Isle Royale
Page 23
Ian looked a little bewildered. He’d always imagined himself running a lighthouse someday, like his father. It was always assumed, like it or not. But now…
“Well,” said Sally, not waiting for Ian’s reply, “I’m going to Minneapolis, and then start a sailing school. Hang around the big city for a while. Then maybe run for governor.”
Ian smiled. “You’ve got my vote, Sal.”
“So, what about you?”
“Maybe go to the university, become a writer. Or learn to play jazz trumpet.” Ian’s eyes twinkled at the thought.
“Well,” said Sally, leaning closer, “No matter where you go or what you do, you’ll always be my lighthouse, Ian MacDougal.” She quickly kissed him on the cheek, then stepped back and smiled. Ian, his eyes wide with surprise, looked over at her beaming face. His face felt flushed, and for a moment a dizzy spell came over him. Sally reached out and grabbed his arm to steady him. “Don’t fall into the lake, Ian. It was only a kiss.”
“Sal…” he stammered.
“Shush, you two!” whispered Ben out of the corner of his mouth. It was time.
Ben and his crew stood shoulder to shoulder, lining the edge of the dock, with Ben and the two teenagers at the end. The old sailors stood stiffly at attention, some on crutches, some with bandages wrapped around wounded limbs. They stood proudly, their snowy-white hair and beards standing in sharp contrast to their crisp navy-blue dress uniforms. Many in the crowd were relatives of the long-lost sailors, here to take them home at last. But first, one final ceremony.
A senior officer of the Coast Guard, brought up from the main station in Duluth for the occasion, disembarked from the cutter, then marched stiffly down the length of the pier toward Captain Ben.
“Here he comes,” whispered Ian, giddy with excitement.
“Shhh!” Sally nudged Ian with her elbow.
The officer stopped and turned to face Ben. They squared off, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Captain Ben Sellers,” the man began. Ben’s crew, and the crowd gathered near, held their collective breath.
“The Coast Guard salutes you.” The officer pinned a medal on Ben’s chest, stepped back and snapped a salute.
Ben, in unison with his old crew, raised his aged arm and responded back, as crisp and smart a salute as ever was thrown.
“All right!” cried Ian, tossing his cap high into the air. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Ian grinned and looked up into Ben’s eyes. Windows to the soul, they twinkled and shone with a new fire from within.
That night, as darkness wrapped its arms around Isle Royale, the lighthouse once again came to life. To the sound of bagpipes drifting over the water, the bright beam pierced the dark, ever searching, ever protecting.
THE END
About the author:
John Hamilton lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife, three lovely daughters, and a little black dog named Charlie. He has been writing fiction nearly all his life and has taught creative writing as an adjunct professor at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Isle Royale is his first young-adult novel.
John is also a bestselling author of children’s nonfiction. His work includes books on fantasy folklore, the national parks, and pirates. Lewis Clark: Adventures West (Sparrow Media Group) was named a finalist at the 17th Annual Minnesota Book Awards in 2005. In 2008, John won a Golden Duck Award for excellence in children’s science fiction literature, for a 12-book series called The World of Science Fiction (Abdo Publishing). In 2010, John won a second Golden Duck Award for You Write It: Science Fiction (Abdo Publishing).
John’s hobbies include researching the American West, and King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. He is a martial artist, with black belts in both karate and kung fu. John can be found most summers hiking along Minnesota’s North Shore. He is also an award-winning photojournalist and nature photographer.
Connect with John online:
Web: www.johnchamilton.com
Email: johnchamilton@comcast.net