Summer's almost gone

Dana and Marty were in love. They were in love with all the desperation in the world – the way  only people from small towns can be in love. Letum was the typical fisherman’s town on the east American coast. Several hundred locals, 300 boats, main source of living – fish. But for 2 young people nothing of this mattered.

Marty Milton has just turned 20. He was tall, skinny with sharp cheek-bones and a big smile on his face. He had dark eyes and his brown hair was always bushy, never seen a hairbrush. He finished high school because of his mother who didn’t want her son to be uneducated. Although Marty was trying really hard at school he wasn’t what you may call an exceptional student. He was having hard time remembering facts so subjects like biology, history and geography were very tough for him. But he loved maths. He was using it while working on the boats with his father. He was helping his old man with the boats for the past 10 years. It started as a way to save a few bucks during the summer but eventually it turned out to be a full-time job. He was used to getting up at 5 am and jumping on the boat with his father and his 2 younger brothers. It was not only a family business – it was a tradition of the whole town, all these people depending on one thing – the kindness of the ocean.  

Dana Jones was the beauty of the town. She had curly hair and her big blue eyes were always smiling. But she wasn’t the typical gorgeous darling every town has with blonde hair and perverted smile wearing sundresses while jumping cheerfully on slow motion. Dana was pure. She was modest and lovely. She finished high school last month and was waiting for her 18^th birthday. Her family owned the biggest fish store in the center of the town. She and her mother were at the store all day helping customers and storing the fish from the fishermen who were trying to sell their goods. Dana’s two older brothers were sailors in international seas and her father was a fish-dealer, as people called him, travelling back and forth to the nearest towns.  

Marty’s family was selling its fish to the Jones’s store for a great deal of years now and their parents were good friends. The kids knew each other from school. Dana and Marty were hanging out with the same people for the past 4 years. When they discovered they were in love? 2 years ago.

Their story of dating, going out, fooling around and passing little notes was a giant whirlpool of emotions, uncontrollable laughing, crying, staying up all night talking and loving to death. You see, my dear friends, people from small towns have the ability to love to death. Literally. They love with every fibre of their body because they know that it can be over in a heartbeat and they’ll never be able to find another one.

Yes, Dana and Marty’s love was a cliché. But they didn’t knew it and they didn’t care. Why? Because only arrogant pricks like ourselves – people from big great cities who think they know it all put the dirty label on ‘small’ people.

The Jones’s and the Milton’s have already made their peace with the idea of the children marrying each other. They were happy, they were healthy, they were calm. That’s all that matters. Everyone was working ten times harder because money was needed to be made for the upcoming wedding.

How did they get engaged? One morning Dana’s mother was calling her from downstairs because they had to leave for the store. When the girl wasn’t coming down her mother went to her daughter’s room only to find her being sick in the bathroom. Dana was 2 months pregnant. How many unwanted pregnancies of 18 year old girls make both families happy? This was probably the only one. Everyone was thrilled. How can a tiny little embryo be the cause of so many smiles?   

Days went by and people in the little town of Letum were happy. The whole town was waiting for Dana and Marty’s wedding. Everyone loved the young couple and was eager to see those two happily married. 

It was the beginning of September and the Indian summer was slowly colouring the town with autumn shades. Children were getting ready for the new school year and fishermen were preparing themselves for the colder seasons. One of the oldest traditions of Letum was the Summer Farewell Festival which was a way of celebrating the ocean’s gifts of the summer and a prayer for the upcoming cold of the east. Every September for a whole week the center of Letum turned into a giant funfair with music, food and dances. People were getting together, putting their differences aside to become one big family. People were creating their own kind of happiness. 

The opening of the festival started as usual with the rising sun at 6 a.m. on the edge of the Big Rocks looking at the ocean. Everyone was there. You could see sleepy heads of small children leaning on their mothers, anxious teenagers and the proud fishermen welcoming the calm sea. The whole day was a great success but the night was the climax. Fireworks were painting the sky and a platform was put up for the annual dances. Everything was perfect. 

Dana and Marty were holding hands walking through the crowd smiling at the running children. Dana was in the 8^th month and her belly was now looking too big for her small figure. She was still a child. But she didn’t care. Because she was happy. As happy as Marty who was walking proudly holding his girl who was soon to be his wife. They have decided to get married after the baby was born so that they include her in the ceremony. Yes, it was a girl. They decided to name her Summer.

Different pavilions were offering games and presents for the people. The young couple was just passing through one of them. The man who worked there was dressed as a pirate and had an artificial parrot on his shoulder. He was yelling and greeting the passing people:

-          Ahoy maties! Come and win a prize for your lovely ladies! Ya’ll know we gotta make the girls happy! 
Marty and Dana were laughing at the man’s awful attempt to sound like a true pirate.
-          Hey, gorgeous, do you think your boy can get ya a prize? – said the man grinning at Marty and waving his fake hook on his hand.
Dana was still laughing when Marty pulled her to the pavilion:
-          Okay, mate, what do you have to do here to get my future wife a present?
The man brought out a fishing rod and gave it to Marty:
-          You gotta take out 5 of the fish in the pool with the rod. The game is 3 bucks, then you pick a prize. Easy job for a fisherman like you, ma’ friend.
-          Just watch me. – Marty took out his last 3 bucks from his pockets and smiled at Dana.
It took him about 10 seconds to get the 5 plastic fish out of the pool.
-          How’s that? – he grinned at the man.
-          Done by a professional. Now pick a present for the lady.
Dana’s eyes sparkled.
-          Whatever you want, babe! – Marty asked her.
The girl leaned close to him and whispered in his ear:
-          Let’s get something for the baby.
Marty looked at the wall with the prizes he could choose from:
-          Give me the stuffed fish. The red one.
-          You hav’ it. – said the man.
It was a little red smiling fish with white eyes. Dana was squishing it.
-          See this? This is our child’s first toy. – she said.

Marty kissed her on the forehead.

*** 

It was the last day of the festival. In the small hours of the night Dana felt sick. As if a tight belt was pushing her belly. She woke up her mother. They went to the doctor. “It started – he said – she’s early, she has to give birth now”. They called Marty. He came with his mother. He wanted to see Dana but they told him they had to wait in the other room. “You can’t help her now, son. Just wait.”. They waited for 3 hours. They couldn’t do anything but listen to the screams of the girl in the next room. The sun was rising. The screams stopped. The doctor came out. “I’m so sorry, Marty”…

 ***

They were sitting on Big Rock looking at the sunset. It was the end of the summer. Dana was holding the stuffed fish in her hands. They were going to name their first child Summer because like Marty used to say: “that’s when I first knew I loved you and she’s gon’ be as beautiful as the summer.”

 Now summer was gone. 

summer's almost gone

Unfaithfully yours, V.