Reginald lay in bed, having woken up only minutes ago. He could hear his wife Lily and kids in the kitchen and knew he should get up as well. He glanced at the clock-it was almost 10:30.

At length, Reggie rolled out of bed. At least he didn't have to get dressed...not in the safety of his own house. The bedroom was warm...it looked like another hot day.

Yawning, he walked into the kitchen. Lily was cooking scrambled eggs. His son and daughter were eating cereal.

"Hi, Daddy." called Maggie. Bushroot went over and gave each child a kiss on the forehead. "Morning, sweetie. Not bothering your mother, I hope?"

"Our kids? Never." said Lily. "I'm glad you decided to get up. I wouldn't have to eat these eggs by myself." She served him, and Bushroot happily began eating. He noticed that Lily seemed to have something else on her mind, but assumed she'd tell him if need be.

When the kids were done, Lily opened the door. "It's beautiful out. Why don't you guys go outside and play for a while? Daddy and I have something to discuss." Maggie and Forrest climbed down from thier seats and left, Spike following them shortly after, eager for a romp as always.

Now Reggie was curious. What did his wife plan to talk about that she didn't want the children in on? It was confusing, especially since as a rule there were no secrets kept among the family.

Lily sat down and looked at him as Reginald downed his orange juice. He stared back. "What's going on?" he asked at length.

"It's time we thought about taking a vacation. I know the kids are dying to go, and I think we deserve one."

Bushroot nodded. "I suppose...but where?" The usual thought had come immediately to mind...the problems that always came with his appearance in a public place. "I don't really want to lounge around by a pool in a trenchcoat and hat all the time."

"That's not what I had in mind. I was talking to Eric the other day, and he mentioned a place by the seashore his family used to go all the time. There are cabins there, and it's literally next to the ocean. I guess there's a huge stretch of rocks, and a beach..."

Reggie nodded. "But other people would still be there. I don't mean to be a spoilsport, Lil, but you know we have to think about that."

Lily took his hand. "That's right, Reggie. We. You're not alone...you'll have your family and friend with you."

Bushroot looked up. "Friend?"

Lily smiled. "I thought Eric might like to come, to help with the gas and looking after the kids. Do you think he would?"

Reginald nodded. "He might. I'll phone and ask him." Lily went to tell the children the news while Bushroot picked up the phone.

Eric arrived bright and early two days later. The reservations at the Sea Breeze Cabins had been made, and everyone was eager to go. Eric had immediately agreed to go, and the Bushroots were pleased to have him, not just as a close family friend but as someone who had been to the area and was familiar with it. They had rented a minivan for the trip, and Eric threw his luggage in the back.

"Thanks for coming." said Reggie as they shook hands. "We're glad to have you along."

"You'll love it." said Eric. "I enjoyed it so much when I was young."

Bushroot smiled. "I can't wait."

Then a familiar voice cut through the morning air: "Hi, Uncle Eric!" The recipient of the greeting turned and picked Maggie up as she ran up to him. "Hey, sweetheart. Your dad going to get us there in one piece?" Bushroot swatted him in the head with a laugh. He put Maggie down and rubbed her hair. "Ever been to the seashore?"

"No. We've never had a vacation before." replied Maggie, making Reggie realize that Lily had been right-this was long overdue.

"Hello, Eric." came a second voice. There was Lily, coming with a fairly large and smaller suitcase. Forrest was following behind her.

"Hi." said Eric. "Thanks for inviting me. Hello, Forrest."

Forrest nodded. "Hello." Eric didn't say more, knowing how shy Forrest was. He knew, because there was a lot of that left in himself.

"Our pleasure." replied Lily. "You know we consider you part of the family-Maggie dosen't call you 'Uncle' for nothing. Are you ready, Reggie?"

Bushroot heaved a large suitcase into the back, followed by Lily's and the kids' baggage. "If I don't break my back with these." He slammed the door down.

Lily giggled and climbed into the passenger side front seat. Eric got in the seat behind, followed by Maggie and Forrest, then Spike, who scrambled into the back and settled on top of the luggage. Reginald got behind the wheel and shoved the seat back to give his root-shaped feet more room to operate the pedals. Then he started the van, and they were on thier way.

They proceeded down Route 1 towards Ellsworth. The route would take them all the way to Milbridge, the small village near the cabins. As they got away from the urban area of St. Canard, the woods started to increase, making Bushroot smile with pleasure.

"I like this trip already." he remarked.

"It shouldn't be too far away." said Eric. Lily took a map out of the glove compartment and consulted it. "No...it's only about an hour's drive."

Reggie groaned. "Then why did we have to get up so early?"

"To get an early start, so we can have the whole day to enjoy ourselves." Lily smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek. Bushroot didn't want to take his eyes off the road, so he settled for lightly chucking Lily's beak. Eric smiled. How lucky they were to be so close...

Time passed. No one said anything for almost half an hour, until Maggie piped up.

"Uncle Eric, what's lobster taste like?"

