Chapter Four: Birdie

Tuesday June 21, 1910

The next day Sarah arrived at Lynn's house at noon. The three new friends went to the backyard for a game of badminton: Jake vs. Sarah.

Lynn announced, "Volley." He tossed the shuttlecock in the air and gave it a good swat.

The birdie flew across the net to Sarah.

She scrambled. "Got it."

The birdie arched in the sky.

"Too easy." Jake boasted. Swing. It sailed sharply over the net at a downward slant.

Sarah lunged forward. "Up, up, up" the wind caught the birdie. "And, and, over."

"Not bad, for a girl." Jake whacked the return.

"Ahhhhh!" Sarah stretched to hit the birdie back to him.

"Ok, I'll go easy on you." Up and over in a horseshoe motion.

"Thank you, sir." Smack. It floated to Jake. He gently returned it.

Sarah swung and missed.

"Bee, bee, bee, there's a bee on me." She swatted at the sky with her racket.

Jake and Lynn laughed.

Lynn cautioned, "Don't make him mad."

"Shoo! Shoo! Ok, crisis averted. Where was I?"

"Jake 1, Sarah 0. I am afraid it's still his turn."

Sarah walked the birdie back to him. "Here."

He said, "Thanks," and immediately smacked it.

"Ahhh! You cad! That's not fair."

Lynn laughed. "It looked fair to the judge. Jake 2, Sarah 0."

Sarah was playfully disgusted. She growled.

Lynn asked, "What was that?"

Sarah was embarrassed. "Grrrrrrrrreat game?" Everyone laughed.

Jake handedly won the first match against his cousin.

Sarah vs. Lynn.

"Volley" yelled Jake.

Sarah served: the birdie waved as it went in the air. Lynn promptly returned it. As the gentle strokes continued Jake complained, "Boring."

At this point, Prissy, noticed the game and strolled to the side of the court. Jake patted her head.

"Sarah, shall we play to 7?"

"Sure."

They played with grace.

Soon they were slightly bored.

Jake said, "Ladies, please. Politeness and propriety have their place in decent society but on the badminton court, go for the throat." The girls gave him a smirk.

Sarah bunted yet another modest return to Lynn. She responded by slamming the birdie. It screamed across the net and passed Sarah.

"Lynn 1: Sarah 0."

Sarah picked up the birdie and replied coyly, "All right then. So this is how we are going to play?" She smiled at Lynn and raised one eyebrow.

"The more you get to know me the more you will find me to be a most gracious, delicate and… hah!"

The birdie sprung over the net. Lynn scrambled but missed.

"Lynn 1: Sarah 1."

Lynn said, "So you can play badminton after all? That means you lost to my cousin just to be…" she put much strength into her serve, "nice?"

Sarah jumped to her left and returned the serve. "You might say that."

Lynn angled down and got it back over. "Whew."

Sarah leaned back. "I sometimes act purely out of sympathy." The birdie went several feet into the air.

Lynn traced its return with her eyes. "So, that's why you're popular with the boys?" Smack!

Sarah gasped; she forgot to swing.

"Lynn 2: Sarah 1."

Sarah was playfully aghast, "Ahh! I can't believe you said that, you… (smack) ninny."

Lynn jumped and got it.

"Shall we begin this little pirouette?" She gracefully lobbed it over.

Sarah said, "A nice serve."

"Why thank you." Bonk.

"You do many things expertly, Lynn." Whack.

"You are too kind." Belt.

"For example, last December you made a cake with a dog hair in it."

Lynn's eyes bulged. "What?" The birdie sailed past her.

"Lynn 2: Sarah 2."

Prissy found the game to be quite the curiosity.

Sarah thought for a moment and then gave a devilish grin. "Lynn Watson, when you walk by…." She served.

"When I walk by what happens?" She smacked it back.

Sarah got a good set up. "Flowers blush with envy."

Lynn smiled. "Indeed they do."

"Doves hush… " Sarah rushed to get the return "…their cooing."

Lynn arched the birdie. "Naturally."

Sarah eagerly awaited the line, "And out of respect for one of their leaned back peers…"

Lynn smacked the return.

Sarah yelled, "Cows hush their mooing."

