The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

I tell Grandmary that I’d really rather not go to the doctor. I’m feeling better. She hesitates, but says that in that case, I should rest in the parlor for time. Relief washes over myself as I follow Grandmary and Samantha out the kitchen and down the hall.

The parlor is so elegant that I’m afraid to step in it with my dirty tennis shoes and capris. The walls are lined with red velvet chairs, and large windows framed with red curtains open up onto the front porch. Grandmary pats a small sofa and tells me to lie down. I try to relax, but it’s difficult with Samantha staring at me. After a few moments, Grandmary says she forgot about her dinner party. She better send Hawkins next door to reschedule the with Rylands. When Hawkins appears and Grandmary asks him to cancel the plans and he asks if he should send Mrs. Hawkins in to discuss alternate dinner plans. Grandmary says no. She’ll speak with her herself. Samantha is tasked with looking after me as Grandmary leaves the room.

Samantha smiles. After a few moments of silence, she asks if I would like to see a magic lantern show. I nod. Samantha pulls the curtains closed and fiddles with the magic lantern. It’s a metal box with two tubes extending from the front. A soft light glow within the box, projecting an image onto the wall. It’s a painting of an Eskimo in a sled. Samantha shows me more and more images of far away places, and it occurs to me that this lantern isn’t very magical. I wonder what she would think of TVs, computers, and cell phones.

Samantha tells me she would like to visit all of these places. But she’s never been farther away than Piney Point. That’s the summer home in the mountains where they’ll be going in a couple of days. Then, Samantha flips to an image of the Grand Canyon and I exclaim that I’ve been there. Samantha’s jaw drops. Really? Jeepers. I wear bloomers and ride bicycles and travel to far away places. She hasn’t done any of that. I ask her if she has a bicycle. I remember when I first met her that she told me that she never learned to ride a bike. She shrugs and says there’s one in the shed that belonged to her Uncle Gard. But Grandmary won’t let her ride it. She thinks bicycles are too dangerous.

We flip through a few more magical pictures before Grandmary returns. I tell her I’m feeling much better. She raises an eyebrow, not convinced. I’m going to have to try harder if I have any hope of avoiding a doctor’s visit. I sit up and say that I remember where I was going. Out of the corner of my eye, Samantha’s eyes widen with interest. I tell her that my mother put me on a train. I was traveling to Plattsburgh to stay with family for this summer, but then I hit my head. Samantha interrupts and says Plattsburg sounds familiar. Grandmary says it’s not too far from Piney Point. They’ll see Plattsburgh on the train schedule when they travel to Piney Point.

Samantha jumps up. She has an idea! Maybe I can stay with them at Piney Point for a day or two before going out to visit my relatives in Plattsburgh. We can swim and hike and pick wildflowers. I have to admit, Piney Point sounds like fun. And if I go, I can stay with Samantha for a few more days and get to know her better. Samantha begs Grandmary. She says she’s never had a friend her age at Piney Point before. Grandma’s face softens, and I know her answer even before she says the words. But she insists that I must telephone my family to ask permission.

I know I won’t be able to reach either of my parents by phone. But I must follow Grandmary’s orders to try. When I get back to the kitchen, Mrs. Hawkins shows me how to crank the handle on the side of the phone box and hold a receiver to my ear. Then she hurries into the dining room to make sure Elsa has set the table. When I hear the operator’s voice, I ask her about listings in Plattsburgh under my dad’s name. Suddenly, the line gets disconnected. Samantha tells me to try again. I replace the receiver and then the telephone rings. Samantha says to answer it. We share a party line with the neighbors, but that call is for us. I lift the receiver and operator saying she has no listings of my father’s name. I thank the operator for her help, but before I hang up, I catch a glimpse of Samantha’s face. She’s covering her mouth with her hands while holding her breath, her eyes filled with hope. How can I let her down?

I don’t want to disappoint Samantha, so I do the kindest thing I can think of. After I can no longer hear the operator, I pretend to be talking to someone else. A relative who is happy to grant me permission to spend a couple of days at Piney Point. When Samantha hears my words, she starts jumping up and down with excitement. When I get off the line, a thrilled Samantha hugs me and races out the back porch. As I step out onto the porch behind Samantha, I see the lilac hedge. Suddenly, Eddie’s face pokes through the hole in the hedge. He waves at me, calling me over.

Before Eddie can say a word, Samantha calls out to him and says we’re busy packing for Piney Point. Grandmary reminds her to mind her manners, but Samantha gave me one of those looks that says to ignore him. He’s a big pain. I’m about to turn away from Eddie when he whispers that he heard me on the telephone. I’m a liar. I remember now what Samantha said about sharing a party line with the neighbors. Does that mean they can listen in on each other’s phone calls? Did Eddie hear every word of my conversation with the operator? I stare at Eddie, wondering what to say or do. He looks so proud of himself. Eddie whispers that he’s going to tell on me. I have to tell Samantha what happened before he does, or find another way to get him off my back. It looks as if he’s gearing up to dart across the lawn and expose my secret right now.