Someone New In Town?
The sun had just made its way above the rolling hills and there was already a knock at the door. “Oh dear heavens I can only imagine who this could be” Lucille said as she headed for the door. “Coral, Martha…I wondered who could be showing up this early” Lucille said on her best behavior. Coral and Martha Kensington were twin sisters that have been inseparable since birth. “You won’t believe what news we heard today” Coral spoke but paused seeming to have lost her train of thought. “What coral is trying to tell you is this, the morning train came in today and Mr turner that works at the train station told me some important news” Martha explained before stopping as if she was stopping to add suspense. “Oh good gracious, one of you spit it out!” Lucille urged. “Well you see, an old woman and young boy stepped off that train with bags in hand” Coral explained and seemed quite thrilled as if she could jump and touch the sky. There wasn’t much for old women in this town except when something came to town to gossip about. “You aren’t supposing they are moving here?” Lucille asked her dear friends, as she thought about it herself. “Well, I don’t see why else. They wouldn’t be visiting, for almost everyone’s relatives live on the Island” Coral explained knowing it made no sense. “Still, I don’t see it. There is hardly any houses here for sell and they certainly wouldn’t be buying land and moving here before building the house” Lucille said making her point. “you aren’t wrong Lucy but remember just the other day you were talking about how that small house up the road is for sell” Martha said crossing her arms. “I haven’t forgotten but I haven’t seen any sign saying the house has been sold” Lucille said taking a seat to enjoy her morning coffee. “Well I guess it’s better that way. Can you Imagine Lucy, having a neighbor just a mile up the road. It be a crowd” Coral said with a smirk and a nod. “Well I don’t know now…that tiny house isn’t all bad but it needs some fixing up. Can you imagine if someone moved in and did some cleaning? Well then everyone who can down broad creek road wouldn’t see that house and assume all that followed was a dump. You have the loveliest spot here on Rose Pedal Way but anyone passing that house first wouldn’t believe it if I told them. And that’s the truth” Martha had a way of making the simple complicated and it seems she had done it again. “Well that’s enough gossip for the morning Martha. We better let Lucy enjoy her coffee. We will come over if we hear any more news about the strangers in town” Coral said heading for the door. “I am sure you will and please let me walk you to your buggy” Lucille said rising from her old wooden table chair. Alright Lucy, we will see you soon and tell Arabella I look forward to seeing her at the afternoon tea on the lawn this weekend” Coral said stepping up into the buggy. “I will” Lucille said brightly. Lucille walked back up her front porch stairs and couldn’t help but laugh. “Those two could never change. Even in their old age” Arabella road her bicycle to school each day and it was a beautiful ride for it gave room for much imagination. The school itself was a small school house in town with about twenty students. The present teacher was Miss Lindsay. One of Arabella’s favorite teachers that has taught her. It was a sunny day and almost felt like spring. School was let out at about two o’clock and even though Arabella loved learning, she never could enjoy the reading like she did the writing. She saw the reading as guiding your imagination. And she saw the writing as your imagination guiding it. “Oh wasn’t that story from the Bible just dreamy? I bet Ruth and Boaz were the most beautiful couple. One day I want that” Felicity said still day dreaming. “I don’t think that was the point she was trying to tell us in the story. She was trying to encourage us to create study groups amongst the students so that we could help each other with learning. She was teaching us the kindness of helping someone in need” Arabella explained with her head held high. “Well aren’t you smart. But I’ll admit you make it sound boring. Besides, don’t tell me you don’t wait for a guy to come along and sweep you off your feet” Felicity said raising an eye brow. “I simply do not look forward to such things. I would be way too busy chasing my imagination to pay attention to a boy” Arabella said quite surely. “You say that now. But I’m sure you won’t in two years when you’re seventeen. You’ll have gentlemen following over you and you won’t know which one to pick” Felicity said swirling her dress as she walked. “Oh you’re so evil! You’ll be the one they will fall for with your blond hair and blue eyes” Arabella insisted and certainly wouldn’t take her words back for they were true. “I’ll see you girls at blue breeze valley this afternoon” the young man said waving headed in the opposite direction than the girls. “Oh ok George!” The girls said waving goodbye. George was Arabella’s cousin. Their fathers were brothers and George’s father is a veterinarian and sense George is too young to help with the practice, Arabella’s dad hired his nephew to help on the farm last summer. He comes most afternoons to tend to the livestock and explore with Arabella and Felicity. “What a beautiful day it is. Learning is great but I must admit I miss the company of nature when stuck in that old dusty school room and I’m not ashamed to be honest about it” Arabella didn’t have a problem speaking her mind as long as she believed it was true. “I admire how honest you are Bella but I could never. My mother wouldn’t excuse me if I did” Felicity said laughing. They walked down broad creek road which was named after broad creek that separated the two halves of the Island. Arabella picked some flowers along the way and thought about what Felicity had said. What if a young man offered me flowers. What would I say? Arabella asked herself. It might not be long before that day comes, for most women in this town marry young and settle down. But not me. I have a life to live, Arabella thought to herself. “What are you thinking Bella? Sometimes I wish I could spend a single day inside your imagination” Felicity said softly knowing it couldn’t be anything but thrilling. The girls came to that small house that has been for sell for months. “Arabella, look! There is a sold sign in front of house! Who could have bought it?” Felicity asked completely shocked. “I don’t know but Mother and Father might would know” Arabella replied, as she dreamed of having neighbors just a mile from Blue Breeze Valley. The girls continued walking and turned down Rose Pedal Way and soon after arrived at Blue Breeze Valley. “I simply can’t get over how your cherry red fence and roof match the color of the roses in your garden. It’s simply stunning” Felicity said feeling as if she was daydreaming. “Mother, I picked some flowers that I thought would make the house smell fresh and clean” Arabella said coming through the front door. “Oh thank you dear. I am just starting to prepare dinner now. How was school…you didn’t happen to see any new students did you?” Lucille asked as she stirred the hot pot of stew. “No…but I did notice the house on Broad creek road has been sold?” Arabella replied as she waited to see if her mother new anything about that. “Did you say sold? Well those two may have been right in their mumblings” Lucille couldn’t help but give them credit. “Mother, who?” Arabella asked being fully attentive now. “Martha and Coral were here just this morning talking about an older woman and young boy who got off the morning train. They insisted that the small house on Broad Creek Road could be sold, for it’s one of the only houses for sell. I suppose that could be who bought the house. We will sure know tomorrow if Martha and Coral find their way here again” Lucille could hardly believe it. Someone moving in just up the road on the corner? Well they better be darn good company and stick to their side of the property. That is exactly what went through Lucille’s mind.