I went to my room and pulled out my phone.
KA: You on the way?
Chase: Hey, that bonfire still on? You going?
Nothing from Joey.
But a text from an unknown number.
Hey, it’s Harry. Woody says mail came for you.
My skin prickled. My dad.
I slipped my feet into my yellow flip flops, grabbed my lip gloss, twenty bucks, and slipped the elastic with my apartment key on it onto my wrist.
The sliding door closed behind me, and I ran down the path to Woody’s, my heart beating erratically. I hadn’t heard from him in forever. Seven months? I’d stopped counting weeks when they ventured upward of fifteen. He was supposed to be coming for my birthday.
I skidded around the corner of the boardwalk to Woody’s. The place was crazy. Dirty Harry was in his usual spot though. He saw me and his eyes widened as he looked me up and down. “Your mama know you look like that?”
“Like what?” my chin bobbed back, offended.
“All prettied up. You look pretty. Prettier.” He shook his head. “Ahh, give an old man a break. Can’t compliment a young gal without being creepy.”
I grinned and held my hand out.
He pulled a postcard out of his top pocket and slapped it on my outstretched hand. My dad! I grabbed Harry in a brief and tight hug. “Thank you!”
“Damn, I woulda made sure I got to hand you your mail all the time,” he said. “There was other mail too, but I figured you would want this one.”
“You figured correct. Okay, gotta go. And thank you.” I skipped back to the boardwalk, the postcard pressed to my chest. I’d waited so long, I almost didn’t want to look. This moment could last forever as far as I was concerned. If my dad was sending me a postcard, he was all right. And he hadn’t forgotten about me. Normally I read his postcards on the boat, but I was due at the beach. I chewed my lip. Just once I could break tradition, right?
I pulled the postcard away from my chest, picture up. The path lamppost was dim but I could see. It was a mountain with a completely flat top as if a massive scythe swung through the air and sliced through the rock like butter. A city was nestled at the foot, tucked in between the mountain and the shore. The shot was taken from the water. It was beautiful. I turned the postcard over.
Cape Town, South Africa
This place is beautiful, Jazzy Bear. You remember I told you I thought Rio was the most beautiful city on the planet? Well, I changed my mind, it’s this place. Even if it’s Christmas in summer. I hope you can visit it one day. You must be a few months into your senior year. Keep your head down, don’t be hard on your mother, and graduate. Then your life can begin. I hope I’m with you to celebrate the momentous occasion. It’ll be around the same time as your birthday. I’m still planning on coming to Butler Cove for that. Don’t you dare turn eighteen without me. Love always, I miss you like a penguin misses its waddle (<~ You can’t beat that one. A penguin without a waddle just isn’t a penguin).
Love, Dad.
A few months into senior year? I squinted at the smeared postmark, pulling out my phone to use the flashlight. There was a text from Joey and I ignored it. December. My heart sank. The disappointment felt like lead in the pit of my stomach and the soles of my feet. I thought I should just sit down. I wasn’t feeling that jovial.
I pulled out my phone when it buzzed again.
KA: Everything okay? I can’t imagine you’re primping. Wait, are you?
Jay Bird: Courtney’s here. You’re coming right?
I rolled my eyes.
Jazzy Bear: Grow some balls Joseph. Cut her loose. And stop pretending you need a reason to see me. I’m all that, remember?
My raw emotions at getting the postcard obviously needed an outlet.
There.
I got that off my chest.
Jay Bird: You got me.
My heart beat wildly in my chest as I stared at his text. The joy, the emotional roller coaster of how I felt with all my interactions with Joseph, was like a beacon in the fog that had descended with my father’s postcard.
“Hey, Jazz!”
I looked back toward the restaurant. “Woody?”
“Yeah, Harry stole the postcard, but there’s some mail for ya. With you celebratin’ your birthday an’ all, figured you’d want it.”
I walked back toward Woody’s, following him behind the bar and through a side door into a hallway that smelled of old fish and spilled milk. I wrinkled my nose and sewed my lips tight so my cheeks were like twin pouches of air. He leaned down and grabbed a small plastic crate that held a bunch of envelopes and junk mail. I nodded, eyes wide and took it, managing to give Woody a thumbs up of thanks before backing out. I carried the crate back to my apartment, opened the sliding door, and deposited it just inside my bedroom.
My phone buzzed again.
KA: Come on! What’s taking so long? Joey’s pacing like a caged lion (do NOT tell him I said that). Chase is here too. Chatting with Lizzie right now. You’re missing important coming of age memories smiley face