Read Online Back to Madeline Island by Jay Gilbertson - Free Book Online Page B

a wide wooden staircase. We head over toward it.
    â€œThank God we have this place here,” I comment as we start up the stairs. “’Course, if we didn’t, we maybe wouldn’t have brought so much of our junk.”
    â€œPerhaps next spring we should have an old-fashioned yard sale.”
    We’ve stopped on the first tier of steps and are looking down at the vast collection of memories down there. From moose heads and dressers, canoes hanging from the rafters and several pair of snowshoes to lamps and rockers and…
    â€œI’m getting overwhelmed,” Ruby pushes on. “Let’s get a look at this loft.”
    â€œOne more staircase,” I say as we head up and around and into a huge open space.
    â€œThis is lovely.” Ruby walks toward an old rolltop desk hunched in a corner.
    â€œI snooped around here not too long ago.”
    I walk over to the front of the room, which is directly above the huge door downstairs. There’s an enormous window that faces toward the cottage and on out to the lake. It’s breathtaking.
    â€œRuby, get over here and check out this view.”
    She does as she’s told and joins me at my side.
    â€œMy, my,” Ruby sighs out. “Isn’t that the loveliest cottage ever?”
    â€œOh yeah.”
    â€œNow,” Ruby turns back to the room. “Yes, yes, this will be a brilliant spot for us to dance the belly dance, don’t you think, darling?”
    â€œYou can see over here.” I walk toward one of the walls and move some stuff out of the way. “It’s all mirrors, they’re just covered with canvas.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be. You know, Ed’s gran, that would be Adeline, she was—of course —now I remember, she was quite the ballet dancer. There are several old photos down at the cottage of her in costume. She was such a beautiful woman. Even in her eighties. Imagine.”
    I look over to her and shake my head. “Ruby—you will never age.”
    â€œTrue darling, so true.”
    â€œI hear the familiar clomping of…” I announce as loud footsteps clamber into the room.
    â€œ The boys ,” Howard and Johnny declare in a breathy fit of laughter.
    â€œI haven’t been up here in years,” Howard says. “Kind of forgot how big it was.” He wanders over to a canvas-covered table and has a peek underneath. “Johnny, check this out.”
    They lift off the heavy canvas and we all gather around.
    â€œEd had this down at the cottage for the longest time,” Ruby says with a touch of disdain. “It sat off in a corner until he and Charlie, after far too many highballs—truth be told—hauled it up here. It’s very lovely, now that it’s finished, and look, there’s even dishes on the little tables.”
    â€œI remember marveling at this once before,” I say. Reaching down, I snap on several switches and all the miniature homes and cabins light up. Streetlights come to life and even the head-lamps on cars come on. “It must have taken Ed forever to make this model. The entire Madeline Island in miniature. Look, there’s a stand of deer in the road up by our gate.” I point.
    â€œI didn’t know our cottage,” Johnny says, “used to be a log house. There’s a picnic table in the back and the coals in the grill are glowing. Jesus, what detail.”
    â€œYes,” Ruby explains. “There was a log cabin exactly where your place is now. It burned to the ground long ago.”
    â€œI just love this,” I gush. For some reason old places and their stories fascinate me. “Look, behind the barn is a little cabin. I was wondering about that. Certainly it must be gone.” I point to a cabin hidden away among tall pine trees.
    â€œI have never…” Howard comes over next to me to look. “I didn’t know that was there.”
    â€œThat is the original Prévost