Safety Harbor. Chuck Cooper

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      He turned to someone, anyone. “Can somebody turn this thing down?”

      Hope approached him and whispered in his ear.

      “Oh yes,” he said in the newly adjusted microphone. “Can we get Rocky and Magdalena up here? They are the leaders of what people are calling the Unsettlement these days.”

      He smiled sheepishly, awkwardly. “Sort of the mayors, you might say!”

      They joined him reluctantly.

      “Now, on this magnificent occasion, which we don’t seem to be planning, but is taking on a life of its own . . .”

      “The Spirit is leading!” whispered Father Frank to Luther.

      “Even Meriwether could assent to that with us!” said Luther.

      “And I do!” said a voice behind them.

      They looked around, surprised. “I don’t agree with the Christian Good Old Boys’ club too often, but I can go with you on this one!”

      They were embarrassed and gave their apologies.

      “This is a day for peace and unity,” she said, not letting them off the hook. “We’ll talk later.”

      Lou droned on at the microphone until Hope came up and tugged at his suit coat.

      “Now I’d like to turn this over to Rocky and Magdalena,” he said. “You may not know them,” he said, “but I know them well.”

      Hope rolled her eyes at Magdalena.

      “You will know them well in a short time, too! They are easy to know, easy to love, easy to respect.”

      There was a sustained applause as the crowd began more and more to sense the importance of this gathering.

      Magdalena spoke first. “Rock and I would like to thank you for your invitation to the Safety Harbor parade! We are very excited about this day and what it may mean for the present and for the future.”

      She handed the microphone to Rocky. “There isn’t a lot left to say except for this. Magdalena and I would like to invite all of you to the Unsettlement for a visit one of these days very soon!”

      The crowd applauded.

      Then Mrs. Glover led them all in “America” and “Amazing Grace.”

      Next on the schedule came a group from The Unsettlement in a mix of bluegrass and Dixieland jazz.

      Nate took his kids up near the podium and they began to dance. Soon, there was a whole array of children from both communities dancing together, freely and joyfully. Some older adults soon joined the celebration.

      Marshall and Carmelita kept close watch, especially on the children. They wanted no one in danger and no one to spoil this moment. They noticed that a ring was forming around the crowd, seemingly on its own. Those who were not dancing had joined hands in a circle to make sure no little ones got away and no one got away with one of their precious children. There they all were, young parents, people in wheelchairs, people who were rich and people who were poor, the educated and those without that opportunity, church people and people who stayed away from church as far as possible. No one could tell one from the other. It was just the human family in celebration for no other particular reason than life itself.

      An outer circle formed around the smaller inner circle. By this time, they were excited and nobody needed to be prodded into dancing. Those in wheelchairs were participating with the help of someone who was dancing behind them. Soon, the whole town of Safety Harbor, the Unsettlement, and tourists, were joining in the dance.

      Katye came to the microphone and called out, “Hello! Hello!” It was two or three minutes of intermittent “Hellos!” before the dancing finally stopped.

      “I’m sorry to interrupt so much fun,” she said, “but we have to quit dancing so we can have a parade.”

      There was a combination of “Yes” and moans.

      Sally and Nate and the kids walked slowly up the hill to Main Street where the parade would begin.

      “Did you see Joe dancing?” asked Buddy excitedly. “He was really good!”

      “Yes, he was!” said Caitlin.

      Sally and Nate looked at one another.

      “You saw Joe?” said Nate. “Where did you see him?”

      “He was standing in the inner circle of dancers right in the middle of us kids,” said Caitlin! “I didn’t know Joe could dance like that!”

      “You saw Joe? Are you sure it was Joe?”

      “I’m sure!” said Buddy and Caitlin in unison.

      “He said, ‘Hi Buddy! Hi Caitlin!’” Buddy smiled. “Boy! It was good to see him! I told him everybody missed him and everybody was looking for him and he said, ‘I’ll be back soon!’”

      “But Joe,” I said, “You’re already here!”

      “Yes I am!” he said. “That’s all he said and he went back to dancing.”

      “Did you see him after that?” asked Sally. “Because, if you did, we need to find him and we need to tell Carmelita to take back the BOLO!”

      “No, he told us he had to go and we looked and he was gone,” said Buddy.

      Chapter 18

      The attraction between Nate and Sally was unmistakable to many, even to Nate’s kids.

      “Are you gonna marry my Daddy?” asked Buddy.

      Caitlin grabbed her father’s hand and held on tightly. A clumsy silence followed.

      “Well, no, we’re not getting married. Sally just lost her husband. We all have to be nice and kind to her,” said Nate.

      “Is that what you’re doing Daddy? Being nice and kind?”

      “Yes, he is,” said Sally. “Your Dad is very kind!”

      “That’s not what Momma says, but I tell her she’s wrong,” said Buddy.

      “Let’s talk about something else, guys,” said Nate.

      Soon the kids ran ahead to join some friends they had spotted.

      “We are going to have to be careful,” said Nate.

      “Nate, there can’t be anything going on right now between us. I haven’t even buried my husband!”

      “I know,” said Nate. “I want to respect that. I do. But, I just want to reach over and plant a kiss on you right now!”

      “You think I don’t?” she asked. “My marriage was over a long time СКАЧАТЬ