Chapter 43
Sally Finds What She’s Looking For!
Friday, December 9, we re-gathered at Jerry & Peggy’s campground before heading a short-ways up the Atlantic coast for North Palm Beach, Florida, the home of Sally’s Uncle Alvin. Ready to head off once again as a caravan: a family from Ohio with young children, fellow campers at Jerry & Peggy’s, already had the “Holiday Lighting Boat Parade” as their next destination as well, so that made three vehicles. Huck told us Peaches was organizing his own caravan over on the Gulf side of Florida to join us and catch the boat parade. “Plan ahead,” Sunshine told Huck. “We can be a real Rainbow Family Caravan heading north in the spring.”
Huck’s news prompted a discussion. First, Sally said she definitely didn’t want a caravan arriving at her uncle’s place. Then she surprised us with the news that Pirate Jack was heading back to California after the parade. “Yeah, well, it’s really good news,” she said. “Jack and I are planning a wedding!!!. . . as soon as I can get a divorce finalized . . .”
“Yow! Wow! Yea! That’s great!” we all said in unison. Patty took a quick look at Sally’s ring finger – sure enough, Sally no longer had her wedding ring on.
“This trip has been the best time of my life for a lot of reasons,” Sally continued, “I’ve become such a different person, seeing the world in a whole different way. I’ve got my spirit back, much more open-minded – you know, Pirate Jack’s motto, ‘Harnessing the spirit of imagination’. At any rate, Jack has to get back to his business, and you’re all invited to the wedding once we have a date – it can be a Rumpkin Reunion!”
“All true,” Jack said, giving Sally a big hug and a kiss. “After I meet Uncle Alvin, I’m heading back.” And then, out of his pants pocket he pulled a rose-gold diamond engagement ring, got on one knee, and said, “Sally B, you’re the best! Will you marry me?”
“You betcha!” Sally said laughing and crying all at once.
“Where’s the champagne!” Rocky exclaimed, “A toast to what is fun! It all goes back to that Hootenanny. . . “
“Uncle Alvin has it all planned,” Sally said. “He wants us to arrive early for a ride on his boat. He has the champagne on ice. His place is on the Inter-Coastal Waterway. All the parade boats will pass by us on their way up the coast to Jupiter.”
Patty sought out Huck. “Look, do Sally a big favor, all of us a big favor. Get a hold of Peaches and Sunshine and tell them this is a private affair. I’m not even going to start blogging again until we’re way up the coast – maybe we’ll never see the two of them again. You told me they weren’t keen on New York City, it being winter time – can’t believe you were promising a great party – despite knowing I didn’t like them.”
Uncle Alvin was a delight to meet, still spry in his 90s, still sharp as a tack. Wearing his Admiral’s cap, he showed us around the place, especially his 50’ by 20’ back deck and his 24’ cabin cruiser. With a warm breeze blowing, we took a short ride down the inter-coastal waterway, and then back to the deck for the parade.
Here’s what a boat parade looks like, as captured by Patty’s camera:
Imagine the Las Vegas strip all lit-up, only on water, floating by you, with some Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade seasoning, and, according to Steve, a dash of the Philadelphia Mummers parade (some boaters were tossing water balloons at us on the docks) . Literally over a hundred boats in a tight line-up, lit up like Christmas trees, or displaying manger scenes, or Santa and his elves, some blasting Christmas carols, some blaring rock n’ roll. There were fishing boats, sail boats, little boats, big boats, several of those “cigarette” speed boats, even a raft, but nary a yacht.
“Geez Uncle Alvin,” Sally quipped, “you’ll have to invite us back again next year so we can enter the Land Yacht on a barge.”
Skip, Rocky and Max did their best to just enjoy the parade, hiding all the heightened intrigue (and alarm) that – so far – none of the rest of us had any idea about. Max, especially, was worried sick about not immediately going to the authorities with what Skip and Rocky had told him, so worried sick that he excused himself to go crash in the Land Yacht. Alone, he called his ex, Lisa, again. “Skip’s telling me that Ken is in on some plan to stop a future terrorist bombing – and going to the authorities is the wrong thing to do,” he told her.
The night of the boat parade we all slept in the Land Yacht, except Max, who was on Uncle Alvin’s couch, and Sally and Jack, who had Uncle Alvin’s spare bedroom. In the middle of the night, Sally got Jack up to spend part of the night under the stars on Uncle Alvin’s deck. In the morning we left for our one remaining stop, Skip’s sister’s place in Virginia, before hitting Philadelphia and New York City.