Chapter 17

One afternoon Javelin and I met Mavis and Jerome at the Pizza Pallor for root beer and pizza. I had a root beer fetish that was indescribable, if I didn’t quell it when the mood struck no one was safe from me. We were having a great time until Paul and Dirk showed up. I could feel the tension in the air before I even noticed their arrival.

“Hey guys,” Dirk said. “Mind if we join you?” Paul stood beside him, staring at me in a cold way that angered me. I was about to say no, when Mavis said, “Sure, if you behave.”

“We’re cool, Mavis.” said Paul. “Hey Jerome, Little James, Vivian.” He nodded at each of us.
Jerome said, “How’s it going? I called your house the other day, Paul and your dad said you were fishing. Catch anything?”

For a while the guys talked about fishing. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Dirk. He sat with a long face, most likely due to Trent dating Eva. Dirk has been in love with Eva since grade school and it was a pity she threw him dog bones, instead of real affection. Tiring of the talk, Dirk went over to the video games at the back of the pizza pallor to play them for a while.

Paul turned to me and said, “Damn Vivvie, I’m stuck with Dirk all summer while Trent plays around with Eva. What the hell happened?”

Javelin started to answer for me, but I reached under the table and squeezed his arm, begging silence. I said, “Trent thought we needed to be a part for a while. He’s the one who broke up with me, Paul.”

Paul sighed, “That’s what he told me, too. Though Eva says a lot more, mainly about him.” He nodded at Javelin, who said, “Him has a name and Him’s name is James, but you can call Him Javelin.”

Mavis choked on her pizza. “Javelin, you’re a nut,” she said when she stopped coughing. Even Paul let out a smile and things lightened up a little as we all talked and laughed. When Dirk ran out of quarters, he came back to the table. It was getting late and I needed to get home, and do some chores.

I said, “It’s been fun. We should do this more often, but I have to get home. Mother has a list of chores for me to do by Saturday and I haven’t started on the first one yet.”

Javelin pushed back his chair and said, “I’ll walk you home, Blueberry Girl.”

A gasp came from Dirk. He said, “Don’t call her that, dude.” Paul’s face was white, as he agreed with Dirk. “Man, don’t you know that’s not cool. Don’t call Vivian that name again. You want hell to rain down on us?”

I was puzzled, so was Jerome and Mavis. But not Javelin, his face contorted with an anger I had never witnessed and hoped never to again. “You people live in the stone age in this freaking town. Just because I call my girl something, doesn’t mean a freaking curse is going to descent from above and smite us. If you people got out and experienced the real world, you would figure out that curses and superstitions are a thing of the past.”

He took my arm, “Come on, baby. Let’s go before I say too much.”

As we walked away, Paul said, “You can’t run from destiny. No matter how fast you are. It catches up sooner or later.”

Our walk was quiet. We were halfway home, before Javelin calmed down. I couldn’t stop myself from asking questions. “Javelin, are you going to explain what that was all about?”

“No, but I have a feeling you won’t let it rest, so I’ll give you the scoop on what Dirk and Paul are so afraid of--the curse that our families are destined to experience every other generation. The last time it struck was during my Grandfather’s youth. He never talks about it but I once overheard him and Trent’s grandfather discuss it before he died years ago.”

“No one talks about it. I hear people mention it and as soon as it’s mentioned, people hush it away.”

“They’re afraid. I shouldn’t have been so hard on those guys but jeepers, wake up. We’re moving into the eighties. Time to let old beliefs die.”

“What happened when your Grandfather was young?” I asked.

“Someone murdered a woman who lived in the woods. She harvested blueberries and sold them. I heard she was beautiful. The towns people called her ‘Blueberry Girl.’ I’m surprised you don’t know this.” He said, staring at me. “But whoever murdered her, did it very violently. And there’s a chance my Grandfather, Paul, Trent and Dirk’s grandfathers were involved. But no one could prove it.”

I was a bit horrified to hear this. Javelin saw my expression and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t worry, Vivian. I won’t let anything happen to you. It’s just stupid gossip. If we go to every house in this town, I know every person can relate to us horrible things that have happened to relatives past and present. For some stupid reason, the town’s decided that anything that happens to Paul, Dirk and Trent’s family...and mine is related to a curse placed on us generations back.”

“You’re right. It is silly to put so much belief into curses. I’ll try not to think about it.” We started walking again, holding hands tightly. I asked one more question. “Where in the woods did this blueberry lady live? Is her house still there.” In all my exploration of the blueberry trails, I had never seen an abandoned house.

Javelin sighed. “No one can find it now. The woods reclaimed it after she died.” He pulled close to him again. “Promise you won’t try to find it. I looked for it after I heard them talking and almost got lost in the depths of the woods.”

“Did they confess to each other?” I asked.

“No, they promised each other that they would watch their grandchildren. And pray for mercy.”

When we got to my house, I invited Javelin in. It was time for him to officially meet my parents. I thought I should warn him about my mother, so he wouldn’t take it the wrong way when she gave us the silent treatment. “Javelin, my Mother hasn’t gotten over Trent and I breaking up. So if she acts rude or silent. Don’t take it personal. She’ll come around.”

Javelin grinned. “You’ve only experienced part of the Bow-Ridge charm. I’ve got this covered, baby.”

And he did. He charmed Mother into acting like a blushing young school girl. He complimented her from her hair to her shoes. Javelin exclaimed over the wonders of her delicious blueberry preserves and jams. When my father came in from work, he and Javelin talked sports and fishing. Mother convinced him to stay for dinner and we had one of the most enjoyable meals ever served at my house. It occurred to me that Javelin brought laughter into a somber home and I believe it was at that moment that I knew I was totally in love with him.

When the blueberries ripened, he helped Mother and I pick them. We spent the time, laughing at silly stories Javelin told. During this time, I embraced the ease that Mother and I had with each other. She wasn’t as frigid as before, and she didn’t fuss when I sketched while we took breaks for ice tea and homemade cookies.

I had predicted a bountiful crop. The blueberries were ripening faster than we could pick them One day Javelin showed up with ten boys I recognized from the park down from the school. They spent the summer playing basketball or football. Javelin said to Mother, “Mrs. Wilde, I told Grandfather about how fast the blueberries were ripening. He told me to get you some help and I got these guys to help us until we got the berries under control."

“But that could take days. I can’t afford to pay them,” Mother said.

“Grandfather is. Don’t worry your lovely head over it. Let’s get these berries picked and pickled.” Javelin’s charm won again. Mother smiled and said, “Tell your Grandfather I said thank you.”

“You can tell him this Sunday. He wants the whole Wilde family over for dinner.” Javelin winked at me. Watching Mother’s face brighten up, I knew that Trent was off her mind. She hugged Javelin and that cinched his acceptance into our family. His acceptance as my new boyfriend. Now life would be easier around my house and I let out a deep sigh of relief.