“Two minutes!” the conductor called from behind them. He had climbed the first few steps of the last car. A fat gold watch swung like a pendulum from the end of a fob he held in his fist.
“You kids better go,” Bess said. “Before you miss your train.”
“Thanks for everything, Mrs. Washburn.”
Bess bundled Charlotte and Haven in her scrawny arms. She was remarkably sturdy for such a frail-looking woman. She squeezed hard, pinching kisses on their cheeks. Haven pulled away and fell into Wetherby’s embrace. Wetherby was so wide Charlotte had difficulty getting her arms all the way around him. Wetherby patted their backs, chuckling and teetering on his cane.
“My, you two sure do make a fine-looking couple,” Wetherby said. The train’s engines chugged to life, drowning out his voice. “You best be on your way now.”
Haven and Charlotte grabbed their suitcases and leapt on the train steps just as it began to pull away. They jostled through the throng of passengers who were settling into their seats, blocking the aisle with their luggage. They found a seat near the rear of the crowded car. Falling into the plush cushions, Haven pressed his brow against the window and waved, though he knew Wetherby couldn’t see him. The train had gone too far. Wetherby was just another dim figure leaning on a walking stick, holding Gertie’s trumpet case in his hand.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Excerpts from this novel were originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of the Hawai’i Review under the title “Hot August Night”.
I would like to also extend my gratitude to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow whose poem “The Song of Hiawatha” inspired the creation of this novel and whose words are so respectfully and lovingly borrowed.
Author photo by Jan Kurz
CAROLINE MISNER’s work has appeared in numerous publications in the US, Canada, India, and the UK. She has been nominated for the prestigious McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize for the short story “Strange Fruit”. In 2011 another short story and a poem were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She lives in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands of Northern Ontario where she continues to draw inspiration for her work. She is the author of the young adult fantasy series, The Daughters of Eldox.
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