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Abandoned at Juniper Bay

by Joyce Watford Delbridge

164 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0144; ISBN 1-55369-331-0; US$18.00, C$23.00, EUR15.00, £10.40

Thirteen-year-old Todd and his younger sister and brother find themselves abandoned at an old cabin on tiny Clayton Island in Puget Sound. Little money for food, nosey small town residents, a mysterious neighbor, wild dogs, and a local bully set the stage for a challenging summer.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book Abandoned at Juniper Bay faces the consequences of abuse and alcoholism head-on, but does not preach or present quick and easy fixes. In this contemporary novel, thirteen-year-old Todd, his eleven-year-old sister and their young brother Jason find themselves abandoned by their alcoholic dad. "Hanging out" at Grandpa's old cabin without any adults has seemed exciting to Todd in his daydreams; but he couldn't know that it would be many days before their father would arrive. And Todd could not foresee how they would be forced to take new responsibility for their own survival. But it is his growing fear and anxiety about their Dad's drinking that fuels his desire to win a commitment from Laura and Jason to work together to take action. The head-high ferns, soft mists, Island Festival, and soundless beauty of the ocean-bottom should make the days memorable. But picking strawberries in the hot sun to earn enough money for hotdogs, running from wild dogs, and keeping the secret of being on their own, results in a growing tension among the kids. Trust and family are the fundamental themes in this story.

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About the Author Joyce Watford Delbridge has collected and contributed two regional anthologies: Ferry Tales From Puget Sound and Northwest Ferry Tales, and co-edited Alaskan Ferry Tales for Children. More than 30 years of teaching elementary age children has given her insight into childrens' loyalties, secret desires and courage. She has lived for many years on the waterfront of an island in the Pacific Northwest and has a deep love and respect for the mysteries of the seashore.

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Excerpts

Chapter 1

This morning, Monday, June 20th, Dad woke in good mood, didn't say a thing about yesterday, and hustled Laura, Jason and me out to the van. We headed across town to catch the ferry to Clayton Island. Dad promised us a week at Grandpa's cabin, promised we'd stay till after this year's Strawberry Festival. I could hardly wait.

He took shortcuts getting to the ferry. He had lived in the city all his life and knew every street. In twenty minutes we turned away from the stores onto the street running along the waterfront that led to the loading dock. I held my breath. Were we going to make it onto the ferry this time?

From the mirror on my visor, I watched nineyear- old Jason flip a piece of cord at the window on his left. He hummed a tuneless song and bumped his head against the back of his seat to the rhythm he'd happened onto. It made his red hair bounce over his forehead. He was the only redhead in the family. The rest of us had black hair.

Laura chewed her nails and watched every car we passed as if she were driving for Dad. She was a frowner. A frowner and a worrier, always sure something awful was going to happen. With her forehead wrinkled and her mouth pulled out of shape chewing on her nails or on a strand of her long, dark hair, she looked older than eleven.

Aunt Darcy said I was like Dad. I studied him. I did have his big nose and his black hair and dark eyes. At least my nose was not puffy and did not have broken blood vessels on the sides, like his. I probably will not be as tall as Dad. He is six feet but getting flabby. I'm short for thirteen, but keep in shape by doing sports.

"I can't wait to try out our new skiff, Dad," I said, letting my hopes build.

"Huh?" Dad looked blank for a moment. What was on his mind? "Sure, Todd," he answered slowly.

"It'll be easier to handle than the old boat. And you're older and bigger, too."

Jason stopped rocking back and forth. "We're going to make it today, aren't we, Dad?"

"Hey, don't sweat it, Jase. We always go to the cabin during festival week. You knew I'd get you out there sooner or later, now didn't you?"

"Yeah, well," Jason said, and shrugged. "You know what I mean."

Dad didn't look exactly mad at Jason but did not look pleased to be reminded of the last two days. He was supposed to have taken us to the Island on Saturday. At the last minute he talked us into waiting one more day. He had to call on a customer he said, had to show some logging equipment.

We didn't go yesterday, either.

Yesterday we had our bikes in the van with our packs beside them. Jason and Laura crawled in the back seat where they usually sat. I waited in the front where I have been sitting since Mom died. Dad rushed out of the apartment, pulled open the door of the van and bent his head inside.

"Kids, I've had a call from the office. Dave wants me to come right away. Pronto. Like five minutes ago. I won't be gone more than a half hour." He moved into the driver seat as we scrambled out. Jason slammed his door. Laura hung onto the handle of hers. "You sure you'll get back in thirty minutes?"

"You can count on it, Kitten," he answered softly, then spoke to me in a harder tone. "Todd, you see that Jason stays here. I don't want to hunt for anyone when I get back. Hear?" I nodded, too disappointed and mad to talk. He added, "Wait on the steps for me."

Laura and I dragged over to the wide entry way of our apartment building as Dad drove the white and tan van away from the curb, our bikes rattling in the back. We watched it disappear in the middle of Washburn Street traffic.

