The Surly Bonds

Chapter 8

October 29, 1985. The family rises at the early hour of eight o'clock. Richard yawns and rolls out of bed. Annie and Phoebe leap out of their bed and don their vacation clothes: t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes and hats. The family takes turns utilizing the only sink in the room, lining up to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Richard pulls his navy-blue polo shirt over his head and adjusts his hair in the mirror. He slides white tube socks over his feet that come up to his mid-calf. He slips on his blue sneakers and grabs a bag: a brown leather case with his camera, a few rolls of film and a detachable flash. Mary spends a great deal of time trying to get her hair in place, battling the humidity. She reaches for a hat.

Richard closes the door and leads the family to the rental car: a lofty white 1984 Buick. They all jump into the car as Richard starts the ignition. The engine purrs, and he speeds out of the motel parking lot and onto the main road. The car glides softly above the long stretch of freshly paved highway, with Richard driving at a leisurely speed. Several cars pass him. "Mom, you didn't even tell us where we're going," Phoebe points out.

"Huh, I guess I didn't specify. How about we spend the day at Disney World?" Mary rhetorically asks.

"Ugh. Boring."

"Quit your griping. It'll be fun."

"It's for kids, though."

Richard chimes in, "Oh, right. I forgot. You're an adult now, being in the eighth grade and all."

Annie giggles. Phoebe turns to her and yells, "Shut up."

"Don't talk to your sister like that," Mary reprimands.

"Sorry."

"You actually might like where we're going. It's called EPCOT Center."

"Yeah, I saw the brochures at the motel. Looks like a real snooze fest."

Annie remarks, "I read about that place in one of my books. It's like a window into the future, and a big golf ball."

"Yeah, they have all sorts of rides, and exhibits. It'll be fun," says Mary reassuringly.

"Yeah, like I'm at school," Phoebe mutters. "Are there any roller coasters?"

"I don't think so, sweetie. What about you, are you excited, kiddo?"

"It sounds really fun!" Annie exclaims.

The car speeds past several billboards, mostly for local eateries and various tourist attractions, with the occasional tourist trap. A large billboard for Busch Gardens flies by, capturing Phoebe's attention. "Can we go there?" she asks.

"Go where?" Mary asks.

"To Busch Gardens. It's a zoo, but they have roller coasters, too! Fun and learning, probably."

"Maybe another time."

The car careens down the highway, making an exit towards Disney World. Richard follows the brown signs to direct him to EPCOT Center. He pulls up to the parking attendant and looks at Mary. She hands Richard money and forces a smile. Richard hands the money to the parking attendant and continues down a stretch of road, following the bright orange cones to the parking area. While Phoebe sits bored in the car, Annie cranes her neck to follow the path of a monorail gliding down a track but loses it to the horizon.

The white Buick stops, and Richard turns off the engine. Mary leaps out of the vehicle and adjusts her hat, smiling. Richard opens the trunk and pulls out his camera bag, while Mary puts on her sunglasses to shield herself from the intensely bright Florida sun. She grabs her large beach bag and pulls out a bottle of sunblock. She squeezes the bottle and catches the lotion in her hand. She rubs it onto her arms and legs, neck, and face. "Everyone make sure you wear plenty of suntan lotion."