Mona was sad to say goodbye again to another friend.  The day after the fleet had gone, Mona sat with her legs crossed on the front steps.  She enjoyed the light breeze that brushed her hair out of her face and gave her ideas.  The taste of salt on her tongue seemed to allow her muddled thoughts to clear.  Just as she unfolded her legs to get up and help Nanny with chores, she saw something on the horizon.  She could tell it was a ship headed towards Pearly Beetle.  She cocked her head to the side and scrunched up one eye to get a better look.  Then she let out a great whoop and ran inside.

​

“Nanny, Nanny, where are you?  The Hurstons are back already!”  Mona jumped up and down.

“Can you believe it?” she said when Nanny appeared.

“Do stop jumping, Dear.  Don’t get beside yourself, they’ve only been gone two weeks.”

“So much has happened, it feels more like years,” said Mona.  She had an idea.

“Can we have a celebration for them with...with a bonfire?”

“Mona, you’ve never had a bonfire in your life.”

“Can’t we still, Nanny?” she said.

“Oh, I don’t see why we couldn’t if there was a suitable place for it.”

“I know just the place on the Dog Barrens.”

“Why not the Blackberry Isles?”

“The spot on the Dog Barrens is on the north side of the valley and it’s more spacious than any clearings on the Blackberry Isles.”

“A gloomy place to hold a reception and happy homecoming,” said Nanny, her eyebrows raised.

“Yes, but perfect for a great fire,” said Mona.

“Well, go to the Blackberry Isles and fill the Leviathan up with dead branches.  We can both make rolls.  I have a couple of delicious things up my sleeve.  I might even have some fresh eel that one of the old fishermen brought over a night or two ago.” 

“Thanks, Nanny.”  Mona called Manx and they soon pushed off for the Blackberry Isles.

​

Gathering a branch pile was fun, though hot work.  Mona was often scraped and scratched by the sticks that bumped against her arms as she dragged them back to the Leviathan, but she didn’t mind.  It felt good to be out while it was still summer.  She liked the autumn, but summer days were her favorite.  They fit so lazily together like so many laughing people holding hands.

After a sizable bundle of sticks had been gathered into the Leviathan, they took a break.  The girl and dog went swimming.

 

They followed the small fry, as the fish glittered under foot.  When they grew tired from swimming, they rested on the sandy bank.  Mona went back to work, feeling cool and damp.  Just as she finished her task, she saw the houseboat had nearly reached Pearly Beetle.  Manx and Mona ran back to the Leviathan and rowed to the Dog Barrens to deposit the sticks, then home to wait for the Hurstons.  Nanny and Mona were making rolls, when all of a sudden, the door burst open and in came, Lucie, Prince Edward, Mr. Hurston, and Sicily.  Everyone shrieked with delight.  Mona ran to them and hugged them all with batter all over her arms.  Nanny smiled and kneaded the dough over and over again.  When Lucie heard about the planned bonfire, she flushed with happiness.

​

“I’m so glad to be home,” said Lucie.   She looked away as she realized what she had said, since Pearly Beetle was not actually her home, or at least not yet.  Mona smiled and took her hand.

“Let’s get ready for the celebration,” she said.  Everyone helped Nanny carry a number of huge food baskets down the long, steep path to the Leviathan. The Hurstons, Manx, Mona, and Nanny piled into the Leviathan and headed to the Dog Barrens.  The fog was thin that afternoon and when Nanny kindled the fire, the surrounding area was warm.  Mussels and eel cooked as Mr. Hurston dispensed seaweed salad and acorn rolls onto each plate.   The girls and Prince Edward searched for more tinder in the nearby brush. 

​

“Whatever did you do without us?” Sicily asked Mona. 

Mona prickled at first, and was about to say something not nice, but on remembering Sicily’s sobs, she spoke back with grace.

“I’ve missed you all, terribly, but kept myself occupied with a few small adventures.”

“They couldn’t have been as exciting as ours,” said Sicily. 

“You’re probably right,” laughed Mona. “Will you tell me about some adventures you’ve had?” 

Lucie and Sicily begin to tell her many exciting stories, and really, they were all very exciting. 

​

“We saw a festival with dragons-” said Lucie.

“Not real dragons,” said Sicily.

“Yes, but-well, people all in a line under dragon costumes.  They ate rice cakes and-”

“I didn’t like all the rice,” interrupted Sicily.

“You didn’t like the jungles we saw either.  Some were just bamboo and we saw rice paddies-”

Mona liked to see the sisters add to each other’s narrative and laugh with one another.  They did not tell her why they’d come home earlier than scheduled, but the mention of “technical difficulties” sufficed for Mona.  She didn’t care why they were back.  She was just glad they were. 

​

After everything was cooked, they ate a hearty dinner.  Everyone sat on logs close by the fire and listened to Mr. Hurston whistle.

“I’ve been near as I’ll ever get to going around the world,” said Lucie, as she settled down on a log next to Mona. 

“Was the ocean as nice a color everywhere else as it is here?” asked Mona.

“No, it was all sorts.  Blues, greens, mirror-colored, grey.  But I think it is prettiest on the ocean-side of Pearly Beetle.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”  Mona felt a rush of happiness towards her friend. It was so good to have friends and to live on such a lovely place as Pearly Beetle.