Strawberry Hill Chapter 13

Recommended 8 and up. Raleia Pendle always wished she was from an old-fashioned family from a bygone era who would be involved in every aspect of her life, but instead she has modern (for 1976) hippie parents who keep their distance. Raleia gets a taste of the past in Tidal, ME which was hit by a Tidal Wave in 1911 and is a living museum to the event. She also meets Ian Rutherford a recluse who hasn't left his house since the tidal wave hit. In this chapter, Raleia makes some dangerous choices.

Transcript

Hello,

This is A.

Le Fay of Sylvanosity,

And I'm reading chapter 13 from Strawberry Hill.

Thank you for joining me.

13.

When Ralia got home,

Zoe,

Chocolate,

Mandanna,

And Tooth were surrounding Tick,

Their bikes strewn all over their front yard.

Ralia felt her muscles stiffen.

She was ready if those guys tried to give Tick a hard time.

That was her job.

Hey Rael.

Tooth tipped his head back to say hello.

Chocolate waved.

Mandanna asked.

You dig any graves for old man Rutherford?

Get a brain,

Ralia shouted back.

He's probably cooking up a trap for you,

Pendle.

Don't expect us to come help when you get stuck in his basement for an eternity eating crickets.

Ralia rolled her eyes.

Tick was showing off his new collection.

The slimy little creatures were crawling all over him.

He looked like the zoo guy who brought all kinds of creatures onto the Tonight Show.

She hoped one of the newts would crawl up and poop on Tick's head,

Just like the little monkey did to Johnny Carson.

Zoe picked up her bike and walked over to Ralia.

Their radioactive toe jam.

Forget them.

Let's do something together.

Turning to Zoe,

She said,

Sure.

What?

Let's check out the crabs and stuff in the tidal pools.

Ralia smiled at the fact that she never really needed a plan to be friends with Zoe.

Everything worked out by itself,

She asked.

Were the pools made by the tidal wave?

What?

Zoe laughed.

No,

They're called tidal pools because they get filled and emptied by the tides.

Oh,

Ralia felt so stupid.

Zoe grabbed her bike and motioned for Ralia to follow.

Tell Tanya you went crabbing,

Ralia told Tick as she pulled her bike out of the bushes and rode off.

He didn't answer.

Tick,

Sure.

Sure,

Tick answered.

Zoe pedaled through an opening in the stone wall at the end of the street,

Then sped down a zigzag path to a small concrete landing overlooking the beach.

Ralia followed her to the opening,

But she froze when she saw the hill.

Her heart did a backflip.

Come on,

It's fun,

Zoe yelled from below.

Ralia thought Zoe was probably right,

But she didn't want to take any chances,

So she got off her bike and walked it on the hill.

Zoe left her bike at the bottom then ran up to meet her.

Sorry,

I forgot.

That's okay.

That's what Ralia said,

But she was thinking that Zoe had a pretty lousy memory.

It hadn't been more than a week since her accident.

When they reached the landing,

Zoe took off her rubber toad,

Flower print sneakers,

And stuffed them in her back pockets.

Ralia tried not to laugh,

But it looked like Zoe had dead fish flopping around back there.

Hey,

Zoe laughed.

Otherwise the salt makes them all stiff and smelly.

Oh,

Ralia nodded.

She pulled off her sandals,

Buckled them together,

Then slung them over her shoulder.

The tidal pools were like rocky hot tubs,

Enclosures separated from the ocean by a ring of gray,

Black rocks.

The water was warm,

Clear,

And salty.

The crabs wedged under the overhanging rocks looked like rusty rocks themselves,

All bumpy and hard.

They weren't the wide-bodied orange ones she expected to see.

The crabs in the pool looked more like shrunken lobsters stuffed in a shell.

Hermit crabs,

Zoe called them.

Ralia had seen a few in pet stores.

What's Rutherford really like?

Zoe asked.

Is that why you invited me here?

No,

Zoe frowned.

I thought it'd be cool to show you around a little.

Ralia squinted into the sun,

Saying,

I'd like to see where the tidal wave hit.

They're not really tidal waves.

Hydrolates don't cause them.

I know.

Ralia stood up and wiped her hands on her skirt.

They're tsunami or whatever.

I like the name tidal wave.

Zoe shrugged.

Okay.

She pointed on the beach.

We can leave our bikes where they are and walk the beach if you like.

Sure.

Ralia got in step with Zoe.

Their shoes flapped as they walked.

Do you know anyone who was there that day?

Ralia asked.

Lots of people say they were,

But they really weren't.

Like the librarian,

Mr.

Carver.

