{New Jersey – June 1985}
“Honey, how did you do on your history test?” Elizabeth asked her twelve-year-old son Wayne after he and his twin brother, Johnny, walked through the front door of their Moorestown, New Jersey home.
“Well, let’s put it this way,” he answered tentatively with a grin, “I think I did great considering that I learned a marking period’s worth of World War Two history in one night, but only fair compared to Johnny! But one thing’s for sure, it’s on to the seventh grade for me ... Whoo-hoo!!!!”
Elizabeth smiled as she patted Wayne’s broad shoulders and turned toward Johnny, asking anxiously, “And how did you do?”
In meticulous fashion, Johnny explained how he not only answered all of the exam questions correctly but also received bonus points for being the only student to identify the author and title of his two history textbooks.
With that, Wayne interjected, “Stop bragging, Johnny! We all know that you’re the bookworm. But let’s see how all of that studying helps you with beach volleyball this summer.”
At that moment, sensing that her boys were about to engage in one of their notorious tickling/wrestling battles, Elizabeth quickly said, “Well, boys, I’m proud of both of you. I know that you’ll do great next year at the Moorestown Middle School.” Then she looked directly at Wayne and added with a slight smile, “And I’ll definitely be expecting more studying from you!”
Johnny burst out laughing when he heard his mom’s exaggerated “threat” to his brother, knowing that she was really joking. In fact, Wayne was a very good student who had achieved all As and Bs on his final sixth-grade report card. On the other hand, Johnny was an excellent student who earned straight As for the entire school year.
Turning to Wayne, Johnny said, “Great job this year. We made it. Now, let’s have a blast this summer.”
As the boys were about to run out of their house to the large backyard, Wayne turned toward his mom and asked, “Mom, what time are we leaving for Grandma and Grandpa’s house at the shore tomorrow?”
Elizabeth responded, “Very early in the morning.” Adding, “Don’t play too long, boys. You still need to finish packing your bags because your father wants the car loaded tonight. . . . And don’t forget your swimsuits!”
* * *
Early the next morning, Mark Sanders could be heard shouting, “Come on, let’s go! Liz, did you find the kid’s water skis?”
“They’re already packed,” Liz responded as she handed Mark the last of the shore-bound gear.
“Where’s Lisa?” Mark asked, referring to their fifteen-year-old daughter.
“She’s saying goodbye to Sean,” explained Elizabeth.
“My baby girl sure has grown up fast,” said Mark with a sigh.
“She’s our girl, Mark.”
He leaned over and kissed his wife of sixteen years on the forehead as if asking for forgiveness for the slip.
After they walked back into their two-story house, Mark ensured that all the windows and doors were locked and that the air conditioner’s thermostat was set at 74 degrees. “That should be cool enough to keep our spoiled cat very comfortable.” Then he asked, “Honey, who did you say is going to feed Muffy this summer?”
At that moment, Lisa hung up the telephone and chimed in. “Don’t worry, Dad. Sean is going to stop over every night at five o’clock to feed the cat.”
Mark turned to Liz. “Seriously? Her boyfriend’s taking care of our cat this summer?”
Liz simply smiled and said, “Hang in there, Mark. Everything will be fine.” Liz understood that her husband was not used to their daughter being a teenager.
At exactly nine that Saturday morning, the Sanders’ Jeep Grand Wagoneer left their modest home in Moorestown and headed down Route 73 toward the Jersey Shore. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper on the industrial highway, but it was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the low eighties. And because there was not a trace of humidity in the air, Mark felt cool, relaxed, and happy. That is until he heard his daughter ask, “Dad, can we listen to some music instead of this weird radio station?”
Wayne then added, “Yeah, Dad. Something cool, please.”
Mark responded, “Hey, I really like this station. If you kids would actually listen to AM News Radio instead of that noise you call music, you’d be amazed how much you could learn.”
Even so, after the local traffic report was announced, Mark consented to his children’s wishes and turned the car stereo control knob to a classic rock station. In fact, he really wasn’t bothered by the change since he and Liz both loved classic rock music, especially the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones. And Mark also liked the idea of kicking the summer off with some upbeat tunes.
Once the kids were satisfied with the great music resonating from the speakers, Mark decided to exit the congested highway in favor of several rural and picturesque roads that passed through the towns of Folsom, Buena Vista, Woodbine, and Clermont. By doing so, he avoided most of the stressful traffic, and the family was able to enjoy the beautiful South Jersey landscape that included large farms, woodlands, railroads, marshlands, and waterways.
As the Jeep proceeded down Route 9, a winding coastal highway that headed directly to the exit for Seven Mile Island, Elizabeth turned toward her children and launched into a long speech. The topic concerned the “dos and don’ts” at Grandma and Grandpa’s shore house.
“OK, boys, remember that your grandparents are both over 65 years old. And even though they act young, you cannot ask them to go waterskiing again this year. Grandpa is still complaining that his back hurts from last summer’s escapades!”
With that, Wayne and Johnny both burst out laughing, remembering how they had convinced their grandfather to ride the inner tube behind their father’s twenty-foot Boston Whaler motorboat the previous summer.
“But Mom,” Wayne rationalized with a smirk, “Grandpa insisted on trying and —”
Elizabeth interrupted him. “Wayne, I don’t want to hear it. You, Johnny, and Lisa are expected to help your grandparents around the house. And there is to be absolutely no kissing up to them in hopes of getting money. Do you understand?”
As both boys nodded affirmatively, Mark added that he would be keeping an eye on them to make certain that they were holding to it.
Lisa frustratingly agonized to her mom, “But I already have a job lined up to serve breakfast at the Fishin’ Pier Grille. Do I still have to work around the house?”
Elizabeth responded with a caring nod. “We’ll see. It depends on how often you waitress. But I’m certain it won’t be a hardship for you to help wash and dry the dishes after meals occasionally.”
Mark sat silently in the driver’s seat as Elizabeth continued to lecture the children. Deep down, he knew that the kids would help out since they truly loved their grandparents. Even so, he also understood that the kids would be very busy with their extensive summer plans. The boys had already informed everyone that they would be swimming, surfing, waterskiing, playing volleyball at the beach, playing water polo in the bay, and fishing too! The boys also wanted to try crabbing in the bay, using their grandfather’s dinghy. Wayne had expressed earlier in the week that he and his brother hoped to catch and sell crabs throughout the summer as a way of earning some extra spending money.
As Mark continued to drive toward Seven Mile Island, he sensed that the children weren’t entirely listening to Liz. He guessed that they were likely daydreaming about an awesome summer full of fun adventures. Even so, he hoped that they heard the highlights since his wife’s pre-vacation lecture was simply her way of reminding the kids to be on their best behavior.
At the intersection of Route 9 and Avalon Boulevard, Mark stopped his Jeep at the red traffic light. He turned to his wife and gently said, “Hang in there, Liz. Everything will be just fine.” When the traffic light changed to green, Mark turned left onto the four-and-a-half-mile scenic causeway, Avalon Boulevard. While driving over the tallest of four causeway bridges, the family truly enjoyed amazing views of the salt marshlands, bay waters, and numerous boats along this last stretch to Seven Mile Island.
