(spoken words) Every good story has its resolution. Life has a way. Where are you, Billy Ballou? (music) Jonathan Countryman sat on his porch in Litchfield Beach in the late afternoon. He had just finished his fifth and his last term as state senator and was thinking. Half into his Bloody Mary, he knew he had accomplished some important things, but not as much as he hoped at the start. He became leader of the progressives, but this was South Carolina after all. That damn flag yet flies around the state. But I am still vertical, he thought, still vertical after all. On that warm March day, Jennifer joined him. Married for fifty-one years come July, she knew what he was thinking, and she said, “It was worth it. We made a difference. Even if we didn’t, it was still worth it. All the effort, the trying … beautiful! We should go out and celebrate. Tonight. Somewhere lovely.” Jonathan had heard about a new place, a casual restaurant that seemed perfect. It was near Murrells Inlet up the beach, so they made reservations and took off. When they got there, the first thing they noticed were the grounds – the beautiful landscaping. The camellias were blooming pink and red. An old man was bent over the roses, clipping them expertly to get the best. Jennifer was a gardener herself, and he started talking roses with her. “My apartment is down the road from here. I volunteered to care for this garden. My name is Sam. My wife loved her roses and when I work here, I remember all the good things with her. It is a blessing.” The restaurant was indeed quite lovely. She’s an attractive woman, Jonathan thought, as they were warmly greeted at the door. “Hello,” she said, “and welcome to our place. I’m Sally. I know about your service, and I have admired it from afar. This restaurant is something my husband and I have long wanted, and here we are! That’s him over there where they are cooking the best food on the coast, or so we claim!” Jonathan could see an animated man with curly gray hair busy in the kitchen. To his surprise he was communicating with the kitchen crew using sign language. Jonathan knew the new restaurant‘s name and asked if that would be Billy himself. “Yes,” Sally said, “that’s my Billy of Billy’s Balloons. It is a cute name for our place we think. This is our daughter Fairhope. She will show you to your table.” As for Cameron and Gus, well, they were at a corner table eating crab cakes, taking in the whole scene with amazement. Honey Savage would be coming next week, and they would be back.
