Synopsis (Parts 31-42)

We have come to a major milestone in the story of Peggy and Raoul, and now it's time to get serious about the Writing Contest. What are we going to do with these two? Is their relationship one that can flourish like the proverbial fruit on the vine, or will it whither away into a damp heap of old rhododendron blossoms?

Before we tackle these questions, let's consider where we are in the story. The last 12 parts have dealt mostly with The Trip. It began with a cloud hanging over Peggy: there was an indication that Raoul's daughter, Deidre, regarded Peggy as an unwelcome intrusion into their lives. With that in mind, they set out for Washington, D.C., and had some up and down moments in the nation's capitol, mostly due to Raoul behaving like the bad boy on a school field trip. Their main purpose for going to D.C. was to testify before a House energy subcommittee on issues related to private property rights. Incidentally, although their hearing was fictitious, the context for it was the Energy Bill that was just signed into law this week. Some of the hearings for that bill, which was called H.R. 6 in the House, were going on while Peggy and Raoul were in D.C. In future episodes I will cover some of the substance of their testimony.

While in the D.C. area they enjoyed some nice visiting with Peggy's daughter, Marjorie, who seems so wise for a young mother-to-be. Maybe that's just Peggy's perception. There were some nice episodes in Old Town Alexandria and at the Tabard Inn in downtown D.C. They also went to a Washington Nationals game, at which Raoul was physically ejected for annoying the Director of Homeland Security. However, the D.C. visit ended on a happy note when Raoul 'fessed up to the error of his ways. Also, a very important development happens with Raoul: he has given notice with his law firm and is planning to set up a small practice doing legal work for nonprofits. He is especially interested in the arts community. This is something that Peggy has dreamed of, and she is very excited.

Next stop on their journey was Philadelphia, where they visited Deidre. Peggy was on pins and needles, but as it turned out Deidre was really just looking out for her father and wanted to make sure Peggy wasn't some kind of gold-digging hussy out to hurt poor old Raoul. They had a nice stay at a B-and-B and a wonderful evening with Deidre and her roommate, Dirksy. Peggy bonded with them pretty well once they opened up and had some good conversation while Raoul was doing a good job of wandering around and being absent from the table.

(Just an aside… I'm back on the 5:20 a.m. ferry and the view of Seattle is eerie. A very dense fog hovers about a hundred feet above the water. Below that it's clear. I can see the bottom of the space needle, and the lower stories of several office buildings, but above a certain point the city disappears into the fog.)

In Brooklyn they visit Peggy's son, Taylor. This is where a series of events begins that seriously impacts the relationship between Peggy and Raoul. It turns out that some of Taylor's art work has attracted the attention of the police department because one of his subjects is a Pakistani immigrant who is suspected of having ties to terrorist groups. Peggy is very worried about her son and talks Raoul into letting Taylor accompany them on their trip to Maine. Then Raoul gets a call from Deidre. Turns out her roommate has chicken pox. In the end, Peggy and Raoul are accompanied on their "romantic getaway" to New England by Taylor and Deidre. In addition they have a third, uninvited guest: a mystery character wearing a Yankees baseball cap follows them from Brooklyn all the way to Maine.

The final three parts take place in Maine in a fictitious location called Osprey Island, which looks out on a fictitious body of water called Indian Cove. All other locations mentioned are real, such as Blue Hill, Stonington, Penobscot Bay, Camden, and so on. I have many nice pictures but I could not work them into the story line. However, you will see them when Peggy recounts her Maine adventures with the old gang on the ferry: Kelly Flinn, Ferdinand, Florence and Jake.

The most important outcome of the Maine episode is the confrontation between Peggy and Raoul over the mystery character who followed them to Maine. Please read the episode to understand what happened. What is important is that Peggy and Raoul are at a point where either one of them could potentially take or leave the relationship.

Now we're back on Bainbridge Island, commuting to Seattle. We're in the home stretch of the story. I am planning to publish the final episode during the last week in September, 2005, which is about eight weeks away. However, I would like input from you, the reader, and I'm offering a $100 gift certificate for the best suggestion, as determined by a "blind" process. If you think Peggy and Raoul should end up "together" in some way, then how does it happen? If you think they should end up "apart" in some way, then how does that happen? If your answer is "apart" then they can't simply stop talking to each other. Peggy, especially, must find some internal peace with herself. Actually, she must find peace with herself either way! She is the main character. We must understand why she does what she does. With Raoul we are mostly concerned with things we can see and hear: his actions and words. We don't know his thoughts unless he vocalizes them. Therefore it's not as critical that we learn Raoul's innermost needs and desires. His actions are only important in terms of how they are perceived by Peggy.

Here's a tip: the title of the story is Peggy Finds A Friend, but that friend might not be Raoul, it could be herself.

Simple, isn't it? So get writing!

Please visit the following links to learn more.

The Writing Contest page will be posted here. At the moment it doesn't say much, but very soon it will contain detailed instructions on how to submit your entry for the contest. Please join the mailing list and you will receive more information.

To get more background on the story, please read Synopsis (Parts 21-30) followed by Parts Thirty-One through Forty-Two in order. That will take you through the Maine episode in a logical sequence.

If you wish to read the entire story from the beginning, the easiest way to do it is here, where all the parts are available on one page so you don't have to click the mouse so many times.

I would like to thank all of you who have provided comments and emails about Peggy Finds A Friend. Your thoughts and suggestions have been extremely valuable. I am amazed and grateful at how carefully you are following the story. Thanks.

BB