Page 21 of Kissing the Beach Town Fire Chief
“Trust me, I was shocked too when I read about this.”
“All of the documents are in the bookstore. The end of last row, you can see them for yourself when you get the chance,” Ami tells her and she nods.
“Thank you for telling me this,” Aunt Maggie takes Ami’s hand and smiles at her.
Dusty weaves between Maggie’s legs, sensing her unease, and she absentmindedly strokes the cat's back, lost in thought.
"What are you going to do now, Aunty?" Ami asks her.
"I don't know. It’s a lot to take in. What do you think, Ethan?"
I hesitate. Should I tell her I already told my campaign team? Maybe not. She's my opponent, after all.
“I don’t know. My campaign people weren’t happy about this either,” I say.
“You told them? Everything?” Maggie asks.
"Just some bits," I admit.
"I think you should tell everyone. It was your ancestors, not you. Many people here have ancestors who played a part in this," Ami tries to explain.
"My darling, I love your thinking, but I know this town and its people. Suddenly, you tell me my family destroyed the nature of this place? I don’t even know how much of it is true. Who knows how those documents ended up here? Maybe someone planted them to bring me down," Aunt Maggie says.
“But Aunt Maggie, this is the true history of this town,” Ami argues.
“I am old, and I know the history of this town. Whatever you found is not relevant. Stop discussing it now,” Aunt Maggie says, slamming her book on the shelf and leaving.
Ami looks at me with shock, we are both speechless and don’t know what to do now. Dusty, sensing the tension, leaps onto the counter and settles on a pile of papers, her purring the only sound in the room.
Chapter ten
Ami
Back at the bookstore, I start surfing the shelves for something to read. My mind is numb. On the one hand, I think about Aunt Maggie and how shocking it must have been for her to hear the truth. On the other hand, I still cannot shake off the reality that I know about the town's hidden history and have not done anything about it.
Yesterday’s argument with Aunt Maggie told me that she does not want to hear anything about the matter at hand.
I scan the rows of the books when I come across the story section. Reading has always given me pleasure. I pick up a book named “Morales over Love” that piques my interest and start flipping the pages. The story is about someone who falls in love with a mafia leader who is responsible for the city’s misery. The girl is somehow unaware and falls for him. At the end, when the truth is revealed, she decides to betray him and hand him over to the police.
It feels like hours when I finally decide to put the book down. For some reason, I have found my answers.
The internal battle I have been fighting since finding out about the town’s secret has weighed me down. After talking to Aunt Maggie, it’s clear that she doesn't want to talk about it or have me either. However, I can’t help it.
Borrowing a pen and paper from the counter, I sit on a couch beside the racks. I start jotting down my ideas. Dusty also joins me, taking a peaceful nap on my lap while I get busy writing.. There are not a lot of people in the shop, so it gives me the perfect atmosphere to do what I love: write.
I have been scared to explore my interest lately. The topic, being a sensitive one, does not help either. But, I find myself scribbling on the paper without a second thought. I guess the town truly is helping me get over my writer’s block.
“Seabrook, known for its lively atmosphere, the potential for a business hub, a wonderful spot for tourist attraction… The sea breeze, crowded bazaar, and peaceful and loving people make up the town’s essence. The residents take pride in these qualities. And those are all wonderful qualities. However, there is another side to our town, long hidden. Some may resist its true cultural heritage and historical significance once the facts are known: I hope you are not one.
Did you know that Seabrook was discovered by Bohemian artists, poets, and creative souls? Seabrook, which was originally founded to be the ground for creativity, gradually lost those charms. Now, what remains are the quest for modernization and a struggle for survival. “Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs” –Thomas Wolfe.
How easy it is to let go of the centuries of heritage! Just how easy it was for the people then to change the purpose of origin of the town as time passed! Seabrook used to be a town full of life and creativity, a town that was built on the dreamsand passion of the artisans. A town that saw the evolution of art and literature which seems to be missing today. A town so rich in history that everybody tried to bury it. In fact, they eventually were successful in erasing the original culture and history.
Should we stand by while the truth is erased? Should we accept that such a vital piece of our past has been buried for generations? No. We can act now. We must act now, because only we can revive Seabrook’s glorious artistic history and weave it into the fabric of our modern life.
I put up a full stop and stare at the paper. For a moment, I become flustered at the thought that I have written the narrative. My hands start trembling ever so slightly as I experience a sense of adrenaline.
What should I do with the piece in my hand? I haven’t written it for myself. I wrote it for the people to know. However, I know that Aunt Maggie might not approve.