He says he was there to buy an ice cream cone,

But he's only 59.

My grandfather went to school with him.

So your grandparents weren't old enough to have been there?

Nope.

But my grand aunt Lorna was there.

She died.

Really?

Zoe nodded,

Then pointed to a long finger of rocks jutting out into the ocean.

She was washed up over there,

Like a lot of people.

It's kind of an informal graveyard.

Ralia looked at the jagged rocks.

It'd be so awful,

Washed up onto those rocks like seaweed or someone's trash.

I'm sorry.

Why?

I never knew her.

Someone did.

Zoe looked embarrassed.

Yeah,

I guess you're right.

She stepped out onto a big rock to balance on one foot.

Truth is,

A lot of people who were here back then moved out.

They thought it was awful how the town turned the whole thing into a tourist attraction.

It is kind of tacky.

Ralia turned to the sea.

It looked so calm,

Like ripples of blue frosting.

It's amazing that the sea could be that powerful.

I guess.

Zoe jumped down.

I'm just glad it didn't happen in my lifetime.

But could you imagine living through it?

Ralia said.

It would be like riding the world's wildest roller coaster.

And the Titanic would be like riding the world's coldest flume.

Zoe shook her head.

You're weird.

And this is normal?

Ralia pointed at the shoes hanging out of Zoe's pockets.

It's practical.

Zoe crossed her arms in front of her.

You're just plain strange.

And that's a bad thing.

Ralia wanted to play it cool.

She didn't want someone else angry with her.

The list was long enough already.

Zoe sighed.

Maybe not.

But it's tough to figure out.

Ralia nodded to agree and they walked on down the beach.

Ralia noticed that the sand was changing under their feet.

In the midst of dunes and dips dotted here and there with a broken shovel or a lost sandal,

It was lived-in sand.

In front of them was a perfectly rippled extension of the sea,

Untouched,

Like a desert dune in a low wind.

People don't walk there.

Zoe stopped.

Except bozos like my brother and his friends.

Everyone knows that people died there.

The boardwalk was right here,

Ralia asked.

She expected to see broken pilings and rusted remnants of the old ferris wheel.

The wave washed all of it away.

Not really.

Zoe dug her foot into the sand.

It took a whole huge chunk out of it.

Then the waves that followed pulled down even more.

Since then,

The high tides washed away the rest.

Half of this was beach even back then.

The boardwalk overlooked the best beach in town.

You know a lot about this.

Everyone does.

We hear about it in school,

At community picnics,

All the time.

I guess that'd be a bit much after a while.

Ralia began to feel a little guilty for bringing it up.

She hated it when people asked her why her mom's name was tiny,

And she had to tell the whole stupid story all over again.

She decided to change the subject.

If you think your brother and his cronies are such dorks,

Why do you hang out with them?

My mom makes me,

Zoe's shoulders drooped.

Can he take care of himself?

Tell me about it.

Zoe kicked the sand.

He got himself stuck in a drainage pipe over by the power plant,

Nearly took his foot off trying to get out,

And my parents blamed it on me for not watching him.

Now I have to be a shadow.

Ralia couldn't decide if Zoe's situation was entirely good or bad.

Her parents cared enough to have a safety system,

But Zoe did have to spend a lot of time with her little brother.

She didn't know if being stuck with Tic all day would be worth having parents who actually cared about her physical well-being.

That'd be tough.

Yeah.

Zoe was silent for a moment,

Then she said,

Tic said your mom's bedridden with the baby.

Is everything okay?

Tiny's just scared,

Ralia faced the sea.

Zoe made sure Chocolate didn't get hurt.

Ralia protected Tic,

And he watched out for her.

In that instant,

Ralia knew Tiny wasn't all that different from Zoe's mother.

She tried to make sure all her kids were safe,

Especially the unborn baby.

Her last baby,

My sister Mayetta,

Didn't live long.

She doesn't want anything bad to happen again.

Moms are all alike,

Aren't they?

Ralia laughed.

Not really.

My mom goes to the library on a skateboard and takes astrology classes.

This yours?

Zoe blushed,

Her cheeks ballooning with laughter.

She couldn't hold it in,

So she burst out laughing,

Then said,

Your mom rides a skateboard?

She can do 360 degree turns.

Ralia started walking back,

Adding,

When she's not pregnant.

Wild.

Tiny wasn't all that bad.

Talking about her made Ralia lonely.

She told Zoe she had to get home.

Okay.

Zoe frowned.

Maybe we could go out for ice cream or something sometime.

What are brothers,

Ralia suggested as she reached her back.

You got it.

See you later.

