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To Mom, with love
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:18 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: (no subject)
Hey, we’re running pretty behind here. Any chance you could walk Wilbur for me tonight?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:24 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I think you have the wrong e-mail address. But since I’m a dog owner too, and I don’t want poor Wilbur to be stranded, I thought I’d write back and let you know…
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:33 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Ah, sorry about that. New phone, so I’m typing in the address. Looks like I forgot a number. Wilbur and I both thank you. (And by the way, he’s actually a pig.)
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:34 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
A pig! What kind of pig goes for walks?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:36 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
The very sophisticated kind. He even has his own leash…
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:42 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Some pig!
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:45 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Oh, yeah. He’s terrific! Radiant! Humble!
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 10:47 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Wow, a pig owner and a fan of Charlotte’s Web. You must be either a farmer or a librarian.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:01 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I dabble in both.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:03 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Seriously?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:04 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
No. Not seriously. What about you?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:05 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I’m neither a farmer nor a librarian.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:11 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Let me guess then. You’re an underemployed dogwalker who’s been sitting by the computer in the hope that someone might ask you to walk something more exciting than a poodle?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:12 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Bingo. Guess this is my lucky day…
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:13 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Really, though. What’s your deal?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:14 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
… asks the random stranger from the Internet.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:15 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:17 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
How do you know I’m a girl?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:18 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Easy. You quoted Charlotte’s Web.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:19 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
So did you!
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:24 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Yeah, but my parents are teachers.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:26 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
So does that mean you’re not a girl?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:27 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Nope. Not a girl.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:31 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Does that mean you’re a creepy old Internet predator using your pet pig as an excuse to stalk 16-year-old girls?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:33 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Busted.
No, I’m only seventeen, which I think lands me pretty solidly outside of creepy-old-man territory.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:38 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Fair enough. Though, unfortunately, I’m still not available to walk Wilbur tonight. And even if I was, you’d probably have to find someone a little bit closer, since I doubt you live anywhere near me.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:39 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
How do you know?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:40 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I’m from Middle-of-Nowhere, Maine.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:42 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Oh, then I guess you’re right. I’m from Middle-of-Everything, California.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:43 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Lucky duck.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:44 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Lucky pig, actually.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:48 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
&nbs
p; Subject: Re: (no subject)
Right! Hey, weren’t you running behind with something?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:51 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Yeah, I should probably be getting back to it…
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:55 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Okay. Nice talking to you. And sorry I couldn’t come through for Wilbur.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
He’ll forgive you, I’m sure. He’s a very magnanimous pig.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2013 11:58 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I’m relieved to hear that.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:01 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Hey, E?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:02 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Yes… G?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:03 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
What if I e-mail you again tomorrow?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:04 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I don’t know. I’m not exactly in the habit of trolling the Internet for pen pals…
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:05 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
But?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:07 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
But I’m also terrible at good-byes.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:08 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Okay then. I’ll just say hello again instead.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:09 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I like that better. And I’ll say: Good morning!
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:10 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
But it’s not morning…
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:12 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
It is in Maine.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:13 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Ah, right. Then: Howdy!
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:14 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
How very western of you. Greetings!
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:15 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Are you an alien invader? Ni hao.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:17 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
You definitely just looked that one up.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:19 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
You don’t think I’m proficient in Chinese?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:20 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I do not.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:21 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Fair enough. Then, salutations! (That one was from Wilbur, of course.)
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:24 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Of course. Until tomorrow…
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:25 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Wait, is that your way of saying good-bye without really saying good-bye?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:27 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
No. Actually, I’m not sure I’m quite finished saying hello yet.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:30 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Me neither. Hello.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:31 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Hi.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:33 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Good morning.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:34 AM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
I already said that one.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:36 AM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: (no subject)
Yeah, but it really is.
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 12:42 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: hi
Don’t you hate it when people use smiley faces in their e-mails?
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 12:59 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: not really
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:04 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: not really
I’m going to ignore that.
I read once that in Russia, they usually end the salutation of a letter with an exclamation point. Isn’t that funny? It must always seem like they’re shouting at each other. Or that they’re really surprised to find themselves in touch.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:07 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: not a chance
Or maybe they’re just really happy to be writing to that person…
Like I am: !
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:11 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: not a chance
Well, thank you. But that’s not what happy looks like.
From: GDL824@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:12 PM
To: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: not a chance
What does it look like, then?
From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Sat
urday, June 8, 2013 1:18 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: what happy looks like
Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of the waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on the couch. Evening strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes in the water. Pajama pants. Flip-flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence of smiley faces in an e-mail.
What does it look like to you?
It was not all that different from the circus, and it came to town in much the same way. Only instead of elephants and giraffes, there were cameras and microphones. Instead of clowns and cages and tightropes, there were production assistants and trailers and yards upon yards of thick cables.
There was a sense of magic in the way it appeared as if from nowhere, cropping up so quickly that even those who had been expecting it were taken by surprise. And as the people of Henley showed up to watch, even the most jaded members of the film crew couldn’t help feeling a slight shiver of anticipation, a low current of electricity that seemed to pulse through the town. They were used to filming in locations like Los Angeles and New York, cities where the locals gave them a wide berth, grumbling about the traffic and the disappearance of parking spots, shaking their heads at the huge lights that snuffed out the darkness. There were places in the world where a movie shoot was nothing more than a nuisance, a bothersome interruption of real life.
But Henley, Maine, was not one of them.
It was June, so the crowds that had gathered to watch the men unload the trucks were fairly large. The size of the town rose and fell like the tides. Through the winter, the full-timers rattled around the empty shops, bundled against the frost coming off the water. But as soon as summer rolled around, the population swelled to four or five times its usual size, a stream of tourists once again filling the gift shops and cottages and B&Bs that lined the coast. Henley was like a great hibernating bear, dozing through the long winters before coming back to life again at the same time each year.