by Tess Hilmo
“Striking, isn’t it?” Aunt Elise said.
Jade let her eyes adjust to the dimensions of the sky stretching out across the universe. It was turquoise blue in front with a lining of deep sable behind. White, yellow, and pink stars floated in a delicate display. “It goes on forever.”
“On a clear night like this, you can see up to fifteen hundred stars and thirty-seven constellations. There is actually a total of eighty-eight constellations, but only a portion can be seen from where we are.”
“Do you know them all?”
“Most,” Aunt Elise said. “But you don’t have to know much to look at the stars. Technology makes it so easy. There are a few Web sites that will show you precisely which constellations will be in your neighborhood each night. You type in your information and a custom map is created. There’s even an iPad app for stargazers.” She moved over, right next to Jade. “Let’s see if you remember where Arcturus is.”
Jade searched the sky for the simple ladle shape of the Big Dipper. Once she found it, she mentally followed the handle out and down to the tip. Then she reached a finger up. “Find the end of the Big Dipper’s handle and arc to Arcturus,” Jade said, moving her arm out toward the left to a shining gem of a star. “There it is!”
“I’m impressed you remembered,” Aunt Elise said.
“Teach me something else,” Jade said.
Aunt Elise pressed in closer. “Okay. Do you see how Arcturus has a slightly orange-yellow tint?”
“I guess so.”
“This next one is a blue giant. It’s called Spica and while it’s not quite as bright as Arcturus, it’s still a real beauty.” She took Jade’s hand. “Once you’ve found Arcturus, you simply spike straight down to the southwest until you see the blue-tinged star above the rooftops. Arc to Arcturus and spike down to Spica.” She moved Jade’s hand down and to the left. “See it?”
“It does look blue.”
Aunt Elise settled into her own seat. “Most people think the night sky is black and white, but they’re wrong. If you take the time to look, it’s incredibly colorful.”
Jade was having fun. “Another one,” she requested.
“How about a sky story? Find Arcturus again. If you look to the right, there is a well-defined arc of stars in the shape of a crown. Do you see it?”
“Not really.” Even knowing a few stars, it still looked like a jumble of lights to Jade.
Aunt Elise pressed her cheek against Jade’s and took her hand once again. “Looking north. Can you see it right there?”
Jade thought she could.
“That is the Corona Borealis, also called the Northern Crown. Do you know its story?”
“No,” Jade said, breathing in the smell of soil and straw that was her aunt.
“In Greek mythology, it represents the crown worn by Ariadne when she married Bacchus, the god of wine. To commemorate their union, Bacchus lifted the crown of stones from Ariadne’s head and placed it in the heavens. He wanted everyone to know they were now a family.” Elise got real quiet. “Bacchus understood.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bacchus knew family was the most important thing. That’s what the stars do. They keep us connected.”
Jade kept her face to the night. The more she stared at that sky, the closer it grew until it seemed to fall all around her. There were no lights from the city—no buses whizzing by or police sirens screaming.
It was just the complete, uninterrupted stillness of night.
And all that quiet got her mind wandering. She thought about taking Roy’s hand and agreeing to the dangerous task of spying on Kip Farley. She thought about Mr. Parker possibly selling off his kiln and annealer to give his family a second chance. She thought about Roy longing for his genealogy, and finally, she thought about Aunt Elise at her side, having spent the afternoon reading recipes and peeling vegetables.
“You see,” Aunt Elise said out of the stillness, “people the whole world over are wishing upon these same stars. Think of a friend from Philadelphia and imagine her sharing this moment with you.”
Jade fiddled with her thumbs in her lap. She turned to her aunt, but it was too dark to see much more than a vague shape at her side.
“Are you imagining?”
“I’m imagining,” Jade said.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
Aunt Elise continued before Jade could answer. “Before you came to visit, I’d lie up here by myself and imagine you—all the way over in Philadelphia—looking at the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia at the exact minute I was looking at them and maybe, just maybe, thinking of me here in Wellington.” She kept quiet for the longest time before adding, “Were you ever looking?”
