SUMMER FUN... good times (Part 109c)

With my promotion at the bank my focus on the race car was diverted. I certainly welcomed the additional money but it didn’t take long to realize that it came with a price of it’s own... time. Darren had called a few times to see what was happening. He’d finished cleaning all the parts and pieces and was waiting for me to show up so we could put it back together. He’d talked James, his boss, into buying new piston rings and bearings for it. I’d originally planned to be back at the track for the 4th of July weekend but between the added hours at work and trying to stay on the right side of Elle (sailing/tennis/kids/yard work/etc.) I’d not been able to squeeze out the time. I told him that the “busy” period at work would soon be over and that the middle of July was my new target. He told me he was anxious to get the motor done and to see what it would do. I told him I was too but that sometimes reality had to take precedence.

Speaking of work, J J had closed on the property for his new house and had been in the process of get a building contractor. He wanted to have it finished in time for school to open in September. I told him that he was dreaming. When he told me who he’d chosen I laughed out loud. Hearing the name I was immediately reminded of John, one of the people I’d worked with in the Civil Service Department for the County. He’d contracted with that same company to have a basic three bedroom Cape Cod style home built and it took them over four months to finish it. Elle’s father had also told me of some questionable practices they used in the construction process. He’d worked for them one Winter and quit because of it. J J, of course, wanted to know what was so funny. When I told him the look on his face was priceless. I remember his mouth hanging open for a few seconds. He told me he didn’t know what he was going to do because he needed to have a place to live by the time school opened. I didn’t have anything to tell him at that point except to pray a lot.  

July 4th was on a Sunday so we planned to spend the day at my parents house as my mother had complained that Elle’s mother was “hoarding” (her word) the kids. It wasn’t that way at all but to keep the peace that was the decision. We knew it would create some friction with Elle’s mother (as it always did). Elle knew her father, because of his work, seldom saw the kids during the Summer so offered her mother the opportunity to have the kids overnight. It was an effort to somewhat appease her even though it would mean another trip back to pick them up the next morning as the two older ones had a birthday party to go to.

It was the first time the kids had been to the beach in almost a year and they were excited. We’d been invited by Joyce (the lady with the tennis court) and her husband to view the annual fireworks display from their front yard which faced the bay. The Township rented a barge and would anchor it offshore in front of the public park. Joyce lived about a half mile West of there and told us they had the absolute best view of the proceedings. An added advantage was that all the smoke and debris (and a lot of the noise) would be blown to the East. We had deferred not knowing how our day would play out but were told that it was an open invitation.

It was perfect day for sailing but the Sailfish was still out at the lake where I’d left it. In place of it my father took us all out in his motor boat. It had been my grandfather’s and even if it wasn’t very “sporty” it was actually perfect for taking the kids. Elle, as she’d done way back when we were still dating, still wore a pair of panties under her bathing suit. She really liked days spent at the beach as she didn’t have to worry about making it to the bathroom. We got reacquainted with the next door neighbors and their kids. For me, I was treated to some “eye candy”. Even though it was a beautiful beach day Jeanette was wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts instead of a bathing suit. As she played with her kids on the beach I would occasionally see a bit of pink showing from beneath the leg openings. We ended up being invited to a cook out with them which worked out perfectly. Leaving just as it started getting dark meant we could act on the invitation to observe the fireworks. The location was on our way home so we didn’t have to go out of our way.

It was obvious that the people had invited a fair number of other people. As we walked out to the front (NOTE: On houses built on the water, the front of the house faces it) I noticed that they’d moved all the patio furniture. There were about a dozen people in all and the patio table was serving as a bar. Joyce, the owner, welcomed us and led us over to get something to drink and then to Suzette, the tennis playing teacher that Elle worked with. As I looked around I could see that all the chairs were occupied by the women and there were no more available. I suggested that we stand behind Suzette so Elle could talk with her. Standing there I took note of the fact that she had on a tennis dress but there was no way to get a good look. It wasn’t long after that we heard the first loud “BOOM”. The show was about to begin.

In previous years the length of the show varied from 15 minutes up to a half hour. It depended upon how much money the Township got in donations. It was maybe ten minutes into it when Elle nudged me. I looked at her and could see she had a distressed and somewhat resigned look on her face. I knew immediately what was wrong.

To be continued...