Prodigal

A short story

Prodigal

“You’ve just got to let that old story go.” Hearing those words, Jolene startled awake. She was on a red eye, probably somewhere over Oregon. The phrase was familiar. Her mother used to say it. Jolene hadn’t seen her mother for over ten years, and on the handful of occasions they’d communicated, Jolene had been harsh. She’d marked ‘return to sender’ on any letters that managed to find their way to her. Tenaciously, someone from her old community had found a way to reach out to her via email when her father died two years ago. Still, she’d stayed away.

Jolene pushed away those thoughts and sighed with relief at what she saw next: the drink cart. “Vodka Cran, please.”

After the flight attendant moved on, Jolene glanced across the aisle, curious to see who’d said those words which had awoken her. She noticed a small woman with a big voice talking with another person. The woman bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother— silver hair cut short, no make-up or jewellery, blue jeans, runners, and a fleece jacket. She suddenly turned, meeting Jolene’s eye, raised her paper coffee cup and smiled, “Cheers!”

Jolene felt her face grow warm, and she did her best to return the smile, “Cheers.”

Quickly, Jolene crammed in her earbuds and then finished her drink, waiting to feel the liquid soften her frayed nerves. An hour later, the plane landed in Seattle.

It was one in the morning, but the shuttle wouldn’t leave until eight, so Jolene found a bench in the quietest place in the terminal and lay down, using her backpack as a pillow. It was a shallow sleep, but Jolene had a dream—or maybe it was a memory. She was in her old bedroom, and her mother was sitting on the edge of her bed. Jolene was a child, crying, and her mother gently wiped away a tear and asked her, “What old story do you need to let go of?”

Once again, Jolene was startled awake, this time by an announcement over the intercom announcing a gate change for an eight o’clock flight to San Francisco. The airport had been coming back to life while she’d been sleeping. It wasn’t too late to turn around and go back.

When Lance came home and realised she was gone, he’d cut off her credit card and… Jolene didn’t even want to guess what else. Yesterday, she’d driven him to the airport, waited until his flight to New York left, then went inside and bought a one-way ticket to Seattle.

Jolene found a bathroom, brushed her teeth, put on some deodorant, and splashed water on her face. Then, she applied more concealer over the bruise around her left eye. It was seven fifteen, just enough time.

Coffee in hand, Jolene joined six other passengers on the shuttle bus. She was left alone to read her book silently for most of the three-hour drive across the Cascade mountains. As they passed Cashmere, the man in the next seat asked, “Are you from around here?”

“I was.”

“Oh? Me too. Where abouts?”

Jolene hesitated before finally answering, “I grew up in Stehekin.” The name of her hometown brought back a flood of memories, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of longing for the quiet, peaceful life she’d left behind.

“Woah, Stehekin! Do they finally have phone or internet up there?”

“No, I don’t think so. Maybe some people have Starlink...”

“What was that like, growing up there?”

“Quiet. Peaceful. Wonderful. I had a great childhood.”

“So where do you live now?”

“San Francisco.” Or, she had…until yesterday. Jolene was relieved to escape the questioning when the shuttle pulled into Wenatchee.

After getting off the shuttle, Jolene still had a couple of hours to kill before the bus to Chelan would leave. She wandered up the street to Café Mela, where she got a scone for lunch.

The ride to Chelan took an hour, and it was mid-afternoon by the time Jolene got into town. Her journey still wasn’t finished. Unfortunately, the last boat was long gone. There were no roads to Stehekin. With dread, she realised she’d need to get a hotel room and take the boat in the morning. Stehekin was nestled under the Cascades at the north end of Lake Chelan, the most remote community in all of Washington state.

Years ago, Jolene attended school with only ten other kids in one classroom, from kindergarten through eighth grade. After that, she went to high school in Chelan, staying with Fred and Susan Anderson, a couple of retired schoolteachers who hosted her during the week. Chelan was a small town, but Stehekin was smaller. Growing up, she’d led a sheltered life, and when it was time to go to the University of Washington, she couldn’t wait to leave and see more of the world.

Jolene had fallen for Lance so quickly, charmed by his stories, mystery, and how he seemed so sure of himself. She’d been young—maybe too young to see the way his possessiveness twisted into control. Her parents hadn’t understood, and Lance had drawn her further away from them with each quiet, insinuating word. The memory of his early praise, his jealousy, brought an old sting to her chest now, reminding her of a life she’d left, yet hadn’t fully shaken off. He didn’t like her parents from the start, which had surprised Jolene. Most people loved them. His dislike became more intense once he found out Jolene’s mother had questioned their relationship and expressed concerns about him. Jolene had to choose, and she stayed with Lance. At first, Lance kept Jolene from seeing her parents, but eventually, it was her own shame. The more years that passed, the worse her shame. Then, her father died. Jolene was devastated. But still, she stayed away.