"Do you think he'll be home in a half hour?" she asked, talking around the strand of hair she stuffed in the side of her mouth.

"Can't tell. May not be back for hours. He'll stop by a bar on the way home."

"Todd, you're mean. I don't know why I asked you."

She stamped off. In a few minutes she returned with her Walkman headset covering her ears and a mystery book in her hand. We hung around in front of the apartment all morning. Laura sat leaning against the building, reading. I brought out my Magic cards. Jason spent most of the time climbing trees. I didn't have to fuss at him. He knew better than to be very far away. When Dad said wait, we waited.

I saw people pass by, look at us and smile to see us hanging out together like that. They probably thought we were like a typical TV family where the kids talked, laughed a lot, and even stuck together when the family had trouble. We weren't like that. It would be easier, if we were. But, we didn't know how to be a family anymore.

Five hours later, at two o'clock, the van pulled to the curb, stopped once, then lurched forward a couple of feet before the engine died. I heard our bikes bang into each other. When Dad opened the car door, I saw his silly grin, knew he would make up some story to tell us, knew he was sloshed. Laura ran to help him. Jason pulled his bike out of the van and took off. I opened the door to the apartment as Dad, with Laura beside him, walked unsteadily through the doorway. I smelled the liquor when he passed.

So much for yesterday.

I had learned to get up in the morning, not open my mouth to him about what he had done the day before, and hope things would be better. With Dad, I never knew. Today I studied him to see how he felt but he acted as if he had forgotten everything that happened the day before.

This morning he told us to load our bikes, packs, clothes and food—the stuff that didn't spoil yesterday—and we took off. By this time the van was close enough for us to see the ferry pulled up to the Clayton Island dock. We would make it. Dad nodded toward the white and green ferry. Cars streamed off. It was one of the super-sized boats with a smokestack and pilothouse at each end. "Ferry's in already. Thought we were early," he said.

"Yeah," I answered. "We're in time for the ten o'clock."

He shifted gears. "I meant to buy more groceries. I better pull out before it's too late." I held my breath and pressed against the seat.

Laura poked her head between Dad and me. "No, don't," she begged. "Don't go back. Let's catch this ferry. Won't be another one before noon."

Jason started humming again, this time louder. Dad twisted to see both sides of the road and gripped the steering wheel, ready to turn on a side street.

"We can buy things on the Island." I scrambled in my mind for the right words to say. I did not dare let him know how disgusted I felt. He would turn the van around and call off the whole trip. Dad let up on the gas some more. "I don't know how I let you kids talk me into this. A whole week out there! I've got too many reports to do." "Dad!" Jason yelled.

"You promised," Laura said softly. I signaled them to cut the whining. I had learned, a long time ago, it set him off. His hands, loose now on the wheel as we waited at a light, rubbed lightly over the slick metal. "You just don't know how many reports are piled on my desk, Kitten. You wouldn't ask me to make promises if you did. Someone's got to keep this family going."

No one answered. No one dared.

He patted Laura's hand on the back of the seat. She could melt him better than any of us. She reminded him of Mom, he said. He had not started his drinking binges until after Mom died in a car wreck three years ago. He was driving.

When the light changed, he jerked the car to the outside lane. Laura dropped her head to the back of the seat. Jason stopped humming. I could not breathe. Finally I asked, in a voice so squeaky I could not believe it was mine, "Where you going, Dad?"

"Relax. I've got a plan. I promised you could go, didn't I?" He pulled the van alongside a bus loading platform, put it in park, then smiled at me like he was sharing a secret. "You know about the work I have to do. It just came to me how we could take care of my reports and your trip, too. You three go on out to the Island by yourselves. You've got your bikes. I'll go back to the office, do my reports then come out on a late afternoon ferry."

He patted Laura's cheek, his eyes shiny. His face flushed bright pink, looking like a woman with too much makeup on her cheeks. I did not like this sudden change. I had seen it too many times. I wanted to go to the Island, had dreamed of going for weeks. Going there without Dad did not bug me. Lots of times I planned to go to Grandpa's cabin and hole up there when Dad was on one of his binges. But something was wrong. He was too pleased with himself.

Dad worked a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet. "That'll buy your tickets, Todd, and some hamburgers for lunch. I'll bring out a bucket of chicken."

Laura, fighting tears, asked, "What ferry are you catching?"

He smiled at her. "Kitten, don't worry about your Dad not keeping his promise. I'll be out. Right now I want you to go have fun. Okay?"

She dragged one foot behind the other as she walked to the rear of the van for her bike and backpack. Jason had a big grin on his face as he yanked out his gear. While I pulled my bike out of the van, I thought about the way things were turning out. Not the way I expected, but not bad, either. If Laura and Jason would hang in with me, we would have fun. I thought about the new boat and my snorkeling gear I could use on the beach. I would have time to do all the things I wanted and still be back to the cabin by dinner time.

Dad rolled down his window. "I'll be on the five o'clock ferry. You kids mind Todd, hear? Todd is in charge and he'd better not let anything happen to you."

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Catalogue Information

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