Ralia waved as she turned her bike around to go up the hill.

You'll never make it,

Zoe said,

Shaking her head.

Ralia didn't listen.

She stood up,

Then pushed with all she had.

The muscles in her legs just about popped,

But she pedaled up the first leg of the hill.

She even made the first turn,

But she toppled on the second leg.

Told ya,

Zoe said.

I can't ride up that thing.

Zoe's confession made her feel a little better,

But she cursed the hills of Tidal anyway.

The curtains were drawn in the bedroom when Ralia came in.

Tiny was sitting up in bed,

Holding her stomach.

Her face was pale,

Her hands shaking.

Tiny said,

Come here,

Rael.

Is something wrong?

Rael asked as she sat next to Tiny.

I just want to hear the heartbeat.

I need to know that everything's okay down there,

But I can only touch it.

Ralia put her ear to her mother's belly.

What she heard made her think of all the times she'd submersed herself in the bathtub to listen through the water.

Everything was muffled,

Muffled,

And distant,

Even if it was inches away.

The baby stirred,

But she didn't hear a heartbeat.

Only an odd little fluttering.

She sat up,

Shaking her head.

I don't hear the heart,

But it's moving.

I know.

Has been all morning.

Tiny tried to smile,

But her face looked more twisted than happy.

I hope it's something I ate.

Is Max around?

Ralia took her mom's hand.

I can take you to see a doctor.

Good idea.

Tiny gave Ralia's hand a squeeze.

I haven't seen Max since this morning.

He's with his students.

What else is new?

Max spent more time with his students than he did with his kids,

Ralia thought,

As she held Tiny out of bed.

Once on her feet,

Tiny teetered.

I've got to sit down,

She said,

Dropping onto the bed.

Near head,

She added,

Spent too much time in bed,

I'm all woozy.

Should I call an ambulance?

Ralia felt like running to the phone.

No,

No,

No.

I'm okay.

The baby's just fine.

Taking deep breaths,

Tiny stood up.

She leaned a little to the left,

But she stood her ground.

Let's go.

Ralia held Tiny down the stairs.

It felt like they had been on the staircase for days when they reached the bottom.

I think I'm going to start sleeping on the couch.

Tiny was panting.

I'm not going to make it up those stairs again.

Okay.

Sit here.

I can pull the car up to the door.

I'm not that bad off.

Tiny's teeth chattered.

You're shaking all over.

Fine.

Tiny sank into the chair and Ralia got the car.

The hospital waiting room was a zoo.

The place was filled with kids,

Whining and crying,

Every one of them covered with welts the size of walnuts.

One kid with an eye swollen shut came up to Ralia as she sat down,

Shouting,

I got stung 15 times.

That's all,

Ralia told him.

Tiny laughed.

What a nightmare.

She was watching the lady who was going from kid to kid with alcohol and cotton balls,

Trying to quiet tears and stop the kids in the corner who were making spit wads out of the magazines.

Must have been a field trip.

Yikes.

Ralia shook her head.

The town was cursed.

She was glad everyone was occupied with their stings or there would have been a new round of people staring at Tiny,

Like she was some pregnant teenager.

Ralia hated that.

The doctor agreed to see Tiny first.

Babies before bee stings,

The nurse said as she led Tiny out of the waiting room.

Ralia,

Tiny reached out for Ralia.

As she ran to catch up,

Tiny squeezed her hand.

The doctor turned out to be Vera Shields.

Ralia wondered if the place was so small they actually only had one doctor.

But then Dr.

Shields smiled and said,

You don't forget a name like Tiny Pendle.

When I saw it on the chart,

I had to see how you were doing.

Thanks.

Tiny laughed,

But it sounded more like she was about to cry.

Dr.

Shields held Tiny onto the exam table and Ralia dropped into a chair with her fingers double crossed.

She was praying silently.

So she wouldn't worry Tiny.

Warming the stethoscope in her hand,

Dr.

Shields listened to the baby's heartbeat,

Then made Tiny lying back so she could see if Tiny had dilated.

Ralia hid behind a magazine for that part.

The heartbeat was strong.

Tiny's weight was up since her last weekly visit.

The baby was growing.

She hadn't started to dilate at all.

Dr.

Shields wrote Tiny's tummy.

Everything's looking good for Junior here.

Ralia thought the exam was all over and they could go home.

But the doctor just stood there in silence for a bit,

Then said,

But you are looking a little pale,

Tiny.

Are you getting any exercise?

I've been so worried I've been resting.

A little too much?

She raised her eyebrows.

Tiny laughed,

But she looked embarrassed.

