The bright yellow VW bug careened around the hairpin turn, She's doin' 40 if she's doin' a mile! the driver of the oil tanker remarked to no one in particular, straightened out and zipped down the slip, then vaulted onto the scow, snugly navigating into the small space between the tanker and the mail car, and stopping a scant foot from the edge.
Mac shouted a curse at its approach and made an impromptu leap for the railing, grabbed a tenuous hold on a steel cable and hauled himself to safety while Cap emerged from the wheelhouse like a thundercloud. Holy standin' Jaysus, he bellowed, This ain't no damn speedway! What the almighty hell do you think yer doin'! The door to the little car opened and out she stepped, a girl with auburn hair to her waist and cinnamon skin, spectacularly tall, dressed in a white sundress and barefoot. Beggin' yer pardon, ma'am, he muttered and took a tentative step back while she flashed him a brilliant smile, But you might have a tad more respect for that curve next time, it don't take lightly to that kind of speed. She glanced over her shoulder and then back at Cap and nodded, I'll keep that in mind, she said with a second, slightly less brazen smile, Sorry. The old sailor shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other like a shy schoolboy then tipped his cap to her and made his way back to the wheelhouse, pausing only to shout at Mac, still clinging to the cable. Get down from there, you damn fool, we got a run to make! And shut yer mouth, think you'd never seen a pretty woman afore this!
Truth was, as they all knew, she was way past pretty. She stood at the railing for the crossing, wind in her hair and sun on her face, making no effort to avoid the salt spray or shade her eyes. No one knew who she was or why she was there and she offered nothing to satisfy their curiosity. A stranger in their midst, and a dark skinned one at that, was a mystery - the school teacher had told of meeting such people in the mainland cities but no islander had ever expected to actually encounter one, certainly not one in bright, yellow car and driving like hell was on her tail.
Mac approached her to collect the crossing fare and she handed him a crisp dollar bill - when he tried to thank her, he found himself unable to think of the familiar words and blushing all the way to the roots of his hair, he nodded and fled. By the time the ferry docked across the passage, the little yellow bug was rev'd and ready to go, waiting only for the flaps to be put down before it roared off. A little less than five minutes later, word of the stunning girl had spread like a runaway fire and reached The Point as well as all points in between. The village buzzed with the news, a black girl in a white sundress driving the oddest little yellow car, was tearing down the dusty dirt road like a bat out of hell - speculation was rampant.
Oh, for heaven's sake, my grandmother said as she slammed down the telephone, It's the nurse, come to take care of Victoria - they said she was a colored girl from the hospital in Halifax. Miss Victoria, reaching for the penny jar she kept on the top pantry shelf, had lost her balance and fallen, breaking her hip in two places and shattering her elbow. Miss Violet had decided a live in nurse for the summer would be money well spent as Victoria was inclined to be demanding at times and out and out unreasonable at others. She had called the nursing service and made arrangements the week before and if the issue of skin color had come up, she'd paid no attention. Thus, Alyssa Marie arrived on the island and despite Miss Victoria's loud and sometimes shockingly graphic objections, thus she was to remain until September. The sundress gave way to a crisp, starched, snow white uniform and a navy blue cape. White stockings and crepe sole shoes covered the bare feet and her hair was neatly tucked into a twist and pinned with a seashell barrette. The bright yellow bug rarely left the driveway and became an object of intense scrutiny - island boys favored sleek and sharp edged Chevies and Fords, long, lean, loud - and this small, shiny little car seemed like a toy to them. Besides, Nana said dryly, It gives 'em an excuse to hang around the house.
If Alyssa Marie thought anything about all this attention, she kept silent, caring for Miss Victoria every day with quiet efficiency and kindness. Labor Day came and she packed her things, donned a blue silk pants suit, let down her hair, and caught the morning's first ferry run. The yellow VW took the curve on two wheels and roared away toward the mainland, out of sight in a matter of seconds but leaving behind a little mystery, a little imagined romance, a little new found tolerance.
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