{Avalon, NJ – June 1985}
The next morning, Dylan was sitting in his kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when the phone rang. Max Thomas greeted Dylan and explained that he was still working on the Stone Harbor Bridge. “The damage is worse than I originally thought. The wooden surface frames that surround the concrete pile driver supports were severely damaged by the storm. Unfortunately, it’s going to take me another two days to complete the repairs.”
Dylan indicated that he understood and then added, “Be safe, Max. I’m sure that everyone on the island truly appreciates your efforts to repair the bridge.”
Knowing that his morning was now open, Dylan decided to head to the beach. After he changed into his swimsuit and walked downstairs, Liz called out.
“Oh, Dad, before you leave, I have a little gift for you that I hope you’ll enjoy.” She handed him the new book that she recently purchased. “It’s the latest by Jack Higgins.”
With his spirits definitely on the rise, Dylan gave his daughter a hug and said, “That’s so nice of you, Liz. Thank you.” Then, grabbing his hat, beach badge, and beach chair, he left the house and happily began his trek.
After he left, Christine turned to her daughter and said, “Thanks, honey. Your dad really loves reading on the beach with his buddies. I’m certain that he’ll enjoy the new book.”
A short time later, the boys prepared to explore the cave again. At the same time, Mark and Liz sat on the back deck and discussed Mark’s plans to drive back to Moorestown that day simply to check on their house and to make sure that the cat was OK. As they talked, their sons walked by and said that they were going to search the cave for pirate treasure.
Elizabeth responded, “That’s great, boys, have fun,” and Mark added, “Good hunting, boys.”
Their parents were not paying attention to what the boys intended to do and did not see the items that they carried toward the dock. Johnny had two flashlights and the snorkel gear, and Wayne was carrying two large crowbars, which he had borrowed from his grandpa’s garage. Had their parents been more observant, they certainly would have questioned the boys about the crowbars. And in all likelihood, Mark and Liz would have told the boys to stay away from the damaged bulkhead because it was dangerous!
The boys spent the next three hours in the lagoon. Fortunately, the tide was very low for a good deal of the time. Recently, in school, the boys’ science teacher had explained that the normal monthly tide cycle was triggered by the full moon. That’s when the moon, Earth, and sun are aligned, and the gravitational pull of the sun causes extreme tidal changes.
Because the tide was lower than normal, the boys could stand on the sandy bottom with the waterline reaching only their waists. In turn, they felt more at ease while they worked.
Looking at the entire seawall, the boys understood that it was designed to hold the earth intact and to securely define their grandparents’ waterfront property. The bulkhead was made of large wooden pilings with diameters similar to the size of telephone poles. The pilings were driven vertically into the ground every five feet along the wall. Behind the pilings were large wood boards called timber sheathings. One side of these boards faced the bay water, and the other side faced the dry land. The sheathings helped to hold the earth in place and prevented potential erosion of Dylan’s property.
Progress was very slow and exhausting for Wayne and Johnny. But after much trial and error, the boys made headway by using the two crowbars to expand the gap between the two broken sheathing boards.
“All we have to do is move this board a few more inches to the right, and then we can squeeze inside,” said Wayne with excitement. “By pulling at the same time, we can do it. On the count of three, give it everything you’ve got, Johnny! One. Two. Three!”
With all of their might, the boys pulled on their crowbars and forced the damaged board to finally move. Wiping sweat from his eyes, Johnny commented, “We did it. I think we can get into the cave now.”
Before entering the enlarged gap, the boys took the crowbars back to the dock and returned with their flashlights. Unfortunately, because it took the boys several hours of hard work to expand the opening in the wall, the tide had changed, and the bay water was rising faster than anticipated. Even so, Wayne decided to enter the cave.
As he began to maneuver his body through the enlarged gap, Wayne said, “We have just enough time for a quick look, Johnny.”
His brother responded, “I’ll stay just outside the cave entrance and keep my flashlight pointed at you at all times.”