You think so?

A little walking around won't hurt.

Keep your circulation going and your heart pumping.

I don't think you have to worry about Junior,

She patted Tiny's belly.

You're probably in for the long haul.

There's no sign that the little one's in a hurry.

Are you sure?

Positive.

And if you don't believe me,

You can feel free to come back and have everything checked out any time.

So you're really sure that the baby's just fine?

Dr.

Shields squeezed Tiny's hand.

Yes,

I am.

Good.

Tiny looked like she'd just eaten the best tasting chocolate eclair on the planet,

All glowing smile and bright eyes.

Happy?

Ray asked as they walked out,

Or waddled back to the car.

Everything's going to be okay.

Tiny gave Ray a squeeze.

Tiny went back to cooking and sculpting,

And she even walked around the block when she felt the urge.

She did sleep on the couch,

But the all-quiet roll went out the window.

Max seemed to have forgotten about this whole respect thing.

He spent all his time on his class,

Collecting samples,

Preparing lectures,

Grading papers,

And the only thing he said to Ray for a whole week was,

Nature's the best classroom,

Ray-l.

As he passed around the hallway with a special in the jar full of weekly creatures.

Tic spent his time with his new buddies and showed them all his slimy,

Crawly discoveries.

Ray's only problem was Mr.

Rutherford.

When she brought the groceries to his house the following week,

He waited until she passed the kitchen window and shouted,

Bring them to the kitchen door!

Ray had backtracked to the kitchen.

He opened the door.

For her,

Saying,

Leave them there.

She put the groceries down just inside the door,

Then stood up to say,

I'm sorry for.

.

.

He cut her off,

Saying,

Thank you.

See you next week.

He shoved the money into her hand,

Then closed the door in her face.

Raya went back down the hill,

Muttering to herself,

Rutherford turned out to be a total waste of her time.

He didn't even give for the encyclopedia back.

The old coot deserved to be alone.

No matter,

She told herself.

It gave her more time to hang out with Zoe.

They went clam digging,

And Zoe showed Raya where all the kids got stung by the bees in the park.

It wasn't as fun as the Smithsonian,

But Tida wasn't half bad.

Zoe even took Raya on a tour of an abandoned house just outside town that had one of those heavy wooden doors in the kitchen floor leading into the basement.

Unfortunately,

The only things down there were a lot of cobwebs and broken canning jars.

Zoe suggested that they go to the drive-in,

But it was fifteen miles away,

And Raya wasn't sure.

.

.

Was pretty sure she'd faint if they had to bike all that way.

She begged Max to take them.

He slapped a pile of papers on his desk.

I've got twenty-two papers to grade by morning,

Kiddo.

Then let me have the car.

Raya leaned on his desk,

So he couldn't read the paper he was grading.

We're not driving at night,

Raya.

Why not?

You're twelve?

Max gave her a nudge to get her out of his way.

In case you forgot,

You need to be sixteen to get a license.

Then why'd you teach me how to drive?

For emergencies only.

He held up the paper to try and block her out.

The trip to the ant-steak store wasn't an emergency,

Max.

What happens if Tani goes into labor at night?

I'm home at night,

Raya,

Max answered.

Fine.

Raya marched out of the room,

But she hadn't given up.

Instead,

She waited until dark.

So no one would get suspicious,

She put the light on her in her room,

Then locked the door from the outside and pocketed the key.

She stuck a note on the door that read,

Reading,

Do not disturb under penalty of death.

Climbing out the bathroom window into a pine tree,

She made her way to the ground,

Then booked it to the car.

She felt like a spy from Mission Impossible as she popped the clutch and let the car roll back out of the driveway,

Then down the street.

It was pretty cool to back the car all that way.

She didn't swerve at all.

Well,

Maybe a little.

At the end of the street,

She was over a block from home,

So she could start the car and drive off without alerting Max.

It was too risky to drive all the way up to Zoe's house,

So she parked at the end of the block.

They borrowed a big old dictionary and one of Zoe's mom's gardening hats.

Raya sat on the book and put on the hat so nobody would think that she was a kid.

Zoe insisted on the disguise,

But Raya thought it was a bit silly.

After all,

She was a foot taller than Tani,

And no one stopped Tani.

Well,

Not since she pulled up next to a police officer while she was driving Raya and Tic to school one day.

As Raya thought,

She and Zoe were all right as long as they didn't meet a cop at an intersection.

At the gate,

Raya tried to hide behind the hat in order to get the tickets,

But the cleric,

A teenager with a kiss t-shirt,

Laughed.

Check it out.

What are you,

10?

I'm 12.

