Lightbulb Moment
Esme pulled Houdini to the side of the road and turned on her hazard lights. She checked the highway, but like for the past several miles, there was no one in sight. She pulled out her phone and walked to the middle of the road.
Then she aimed her phone at the woods around her.
Yellows and oranges edged a few of the leaves, but glorious greens remained the centerpiece.
More shades of green than she could name.
Cataloging the variety would take forever.
She’d have to return in a few weeks to check out the difference in the scenery.
Grinning, she checked the road again and then found a spot where she wouldn’t have to move herself, just the phone.
She started a video with the camera facing away from her, as always. “Hi, friends. Esme here. I’m here in Vermont, about to enter my next small town. I haven’t made it there, but I know it will be amazing. How? I’m so glad you asked.”
She panned the camera. “The foliage in this area is incredible. Dense, lush, varied. It’s a happy section of our beautiful planet, with the first signs of autumn beginning to show. But that’s not what made me stop. Are you ready for this?”
She tilted her phone slowly, up through the trees to the structure beyond. Seeing it again had her chuckling. “The I-Phail Tower. Isn’t that fantastic?”
Instead of the famous tower in Paris, this one was a bright white water tower stretching above the trees, with its name proclaimed loudly in deep green letters.
“Even before arriving in town, I know I’ll love this place. Are you ready to head to Phail, Vermont? Me too.”
Another chuckle. “I think it will be quite an experience. The I-Phail Tower tells me the residents have fun with the name. I hope so. How would you feel living in a town named Phail? Comment below to tell me what you think I’ll like best. Take care of yourselves, and we’ll talk soon.”
Another peek both ways showed no one on the highway. Far different from the congested cities where she’d spent most of her years after Nans had passed.
Feeling like she was coming home, Esme drove into the town itself. It didn’t take long for her suspicions to be confirmed: she was definitely going to love this place.
Cheerful pots of orange, mustard, and burgundy blooms she couldn’t identify sat along the sidewalks and on the stoops of local businesses. The coordinated look had her smiling and thinking about how many photographers would salivate at the chance to use this town as a backdrop for their shoots.
The names of the brightly painted buildings had her grinning. Phail General, Phail Central, No Fail Diner, Phail Phoods, and even Phail Jail. Other names didn’t include Phail, but added to the fun vibe. Doc’s, The Saloon, Yoganna Love It.
A large park occupied the center of town.
Phail Way Park of course. Huge maple trees shaded the benches.
What colors would they be in a few weeks?
A jogging path outlined the space and appeared to head into the forest covering the far end of the park.
A set of playground equipment, a splash pad, a baseball diamond, and even a kids’ climbing wall occupied the space.
Esme parked in a lot near the Phail Jail, ready to explore and have some fun. She imagined having a good time was a requirement in this town.
Where to start?
She could probably shoot a dozen videos without leaving this small area. Because she uploaded her videos after she’d left the town, she had at least a dozen banked at all times. If she recorded another dozen today, she could take a few weeks off.
Not that this was an actual job. She didn’t have to post daily, or at all, but she wanted to keep supporting small communities like Giblet. The best way to do that was to keep showcasing the towns and keep her viewers and sponsors happy.
Nans always said you didn’t need many holidays when your job was fun. But she would also remind Esme to take care of herself and find her joy.
Maybe she could find that here. No other town had pulled at her as much as this one did.
Exiting the car, Esme crossed to the park and pulled out her phone again. Happy kids played in the park, but she wouldn’t take videos that would identify them. Unless she was interviewing someone, she avoided including faces in her videos, but she could show feet having fun in the splash pad.
She stopped by the benches where some parents sat. “Hi, I’m hoping to take a video of the splash park in action to use online. I’ll keep the camera angle low, and I won’t include any faces. You can approve the video before I upload it to social media. Is that okay?”
After getting permission, Esme walked around the pad until the sun was behind her. She edged closer to the water area, then lay down on the ground and pulled out her phone.
“Hi, everyone. This is Esme, and I’m here in Phail Way Park in the town of Phail, Vermont. Does the park’s name remind anyone else of a park in Boston? It’s a late summer day with temperatures high enough for kids to enjoy the splash pad.”