Bang, it flew over Lynn right shoulder.

"Lynn 2: Sarah 3."

Lynn tossed up the birdie. "Emily phoned me last night from Helena." Smack.

Sarah laughed. "And she said…."

Lynn spoke in a fanciful tone, "Simon was a great…" Lynn leaned back, "kisser!"

Fast return barely over the net.

Sarah playfully shrieked, "Nooo!"

She missed the return.

"Lynn 3: Sarah 3."

Jake laughed at their antics.

Sarah thought for a moment. "Lynn, I admire your charity work…."

Volley. "Thank you." Return.

Sarah spoke with a lilted tone, "You visit the infirmed."

Lynn smiled. "I do." Smack.

"And you give money to the poor."

Lynn spoke in an aristocratic tone, "As any Christian should."

Lynn hit the birdie with an underhanded swoop.

"It's a pity there are no blind boys around." Sarah got an overhead swat.

Lynn laughed. "And why is that?"

She socked it over the net. Sarah got the return. "Perhaps then…"

Lynn shook her head. "Perhaps then?" She lobed it over.

"You could be dating."

Lynn swung and missed.

"Lynn 3: Sarah 4."

Lynn said, "That is a lovely dress you're wearing today." She hit to Sarah.

Sarah curtseyed. "Thank you."

Lynn studied the birdie's, arch. "I see it and think.…"

She arched it to Sarah who laughed. "You think…" (smack) "….what?"

"The circus must be in town."

It flew passed Sarah.

"Lynn 4: Sarah 4."

Prissy sniffed the ground and rubbed against the net pole.

Sarah regained her composure. "Now you stop that." Volley and arch.

"Words Simon never heard." Fast return.

Sarah was laughing as she dove and missed. She rolled on the ground laughing and enjoying the frivolity.

"Lynn 5: Sarah 4."

Sarah thought for a moment. She smiled. "Lynn, I love your hairdo." Volley.

"Why thank you Sarah." Return.

"I am amazed by (swat) what people can do with hedge clippers."

Lynn was chuckling, she returned the shot.

Sarah missed.

"Lynn 6: Sarah 4"

"One more," Lynn volleyed.

"Oh no, Lynn." Return.

Lynn hit it back with fury.

Sarah smacked.

"15 layers of foundation is quite enough."

Lynn missed. "Lynn 6: Sarah 5"

Lynn volleyed.

Sarah said, "Someday a good looking man swat is going to get down on one knee…"

"…And say what?"

Lynn hit it back, "I am so sorry madam…." Smack.

Lynn smiled. anticipating the next dig. She hit it back to Sarah.

Sarah said, "but at this store under handed hit we only sell women's shoes."

Lynn was laughing so hard she missed the birdie.

"Lynn 6: Sarah 6. Game ladies."

Prissy sneaked behind Sarah.

Sarah thought, "Ok, now this is when the real competition begins."

Lynn looked intensely into Sarah's eyes. She volleyed.

Sarah got the arch and returned it forcefully.

Lynn smacked it back.

Sarah got the reply; however, she did not notice that the kitten was now on the court.

Sarah struggled to send it in a high arch. It tussled with the wind and began its slow fall to earth. Easy set up.

Lynn slammed it towards Sarah.

Prissy jumped up, caught it and ran under the net, Lynn tried to catch her but it happened so fast that she had no time to truly react. Sarah was laughing.

Jake chased after the kitten yelling, "Prissy! Prissy! Bring that back."

Sarah and Lynn took off after her. "Prissy! Prissy!"

The kitten was having a blast darting around the yard being chased by the humans. The feline scurried around the house, jumped on a chair and then bounded on to the porch. Jake almost caught her but she slipped through his hands.

Prissy weaved by Sarah and Lynn. She easily cleared the rose bush by the left side of the porch and ran back to the badminton court. The chase was exhausting for the girls but Jake was still trying to catch her.

Prissy ran towards a large oak. She jumped on the trunk and within seconds was on the top branch. She proudly held the prize in her mouth. She causally observed Jake trying to climb the tree.

Lynn hollered, "Jake, no, don't climb too high, it's not worth it."

Jake got two thirds of the way towards Prissy but the thinning limbs began to shake beneath his weight.

