by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Part 5 Part 9
Part 2 Part 6 Part 10
Part 3 Part 7
Part 4 Part 8
A Peaceful Easy Feeling
Normally, Sammy would have thrown himself into the throng, but after so many days of being on the go he just wanted to relax. He needed to get off Main Street and find a quiet place by the river to collect his thoughts. He walked back to the bridge, went down to the river, jumped in and started to swim. The water always felt so good on his skin. He swam upstream, saw some cabins by the water and decided to have a closer look. There were a quite a few cottages, some larger than others. They were spread out for privacy and surrounded by grass and trees. It was beautiful, so peaceful and relaxing. A dirt road meandered from cottage to cottage and Sammy followed it until he came to a big cottage marked Office. He stepped onto the front porch just as the door opened and a woman rushed out. Read more »
Tweet This 
Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here Part 6 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here Part 7 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here Part 8 Click Here
Part 4 Click Here Part 9 Click Here
Part 5 Click Here
Whooping It Up in Blackville
When he woke Sammy walked out to the main road. He looked left and right wondering which way to turn. To the left he saw a church on top of a hill. To his right there was a bridge and on the other side he could see a couple of buildings, one with a neon open sign in the window, the other with pictures of ice cream cones on the outside. Food! Sammy made a beeline for the bridge.
Inside Big E Chicken Sammy ordered a sub sandwich, which was a new menu item. He sat at a table by the window and tried to look inconspicuous, but none of the staff or other customers seemed to take any particular interest in him. He relaxed and enjoyed his food. Maybe the danger had passed. When he finished he went next door to the ice cream stand for a cool sweet treat and then sat on the patio basking in the sunshine. A teenaged boy with longish hair and baggy clothes was also sitting on the patio. “Excuse me,” Sammy said to the boy. “But I wondered if you could tell me where I might go around here to meet some people.” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here Part 5 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here Part 6 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here Part 7 Click Here
Part 4 Click Here Part 8 Click Here
Everything Old is New Again
The sign said Renous River Antiques. He decided to go in and have a look around, maybe the shop would have something to eat. Inside Sammy discovered a world of handicrafts and antiques.
“Is there something I can help you with?” the man behind the counter asked. “I was just about to close.”
“Oh,” Sammy said. “I’ve been travelling a long time and I know this is an Antique shop but I thought you might have something to eat, souvenir chocolate or a lollipop or something. Right about now anything would be good.” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here Part 5 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here Part 6 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here Part 7 Click Here
Part 4 Click here
The Resort
He woke hours later. Night had fallen over Miramichi and Sammy gazed at all the city lights from people’s homes, cars and street lamps. Bobbing in the water around Beaubear’s Island provided a wonderful view. He drew inspiration from the lights; after all they had drawn him here in the beginning. He needed to believe this quest was leading to something. He knew in his soul that Rachel’s uncle had not steered him wrong. And as suddenly as hope bloomed in his heart, he saw a different kind of light coming toward him. In fact there were dozens, tiny greenish yellow sparks, skimming the water. They came upon him suddenly and zoomed past. Lightning bugs! Fireflies! Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Part 4
Part 2 Part 5
Part 3 Part 6
Off to the Market
The Farmer’s Market was big with many tables full of handicrafts, arts, homemade cooking and much more. A large crowd moved through the aisles. Sammy got breakfast before entering the throng to search for the mayor. He saw breads, cookies, cakes and pies, but no mayor. He saw sweaters, mittens, doilies, and dolls, but no mayor. He saw bird houses, mirrors, face creams and jams, but no mayor. Round and round Sammy went but he couldn’t find the mayor anywhere. This is hopeless, he thought. He went outside and sat on the curb to think. An outdoor vendor noticed him. “If it’s none of my business, just say, but you seem a bit sad, is there anything I can help you with?” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Part 4
Part 2 Part 5
Part 3
Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones
The Scottish Festival was being held on the Miramichi Agricultural Exhibition grounds. Sammy wondered how he would look in a tartan kilt. He’d never seen a man in a skirt before, but here it seemed normal.
“Oh, there you are!” a woman exclaimed as she grabbed him by the shoulders and steered him through the crowd. “The games have started. Hurry!”
“Wait!” Sammy hollered. “I think you’ve made a mistake!” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here
Part 4 Click Here
A Room at the Rodd
The Monday morning sun hung low in the sky as the pink VW van pulled into the parking lot of the Rodd Miramichi River Hotel. Gladys and a bunch of new girlfriends from Bay du Vin blew kisses out the windows and honked as they lurched away grinding gears, leaving an exhausted Sammy standing on the sidewalk. He couldn’t wait to sleep. Mabel had offered to phone and book him a room; he entered the lobby to see if she followed through.
“Can I help you?” The young woman at the desk smiled.
“Yes,” Sammy said. “I believe I have a reservation, the name is . . . is . . . umm . . . Mabel of Escuminac?” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here
Part 3 Click Here
A Midnight Swim
Moonlight reflected on the Bartibog River. Sammy felt energized, filled with excitement like a kid at Christmas. He sensed something magical had happened and he didn’t want to waste another minute. He ran down to the shore and dove into the dark water. It was cold but refreshing. He pushed off and followed the current. In the moonlight he could see the shoreline, the outline of trees. He swam past a pillar with what looked like a piano on top. That’s weird, he thought. Why would anyone put a piano in the middle of a river? He wondered how it had been placed. He swam under a bridge and then the Bartibog River ended and Sammy entered the mighty Miramichi. This river was much wider, and even in the moonlight if he strayed too far toward the middle it was difficult to see the shore. He swam past an island where children were singing songs around a campfire. The further he went, the wider the river became. Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
Part 1 Click Here
Part 2 Click Here
Late Night Visit in Burnt Church
The drive to Burnt Church didn’t take long. Within 10 minutes Rachel found her friend’s house and parked in the driveway. A man with long white hair sat on the porch smoking a pipe. “Joe, this is a friend of mine,” Rachel said. “He’s lost and I hoped you might help him find his way.”
Joe eyed Sammy from top to bottom, grunted and nodded for him to sit. Nobody said anything for a long time. While the man smoked his pipe, Sammy tried to catch Rachel’s eye. Finally, Joe spoke.
“You were on a long journey with many people—family, friends, strangers. It was a trip you weren’t prepared to take. You turned your back on your home.” Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
by Kellie Underhill
To read Part 1 click here.
Unearthing a History
Sammy discovered many interesting books and artefacts at the Tabusintac Library and Museum. He wondered if he was part of the Mi’kmaq First Nation. Many stories told about how the war between the Mi’kmaq and Mohawk ended in Tabusintac in the early 1700’s when two chiefs fought in hand-to-hand combat and the Mi’kmaq chief won.
Sammy would have liked to have been related to the powerful chief who had been a great warrior and a strong shaman. The librarian suggested he visit any or all of the Mi’kmaq villages in the region to investigate.
“You can start in Burnt Church,” she said. “I’m sure I can find someone heading that way.” As the librarian went to make phone calls, Sammy’s spirits lifted. Read more »
Tweet This Share on Facebook
Arts | Kellie Underhill | 
December 15, 2009 1:54 am | 
Comments (0) 