“OK, but if the pirates capture me, you better run for help.”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Johnny lightly pushed Wayne in the arm and said, “Stop messing around, Wayne. We don’t have much time.”
Wayne easily negotiated his way through the small opening without scratching himself. Once inside the cave, he said, “Boy, this place stinks.”
“What can you see?”
Wayne adjusted his flashlight and looked all around the dark cave. With the water now reaching his chest, he said, “All I can see are dark red and brown colors. I can’t make out any details. The water’s too deep.”
As Wayne slowly directed his light toward the left, he saw a bright reflection. Unfortunately, it was only for a brief second and was seemingly doused by the rising tide.
Johnny urged his brother to hurry out of the cave. “Come on, Wayne, get out of there before the entrance is completely underwater!”
Once outside, Wayne said, “That was awesome, Johnny. We definitely have to check it out again at low tide. That’s the only way we’ll be able to find any treasure!”
As the brothers began to laugh, they heard their mom call, “Hurry up, boys. We’re all going to The Princeton. It’s Family Night and Uncle John’s band is playing.”
As the boys hurried out of the lagoon and back up to the house, Wayne said, “I love seeing The Snake Brothers band. Uncle John can really jam on his slide dobro and banjo. And that harmonica player is really amazing!”
“The whole band is great, Wayne. They not only sing well, but the fiddle, guitar, and bass players are the best.”
When the boys reached the deck, Liz handed them towels and pointed to the outdoor shower. “Use soap and shampoo. You guys are a mess.”
Before turning to enter the house, she gazed toward the marshland and thought about how beautiful Seven Mile Island was. With the sun setting, she noticed a tall egret walking at the water’s edge while a group of ducks paddled nearby. “This place is amazing,” she said to herself.
That night, the family had a blast tapping their feet to the beat of the lively music. The band played not only a wide range of popular rock songs but country western and bluegrass music too!
Christine convinced Dylan to get up and dance when Uncle John began singing one of her favorite songs from the 1960s, “Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters. They continued dancing when the band started playing the next song, “Come a Little Bit Closer,” which was a big hit for Jay and the Americans. With the band in full swing and spirits running high at The Princeton, numerous other guests joined the fun and began dancing.
As the brothers were watching the show, they noticed their grandparents dancing. After Grandpa spun his wife around in a full circle and the two ended the dance move with a quick kiss, the boys shouted in unison, “Yay, Grandma!”
Lisa followed by loudly yelling to Uncle John, “You rock, Uncle Ziggy,” calling out his unique stage name. This caused Uncle John to laugh into his microphone while singing. A true professional, he quickly recovered without missing a beat and continued to serenade the crowd with a look of pure joy on his face.
When The Snake Brothers finished the show with an original song called “South Jersey Waltz”, the family congratulated the bandmates for a terrific performance and headed back to the house. While walking with her family, Lisa silently reflected on a strange incident that had taken place that night. She’d noticed Mr. Sharp standing by himself on the other side of the dance floor. He’d done nothing unusual, but Lisa had felt a little uncomfortable because Mr. Sharp seemed to stare at her family’s table for about fifteen minutes.
Thinking that he might just be shy or embarrassed to impose, Lisa thought it would be neighborly if she went over to greet Mr. Sharp. She walked across the crowded dance floor only to find that he had vanished. “Very strange,” she thought.
As the family continued walking, Lisa could not help but reflect on Mr. Sharp’s glaring eyes. The vision made her shiver from her head to her toes. Fortunately, her uncomfortable thoughts were broken when her dad walked over and placed his windbreaker over her shoulders.
“I saw you shaking and thought you might be cold. By the way, did you have fun tonight?”
“Thanks, Dad. I had a wonderful time, especially watching Grandma and Grandpa on the dance floor. They were great!”
But she didn’t share her disturbing thoughts about Mr. Sharp and his glaring eyes.