So far, eleven year old Heddy has talked with her late grandmother, Nonni and discovered someone living in old Dr. Monroe's house.

*********************************

My letter to Aunt Lana is short. Momma tries to help me by telling me what to write. But the letter doesn't sound like me, it sounds like my momma. "I think I'm done," I say, after sliding the fancy paper over to her.

"It's very short, Heddy. Are you sure you're done?"

"Yes, ma'am. I don't really know what to say to her. Do you think she remembers me?"

"Of course. Why would you ask a silly question like that?" Momma asks.

I hesitate, I know this is going to hurt her feelings. "I don't remember Aunt Lana. I don't remember Uncle Charlie or cousin Belinda. If I don't remember them how can they remember me?"

Momma slides her chair back and motions for me to come over to her. "Aunt Lana, Uncle Charlie and Belinda used to come here every summer. You were just a little bitty thing. Uncle Charlie used to put you on his shoulders, and take you out in the water. He called you his little fishy." She smiles thinking about it.

I don't remember any of it. "Why'd they stop coming down here?"

"Uncle Charlie's job kept them close to Richmond. Lana was afraid to travel with Belinda by herself. Then the stupid war," she says, letting her words trail off.

I know she's thinking about Willis.

"Have we gotten a letter from Willis this month?"

She shakes her head. She wants to cry, I know she does. She pats my back gently then pushes me a step away. "Why don't you go on outside and play before I fix your lunch?"

Impulsively, I kiss her cheek. "Don't worry, Momma. Willis is probably so busy kissing those French girls, he don't have time to write."

She looks up, her eyes wide. "Heddy! What would make you say something like that?"

"A boy in my class said his older brother told him that you could go to places where the girls would let you kiss them and stuff. His brother said all soldiers go there, unless they're sissies."

"That boy needs his rear end spanked, and so does his brother. And, if I hear you talk about this again, you can bet your bottom is going to get spanked."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

"Go on, Heddy. Go play."

I don't wait, head to the door before Momma changes her mind.

***********************************

I know I shouldn't but my feet have other ideas and I walk down the beach in the direction of Dr. Monroe's house.

I lie down a few inches from the top of the dune. I'm good at spying. I could help us win the war because I'm good at it. I spied on my teacher once. Watched as she shared a cigarette with Mr. Collette, the janitor. She leaned against the brick wall behind the school, she was smiling at Mr. Collette like he was her boyfriend. But, he couldn't be her boyfriend on account of he's married to Mrs. Collette. Mrs. Collette runs the post office on the island. I waited until they finished their cigarette and Mr. Collette tossed it behind the prickly bush, then I crawled in there and got it. But, there wasn't just one cigarette in the bush, there were lots of them. Some were just regular old cigarettes, but most had the greasy stain of my teachers lip stick.

Right now, I'm flat on my belly, watching Dr. Monroe's house for any sign of the giant man. A sand crab comes out of a hole beside me, stops then scurried across the sand. If I wasn't on a spy mission, I'd try to catch him, but I have to pay attention to the house.

The sun warms my back and I lay my head on my arm. My eyes grow heavy. Nonni used to tell me the sound of the ocean was the best lullaby and the sun was the warmest blanket. Maybe I fell asleep or maybe I was just daydreaming but I jump at the sound of a door closing.

I perk up, the giant is standing on the little wooden porch. His white shirt is open. It looks like he just woke up. My momma would skin me alive if I slept the morning away.

He stretches his arms out to the side of him and twists his neck all funny.

The little sand crab comes back, stops long enough to show me his big claw. He uses it as a shovel and flicks sand at me.

"Go away, crab," I whisper. Carefully moving my hand towards it. It darts away.

The giant pauses, turns his head from one side to the other. "Hello?"

I press my lips together, go still, not moving a muscle. I don't even breathe. I stare down at the sand. It starts to roll down the dune. It's not the crab this time. It's the giant.

His shadow covers the whole dune I'm hiding behind. The warmth I felt from the sun is gone.

"You don't listen very good," he says.

"I didn't tell anybody about you." I blurt.

"That's good, I guess." Without warning, he reaches down, and with his big hand he grabs my upper arm and picks me up. "Can you please tell me why you're spying on me?"

"You're new. We don't get a lot of new people "

He puts his hands on his hips. "Who are you?"

"My name is Heddy," I say, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. "I live right down the beach. How come you're at Dr. Monroe's and why are you hiding from people?"

He suppresses a laugh. "Hard headed and nosy. I'm not hiding. I'm here to think."

"I think all the time. Thinking isn't hard."

"Depends on what you're thinking about. Thinking about what you want for supper isn't all that hard, but thinking about your future and your destiny, well, that takes deep soul searching."

I stare up at him. The sun glints off of his hair making it look like copper.

"Ah, hell, you don't understand what I'm talking about."

"My momma thinks a lot. She worries that my brother, Willis, is kissing French girls on the mouth." I look away. A thought dawns on me. "Maybe that's why he don't write to us anymore. He's kissing every French girl he can get his hands on."

The giant smiles. "That's probably it. I've heard those girls are real pretty."

I shrug. "Momma says when someone introduces themselves, it's polite to introduce yourself back."

He nods. "I apologize. Your momma is exactly right. My name is Artie. It's nice to meet you." He holds out his hand and I curtsy like they showed us in school.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Artie. Are you gonna stay here for the summer?"

Artie looks around. "I'm not sure how long I'll stay."

I hear my momma's voice. She's looking for me. Calling my name and getting closer and closer.

"I gotta go! My momma is calling me."

Artie nods and waves his hand for me to run. "Remember, Heddy. Don't tell anyone about me, okay?"

I jump down to the bottom of the dune. I pretend to turn a key on my mouth, then dramatically toss it away.