‘mother and daughter’ talks?

Mama, Sarah whispered. Peggy looked up at Sarah with a look of such pure love that Sarah’s feeling vanished immediately.

Come here, Sarah. You need to meet your new baby sister. There was so much confusion when your father brought us home that I don’t think you had a chance to hold her. Come and sit in the chair and rock her to sleep.

Peggy got up and waited for Sarah to sit down. Before Sarah knew what was happening, Peggy had placed Amy in her arms and had stepped back out of the light.

When Sarah looked down at her new baby sister she became unaware of anything else around her. She continued looking at the face of the beautiful new stranger. As she stared, thoughts swirled. Very quietly she spoke to the sleeping baby. You are my very own sister. I’ve never had a sister before. I’ll watch you take your first step and I’ll comfort you when you fall and skin your knee. Every year when you blow out candles on your birthday cake I’ll be standing right beside you and someday, little Amy, you will be maid-of-honor at my wedding. I will always be your big sister and I pray God will always let me be there for you.

Amy, unaware of her big sister’s thoughts, suddenly yawned and made a funny gurgling sound.

Look, Mama, look. Amy yawned! Sarah smiled up at her mother. I’ll bet no other baby can do that when they are only two weeks old! It proves that our baby is grander than any other.

Peggy smiled. Sarah, every big sister thinks her baby is the smartest and the prettiest. and that is how it should be.

That’s OK, Mama, if other people want to think that. We KNOW our baby is the best, said Sarah without taking her eyes off the baby.

On that cold night in early March, while the wind swirled around houses and down city streets, a young girl gave her heart freely and forever to the infant in her arms.

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Chapter 2

N ancy Russert was stunned when she looked through the front window of the bus. There, in the distance, were buildings which seemed to jut out of the earth, pointing long, accusing fingers at th e sky.

As the bus continued to thunder down the highway on its way to Raleigh, Nancy could see tall buildings really did look like they were scraping the sky.

Hmmm, she thought, as the buildings loomed, no wonder they are called ‘sky scrapers’.

After corresponding all winter with her friend, Sarah Bowers, Nancy was finally realizing her dream of coming to the city of Raleigh. Sarah and Nancy met the summer before when Sarah, her brother Joshua and their mother stayed in Beaufort with Sarah’s grandparents, Jewel and Tom Mitchell. Beaufort was a small town located on the coast of North Carolina.

Now the bus was hurtling through the city streets at what seemed a break neck speed. Nancy was amazed at the driver’s ability to weave through city traffic and go around corners as if the bus were a small car. Occasionally, the bus would have to stop at a traffic light. Nancy stared out of the window at people on the sidewalk. Some were hurrying by, never noticing the tall buildings or the beautiful displays in the store windows. Others were walking slowly, wearing bored expressions.

If I lived in a big city, I would never be bored, or take it for granted. Someday, she vowed, I will live in Raleigh and be a concert pianist with the North Carolina Symphony.

Nancy knew she had been to Raleigh, but was too young to remember details of her trip. Because of the war, Nancy and her parents had not taken a trip in three years. It was 1945, and gas, tires and many other things were strictly rationed.

There’s barely enough rubber on our old tires to carry us around town. I know I’m not going to waste them on a sight seeing trip to Raleigh, declared Nat Russert, Nancy’s father.

Well, Nat I wanted to combine it with a shopping trip for Nancy and me. We could use a few things, and Nancy is getting tired of always wearing home made clothes. She is a young lady, and needs a few store bought dresses. I could use a new hat myself, she added.

Mr. Russert’s voice was firm. Cora, there’s enough fancy hats and clothes downtown to satisfy most women, and you’re going to have to make yourself content with what Beaufort has to offer until this dad-blamed war is over.

I have to travel all week as chief engineer on the train, and I would like a little peace and quiet on the weekends.