"I'm not going to be able to get her."

"Jake, I don't want you falling out of that tree and breaking your bones. Just climb back down."

Jake was panting. "Ok." He joined them back on the Badminton court.

Lynn was still trying to catch her breath; she looked at Sarah and Jake, "Lemonade?"

They walked back in the house. Jake got his sketch pad and pencils he tried to capture the flowing movements of Prissy as she leapt for the birdie.

"Jake, let me see what you have so far," Sarah said.

Jake was sitting at the big table in the dinning room with the girls. He turned his sketch book over to her. Sarah was impressed. With a few simple stokes of his pencils he had captured the essence of the experience.

"You are an amazing kid, Jake." He smiled.

Something caught Lynn's eye, she smiled and said, "Methinks our feline felon is on the porch."

Jake and Sarah turned their attention to the large bay window; there was Prissy, with the now ruined birdie in her mouth. She meowed to be let in and pawed at the screen.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming princess." Lynn opened the door.

Prissy scampered into the dinning room and jumped up on the table. She placed the birdie in the middle.

Part of the rubber tip was missing and the plastic skirt was completely undone. Prissy meowed and gently slapped it, recounting her adventures with the strange treat which was called a birdie but did not taste like a bird. She jumped down and mounted a clump of pillows next to the bay window; a sunbeam was at the perfect angle. It was an unbeatable occasion for napping.

Lynn yawned. "Prissy does have a salient point. Perhaps a nap is in order."

Sarah looked to the long red velvet couch. Both girls sprinted, Sarah won. Lynn settled for the chaise lounge. It had a lime green cover and mahogany legs.

Jake stretched. "I'll head to my room."

Within moments, there were three dormant ladies in the warm, warm sun cove.

Ring-ring. Ring-ring.

The noise of the phone startled Sarah. She popped her eyes open. She could see Jake. He was sitting in a chair a couple of feet from her. He immediately jumped up and ran up the stairs.

Lynn was irked. "Jake?"

The phone rang again. Sarah stretched and looked at a grandfather clock: 2:30.

Lynn answered the phone. Sarah wondered what Jake had been doing so she went upstairs to try and find him. She didn't know which upstairs room belonged to Jake but soon she heard Jake moving things around in his bedroom.

She gently rapped on the door. "Jake, may I come in?"

He replied nervously, "Um, um, I don't think you should."

She asked again, "Jake, please, I'm not angry with you, I am just curious as to what you were doing there just now."

Jake was conflicted. "I'm not supposed to let you in."

Sarah grabbed the door and opened it slowly. He was taking down some drawings he had attached to the walls via thumb tacks. She stepped in the room.

"Sarah, you aren't supposed to see these, I could get in trouble."

All four walls were covered in paper drawings, mostly houses, a few business buildings, a courthouse, warehouses, churches, cars, electric street lamps and landscapes. One of the landscapes had a pastoral valley featuring Darling Knob.

Sarah tilted her head. "'1910, north view'?"

She studied the drawing beside it. The geography in this drawing looked exactly like the other one except a large city was now in the valley. This picture had 'Lassiter 1914, south view' on it.

Jake was shaking. "Sarah, please, leave. Forget you met me. You won't see me ever again, I promise."

She looked to him with a confused and frightened visage. "Jake? What is this?"

Lynn walked in. "Have you seen Sarah?"

Lynn gasped. "Oh no! Jake? What've you done?"

"She just walked right in, I couldn't stop her."

Lynn's eyes were darting right to left.

"Sarah, Emily is on the phone downstairs."

Sarah was still very confused. "Um, um, ok, sure."

Lynn opened the door and motioned to Sarah, she said in a deliberate tone, "The phone is downstairs."

"Ok. I'm leaving."

Lynn took hold of Sarah's elbow and led her out the door.

They walked down the steps. Lynn stopped on the landing. "Sarah, please, don't be upset. Finish your conversation with Emily and then we will all three sit down and talk about what you saw."

She patted Sarah's shoulder. "It'll be fine, I promise. You aren't in any trouble or anything. You did nothing wrong. Emily is waiting for you on the phone. One more thing, don't mention to Emily what just happened. Ok?"

Sarah nodded her head. She went downstairs.