chapter twenty three
That summer was like a tight walk between adult fun and childish themes, the group constantly dipped back and forth. Marigold spent the first week hanging out with Alexander as he showed William around the little town.
She slept on the couch as the two younger boys got to stay in the only guest room of the tiny old house. It was tall and skinny, basically one room on each of the four floors. In the basement was the kitchen, which was all blue and white except t for the color provided by the bowls of produce. It had thin long windows near the ceiling at the ground level outside, allowing it to be warmed and lit naturally.
Next, when you first walked in the front door, you found yourself in the living area where Marigold’s grandparents kept the windows open and the fireplace empty for guests to arrive with Floo powder. It had her grandparent's book collection and the knickknacks they found on the shore at low tide. It held a plush couch and two well-loved recliners, all of which faced the sea just beyond the cliff of the hill where the house was built.
The next story had the guest room, adorned with a balcony and two small beds in either corner that almost touched anyway because of high tight the space was. The bedding was locally crafted and died by Marigold’s grandfather with garden clippings so they were a pale blue against the stark white walls.
The final and top floor was the master bedroom and the only restroom, just as cramped but homely as the three lower floors. It had one large bed where the elderly couple slept, and a long balcony with a small table and chairs for enjoying the weather. It also happened to be closer to the next-door neighbor’s orange tree, where her grandmother collected the neroli for perfume and potions.
It was easy to adore, its quaint construction but lovely location. Out front, on the opposite side of the house than the ocean, one would have to stumble through a garden to make it to the door. It was full of potted herbs like rosemary, dill, and basil, and held garden beds of vegetables. There was one large and sturdy tree on the property, an olive tree next to the sidewalk which was perfect for the teenagers to climb and hide in when the leaves were dark and dense in the summer.
It was her haven, Marigold was sure. It also helped that her grandparents, although somewhat strict about some things, were nothing like their daughter and son-in-law. They were outward with their affection, hugging the grandkids any chance they got, pinching their faces, kissing their hair, and squeezing their hands. They expressed their love for them at least three times daily.
When Alexander expressed privacy with his boyfriend, she was quick to give it to them. She’d scurry up the stairs to listen to her grandmother read in the sunny bed, or down to the kitchen where she was sure to find her grandfather preparing at least a snack if not experimenting with a recipe for a full feast.
He took them sailing sometimes, their boat docked just down a steep descent from the side of the hill to the beach where a small cove and wooden dock would be found. Sometimes he’d just take the three out of the cove and to the neighboring beach where most of the locals lived on shore. They’d hop off the boat with their surfboards to catch some more social waves, before coming back to land and picking home surfboards under their arms.
The garden didn’t produce much fruit, so every couple of days their grandmother would take the three on an adventure just down the winding path to the farmers market where she would bargain with fruit vendors and jewelry makers for gifts to give to each of them.
It was bohemian and romantic, Marigold couldn’t wait for her friends and loves to come visit her. She’d have to wait quite a while, however, as the eight of their schedules didn’t line up until August, and then Remus and Sirius would have to stay later instead of arriving earlier due to the lunar cycle.
Alexander and William had been gone quite a while now, sending a weekly letter from England where the Berkeley’s resided. William’s mother must have asked for their long stay due to limited company the rest of the year, and Marigold wondered how hard life must be for single mothers let alone those with children at boarding schools.
She took the chance to tan, laying out in the garden on a chaise lounge, the boat’s deck with a towel, the sand in the cove on a picnic blanket, the wood of the dock after a good swim, the grass next outside the living room windows near the hill’s drop off, or even on her pink surfboard floating on calm water between wave sets.
She must have been burnt and tanned over thrice by August, but she didn’t mind. There was aloe in the garden to soothe the burns, and they always resulted in more freckles after they healed anyways.
She spent a lot of time entertaining her grandparents by asking them for stories of their youth and climbing the olive tree to hide while she smoked a cigarette she stole from her grandmother. Of course, her grandmother also hid these from her husband, as he discouraged the addictive behavior.
When the group arrived, she had just returned from the larger beach, clad in her navy bikini top and red board shorts. Her pink surfboard was growing heavier throughout her hike through the village and up the hill, and the bottoms of her feet were hot from walking the sun-kissed pavement the entire time. Her hair hung around her face in semi-dried salty waves, and her chest heaved after hours of paddling and pop-ups. She had just set the board against the side of the house when her grandmother hurried out the front door.
“Your friends, they arrived a few minutes ago, you’re late!” She scolded, dragging her in by an elbow.
“I’m sorry Yai Yai, I lost track of time in the water!” She apologized stumbling out of the blinding sun and into the cool living room, where sure enough all seven of her friends were listening to her grandfather tell a tale of mermaids.
“Nothing lovely, those scaley things, trust me,” He spoke, but saw his granddaughter and beamed. “There she is, beautiful Marigold has turned up finally!”
“I’m sorry for making you wait, everyone,” She apologized with a grin, just beside herself to be reunited with them all after their summer apart.
Lily hugged her first, ignoring the dampness in her friend's hair and clothing. When Lily pulled back it was Sirius who practically tackled her down, pressing his lips into her hair and singing her praises. After his moment with her, he thrust her gently into Remus who was still recovering from the full moon the night prior.
Remus chuckled, kissing her cheek and hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting himself. He remained seated on an arm of the recliner in his lesser state, wishing his ailment wouldn’t be so obvious. Marigold didn’t mind, she was just happy to see him at all.
Once introductions had been concluded, they all sat in the garden around the old table, eating the many bowls of different snacks the old man had placed out. There were olives and pickles, pomegranate seeds, sliced figs, feta cheese, smoked meat, and bell pepper cubes.
“I’ll take you kids sailing later, and show the boys where they can sleep below the deck,” The old man announced.