Jolene walked from the bus stop to Campbell’s Lodge. Inside she asked for a room and handed over her credit card to the woman at the front desk. The woman ran the card, then paused, clearly embarrassed. “Umm, I’m sorry, dear, but do you have another card you could use? This one isn’t working.”

Jolene felt prickles on her skin, “Oh…sorry! Uh, I’ll just pay cash.” Then, with a sick feeling, she handed over half the money she had from her wallet.”

In the morning, Jolene checked out and walked toward the dock. She was calculating the cost of the boat fare and what she had left of her rapidly dwindling supply of cash. Would her mother allow her to stay? With less than ninety full-time residents, everyone in the community knew what she’d done to her parents. If her mother didn’t welcome her back, neither would they. She’d have no choice but to get back on the boat and return to Chelan.

Jolene stopped by Safeway to see what she could get for breakfast. She was putting an orange in her shopping basket when she saw Susan Anderson pushing a cart up the aisle. Susan smiled. “Jolene! What a sweet surprise! How are you, dear?”

Jolene, too, was surprised. Of course, Susan knew. And yet, the woman seemed happy to see her. “Hi, Susan. I’m well, thanks.”

“Are you on your way to see your mother?”

“Yes…”

“The boat isn’t running on Tuesdays anymore. Off-season…”

Jolene tried to hide her hands, which were now shaking. “Really?”

“Oh, child, come home with me. You know, we’re always happy to have you. You can catch the boat tomorrow.” Grateful and lacking any other choice, Jolene took her up on the offer.

At the house, Susan said, “You can sleep in your old room. I have book club later this morning. Make yourself at home. You’ll have the place to yourself. Fred is helping a buddy out at the winery today. I’m sure you’re exhausted after your long trip.”

That evening, Jolene and the Andersons had dinner together. Jolene was glad they didn’t ask about Lance. They were excited to talk about an upcoming riverboat cruise through Germany they were leaving for in two days.

In the morning, Susan drove Jolene to the boat dock. She hugged Jolene goodbye and said, “Glad we got to see you before we left. You take care now, and say hello to your mother for me.”

Cruising up the lake, Jolene sat alone on the deck, sunglasses on, nose in a book. The words on the page were only a blur through the tears that threatened to spill. Her chest felt tight, and there was a lump in her throat. Her life was a mess. She’d left Lance before. A year ago, she’d run away to their vacation home in Maui after he broke one of her ribs, but then he’d apologised, bought her a new Audi, and promised to change. But he’d made it clear: the homes, the bank accounts, the cars…they all belonged to him. They weren’t married. If she left, she would get nothing. Even her job was tied to Lance.

A voice over the loudspeaker spoke, “We’re now going through what is called the narrows. It’s the deepest part of the lake at 453 meters.”

Jolene rose and looked over the railing. She thought of how, if a person were to go overboard, the divers would probably never find them down there. Then she heard a little girl asking, “Daddy, can I get a doughnut from the snack bar?”

The dad smiled, picked up the little girl, and they went inside. Jolene wondered if the Stehekin bakery still made the doughnuts sold onboard. As a teenager, she’d worked at the bakery during the summers. She could still recall the sweet, buttery aroma of the place. After her shift, Dana, the owner, would always send her home with a box of doughnuts to share with her family. Her mother would be so delighted when she brought home the maple bars. What did she have to offer now? Certainly, nothing that could make up for all the lost years.

Jolene’s breathing became shallow and ragged as the boat got nearer to Stehekin. Finally, nearly three hours after leaving Chelan, the boat pulled up to The Landing. It looked as it had ten years ago: there was the lodge, the restaurant, and the general store, along with the one gas pump and the post office. An old blue school bus stood waiting near the dock to take people on a tour to Rainbow Falls. The driver was still Mack. Mack had known Jolene since she was a baby. She put a baseball cap on with her sunglasses before disembarking and tried to blend in with the crowd. Home was a mile up the road. She started walking.

The road followed the lake shore. Jolene noticed a beaver in the water, following her as she walked. He would occasionally dip below the turquoise surface, but the water was so clear she could still see where he was. He kept pace with her, giving her the confidence to keep going. Only two cars passed the whole time, and the drivers waved. Then, turning a corner, the log cabin came into view, and there was Jolene’s mom, raking leaves on the front lawn. Her mother saw her, paused mid-rake, then dropped the handle. They both stood there for a second, silent, just staring across the distance. And then her mother’s arms flew open. “Jolene!” Jolene’s legs moved before she could think, closing the distance until her mother’s arms wrapped around her, warm and solid. She choked out a breath, her voice cracking. “I…I’m sorry. For everything.” Her mother only pulled her tighter, her voice a whisper. “That’s an old story, Jolene. Let it go. You’re home now.” The words hung in the air, wrapping Jolene with a promise she’d never thought she’d hear again.

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