When my niece Julie Pierce was six years old she was an energetic bubbly happy child. She is one of my many favourite nieces.
One beautiful sunny August day in 1980 my mother, six-year-old Julie and I were driving to Prince Edward Island to visit my brother Ken, his wife Anna and their three young girls, Michelle, Stephanie and Leanna.
Julie was to stay with them for a week and enjoy some fun time at the beach with her three cousins because Michelle and Stephanie were around Julie’s age.
Our five-hour trip allowing for refreshment breaks would include a one hour ride on the CN ferry across the Northumberland Strait from Cape Tormentine New Brunswick to Port Borden Prince Edward Island.
When we left Saint John NB my mother was sitting in the back seat happily reading her newspapers and books. Julie, who was really excited, was sitting in the front passenger seat beside me.
Before we even left Saint John Julie was talking non-stop.
She talked about a boy in her kindergarten class she was sweet on. She talked a lot about looking forward to starting grade one in the fall. She said she learned a new word from her daddy when he was frustrated and angry because the wall paper he was hanging wasn’t going on the way he wanted it to. Little kids tell everything that happens at home.
After an hour Julie’s bubbly non-stop talking was wearing me down and my serenity was crumbling. After all, I was a single person. I lived a quiet life in a Monastery for crying out loud. I had no experience raising a child. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this.
Then I had a moment of inspiration!
“Julie” I said “How would you like to play a game?” “OK” she said with her usual enthusiasm.
I said “I bet you can’t keep quiet for one minute without saying something?”
“I bet I can!” she said confidently.
“Well then here is the game plan. For every minute you keep quiet I will pay you one penny. When we get to Ken and Anna’s cottage I will pay you what I owe!” “Oh and one more thing I am allowed to try to trick you into talking”
Well Julie was eager to play my game.
She was bouncing in her seat with a look of delight on her face. I could tell she was waiting to be tricked.
When we passed a pasture full of cows I said “Oh look Julie look at all the chickens!” and Julie looked and just smiled at me. When we passed a field of horses I said “Look Julie at all the Hippopotamuses!” Another silent Smile from Julie. I tried several times to trick her into talking but she was good. She stayed silent and just smiled at me.
On our one-hour ferry trip on the MV Abegweit to Prince Edward Island I tried to trick her into talking again but she couldn’t be fooled.
So I had a quiet trip to Prince Edward Island and when we arrived at Ken and Anna’s cottage I happily paid Julie $3.65. The best money I ever spent.
Today Julie and her loving husband Jeremey live in Anglo Rustico which is near North Rustico Prince Edward Island. I live in Ontario and I don’t get to see Julie and Jeremey often enough but when I do it is always a delightful experience. Julie still likes to talk and……... she listens too.
Raymond Pierce is a Storyteller living in Toronto, Canada
A member of Senior Citizen Friendship Group <<JOIN US!
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Good story