Rocinante Chapter 29
| Rocinante | |
|---|---|
| Chapter 29 of 30 | |
 | |
| Read this chapter | |
| Time frame | Late November - December 1971 |
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Locations
Characters
- Brother Erasmus and Ethylene
- Samuel
- Mr. and Mrs. Cowgill
- Reverend and Elsie Sprague
- Roger and Kathy Griswold
Summary
This is the final chapter, but note the Rocinante Epilogue.
The work on the phone lines is winding up, and Mark realizes that their time in Twillingate is almost over. Bessie gets a call from Brother Erasmus saying that Samuel has disappeared and his empty skiff has been found drifting off the river mouth. Mark and Jackie go up in Rocinante to look for him or his body, but are unsuccessful.
That evening, reflecting on Samuel's life, they decide that they will go back to Spearfish Lake. Brother Erasmus shows up at the shantyboat, and Mark tells him that they are planning to get married, and want him to do the service, but need to do something for everyone in Spearfish Lake. Brother Erasmus determines that they have not been properly baptized (he calls being baptized as an infant sanctification) and since the river is right there, does it on the spot. They agree to have the wedding on the Sunday before Christmas.
Mark ships the mirror glass and most of his paintings back home, keeping back the one of Roger and Kathy Griswold and one he had been working on of Brother Erasmus' church, showing the scene where everyone was helping with the "roof raisin".
A few days before the wedding, Mark and Paul get the phone work finished and disconnect the old Rhinelander switchboard, moving it out to the garage. Jackie and Bessie design and make a blue and white dress for her wedding.
The day of the wedding Brother Erasmus discovers that Mark has not taken out a wedding license, since the official wedding will be in Spearfish Lake. Brother Erasmus grumbles about this, but agrees that there will be a "commissary wedding" in the church. Practically all of Twillingate is at the wedding, or the wedding feast outside the church afterwards. Mark tells the assembled crowd "by you people being yourselves, you've given us the greatest gift of all" as he gives Brother Erasmus the painting.
The next day, they load up Rocinante and, after bidding everyone who had come to the airstrip goodbye, headed to Arvada Center with an overnight stop in Kentucky. When they got to the Griswolds, Roger and Kathy came out to meet them. Mark tells them that they can't stop, but that they will see them next weekend when they have their second wedding in Spearfish Lake; Roger and Kathy agree to stand up for them. After they explain about the two weddings, Kathy asks "So you're getting married, finally? I know this is a silly question, but where are you two going on your honeymoon?"
It was a question that had never occurred to Jackie, but she had an answer: "What would we want to go on a honeymoon after we get married for? We're just finishing the best honeymoon you could possibly ask for."
