Cammie Takes Flight
Page 14
“Just so long as you know you can change your mind at any time,” says Ed, smiling down at me. “There will always be a room for you at our house…. Now, you’d better get on that train before it takes off without you.” I pick up my bag and start walking away. The January wind whips up across the platform, pulling at my coat. Turning back, I can make out Ed still standing where I left him. I set my bag down and hurry back, throw my arms around his waist, and bury my face into the warmth of his overcoat. His hand rests on the back of my head. It feels so good.
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Life is a book of volumes three;
The past, the present, the future to be.
The past is written and laid away;
The present is writing day by day;
The future—oh, what can it be?
God only knows he holds the key.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the verse I wrote in Jennie’s autograph book—mostly that line about the past being written and laid away. All my life I couldn’t put my past away because I didn’t know any of the things that had been written there. I guess maybe you need to know what that past is before you can put it away once and for all. I used to think that finding my mother would make me happy, but now I know that’s not true. Now that I finally know what my past is, I’m not sure what difference it makes to the person I am today. One thing I’ve learned about the past: whether it’s the one you know or the one you don’t, there’s still a way to put it to rest. I didn’t find out who my mother is, but at least I know my story. It might not be the one I dreamed up in my head, but it’s mine all the same. Some things you have to be okay with because you have no choice in the matter. All the lies Aunt Millie concocted, all the stories she told over the years, none of it changes who I am. Still, it would have been better to know the truth right from the start.
“What colour’s the page?” asked Jennie.
“My favourite colour—blue,” I said. I read her the verse and she seemed pleased to pieces. She had it memorized in no time flat. I got if from Mrs. Merry over the Christmas vacation. She heard me telling Evelyn that I needed a verse. She brought out her old autograph book and let me look through it. It seemed kind of fitting, seeing how Evelyn and I have both laid away some things from the past. As soon as I read it, I knew it was the one.
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Morning assembly is about to start. The line starts moving. I grab fast to Nessa’s hand as we move along.
“So what happened over Christmas? Did you find out the truth about your mother? I’m dying to know,” she says, slipping a jawbreaker into my hand.
I look at her and smile.
“The mystery of Cammie Turple is finally solved,” I say, popping the candy into my mouth.
The little bird in my chest is happily fluttering its wings.
Author’s Note
In Cammie’s day, blind and visually impaired children in the Atlantic provinces had the opportunity to attend the Halifax School for the Blind. It was the first residential school for the blind in Canada; a home away from home for the children who lived there ten months out of the year. Blind students were taught to read and write Braille while sighted students, like Cammie, read from large-print books. The school taught a regular curriculum and offered a variety of skills designed to help place these students in the workforce later in life. Some of these included: knitting, basketry, croqueting and sewing for the girls; piano tuning, chair caning, and woodworking for the boys. At the time of this story, Mr. Allen was the name of the Superintendent, but the names of all the other staff are a product of my imagination. The school stood on the corner of University Avenue and South Park Street and closed in 1983.
The Ideal Maternity Home in East Chester, Nova Scotia would have been in operation at the time of Cammie’s birth. It was run by William and Lila Young. Many of the babies, born to unwed mothers at the home, were adopted out. However, it is alleged that the babies considered unadoptable, because of health issues or even the colour of their skin, were neglected and starved to death. The home burned to the ground in 1962.
Today, monuments mark the spot where the Ideal Maternity Home in East Chester and the Halifax School for the Blind once stood.
Acknowledgements
I am so grateful for the continued support and encouragement from my family, friends, and community. It means a great deal to have so many people in my corner.
A special thanks to Nimbus Publishing, especially Whitney Moran and Penelope Jackson for their editorial guidance. It’s been a joy to work with both of you on this book.
To Penny Ferguson and the editors of the Amethyst Review for publishing my very first short story over twenty years ago: thanks for giving a new writer a start.
My thanks to Jan Coates for reading a few early chapters and offering your bits of wisdom; our Vittles coffee dates continue to inspire me to keep writing.
My thanks to Syr Ruus for your wise and always witty observations. You are an inspiration to other writers.
Special thanks to Brian for being my chauffeur, my sounding board, my greatest supporter.
Thanks to my mum and stepdad for sharing your experiences at the Halifax School for the Blind, and for helping me understand not only the limitations of your world but your many abilities as well. Mum, I grew up hearing stories about Edith, Goldie, Barb, and Latisha and it was those stories that inspired me to write this book. I only wish they could all be here to share in Cammie’s story. Harold, thanks for sharing your own unique experience at the school. The boys certainly seemed to have been an adventuresome lot!
Finally, to all those who attended the Halifax School for the Blind, I hope I managed to create a realistic portrayal of a visually impaired girl learning to navigate her way in a sighted world.
About the Author
SHELLEY ZINCK
Laura Best has had over forty short stories published in literary magazines and anthologies. Her first young adult novel, Bitter, Sweet, was shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People and made the Best Books for Kids and Teens 2011 list. Her most recent book, Flying with a Broken Wing, was named one of Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books of 2015. She lives in East Dalhousie, Nova Scotia, with her husband, Brian.
Visit lauraabest.wordpress.com.