“I don’t even know what Cassiopeia is,” Jade said.
“No, I guess you wouldn’t.” Jade could hear the hope fall in Aunt Elise’s voice.
“But,” Jade added, guilt suddenly pressing on her chest, “I’d look at the Big Dipper sometimes.”
“Really?”
“Sure. And even though I didn’t know about your stargazing, I guess there were a few times when I wondered who was out there and if anyone might be thinking of me.”
“It was me! I was thinking of you.”
“At that exact moment?”
Aunt Elise slid her hand across the beach lounger and draped her warm fingers across Jade’s wrist. “At every moment.”
After it was all over, Jade settled into her room for the night and picked up her copy of Robinson Crusoe from the bedside table. She was reading chapter sixteen, where Crusoe and Friday are making a boat to save a group of stranded mutineers, when Copernicus came in. He bounded onto her bed and found a comfortable spot. She put the book aside, reached down, and pulled the cat into the curve of her belly, running a hand across his silky fur, feeling the vibration of his purr through her skin. It soothed her mind and allowed her to find sleep.
20
The moon was still faint and low in the morning sky when Jade took her book and left the dog ranch.
Buffalo grass, soggy from the morning dew, slithered against Jade’s legs as she pressed across a field, exploring the neighborhood a bit more. She stopped at a wide oak to run a hand across its rough bark. Two snail trails twisted up the side of the tree, intertwining. The snails were long gone, but their silver ribbons lingered behind. She tilted her head back and looked into the branches. Blue sky dappled and shone between olive-green leaves.
She found a dry spot at the base of the oak and opened her book. It was slow reading at times because it was written so long ago, but Jade was determined to finish it. Both her mother and Aunt Elise loved the story and Jade had to admit that while she didn’t like everything Crusoe did, she was impressed with all he accomplished on that island.
“Out so early?”
Jade turned to see Tilly and Angelo by the road. Tilly was pushing him along in his wheelchair.
“I was just exploring,” Jade said, standing.
Tilly nodded. “Wyoming is good for that sort of thing.”
Jade went over to the roadside.
“Care to join us on our walk?” Tilly asked. “I try to take Angelo out every morning. The cool early air is good for his lungs.”
Angelo leaned over to Jade. “When I could walk at her side, she would say that we liked to go for a stroll but now that I’m in this awful chair she says Angelo needs this and Angelo needs that. Like I’m three years old!”
“Don’t let him scare you,” Tilly said, pushing his wheelchair forward. “He may come off as gruff, but he’s an old softy on the inside.”
“You’re doing it again,” Angelo said, but this time Jade thought she saw a twitch of a grin hiding behind his shaggy white mustache.
Jade walked with them. They talked about Angelo’s years working as a miner over in Campbell County, which she learned was on the opposite side of Wyoming.
“Wyoming has a split personality,” Tilly rambled on. “Half is what you see here with these gorgeous landscapes and m
ountains, but the other half is unadorned, stark coal-mining fields. When the mines were finished with us, it was an easy decision to pick up and move over here to Wellington.”
“It sure is different,” Angelo agreed.
Tilly pushed Angelo’s chair into their driveway and up the new ramp. He stood and ambled a few steps over to his rocker on the porch.
“I’ll get us some orange juice,” Tilly said, placing a blanket across Angelo’s lap. “You two visit.”
Angelo grumbled and looked over to Jade, who was hanging back in the driveway. “You heard the orders,” he said, tilting his head to a bench at his side. “You’ve been put on babysitting duty.”
Jade went over and sat down. “I’m sure that’s not what she meant.”
“Oh, it is,” Angelo said. “But I know it’s done out of love so I let it be.”
Jade shuffled her tennis shoes along the planks of the porch and picked at imaginary lint on her jeans.
Angelo cleared his throat and asked, “How long have you been in Wellington now?” Jade noticed his tone was softer than usual.
