Wes Hammelton 5/23/2003

In the year of ’39 on a frosty Latter Year morning a young woman on a scrap of sail, drifted in on the morning tide, the only soul to return from the loss of the Annie Day. The old salts called her “The Bride of the Tide”, yet one man knew her name.
Wes Hammelton was a brilliant young man, with a keenness for business and an eye for the ladies. Well liked by all, Wes was a man about town with a heart of a generous nature.
This combination attracted the intentions of a young lady named Emme Brown. Her golden long hair and forest green eyes, could have won her, her every desire. From humble beginnings, this young woman came, so trappings were not the core of her existence.
They married on First day of the following year the entire village threw the reception. And in his very fine way, the very next day, Wes gave the school a large donation.
You rarely say one without the other a more beautiful couple had yet to be seen. Their fortunes grew with each passing year as humility sat at the reigns. They set up a foundation to restore ram-shackled homes and to feed those who once went without. Philanthropic and generous, moral and pure, Wes would say “A fortune is less property and prosperity”.
Then came the day in the year of , when Emme’s poor corpse drifted ashore. Wes was a broken man. For six months he would not even as much as drink water, his despair was so deep in him. His fortune lay idol and began to decay, as did the village, dark times had fallen on us all.
One year later, as the Village slept under the bitter Latter Year snow, someone on the pier was very busy. Then the sun broke the ridge and the light touched the face of a sculpture of ice, of Emme with wings.
From one of her hands hung a small scrap of cloth with a wish scribbled in charcoal “I wish the town were whole again.”
In that afternoon Wes came to the pier ready to kill from the pain in his heart, till his eyes fell upon the image of her. Nearly buried in gifts, flowers, and food, his Bride of the Tide, his wife and dear home, had galvanized everyone.
He pulled his scarf from his neck and scribbled some words on it holding it tight in his hand. “If this is the spirit of my wife let her catch my wish and all worthy wishes that I will fulfill.”
It flapped in the wind as it went on its way and landed delicately in her raised open hand. It was on that day the clouds fell away and life returned once again.
The statue once melted was replaced by one made of marble and glass and so was founded the holiday of Wishing the Shore. Now between Dead Sons Day and First Day, the Common comes alive with boiling pots and roasting meats all in the name of their charity.
The spirit of Wes and Emme are alive in the village to this day. Every year the village turns out to cast their wishes to the wind in the hopes their worthy enough to be heard. It seems all wishes are fulfilled no matter how small and the village is warmed to its soul.
There on the pier two statues of marble and glass, have taught the most valuable of lessons:
“A fortune is less property than prosperity.”

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