Where'd you learn to drive?

My dad taught me.

Cool.

He leaned up to the window to whisper,

If you promise to keep it low and not go up to the concession stand,

I'll let you in.

Thanks.

Raya laughed.

She handed over the money and got the tickets.

This is my first R-rated film.

Zoe rubbed her hands together.

It's no biggie.

Back home,

They let anybody in.

I seen a lot of them.

The omen told the story of a little boy who was the devil's son.

This human dad spent the whole movie trying to find a way to keep him from taking over the world.

By the middle of the movie,

Zoe and Raya were watching from behind the seats,

Peaking when they knew it was safe scene to watch.

There was no one being crushed or knocked off a landing or something.

That meant they spent a lot of their time sitting on the floor of the car,

Listening to the movie.

It's still fun.

And a little shouting and hiding and clutching is always good for a laugh.

They didn't leave the movie until after 11.

Zoe wasn't worried because her mother thought Max drove.

Raya thought she'd just coast into the driveway and sneak up to her room,

Even if she got caught on the way in.

They'd never know she took the car.

Heck,

When he was grading papers,

Max barely took the time to breathe.

He'd never check on the car.

Driving down the big hill,

Raya Wonder Rutherford was up to.

But then she told herself to forget about him.

What's that?

She asked,

Pointed down the hill.

Raya looked.

There was a police car at the bottom with its lights on.

Zoe said,

I hope there wasn't an accident.

Seeing that the car was halfway across the road,

Raya knew it wasn't.

It was a roadblock.

He wouldn't,

Raya thought.

But when the cop knew her by name,

She was sure that Max had set the whole thing up.

Come with me,

Miss Pendle.

The cop opened the driver's door.

Are you arresting me?

It's a misdemeanor to drive without a license,

Young lady.

So you're not arresting me?

The cop probably thought Raya was too young to know the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony.

Do you have $150 to pay the fine?

The cop asked.

No.

Then I guess you'll be spending the night in jail.

No way.

The cop led Raya to the squad car.

She looked over her shoulder at Zoe.

Don't worry about her,

Young lady.

My partner will take your friend home.

A night in jail.

That was Max's idea of discipline.

Way to go,

Dad,

Raya thought.

Oh,

Yeah.

He was nothing like his father who'd take his belt out when one of the kids did something wrong.

Why not talk to her about it?

Or better yet,

Do something Dads do,

Like take her to the drive-in.

He could have graded papers while they watched the movie.

Raya was locked in a cell.

It wasn't what she expected.

No cold,

Gray brick walls or a cot for a bed.

The deputy locked her in a room with wires embedded in the windows,

Tan walls,

And a narrow bed.

The flowery bedspread and stiff white sheets made the bed look like it belonged in a motel.

A small sink hung from the wall with a blue toilet right next to it.

The door didn't even have bars in it.

Or a window,

For that matter.

Your Dad gave me this.

The deputy handed her the title history book Tic had bought for her.

She'd read it from cover to cover.

But what else was there to do?

The bed felt like the rollaway Raya had to use when a relative slept at their house.

All lumpy.

So much for her master plan.

She could only hope that Zoe didn't get into loads of trouble.

But knowing her parents,

They did normal things like ground her.

Not Raya's parents.

They sent her to jail.

What Raya wouldn't give for a normal set of parents.

Huh.

Do you ever feel like your parents are the strangest individuals on Earth?

I think we all do,

At some point or another.

We're convinced that if we had another sense of parents,

Things would be better.

Or maybe we wish we had different friends.

Or different siblings.

Or a different boss.

Or a different teacher.

We often think,

Life would be better if,

If,

If.

But the reality is,

You can't if your life away.

Wouldn't it be far better to make your life feel better?

To have a better understanding of your life?

Just as it is?

Than to try or to wish things would change?

You know,

I really think it's much better to just reside in the life we have.

To enjoy it.

To find the good in everything that happens.

Because you know,

There are good things about every aspect of our life.

Even the hard ones.

Because the hard ones often teach us the most important lessons about our life.

And how to move forward.

How to grow.

And the people in our lives,

They might be complicated.

They might be difficult.

But they often teach us something about human beings.

What they're really like on the inside.

What makes them tick.

What makes us tick.

The more we can understand what's happening.

How it can help us become a better person.

The happier we'll be right where we are.

This is Elahfay of Sylvanosity.

And thank you for sharing this chapter of Strawberry Hill with me.

Bye!

Reviews

That was a very interesting chapter. I just have one question, what year is this book set like what time? I’m really enjoying this story!!
Thank you
-Eryn 🦋