Smooth Sailing

June 2, 1978

June 2, 1978

Edward Morrison was beginning to notice that it was shaping up to be an unusually cold summer. Despite the fact that it was June, he had to wear a jacket to the Kauflins' party. Edward didn't like the Kauflins much, and not just because their last name was far too similar to the Kaufmans'. They were new to the yacht club, and he didn't care for newcomers these days. Nevertheless, he came to their party, and he would drink their soda and eat their burgers. Edward wasn't the type to miss out on a good yacht club party.

When Edward and his family arrived at the Kauflins' house, Phil and Holly immediately ran into the sandbox, where several other kids in the yacht club were already playing. Edward and Lorraine found a table next to the sandbox, where they could watch the children play.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Lorraine asked. "You seem a little surly today."

"I'm fine," Edward insisted.

"Okay," Lorraine said. She moved her chair so that she was next to Edward, and then held his hand as the two of them watched their children.

Phil, of course, had found Theo Reinhart, and the two of them were working on building a sandcastle. Phil had become quite close to Theo lately, and although Edward was never friends with Theo's parents, he didn't mind their son. Somehow, Gary's abrasiveness and Margaret's pettiness had evened each other out, and they had produced a good-natured little boy. Holly, on the other hand, was playing by herself, running a toy truck through a pile of sand. She didn't seem to mind that she was alone, a feeling that Edward could relate to. Sometimes, the world was just too much for him.

Edward looked away from the children and toward the lake. Clearwater Lake was far from clear now. In fact, sometimes it looked more like a pile of green-brown paint than a lake, but everyone, with the possible exception of the children in the sandbox, knew that it wasn't always that way. As much as saying it made him sound like an old man, Edward remembered how he could see his toes at the bottom of the lake when he was Phil and Holly's age. He couldn't say for sure what had happened, but the effects were as clear as the lake once was.

A few other people ended up sitting down at Edward's table, much to his annoyance. Gary and Margaret sat at Edward's table to keep an eye on their son, and Gary's parents soon joined them. Dennis Ogden sat down next to Edward, which he didn't mind so much, since Dennis and his parents were three of the handful of people who never seemed to judge him for needing to use a cane even though he was only thirty four. Edward didn't like to feel bad for himself about it, but it did make it harder for him to fit in with the rest of the yacht club. Finally, Stuart Hardy took the last spot at the table, and Edward's spot to be alone with Lorraine was completely compromised.

"Lorraine, can you watch the kids for a moment?" Edward asked. "I'm going to go get some food."

"Yes, that's fine," Lorraine said. "Could you get me a hamburger while you're up?"

"Anything for you, my love," Edward said. He left the table and when he got to the food table, he took two plates and filled them with burgers, potato salad, and cookies. He then returned to Lorraine and handed her one of the plates.

"Thanks, Edward," Lorraine said as she took a bite of her burger.

"You're welcome," Edward said. He sat down and glanced towards the sandbox again. Phil and Theo had joined a group of older boys who were playing volleyball, and Holly was now running around in the lake. "Holly!" Edward shouted, but she wasn't paying any attention. "HOLLY!" Edward's daughter still wasn't responding. He set his plate down, grabbed his cane, and hobbled toward the shore.

"Hi Dad!" Holly said, smiling.

"You know better than this," Edward said.

"I wanted to go swimming," Holly said.