February 17, 1965
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky three days after Valentine's Day. It's been snowing and snowing. That's given me lots of time to think about all the different kinds of love and back to some of the things that happened in those Heart of Hollyhill books I'm in.
You know it's funny that last Hollyhill book is named Summer of Joy because most of it happened in the winter time. We had a bunch of snow then too. And during one of those snows, Robert showed up out of nowhere. I didn't like him much. You know how I love Wes. I mean, Wes is my best friend and my grandfather all wrapped up in one. But he's not really my grandfather, not in any kind of real family kin. He's from Jupiter. I know. He's not really from Jupiter. I've known that forever, but that's what he's always told me. Then Robert shows up - his real grandson in the family kin way. That sort of worried me. I was afraid Wes wouldn't love me the same if he had Robert to love. Here's the scene out of the book where I go out to walk in the snow to think that through, and Robert hunts me down to talk about Wes.
We walked along without talking for a little ways. I was thinking about claiming I was cold and saying we needed to go back to the house when Robert said, "Your father told me you and my grandfather are real close."
I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say to that, so I just nodded a little and kept walking. We were almost to the end of the apple orchard, but Mr. Crutcher doesn't mind me walking in his pasture fields next door. Dad walks there all the time when he's praying through something for a sermon or whatever.
I thought maybe I should be praying through something. I just wasn't sure what. I wasn't sure why I had that spider crawly feeling inside and tears in my eyes that weren't there just because of the cold wind blowing in my face. Just because proof that Wes wasn't from Jupiter was walking along beside me didn't mean Wes had to stop telling me Jupiter stories. And even if he did, so what? I was too old for Jupiter stories anyway.
"Tell me about him," Robert said.
"What about him?"
"I don't know. Tell me why you love him."
"Why do you want to know that?"
"So I can love him the way you do. Like a real grandson would."
It seemed only fair, so I told him about the spaceship from Jupiter. And about the motorcycle and how Wes talked to the press to keep it running. I told him about the tornado and the tree falling on Wes. I didn't tell him why we were out in the tornado. I figured that would just confuse things. Last I told him about Wes being baptized in the river even though it almost made his ears freeze and fall off. We both laughed about that.
By the time we walked back to the house, I'd passed some of my love for Wes over to Robert, but the funny thing was I didn't have a bit less inside me. Maybe love really is like a candle flame that keeps burning just as brightly no matter how many other candles are lit from the flame.
Is that how you think love is?
By the way, I've heard there are some giveaways going on. You can check it out here. And there's a Goodreads giveaway too. Leave a comment here and be in a special drawing for a copy of one of the Heart of Hollyhill books. That sounds like fun, doesn't it?
February 10, 1965
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Snow is still on the ground but the school buses are running again. I don't ride the bus. Dad takes me to school on his way to the newspaper office. Thank goodness. If I had to ride the bus, I'd be on it for an hour. That might be all right if I could read or sleep, but reading while riding makes me upchuck and I've been on buses a time or two. They hit every bump in the road. Way too bouncy for sleeping. Of course, my girlfriend, Myra, likes riding her bus since her boyfriend is on the same route. They sit together and get all moony eyed over each other. She'll probably get a fancy heart shaped box of chocolate candy. Sigh.
I don't have a boyfriend. Myra says I never will if I don't learn how to flirt a little. I tell her I don't care if I don't ever have a boyfriend if I have to go around batting my eyes like I've got sand in them or something. She says she doesn't do that. She just smiles a lot and lets Joseph know how cute she thinks he is. I didn't tell her, but Joseph would never be on my cute boy list. Then again, I don't have a cute boy list. Maybe I should make one and then I could study up on flirting. I do have guys I like to talk to, but I can't imagine holding hands with any of them. Eww! They're just buddies.
Still it might be fun to get one of those heart boxes. We ran this ad in the paper last week. Dad should get one for Leigh. He did get her chocolate once, but nothing as fancy as this. Just a big chocolate bar back when he was trying to remember how to be romantic. He said it had been a long time since he'd even thought about romance before Leigh began to bat her eyes at him. But I don't know if she's got much chance of getting one of those neat heart boxes of chocolates. Dad says you're not getting a very good return for your money on the candy inside. That it's all show.
But even if I don't know much about flirting, I know that the return on that fancy Valentine heart is not what's inside the box. Leigh would like it. Dad spending that kind of money on a box of candy would make her feel loved. But he probably won't. Even if Zella tells him to. Dad is sensible. Maybe that's why I'm not a good flirter. I'm sensible too. Gee, that sounds horrible at my age. It's okay for Dad to be sensible, but I'm fifteen. I'm not supposed to be sensible yet, am I?
Wes says not to worry, that I've done lots of silly stuff and I probably won't be really sensible for at least three years. He says on Jupiter girls my age have purple hair and instead of giggling when they see a boy they think is cute, they hop up and down like a bunch of crazy rabbits. I guess it's good I'm not a Jupiter girl. I don't think I'd like all that hopping although purple hair sounds kind of neat. Wouldn't that give poor Aunt Love a stroke? She'd be quoting me lots of verses out of the Bible, for sure.
But if you aren't so sensible and know about romance, you should buy your sweetheart something special for Valentine's. Or write them a love poem. Sigh. Now that I could do. If I had any boys on my cute boy list.
So have you ever gotten one of those fancy boxes of candy for Valentine's? If so, maybe you can give me some flirting hints.
February 17, 1964
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Main Street, Hollyhill. Strange goings on in the newspaper office this week.
Valentine's Day was last Friday. The day when everybody goes bonkers for love. At least everybody but Wes and me. He says folks are just having "heart" trouble and it's trouble he intends to stay out of. I wouldn't mind having a box of chocolates but not if I have to put up with a boy to get them. Wes says I'll change my mind any day now about boys since I'm thirteen, but I'm doubting it.
But somebody in Hollyhill must be having "head" trouble. Zella got flowers. On Valentine's Day. Zella! You know Zella. She's the woman who has been working at the newspaper office since forever. Dad says he couldn't get out the paper without her, but sometimes I think he should try. I admit that Zella is a whiz on the typewriter. Not only that, she can tell from the sound of the coins people drop in the dish on the counter when they come in to pick up a paper if they're paying the full twenty-five cents. It's on the honor system, but Zella's stares have a way of keeping everybody honorable.
I'd have thought Zella gave herself those flowers, but I was there when the flower shop owner brought them in. She was as flustered as I've seen her since a mouse made a nest in her bottom desk drawer. She blamed that on Wes. Said he left the back door open too much. And she didn't care how hot it got in the press room. Doors should be shut. I don't think she'll be blaming these flowers on Wes. She must have a secret admirer in Hollyhill. So I guess this proves Wes was right. There are strange things in Hollyhill. Zella having an admirer of any kind, secret or otherwise, is more than strange.
Maybe this is a mystery I need to get to the bottom of. Maybe you can help me out. Have you ever been surprised by something from a secret admirer?
Oh, and remember to leave a comment so you can get your name in the drawing to win a copy of Scent of Lilacs. If you read that you'll understand why I'm so surprised Zella got flowers. On Valentine's Day!
