Chapter 14

With everyone on their way home, Jennifer and I went into our expanded cabin. I saw that someone, probably one of the ladies, had brought a vase and had arranged some of the local wild flowers in it then left it on the kitchen table. Jennifer almost collapsed into the chair and I agreed with her - I was tired too.

“Wally, now that this is over, I have to confess that I knew Elizabeth was organizing this. Until I stayed over on the main island though, I didn’t know just how much the folks here appreciate you. You never told me you’d sponsored a couple of fellows to go to go to school to learn a trade. I only just found out that Henry, the electrician, is one of them. Elizabeth never told me any details but she implied that you’d helped a number of different families. After hearing that, I wasn’t at all surprised at the number of folks who wanted to come over here to celebrate with you.” Jennifer got up, came and sat on my lap and gave me a big hug and kiss.

Those hugs and kisses soon turned into more than kisses and it didn’t take us long to find our way into Jennifer’s new room. “We’re going to celebrate my new room,” Jennifer told me as she started pulling my clothes off. I stopped her then gently, with lots of kisses to appropriate spots, took off all of Jennifer’s clothes. Once she was naked, I gently picked her up in my arms, carried her to her bed and laid her down. It took me no time to finish removing my clothes and then joined Jennifer on the bed.

“Tonight I’m going to make slow, gentle love to you. I want to show you just how much you have come to mean to me and how much you have changed my life in such a short time,” I told her and with that I did just as I’d promised.

Fall came and Jennifer’s sixteenth birthday was just around the corner. We’d made a trip to the main island and with the assistance of Ron, had completed the paperwork that was required to have Jennifer declared an adult. The final document wouldn’t arrive until after her birthday.

A month or so earlier, Jennifer asked me if the promise I’d made the year before was still valid. I assured her it was and formally asked her if she would marry me. Her reply startled me somewhat. “Wally, I’ll say yes I’ll marry you.” Jennifer paused for a moment then continued. “I will marry you but I’m not ready to have the ceremony yet. The other night I couldn’t sleep and kept thinking about what I would say when you asked me. Finally I decided that I’d agree to marry you but not yet. Once I’d made that decision I quickly fell asleep. I know this may seem strange but I have a feeling that something must happen before I can actually get married but I don’t know what that ‘something’ is.”

I smiled then took her in my arms and kissed her. “Jennifer, this island seems to have a strange effect on people. Long before I ever met you I explored a number of the islands near here. When I came and explored this island, I seemed to be inexplicably drawn to stay here – and I did. One night after moving to the island, I had a dream that a young girl would be in my bed – a naked young girl.” I stopped for a moment to let Jennifer process this thought.

Suddenly Jennifer’s eye’s got wide. “You mean you dreamed about me climbing into your bed during the storm?” she asked.

“Well, not exactly. In my dream, I never knew why or how the girl got there, just that it happened. That night when you jumped into my bed during the storm I was reminded of my dream.” I paused for a moment then continued. “Do you remember when we looked at that spot that I said would make a nice spot for a house?” Jennifer nodded. “Well I had a ... premonition ... an urge? I’m not sure what to call it but I felt the need to talk to you about the site.”

Jennifer smiled and had a faraway look on her face. “Well, maybe that’s what’s happening now,” she said as came back from wherever she’d gone. “I’m sure someday I’ll find out why but for now I need to wait.” She reached up to give me a lovers’ kiss. “At any rate, yes, I will marry you – someday.”

Jennifer’s sixteenth birthday was in just a few days and I’d asked a few friends from the main island, including my elder friend and Elizabeth, to come over and help us celebrate. While we were expecting a couple of boats, we were a bit surprised to see the RCMP boat in the approaching flotilla. When they’d pulled up on our shore, I recognized everyone but one woman. Ron helped the lady over the side then led her up to me. “Wally, you’ve talked to Edith several times but now you get the chance to meet her face-to-face,” he said as he introduced us.

I was delighted that Edith had come to join us and told her so. “Wally, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you and Jennifer,” she said then turning to Jennifer continued. “Jennifer, I decided that on this special day I’d like to come and give you a special birthday gift.” Jennifer looked surprised but before she could speak, Ron asked for everyone’s attention.

“Folks, as you know Jennifer has been here with Wally as his foster daughter. Today, all that will change,” he said then turning to Edith he continued. “Edith, it’s all yours now.”

Edith took a couple of steps out to be in front of everyone then told us the reason for her visit. “When Jennifer wound up here in the wrecked sailboat and was rescued by Wally, I gave my blessing to Jennifer staying here with Wally as his foster-daughter. When I made that agreement, I told Jennifer that once she was sixteen, she could apply to be granted adult status.” She turned and looked at Jennifer and motioned for her to come near then after pulling an envelope out of her purse, continued. “Jennifer, the document I have in my hand is the official document granting you adult status. It has a fancy name – emancipation – but the name doesn’t matter. What does is that as of today, you are an adult and have all the rights and responsibilities that an adult has.” She handed Jennifer the envelope. “Open it dear and read what it says,” she said to Jennifer.