At Club 47, the girls drank red wine, smoked cigarettes and listened to Joan Baez’s political ballads. Ava had lots of friends, girls and boys, and both Sundays after the music they all headed off to one of the coffee houses and talked until late into the night. Some couples got together, but that wasn’t the most important thing about hanging out. Susannah loved it. She was listened to by boys, not because they wanted to date her, but because they thought she had something interesting to say.
She had tried to communicate her excitement at her transformation to Kate, but when her sister wrote back, she didn’t seem to understand any of the new experiences Susannah described. In response to Susannah’s idea that she come to Cambridge and work in a store, Kate told her she couldn’t leave their mom all on her own on the island. This made Susannah feel guilty, although Kate reassured her she didn’t want to live in the city.
We’re different, Susie, remember. I need to be on the island to be happy, Kate wrote to her. Walking in the woods is my socialising, the trees are my friends, and listening to the sea as it laps against Lane’s Island Bridge Cove is my music. I don’t need to be in coffee houses or clubs to be happy. And wearing something pretty I’ve made for Matthew is enough dressing up for me. Please don’t worry. I am content here, and excited to soon be done with school.
Susannah had planned to go home for Thanksgiving, but the Whittards asked her to help Gertrude because they had family visiting.
‘We were going to hire help,’ Mrs Whittard told her, ‘but Peter thought you might be glad of a few extra dollars.’
Susannah couldn’t turn down the money. She needed every cent for her new social life with Ava.
‘Are you going home for Thanksgiving?’ Susannah asked Ava. She was going to be flat-out at the Whittards’ all day, but if Ava was around, maybe they could meet up later in the evening? Ava gave her a funny look.
‘It’s not a date my family celebrate.’
‘Oh. Why?’ Susannah thought every American celebrated Thanksgiving.
‘I’ll tell you about it another time.’ Ava shrugged. ‘But no, I’m going to be here.’
Thanksgiving, November 27th, 1958
They arranged to go for an evening stroll. The moon was full, but it was terribly cold. Susannah hadn’t even thought about the consequences of walking in such cold without being able to dive into a coffee house. But all their regular places were closed for Thanksgiving.
‘I think it’s going to snow,’ Susannah said to Ava.
‘How’d you know?’
‘I can smell it!’
Ava gave a quick laugh. ‘Doesn’t snow much on Puget Sound.’
‘I can tell by your coat!’ Susannah put her arm around Ava to stop her from shaking.
‘We have to find somewhere warm, else we’d better go home.’
‘We could go to mine,’ Ava suggested. ‘My roommate has gone home for Thanksgiving and most of the girls are away. We could play records.’
The girls linked arms and made their way across Harvard Square in the stark brittle air. Susannah fell in step with Ava. She had never felt so close to anyone else before, not even Kate.
In Ava’s tiny room, Susannah marvelled how two girls managed to share such a small space.
‘Rosie isn’t here often,’ Ava explained. ‘Her parents have an apartment in downtown Boston and she stays there a lot.’
Susannah sat down on Ava’s bed, while her friend put on a record. Woody Guthrie, one of her folk heroes.
The two of them sang along together, beaming at each other.
‘We sound like two screeching cats!’ Ava laughed.
‘Speak for yourself.’ Susannah nudged her.
Ava caught Susannah’s hand in hers. Wrapped her fingers around it. The mood changed instantly. Susannah’s breath shortened, and she was aware of every muscle in her body tensing.
‘I’ve never met a girl like you, Susannah,’ Ava said to her.
‘Sure you have!’ Susannah brushed her off, feeling heat rising to her cheeks. ‘I’m very average.’
Ava shook her head. ‘Well, you know Miss Susannah Olsen, that just isn’t true.’ Ava let go of her hand. ‘Let me turn the record. The B-side is just as good. ‘
She got up off the bed, and Susannah instantly felt bereft. All she wanted was to hold Ava’s hand again.
She watched Ava as she lifted the record off the turntable. She was wearing a red sweater and a plain black skirt and stockings. No shoes on. Her hair was loose and fell in a long stream of ebony down her back. Susannah felt an ache throughout her whole body. Ava was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. She looked away, out of the window of the tiny room.
‘Oh, it’s snowing! Ava, come look.’ Susannah knelt on the bed, pointing out of the window.
Ava jumped onto the bed next to her, and the two girls looked out at swirling snowflakes. How quickly it blanketed the trees and houses, the cars, the whole street in virgin snow, falling thick and fast.
They sat in silence, watching winter’s magic unfurl before them.
‘I will never forget this moment,’ Susannah whispered. ‘It has to be the best in my life so far.’
‘Me too,’ Ava whispered back.
They turned to look at each other. Ava’s dark hair was thrown into contrast by the falling snow outside her window. Her dark eyes even darker against the white.
‘You can’t walk home, the snow is already too thick,’ she said. ‘You’ll have to telephone the Whittards. Tell them you’re staying with a friend tonight.’ She sat back on the bed, crossed her legs. ‘There’s a telephone in the hall downstairs.’
‘Okay,’ Susannah said, her heart beginning to race again.
‘But before you do, let’s dance!’ Ava slipped off the bed and turned up the music. She held out her hand and without thinking, Susannah took it.
16
Emer
26th October 2011
It was their third afternoon hike
