“What is this place,” I ask looking around at abandoned buildings and trucks that look as though they gotta be at least fifty years old?
“My friend Susan’s great grandfather opened this factory and her family stills owns it and all the land too,” she replies as I know I would have loved to come here when I was a kid and explored all the different buildings that cover what appears to be a pretty huge site.
This looks just like something out of one of the shows I watch on TV, and between all the broken widows in the buildings and old equipment strewn all over the place it almost seems like a time capsule of sorts. I know she isn’t as interested in this stuff the way I am but I could easily spend hours wandering around here if given the chance. I guess it’s a guy thing for sure, and the idea of coming back here again with Billy and Tommy is something I know they’d like too.
“Take a right down here,” she says as I finally begin to get a whiff of the salt air.
I’m glad we have an all-wheel drive with what I’m feeling now, and as we’re coming to a large rusting gate I can already see that she has a key in her hands. It’s obvious that she’s been here before, and the thought that she and dad might have come here like we’re doing now is starting to freak me out a little. I was only six when he died of cancer, and sometimes I have a hard time even remembering what it was like when he was alive. Maybe that’s why she’s so horny all the time considering she’s been a widow for almost twelve years now.
“As long as it’s the same lock then I’ll know that no one other than Susan has been here,” she says as we get out and sure enough the old rusted lock opens as soon as she turned the key in it.
“Who else have you been here with,” I ask as I realize that’s probably a question that I shouldn’t be asking.
“Just Susan, but I wanted to take daddy here before he died but we just ran out of time,” she replies as I hope I didn’t spoil the time we’re going to be having together.
I’m surprised the gate is even opening by the sound its making as I’m pushing it open, and as she drives through the narrow opening it’s the smile on her face that tells me everything is OK between us. I just don’t think I’ve ever appreciated how strong she really is, and even though she got a nice settlement from the life insurance dad had she’s still had to work not wanting to squander away our savings. College isn’t cheap no matter where you go today, and I guess as far as money is concerned I’ve been kind of naïve in a way that kind of embarrasses me now.
“We’re almost there,” she says excitedly as we pull up to what just looks like enormous hedges that appear as though they haven’t been trimmed forever.
Walking through all the overgrown vegetation it’s getting hard for me to believe that there’s even a hint left of the place she and her friend use to come here for, but it’s the sound of the waves that keeps telling me to be patient. What’s left of the beach if all this growth hasn’t been cut back is what I want to know, and just when I’m about to give up it’s like we just walked into another world. It’s like a giant horse shoe with the way all the growth as somehow managed to preserve a scene that looks more like something out of a commercial for an exotic Caribbean beach that couples fly off together for a romantic getaway.