The Molten Strawberry Festival

  The Molten Strawberry Festival

It was the Strawberry Festival a rite of spring in Molten, California, a place world renowned for their delicious red berries.  Every year they would throw together a real cool time with rides for the kids, games of chance, a beer tent, various bingo challenges and of course mounds of fresh, succulent strawberries.

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The kids loved it and for the teenagers it was a good place to hang out with friends and be cool.  It was the talk of the town long before the event took place. It seemed that everyone in Molten was there.

There were many romances created at the Molten Strawberry Festival and there were also many broken hearts.  It was a place were some scores were settled and bets were made. Small fortunes were won and lost.

The Molten Strawberry Festival was all this and more. But for one young girl it was going to be the greatest or the worst night of her life.  Because every year they had the local beauty pageant.  

Deborah Stevens wasn’t as tall and shapely as Holly McGuire or Deidre LaChance, but in her own way, Debbie had an inner glow that created an outer glow.  She was bright, had a terrific voice and was planning on singing at the talent portion of the contest.

But, there was more than that. Deborah was one of four daughters and the other three were beautiful, charming and popular.  In her diary, she often wrote reflections of her inner feelings.

“I am not as beautiful as Sandra, Helen or Veronica. They are more popular and outgoing. They have more friends. They have everything it seems. But, that is okay because they have more pressure on them.”

She sighed and wasn’t really impressed what she had written.  

“That is really lame.”

Other times, she was upbeat and high-spirited.

“Yes, my sisters are beautiful, but I am smarter and have a purer heart. P.S. That statement isn’t lame!”

She had two months to get ready for the pageant.  Each contestant was paired with a sponsor.  Her funding came from Emma’s Flowers. She had never been in the store except when she was about seven and her grandmother had died. Deborah had gone with her mother to pick out flowers.  

So, she decided to go out and visit the store.

Emma Bolton was the owner. A middle-aged lady, she had once been a contestant at the Molten Strawberry Festival pageant and had finished second runner-up. But, that was a long time ago. Yet, the woman retained a certain appearance that made her look younger.

Deborah walked in the store and the bell atop the door rang.

“Hello, can I help you?”

“Yes, I am Deborah Stevens and I-

“Oh, you are the delicate flower that I signed up to sponsor. You are a beautiful, young girl.”

“Thank you.”

“I am Emma Bolton owner and proprietor of this fine flower shop.”

She shook Deborah’s hand. But, that didn’t seem to be enough.  

“I think a friendly hug is in order.”

Deborah smiled.

“A hug would be nice.”

They hugged and it was two new friends admiring the fact that they had connected.

“I stopped in to meet you because I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“It was the perfect thing to do.  I am delighted to meet you.  I think that you are going to be a champion.”

Deborah blushed, but didn’t seem convinced.

“I am hoping to have a great experience and do something that I can look back on when I am older.”

“That is a wonderful outlook.  I really don’t care if you win or don’t win. It isn’t about winning anyway, it is about the experience and learning about oneself. I was a contestant back when I was a teenager. It was a positive step forward.  I am sure that you will have a good time.”

“I will.”

“And, you will have the best flowers of any of the other contestants.”

Deborah laughed.

“So tell me about yourself. I have to get these flowers out.”

“Well, I am fifteen and I am in grade eleven.  I love every subject even math although I struggle with it at times.”

“I also struggled with math. Please, carry on.”

“I love to sing and think that I have a good voice. In fact, I am going to sing in the talent portion in the pageant.”

“That is wonderful.”

“I also love to read a good book. There is nothing like getting lost in a great read.”

“I couldn’t agree more.  I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”

They smiled at each other.

While they were talking, Deborah watched Emma arrange and cut flowers.

“That is really creative.”

“Yes, you have to have an eye for detail, colour and detail.  Do you have any plans for the future?”

“Well, in about three months my cousin is coming over so we are starting to make plans for that.”

Emma laughed.

“No, I mean do you have plans for what you want to do with your life as a career?”

Deborah looked at the kind, older woman shyly.

“Well, not really.”

“When do you turn sixteen?”

“In three months and then I will start to learn how to drive.”

“Good for you and how about a job? I haven’t really thought about a job.”

Emma laughed.

“How about a job here in the flower shop?”

“That would be great.”

“Okay, then the day after your birthday you can start.”

“I will do that and of course I have to tell my parents.”

“Yes, of course you have to tell your parents.  If they have a problem with it tell them to call me.  From now until your birthday feel free to drop in any time you want to so we can talk strategy about your appearance at the festival.”

“I will.  Thank you for everything.”

She left with a song in her heart and a smile that could have brightened any pageant stage.

She returned a number of times to the flower shop and they had long, joyful conversations.  It was a good time. The two bonded strongly and became friends despite their age difference.

The tine of the pageant neared and Deborah was ready.  Her dress was perfect, she had picked the song that she was going to sing and had memorized the speech that she was going to win the judges over with.

On the night of the pageant Deborah was radiant. She sang her heart out and provided the judges with a great speech.  But, she didn’t win.

Emma looked so sad and disappointed.

“I wish I could have won for you, Emma.”

“Oh that is okay, we both won when we met each other.  Come on, let’s go have some fun at the festival.  That is if you don’t mind being seen with an old woman?”

“You aren’t old. You are my mother’s age.”

Emma laughed out loud.

So they rode all of the rides and ate cotton candy and even tried a few games of chance.  Deborah got on a role (the guy running the fixed game thought she was cute) and she won Emma a giant Teddy Bear. Of course, they had a generous helping of strawberries with ice cream even clicking plastic spoons.

After her birthday festivities, she went to work for Emma. It was a special relationship the type young girls hope to have with a favourite aunt.  

A number of years later, Deborah would take over the flower shop after Emma retired.

The year that Deborah entered the beauty pageant at the Molten Strawberry Festival had its fair shares of new romances, breakups, winners and losers and everything else. It was also a time when an unlikely friendship was forged and set that would last beyond a lifetime.