Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are once again supplied by Delores and can be found here.

This week's words are:

1. crashing
2. valve
3. spotlight
4. postage
5. resonate
6. spastic

and/or:

1. branded
2. organic
3. bargain
4. designate
5. amplify
6. blase

Here is my story, a further chapter in Tom's Memories aka Lost and Found:


Tom sat near the end of the pier, arms wrapped around a support beam, bare feet dangling mere inches above the water. The crashing of each wave resonated within him and seemed to amplify each beat of his heart. The opening of that shoebox and his immediate reactions had placed him well and truly in the spotlight. All thoughts of trying to be casual, blase, disappeared the minute the lid was lifted and he saw a child sized blue cotton sunhat with images of postage stamps printed all over the brim. As if a valve had opened, his tears poured forth while he held the hat and remembered that day. 

Sara and Vanessa sat on each side of him, each with an arm around his shoulders as Tom wept for things long gone. The hat had been part of a "beach set", picked up in a bargain store. Packaged in something resembling a fishing net was the hat, a bucket and spade and a miniature fishing rod. Tom had worn the hat the day they'd made sandcastles, his Dad had promised one day they'd fish together with his new little fishing rod. Only the hat remained.

Once the tears subsided, Tom had set the little hat on his head where it immediately fell off, and reached into the box again. Inside a smaller box, he found his Dad's watch and his own little plastic toy watch, packed away carefully so they wouldn't get lost or damaged by the ocean. Next came a plastic bag of sea shells Tom had collected and near the bottom of the shoebox was a leather-bound photo album, filled with photos Cherie had taken. 

The same moonlit shot of the pier which started Tom on his road of discovery, a photo of Frank sitting in a giant armchair made of sand, Tom himself upending the castle-tower shaped bucket. Photos of Frank chasing Tom, photos of scenery that Cherie had taken for her assignment. Some had been taken from the same halfway point of the goat track and were similar to the ones Tom had taken just days ago. Others appeared to have been taken from higher up on the cliff and down into the valley beyond. The last two pages held photos taken by Frank, of Cherie and Tom paddling ankle deep in the waves, splashing each other, Cherie pointing out a ship on the horizon. 

"I remember some of these," Sara said. "Cherie showed them to us after she developed them in the old dark room out the back, remember that Ed?"
"I do," said Ed. "We'd not long finished setting up that room and Cherie put it to good use while she was here."

"Why have a darkroom way out here in a Retreat?" asked Robert. "It was Jim's idea." said Ed. "Stephanie's Dad. They planned on making this a bed and breakfast place with the idea of honeymooners staying and he thought developing their holiday snaps while they were here would enhance their memories of a great time and generate a little extra cash too." 

"The whole idea fell flat when Jim and Melissa were killed," said Sara. "We closed up the room and only opened it when Cherie expressed an interest in seeing it. She helped us buy the necessary things needed to develop film, telling us what to buy and where to get it, even rigged up the red light over the door, so we'd know not to open it while she was in there working."

"I'd like to have a look at the room myself, if you wouldn't mind. I could develop my film here too." said Tom.
"What a great idea," said Ed and Robert together. "You've always wanted a darkroom of your own.." Robert stopped, a little embarrassed remembering Tom didn't actually live here. 

"We'll find the key in the morning." said Sara. "Tom looks a bit wrung out, I think a good sleep will help, then we can go on with this tomorrow." Turning to Vanessa she said, "Would you and Robert like to stay overnight or go back to the Cove Hotel?"
"We'll go back to the Hotel," said Robert. "We didn't bring anything with us for an overnight stay. Perhaps we can discuss arrangements after breakfast?"

Hugs were given, goodbyes were said and Tom's parents drove back down the trail to the small town. Tom said goodnight to Ed and Sara, but soon found himself unable to sleep. The moon high in the sky let down plenty of light and he made his way to the pier to sit and think, to remember, to try and settle his thoughts and calm his emotions.