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When Peter drove up in his white Honda, he was just in time to help Margie set up the card table outside near the front door.
It was shortly before 1:00. “Bring out a chair for Persia, too.” she instructed Peter. This time he was dressed in casual tan cotton pants and a short-sleeved yellow shirt with no tie.
They had also rounded up other chairs which they set up outside for people who wanted to hear some of her poetry and just chat with her. And of course buy her book.
The Lamberts recognized Peter and introduced themselves. As did Pearl and the Stevensons. Margie watched their faces and thought she detected surprise, but also a welcoming and warm reception.
Persia arrived wearing a white dress trimmed in red and a hat with a large brim. It shaded her face just enough to keep the sun out of her eyes. Robin was with her, and soon the rest of the five girls with their mothers came along. Lydia brought a tray of cookies outside to disperse in the group and Margie filled cups with lemonade, set them on a tray and passed them around. Peter found himself being asked to hand out napkins. A breeze had picked up just enough that he had to hold them tightly to keep them from blowing away.
It was a jovial group now. The buyers of Persia’s book came inside to pay, then went out to get her inscription. Persia nervously signed copies, trying to make each note slightly different and personal. Finally, they asked her to read. She stood up and tried to project her voice out and over the crowd, as if speaking to the furthest person, which was her daughter Robin. Polite clapping followed her reading of several poems. Then someone asked her to read a particular one from her book, which she did. Then a question. What made you choose to write about the ocean when we don’t have an ocean here? Persia laughed and launched into her view of oceans being whatever is vast, extensive, and mysteriously unending. “I mean, you can’t see to the end of some of the corn fields out here,” and she waved her hand in some vague direction. “An ocean of corn,” she laughed. “Know what I mean?” Pearl clapped and others joined in. After that the group began to break up. The mothers of the girls gathered around Persia, complimenting her, praising her, and she blushed in appreciation.
Pearl noticed Jake and Penny lingering back of the group, in the shade of a tree. She went over to talk to them. They were soon poring over the map she had earlier shown Lydia and Margie. When she saw the girls coming over she said, “Oh, oh,” and tucked it away in the cloth WOI-TV bag.
“You girls aren’t going to tear up the bushes and trees, are you,” Jake said grinning, “when you scour the grounds looking for those clues. Cause I’d hate to have to make you come back for a clean-up day.” He was obviously teasing, but his voice carried a mock-menacing quality that made the girls give him a look of concern, which he seemed to enjoy.
Amber, with her blonde hair pulled back with a ribbon, looked small and vulnerable, but she was the one who bravely asked “Are we going to have to look all over the ball diamonds, and in the trees?” She giggled and twisted her arms and legs in a restless motion, nearly falling down.
“Well, now, you just might. You just might be running your little tails off that night.” Jake’s eyes sparkled. Suddenly he threw up his hands, looked up at them. The girls followed his look. “You’ll be looking up high,” he said, dramatically. “And you’ll be looking down low.” He stooped down and pretended to look around.
Meagan watched skeptically. “How’re we going to see if it’s night?” She was half a head taller than Amber and stood by her with her mouth turned down in a look of stubborn defiance.
“Moonlight,” Jake answered. “It’s going to be a full moon that night, didn’t you know?”
“You’ll also have flashlights,” Pearl reminded her. She watched the interchange carefully, ready to step in if Jake overdid his role of bedeviler.
“You going to have spooks out there?” Robin asked, as if he were placing them around like clues.
“Well, it isn’t Halloween,” exclaimed Tanya, a tight troubled look coming over her. She looked over at Jennifer who hung back, and with a slight motion of her head and hand urged her over.
“But a full moon,” persisted Robin. “That’s when they come around because the moon pulls at them, just like it pulls in the ocean tides.”
“What have you been reading?” Pearl asked softly, with a smile, not expecting an answer. She could imagine what Persia had in the house. Astrology books for sure. Maybe some Persian poets and other esoteric writings. She would like to have a peak someday.
“But it’s the gym,” Jennifer started, then stopped when she saw Lydia and Margie standing there listening.
Pearl noticed that Jake looked a bit uneasy. “Well, I guess it’ll be over by then,” he said without explanation, and turned toward the office door. “Hey, I haven’t tried any of those cookies yet. Better get one when we can,” he said to Penny who had been standing back with a fixed smile on her face. He took her hand and they headed toward the cookies.
“It’ll be a fun night,” Penny said as she gave a little wave.
“It sure will,” Pearl agreed. “Your mother has some nice poems, there, Robin.” She thought how some of them dealt with fairies in the forest, nature spirits, thinking animals, ocean waves, the beach, objects it had cast up, clouds forming and reforming, all with implications that there is more than meets the eye. “Do you ever write poems?”
Robin blushed, said ”Maybe.” Then she gave Pearl a don’t you dare look and added, “But not for class.” She would be horrified if that were ever an assignment.
Pearl laughed. “OK,” she said.
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