our families camped together once a month, so when the fourth of july fell on our scheduled weekend, we never gave it a thought not to proceed with our plans. the drive to rehoboth beach took six hours, counting four bathroom stops for three children and two women and two men who swore they would lay off the water.
the campsite was five miles from the pristine shoreline and boardwalk. we couldnt wait to dig our toes into the warm sand. our daughter was seven at the time and our friends daughters were eight and three. we packed enough toys, beach towels, and tanning lotion to last three weekends.after pitching our tents and setting up camp, the seven of us piled into our cars and began the hunt for parking spaces closest to the water so that the men would not have to resort to camel-like behavior when hauling our supplies to the beach.
we staked our claim on the remaining ten feet of sand and sent the children to the oceans edge. our striped towels and white flesh blended with the thousands of other sun worshipers. music blared from cranked-up radios while frisbees whizzed overhead. fair-haired recruits in muscle shirts hawked their ice cream sandwiches and cold soda while i poured lukewarm kool-aid.from where i reclined, i had a clear view of the three girls splashing near the water. they chased the waves and tunneled into the wet sand, building castle after castle. it took extreme persuasion to convince them to relinquish the sea long enough to split soggy sandwiches with us. periodically, the men would drop their books and leap into an incoming wave while capturing an unsuspecting child. i could only imagine the giggles above the beach clatter.
after hours of play - and sunburned feet - we motioned for the girls to join us. i packed the towels and lotion while my best friend packed the toys and food. we each had our responsibilities but neglected the most important one. my daughter and her eldest daughter arrived by our side. their youngest girl didnt.we locked eyes. our previously orderly world shrunk to the beach and the thousands of people strewn around us. instinct jolted us into action. we screamed her name and pushed past bathers and tanners, frantic to find a missing child in a green bathing suit. each second ticked by as though specifically designed to torment us.
angela! my head snapped as the perfect picture of a mother and daughter reuniting exploded in my vision. i wanted to fall to the ground and weep amid the mass of strangers who had been unsuspecting participants in a drama unfolding before them.since that day, ive relived those five minutes of fear at rehoboth beach too many times. i relived them each time my daughter hid from me behind a store fixture or ventured out alone in the car after passing her drivers test. i relived them when she was late returning home from dates and when she married and moved to a city far from my reach.
years later, we relocated to florida, where once a month we frequent the swarming beaches of daytona. my husband and i rent beach chairs and an umbrella and stake our claim along with the other beach lovers hoping for a relaxing time in the sun. invariably, i spy a child dropping his bucket to search for his own cluster of recognizable faces. my heart freezes until i witness the mother wrapping her arms around him again. only then do i breathe and rejoin the masses.
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 11
北京课改版英语九年《Unit 9 Choices》word同步检测
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 3 We’re trying to save the manatees》word单元检测
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 9 The world’s highest mountain is 8844 meters》word同步测试
鲁教版英语九年级期中测试
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 6 By the time I got outside》word单元测试
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 9
北京课改版英语九年《Unit 11 Let’s protect the Environment》word练习题
北京课改版英语九年《Unit 1 Smile and Say Hello》word单元练习
北师大版九年级英语单元测试-Unit 3
牛津沈阳版九年级英语上册期中测试
北京课改版英语九年《Unit 7 Garage Sale》word同步检测
北师大版九年级英语单元测试-11月月考
牛津上海版英语九年级上册期末测试题
牛津沈阳版英语九上《Chapter 1 Protecting the innocent》word模拟试题
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 4 When was it invented》word单元检测题
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 5 Could you please tell me where the restrooms are》word同步测试(一)
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 4 When was it invented》word单元测试(A卷)
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 5
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 5 Could you please tell me where the restrooms are》word同步测试(二)
北京课改版英语九年《Unit 10 Revision One》word同步检测
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 2
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 4 When was it invented》word单元测试(B卷)
鲁教版英语九年《Unit 2 It must belong to Carla》word单元测试(6)
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 8
牛津上海版英语口语考试题
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 4
鲁教版英语九年级期中测试(一)
鲁教版英语九年级单元测试-Unit 6
北师大版九年级英语单元测试-10月月考
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