“Six days.”
“Are you having fun?”
“So far.”
Angelo nodded. “Good. It’s too bad you missed the Fourth of July. We celebrate that big out here. But there’s the Juniper Festival coming up at the end of the month. Will you be around that long?”
Jade looked over to the screen door, wondering when Tilly would be coming back with the orange juice. “I’m going home on July twenty-ninth. That’s a Monday.”
“Great,” Angelo said, swaying his rocking chair back and forth and running one hand down through his beard. “Then you won’t miss it. And in the meantime, Elise tells us that Roy has been keeping you busy.” He let out a gravelly laugh that turned into a cough. When his breath came back, he wiped his hand across his mouth and continued, “I don’t suppose they have cowboys like Roy where you come from.”
“Not many.”
Angelo smiled. “Roy Parker is a true original.” Then he noticed Jade’s book. “That’s an ambitious read for a young girl.”
“I can manage,” Jade said.
“I don’t doubt that for a minute. What’s your favorite part so far?”
Jade thought. “I’d say it was when Crusoe came across the footprint in the sand after all that time thinking he was alone. That was a surprise.”
Angelo pulled at the tips of his beard and nodded.
“But,” Jade said, “I don’t like how he made Friday into his slave once he found him. I wish they could have been friends.”
“Hmph,” Angelo said deep in his throat.
“My mom gave it to me to read. I guess it’s kind of an obscure book.”
“Obscure?” Angelo swayed his rocking chair forward.
“That means not very well known,” Jade explained.
“That’s not true.”
“It was one of my spelling words last year,” Jade said. “I’m pretty sure that’s the definition.”
Angelo let out another scratchy laugh. “Not the definition,” he said. “I was referring to the obscure part. Robinson Crusoe has influenced more of our modern culture than you know.”
Jade turned the book over in her hands. “Really?”
“Sure,” Angelo said, going back to a steady rocking of his chair. “It was the first novel written about being stranded somewhere. There’s a whole group of stories and movies based on it. Think of movies like Life of Pi or Cast Away or The Island of Dr. Moreau. Think of television shows like Survivor or Lost or even Gilligan’s Island.”
“Wow,” Jade said.
“People call those kinds of shows robinsonade because their basic concept comes from that book you have right there. Have you ever played the game Let’s say you’re stranded on a desert island…?”
“What three people or books or things would you want with you?” Jade asked.
“Yep.” Angelo grinned. “It all comes from Crusoe.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’d be amazed how many books I’ve read since being relegated to this chair.” Angelo gave a pat to the worn arm of his rocker. “And believe me when I say that that obscure book you’re reading summarizes what everyone wants in life.”
Just then, the screen door squeaked open and Tilly came out carrying a tray of orange juice. “I took the liberty of calling Elise and letting her know you came by for a visit.” She carried the tray to the opposite side of the porch and began pouring the juice into glasses.
Jade leaned in to Angelo, curious. “What does everyone want?”
“Adventure, of course.” The words had barely fallen out when he crouched over and heaved in a jerky breath. His face turned as pink as the crocheted blanket Tilly had draped across his lap. Coughs tumbled out one after another. Tilly ran to his side and began slapping him firmly on the back, right between his broad shoulders. “Fine,” he gasped between coughs. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t go scaring me like that, old man,” Tilly said, worry twisted up on her brow.
Angelo’s breath steadied. “Who are you calling an old man, old woman?”
Tilly shook her head. “Incorrigible.”
And just like that, Angelo was back to grinning and rocking and lacing his leathered fingers through his beard.
21
Only a week after Jade pinned those flyers across Wellington, her aunt came dancing into her bedroom. “Morning Glory,” Aunt Elise sang out as she pulled the maroon-checkered curtains open. “We have big work to do. Big work!”
Jade squinted against the bright sun and looked at the clock on her bed stand: 9:07.