A large bucket of water tipped over at the top of the splash park, causing the kids to shriek in delight, and Esme caught a great video of their feet dancing and bouncing with the fun. Laughter filled the video, and Esme stayed silent for a few moments, knowing it would make everyone smile.
“There weren’t any splash pads in Giblet, but now I think every town should have one. Tell me about your favorite splash pad or park in the comments. Take care of yourselves, and we’ll talk soon.”
She let the video keep playing as a cute dog headed her way.
Black-and-white, floppy-eared, he nosed his way straight to the camera.
She remained still as he tilted his head and then booped the camera softly.
Laughing, she clicked off the video and reached to pat the dog.
“Thanks, buddy. That was the perfect ending. You could make it big in Hollywood.”
When she sat up, a boy who looked like he was on the verge of his teen years approached. “Did Flupps mess up your video?”
Esme swiveled until she was sitting. “Not at all. I think he gave me the perfect ending. Want to see?”
The boy nodded and sat beside her. The dog crawled into his lap.
When Flupps booped the camera at the end, Esme and the boy laughed.
He ruffled his dog’s fur. “Good job, Flupps. You’re going to be a star.”
He laughed, then frowned slightly when he looked at her face. “Are you okay? Does that hurt?”
Esme was used to kids asking straightforward questions about her scar. Parents might be horrified, but she never minded. “Not anymore. I’m good.”
He nodded. “Good. I’m glad you’re okay.”
That made her smile as the dog flounced away. The boy waved at her and followed his pup.
Esme rose and moved to the benches to show the video to the parents. They all approved, and a woman who’d been reading on her phone smiled. “I’m Rachel, mom to Owen and Flupps.”
They shook hands. “Nice to meet you. I’m Esme.”
“Are you making tourism videos?”
Esme shrugged. “Sort of. I post them on my social media feeds. It’s fun to showcase small-town living.”
Rachel smiled. “You’ll find lots to love here. Phail has plenty of terrific places to explore, both here in town and on the outskirts.”
Her interest caught, Esme sat beside the friendly woman. “I just arrived, and I’d love to hear more.”
Rachel gestured around the square. “You can see the townspeople have fun with the name of the town. Troy Phail, our mayor, runs Phail General. His wife, Piper, runs Phail Central, which has souvenirs, artwork, and more. It’s our tourism center, and she’d love to chat with you.”
Esme filed those names to check out later.
Rachel pointed at the forest. “We’ve got Phail Facts and jokes posted on plaques all the way through the trails.
Piper changes them out monthly. It’s a really pretty walk, especially once the leaves change.
You should also check out Shaggy’s Place.
It’s a canine and equine therapy center a few minutes north of town.
Phail Brewery is out that way, too. You’ll love the names of the local beers. ”
Esme started typing notes into her phone.
“You can talk to Mitch at the firehall or our doctor, Lia, about visiting Midnight Lake. It’s home to Midnight Security, an art studio, an arson investigator lab, and a few more things.”
“Seriously? That sounds fascinating.”
Rachel nodded. “It is. Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met work out there and do incredible things. I bet Tansy will let you film the CleanySaurs in action.”
“CleanySaurs?”
Rachel nodded. “I won’t spoil the fun, but let’s just say that I’d love a couple of my own.
There’s an apple farm out that way that’s doing wonderful things, too.
They use regenerative farming techniques, make their own cider and honey.
There’s even an Inn where you can stay, the No Phailed Apples Inn. ”
The name had her laughing, and she smiled at Rachel. “That sounds perfect.”
“Wait until you see it. Each room is decorated around some aspect of growing apples. It’s unique and beautiful. The food is incredible, too. Even if you don’t stay there, you have to try the apple fritters.”
Esme grinned. “Are you the public relations spokesperson for the town?”
Rachel grinned. “Not a chance. I run a yoga studio.”
“Yoganna Love It? I saw the name and hoped to do a spot about your space. Do you mind?”
Rachel grinned. “Not at all. I think everyone in town will love talking to you.”
And that sounded perfect.
Phail was already feeling like home. Maybe only for a few weeks, but she’d take all the home vibes she could get.
Wyatt volunteered to take the farm’s compost buckets into town, grinning at how much his life had changed. He’d only been on the farm for a few days, but he felt at home. Welcome.
He hadn’t gone into Phail yet, and his curiosity had him offering to help in a small way while he figured out exactly how he would fit in and help.