Eric smiled. "You'll love it. First you crack open the shell, and pull out the white meat. You dip that in melted butter. You can even suck lobster meat out of the legs."

Bushroot made a face. "Ugh. Luckily I brought a small bag of Vigoro for me and Spike."

"Come on, Reg, you'll love it." said Eric. "You can't sit there and eat fertilizer while the rest of us have lobster."

"And you won't be eating that at the same table as us." said Lily, eyeing him. Bushroot nodded. "I guess I'm outnumbered."

Then they reached Ellsworth, and stopped to eat breakfast, Bushroot donning his coat and hat as a disguise first. It was still only 11 o'clock. While they ate, they discussed further details of the trip.

"There are two large cabins, and then a series of small ones, then more big ones further up the road." said Eric. "You guys could stay in a large one, and I'll take a smaller one."

"If you wouldn't feel left out." said Reggie.

"Certainly not." replied Eric. "Even the small ones have a washroom with shower. You know I'll be eating meals with you. The only time I'll probably be in the cabin is when I'm in bed or just after I get up."

"If you ever get lonely," said Lily, "you understand that you can come over to our cabin. We'll find a place for you."

Eric nodded. "I'm sure it won't be a problem. Thanks anyway."

With that settled, they finished breakfast and left, not to stop again until they reached thier destination.

They drove on, and as they got closer to the sea, they could see the coastline through the trees. Here and there, they saw small beaches with large clusters of rocks scattered on them.

"Is that what the beach at the cabins is like?" asked Reginald.

"No. The rocks are huge there. You'll see." replied Eric. He looked at the kids, who were gazing at the scenery. He smiled, happy to be invited to take part and happy that he could share a place that held so many memories for him with his best friend and family.

Soon they reached Milbridge. As they drove through the small, quiet village, Eric pointed out a few familiar sights: the theater, the supermarket, as well as Frankenstein's novelty store. Not surprisingly, the kids liked the name, and Maggie was soon begging her parents for a visit to it.

"We came here to enjoy the seashore, not spend the weekend shopping." said Lily.

"That's right." replied Reginald, partly because he agreed with Lily's statement, and partly because he wanted to keep public appearances to a minimum. He knew it was unfair to the others, but... He sighed as he turned up the road that led to the cabins, according to the map and Eric's directions.

"We'll have to buy groceries." said Lily. "Maybe we can stop in then." Maggie nodded, and Forrest simply looked out the window, fascinated at the woods that seemed to come right up to the road.

They went up hills and around narrow turns. Some of the houses did in fact seem very close to the road. They met a few people, who waved. Everyone waved back, but Reggie tried to keep a low profile. He hoped Eric was right about the cabins being isolated.

Finally, there was the familiar sign that Eric had known since early childhood: Sea Breeze Cabins, with a picture of a lobster on it. Maggie laughed at the sight of the lobster, and Bushroot merely gave her a look. They turned into the dirt road that led to thier final destination.

Tree branches hung low as they drove down the short road. They were brushing against the van, but moved as Bushroot gave a small gesture and mental command.

Then they were there. They made a final turn, and there were the rocks and the cabins. Eric audibly gasped at the sight, and Lily let out a exclamation at the view.

As Eric had said, there were two large cabins, on thier left. Then there were a series of four smaller cabins. Although the main color was white, each of the smaller cabins were painted in different color trim. Beside the fourth cabin was another building with an OFFICE sign. Then came another, longer building with no windows. Also to be seen, on the right and across from the office, was a house.

But the natural sights really got everyone's attention. There was a small beach, then the rocks, and they were huge. They literally covered the shoreline, and here and there, small pools of water could be seen among them. The rocks were big enough to lie on. Beyond that, of course, the endless expanse of the ocean.

"Wow..." said Reginald. "This place is incredible. You sure called it, Eric."

"Remember, I've been coming here since I was small. I'd never forget it. And it hasn't changed a bit."

"Amazing." said Lily. As they looked, Reginald pulled the van in beside the second cabin. Then the five climbed out, followed by an eager and energetic Spike. The kids ran towards the beach, the plant-dog close behind.

"Maggie, Forrest, get back here!" yelled Bushroot. "Get Spike back here!" The last thing they needed was for someone to see Spike and panic.

"Relax, dear." said Lily, putting a hand on Reggie's shoulder. "There's no one around. It'll be okay."

"But..."

"No buts. We're going to have a wonderful weekend and not worry about anything. Now I'm going to find the owner and register while you guys unpack." Lily walked towards the house.

Bushroot watched her go. Eric slapped him on the back. "Come on." he said. "Let's get settled in." He picked up his own suitcase and Lily's, and they entered the large cabin. "It's going to be great, Reg."

Reginald nodded and smiled. He hoped so.

END OF PART ONE


Reginald Bushroot, Spike, and St. Canard are the property of Disney and used without permission. Lily, Maggie and Forrest Bushroot are the property of Tracy Pierce and are used with permission. Eric Smith is the property of the author. All actual place and business names, past or present, are used for story purposes only. This story was written for fun and not profit. (C) 2000 Eric Smith.


Part 2
Home