Roy would be expecting her at Farley’s. They had been mucking out stalls every day this past week. After their first day, Roy had gone to Farley’s earlier and earlier, saying he was infiltrating Farley’s world and helping his family in the process. Jade had a hard time understanding how shoveling manure in the scorching summer heat would help Mr. Parker reopen County Hardware. Still, she forced herself to join Roy whenever she could, but never before ten. It was summer vacation, after all.
Aunt Elise stood over the bed. “Guess what kind of phone call I got this morning?”
Jade mumbled something incoherent.
“It was a mother looking to book her daughter’s birthday party on my roof.” Aunt Elise couldn’t contain herself. “For this Friday night! Can you believe it? There will be five girls, all ten years old, plus the mother. I’ll teach and you’ll bake. I hope you don’t mind but I offered up your services to bake a cake.”
“I’ve never made a birthday cake before.”
“There has to be a first time for everything and I know you can do it.”
Jade pressed her fist to her eyes and yawned. “Okay. How much did you charge for the cake service?”
Aunt Elise tilted her head to the side. “Here’s the thing.”
The moment those words came out, Jade knew it was bad.
“She was so excited about booking the party but said she only had enough money for her and her daughter. Isn’t that terrible? Her tenth birthday and she wouldn’t have a single friend attend. Anyway,” Aunt Elise prattled on, folding the covers back and helping Jade sit up, “I told her to invite as many as four additional guests and not to worry about the money. That’s when I had the idea to have you bake the cake. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“But the whole point was to earn money for the Parkers. Six people would have made nearly a hundred dollars, plus you could have easily charged another thirty or so for the food. Why would you tell her not to pay you?”
“You’re right. I should have thought it out more. But one event on my roof isn’t going to make or break County Hardware.” Her aunt was radiating joy. “I’m going to be an astronomy teacher. Me—a teacher!”
Jade flopped back on her bed. “Even a teacher gets paid.”
“I honestly thought you’d be excited about this.” The words were like delicate pieces of glass floating
in the air.
Jade sat back up and put on a smile. “If they tell their friends, it could bring us more customers. Maybe it will be good advertising.”
Aunt Elise raised her hand. “And I swear to be more business savvy from now on.”
Jade wanted to believe her aunt, but doubt laced itself around that promise. “You’ll be great,” she said.
“We!” Aunt Elise twirled around the room in a dance. “We will be great together.”
They ate a breakfast of cold cereal and then Aunt Elise pushed a piece of paper across the table toward Jade. “I’ve got some important errands to take care of this morning,” she said. “Here are a few things you can help out with. Once the list is done, the day is yours.”
“I’m supposed to hang out with Roy. Or maybe I could come with you.” Jade was thinking how nice it would be to have an excuse not to join Roy over at Farley’s ranch. “We can get the stuff for the birthday cake on our way home.”
Aunt Elise stood up. “You’d be bored to tears if you came with me. I’ll be at the dentist’s office with the awful, oppressive smell of plastic and mouthwash and those painfully bright fluorescent lights. No, you take care of feeding the dogs and poop-scooping the kennels.”
“Which is way more fun.”
“Agreed.” Aunt Elise grabbed her braided-rope satchel and headed out the back door.
Jade followed and watched from the doorway as Aunt Elise revved the old Lincoln and headed down the driveway in front of a yapping cluster of dogs.
When the gate was shut behind the car, the dogs turned back to Jade. Astro led the pack, coming up and nudging his head under her elbow for a pet. She ran her fingers along the base of his ears. Short brown fur shed onto her hands in clumps. “You need another good brushing in all this heat,” she said.
Astro licked his teeth noisily and sat down with a harrumph. His oversize tongue hung out of his mouth and strings of drool dangled from his chin.
“And a bib,” Jade added.
Astro shook his head, flinging those thick cords of drool through the air and onto her nightshirt.
“Gross,” Jade said, stepping back.
Astro raised his chin and pulled the sides of his mouth back into a satisfied smile.