By Maggie O’Neill. Artwork by Carol Freas
Bonnie booked a B&B in Barnegat Light, Long Beach Island, on a recommendation from Trip Advisor. Three days off from waitressing in the city would be a welcome break and she loved exploring new beach towns. The ocean seemed to quell a vague unrest in her spirit.
The May weather was sunny and mild. After checking in, she headed to the beach. Long, windswept dunes overlooked the sea. Crashing waves sprayed white foam high into the air as she walked along the edge of the sand. It was a beach, much like many others she had explored. But for some reason, this one filled her with deep contentment. She was surprised at her reaction.
Late afternoon she changed into her favorite blue sundress and headed out to The Barnegat Light restaurant for dinner. It was a classic, old establishment, weathered and filled with historical memorabilia. As she entered, she noticed a waitress wanted sign posted near the front door.
She took a seat at the bar and looked around. A feeling of calm washed over her in a way she had never experienced. She ordered a glass of wine and briefly wondered if she should look into the help wanted.
After ordering dinner, Bonnie headed to the ladies’ room. An old painting hanging on the wall caught her attention. It was of a young woman lying on the sand holding a conch shell and wearing a vintage swim dress and hat in bright blue with stockings and swim slippers. In her own blue dress, Bonnie realized she looked like the woman’s twin.
She asked the bartender if he knew anything about the woman in the picture. “That painting is from the old Barnegat Light hotel. The woman was a waitress there and used to spend all her free time on the beach. A friend painted her in that pose, and the picture hung on the wall of the hotel until the Inn was torn down. Many of our pictures are from that building. We don’t know too much about her, but the locals call her Bonnie Blue due to her hat and swim dress. Come to think of it, you look a lot like her! You could be her ghost.”
The next morning Bonnie took a long walk on the beach at sunrise. Near the jetty she found an unbroken conch shell. As tradition dictates, she held the shell up to her ear. After the initial roar of the ocean, she heard the siren call as the shell whispered, “You are home.”
