The Necklace

Anne didn’t think that she had ever wanted anything quite as badly as she wanted to get out of class. It was Thursday and there was one week left of school for the summer. She had started counting down the days last month, crossing them off the calendar in her her room every morning as she got ready for school. Ending the day with math was not Anne’s choice. It was hard enough to focus at the beginning of the day, but by this time her mind was counting down the minutes. She forced herself to focus. Anne knew that if she could just focus for the next 15 minutes she would be able to pass next week’s final. Another 30 minutes until school was over, 8 days until school was out, life seemed like one big countdown. If she only knew to what. All that she knew was how much she needed to leave this hole of a town. She hadn’t decided how yet, but she knew it would happen. It had too! Her two younger brothers were already talking about going into the military as soon as they get out of high school. Clayton the youngest  wasn’t but, he was the wild one. No one knew what or where he would be tomorrow but there was little chance that the little island could hold him for long. The school bell woke Anne from her daydreams. She quickly copied down the problem on the chalkboard and figured she’d sort it out at home. She wasn’t a great student but it didn’t mean that she was dumb.

Anne lived in Seal Harbor, the less populated side of the island that She wanted to leave so badly. Seal Harbor was 10 miles from Bar Harbor located on opposite sides of the island. You could ride a bike if you had too, but it was pretty easy to get a ride from someone because Seal Harbor provided support for the more touristy Bar Harbor. Mount Desert Island could barely be called an island, after all you could access it by road unless the ocean was really high. Winter storms stopped most travel in Maine. Anne felt as if that island were a prison. It might as well have walls around it for the way it completely cut the islanders off from the rest of the world. She was tired of people who knew everything about you, or at least thought they did. Anne walked home from school thinking about how she could name every one who lived in each one of the houses she passed, where they worked and where they were right now. This was no Mayberry though. Alcohol flowed through the town like water. This was a sea town. People worked on crab boats and fisheries. They worked hard and played hard.  There were good years and lean years, but the good years weren’t as good as the lean years were lean. Things never quite evened out. It seemed as though the only one who might succeed here would be the bar owners. The same fights would happen to the same individuals every other week.

Anne knew she was attractive, but more importantly she was practical. She had known too many girls that got trapped on the island by falling in love with some man. She’d had boyfriends but she was careful not get too serious. She had known for years that it was more important to her to leave the island then to find a man. She was supposed to keep her three younger brothers in line. They weren’t difficult and she knew where they could be found at any given time, well except for Clayton and her mother had already written him off anyway. As long as the boys got food and were home and in bed at a decent hour it didn’t matter what they did.

Summer was slightly more tolerable because of the tourists and sometimes the sailors would come into the bay. She would help her mom working at the hotel in Bar Harbor. It had worked into some spending money as well as jobs babysitting for those with summer homes in the area. Those people were more interesting because they were outsiders but she knew how they felt about her. She was simply “the help.” Not really smart enough to talk to, but yet safe to watch the children while they go to a party. She was no more than “the local girl.” As dismissive as those people were, they could provide a way out. She had heard of the rich hiring nannies locally and taking them with them in the winter. This seemed like a good possibility but she hadn’t liked many of the parents that she had worked for. They were spoiled by their inherited wealth they thought little of their own decorum but demanded that “the help” be proper and presentable. Summer also brought sailors and fishermen into the harbor and to the clubs. It brought new life into a dying world that was sick of winter and of itself and its winter’s confinement. Anne and her friend would sit at the crossroads and give false directions to the tourists.  Anything to pass the time.

School had been out a week when Anne found Billy at her door. He was a year older than she was and had just graduated from high school. Billy had worked on his dad’s lobster boat since he was 11 and Anne was sure he would stay here until he died, just like so many others. Billy said that dad was working on the boat today so he was stuck in town and wondered if she would like to go down and get ice cream with him. Anne thought why not, she’d been out with Billy before and he had always been harmless enough. As they ate ice cream Billy asked why it was so necessary to leave the island. Anne looked at Billy and saw the same thing that she saw in her parents, and the mailman, and the neighbors, and practically everyone else that she had known all of her life. They were all the same. “Billy, sometimes I swear there isn’t a new idea in this whole town. I want to meet people who don’t know where I grew up. I want them to not know where my parents work.”

“That’s all great Anne, but where are you going to live? Who’s going to pay your bills. At least here you know what’s coming.”

“Billy, that’s the point I need something new or I’ll die.”

“Ok Anne, but you’re going to be here at least one more year right?’

“Yes Billy, I’ll be here.” she sighed.

“Well then, I have a gift for you. It isn’t much but I found this necklace and it made me think of you.” he pulled a little black box out of his pocket.

Anne carefully opened the box. The necklace was different, it had a large translucent greenish stone in the pendant with golden filigree surrounding it. Anne thought it was really beautiful,  but she was careful to keep her reaction under control. If Billy knew how excited she was he might overestimate his position in her world. “This is really lovely Billy are you sure you want me to have it?”   

“Of course I do Anne, I saw it and thought of you. I won’t get to see much of you this summer and now that school is over for me I’m not sure how long it’ll be before you find some other gorgeous guy to settle down with.”

Anne relaxed a little with that statement, but decided it was still a good moment to make her escape. She looked at her watch, “Oh’ Billy, mom’s going to be home soon and I still have to collect the boys from down the street. Their working on Dave’s new clunker. If you weren’t so much fun to talk to I wouldn’t be running so late. Now help me get this beautiful necklace on and I’m going to have to run.” She let him put the necklace on, gave him a kiss on the cheek and told him one more time that it was very beautiful and she hurried out the door. She knew that little kiss on the cheek in the ice cream parlor would get around quickly, but the necklace really was nice. So what if it started a little gossip she’d lived with worse. The gossip would just make her more determined to get out anyway. She went home but didn’t get the boys. Mom wouldn’t be home for two hours, but Billy didn’t know that.  Anne was going to work in the hotel laundry starting tomorrow, but mom was going to let her sleep in so she’d have to find a ride. So she picked up the phone and started calling the most likely candidates. It wasn’t long before she found her ride. Sam was taking several people over and he didn’t have to be at the gas station until ten.

Sam stopped by to pick her up at nine thirty and their were already four other people in the car. Anne knew most of them and they talked about what they had planned for the day. Anne notice the only girl that she didn’t recognize looking at her. Mary was sitting next to the girl and introduced her as Emily and said that she was going home to Bar harbor after spending the night at Mary’s house. Emily said hi and asked Anne where she’d gotten her necklace? Anne reached up and fingered the pendant. “Oh, a boy gave it to me the other day.”  

“Was it Billy Washburn?” Emily asked

“Why yes, it was do you know him?”

“Yeah, I used to go out with him, but not anymore.” Emily said scowling.

“Gosh Emily I really don’t like Billy that much. I just thought he gave me a nice gift. Don’t get mad at him.”

Emily’s scowl turned into a smile. “Hey listen Anne, it’s okay. I didn’t know you, and Billy stole that necklace from me he’s the loser not me.”

“Oh my goodness, Emily! I had no idea. Here please take your necklace back.” Anne tried to undo the clasp behind her head but in her excitement it was being difficult. Emily reached up from the back seat and put her hand on Anne’s fumbling ones.

“Anne keep the necklace. It really is okay. Keep it as a reminder that boys can be awful. - Sorry Sam, you’re great. - Just don’t wear it around Billy okay? I’d like him to know that it didn’t mean that much to you.”

“Emily thank you and Billy is a worm. I’m glad you dumped him. Sam, can I get out here? Thanks again Emily it was really nice getting to know you, and I hope to see you around. Take care everyone.“