{Avalon, NJ – June 1985}
Lisa awoke on Monday morning in a great mood. She was really excited to be starting her new job at the Fishin’ Pier Grille. Before she left for work her dad said, “I know that you’ll do great, Lisa. Just be sure to smile a lot and use good manners. Who knows, it might help you to get some big tips!”
Together, they laughed, and Lisa replied, “Don’t worry, Dad, I was already thinking the same thing.”
As she rode off on her shiny new bicycle, she turned her head back toward the house and yelled to her father, “Love you!”
Meanwhile, the boys got an early start and headed to the 12th Street surfing beach. The previous evening, they saw a poster at the bookstore that advertised a volleyball tournament for boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 18 scheduled to start at nine a.m.
Fortunately for the boys, the walk to the beach was not very far. When they arrived at the round-robin tournament, Wayne and Johnny went to the registration tent, which was erected near the dune access path. The boys were told that each team comprised only two players. The brothers asked if they could be teammates and were happy when the official said, “That would be fine, boys.”
During the course of the day, the brothers really had a blast. Wayne was the stronger athlete and performed exceptionally, and Johnny was spirited and used his good decision-making skills to keep pace.
“Wayne, it’s your serve. We need two more points to reach twenty-one. You can do it.”
With his brother’s encouragement, Wayne tossed the ball high above his head with his left hand and then struck it hard with his firm right hand. It was a perfect strike as the ball elevated just over the almost eight-foot-tall net and landed on the sand court’s right corner baseline. The referee signaled the point in favor of the boys.
“Awesome, Wayne! Serve another ace, and we’ll make it to the finals,” said Johnny. Wayne then launched a tremendous serve that landed inside the opponent’s court without being touched by the diving defender. After the referee announced that the boys had won the game, Wayne and Johnny gave each other celebratory high-fives.
While elated to be moving on to the championship round, Johnny made a sensible suggestion to his brother. “Let’s get something to drink and sit in the shade before the final game. We need to conserve our energy if we want to play our best.”
Later that day, the boys performed even better in the final game. When the tournament concluded, the brother’s vigor and energy had paid off. They were declared the winners of the 11- and 12-year-old age group. They also were awarded a fifty-dollar gift certificate from the tournament sponsors, the Avalon Anchorage Marina.
Both boys were extremely happy with their accomplishments. As they relaxed near the water, Johnny said, “I can’t believe that we won.”
Wayne replied with an exaggerated bravado, “Heck, those guys weren’t so good. I bet if we enter all of the tournaments this summer, we’ll be rich!”
Looking at each other in mock astonishment, the boys broke out laughing at Wayne’s outrageous claim.
Prior to heading back to their grandparents’ home, the boys walked along the beach towards Townsends Inlet. There they noticed an older man standing near the jetty that bordered the inlet. The man wore a yellow slicker that had Sharp’s Fruits & Vegetables written on the back.
Wayne commented, “Wow, that guy has got to be hot wearing that slicker. It must be ninety degrees today!”
But Johnny noticed something different. “Hey, Wayne, check it out. That guy has a metal detector. I wonder if he’s found anything cool now that the storm has churned everything up on the island. Who knows, maybe a piece of the bridge?”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna ask him what he’s looking for.”
With excitement in their eyes, the boys ran over to the man. As they sprinted across the beach, Wayne added, “Who knows, maybe he’s looking for pirate treasure!”