Chapter 8

“Ok, honey, I’m going to need some help navigating here,” said Paul as they threaded their way through the central Florida wetlands in their rented SUV. The roads to their destination were both well marked and confusing as hell at the same time. Their resort, Shades of Green, isn’t part of the Disney resort system, but it used to be, so signage was there directing them to their destination, but there was not as much signage as the pure Disney resorts. To get to their resort, they headed to the Magic Kingdom, but they were just cutting through a corner of the Magic Kingdom’s main parking lot. Finally, with a lot of help from Andi and her paper maps, Google Maps, Waze, and the road signs they found themselves on a road with Christmas decorations hanging from the streetlamp poles, every decoration was an illuminated tin soldier. They turned on to another road and came to a military style guard shack in the middle of the road that had a barrier with a stop sign which blocked their forward progress.

A uniformed guard stepped out of the shack and in a jovial voice said, “Good afternoon folks, welcome home! I need to see your ID cards.” Paul handed his military ID to the guard who regarded it, then turned to Andi. “ID please?”

“Sorry,” she said and handed the guard her driver’s license.

“Do you have military ID?” said the guard as he handed back the card.

Andi looked at Paul, confused, but Paul just smiled. “This is a military installation; they want to see your military ID.”

Andi said, “I don’t have a ... oh wait,” then she remembered the new peach colored military dependent’s ID card in her wallet. Because she isn’t active duty, it didn’t occur to her to think of it as a military ID. “Sorry, I’m new to this,” she said, blushing. It took some work to get the card out because she slid it into a tight pocket so it wouldn’t get lost, and she had to fight it out of her wallet. She handed that to the guard who regarded the card and noticed that it was a brand-new card. “Newlyweds?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” she answered shyly. “Three days.”

He handed the card back and with a huge smile said, “Congratulations, Colonel, Ma’am, and welcome home.” He stepped back to the guard shack and, as the arm blocking their path, raised and saluted Paul sharply. Paul, Sandy, and Madeline returned the salute and drove on to the hotel.

Shades of Green used to be a Disney owned and operated golf course and country club, but the odd rules that Disney used to determine membership automatically spelled its failure. It was purchased by AFRC, Armed Forces Recreation Centers, who have rest and recreation centers in Hawaii, Seoul Korea, and Bavaria, Germany. It’s a home away from home base for military active duty, retired, veterans, and their dependents.

“This is beautiful!” gasped Andi as they approached the main building, and she was right, AFRC works extremely hard to present exhausted GIs with a place of beauty where they can relax with their loved ones.

They stopped at the main entrance and got out. The Bell Captain stepped up and shook Paul’s hand. “Welcome home! Just checking in? Need a hand with your luggage?”

“Thank you, yes sir,” said Paul.

“When you get your room number, let me know the number and I’ll get your luggage to your room.” The smiling Bell Captain and an assistant were fast and efficient, and they emptied their rented SUV and stacked the bags on a cart while Paul and Andi led the girls inside.

Paul and his girls walked into the lobby and stopped at the registration desk. “Checking in?”

“Yes ma’am,” said Paul and the girl behind the counter began the checking in process which included a long briefing as she gave Paul and Andi maps to navigate the multiple buildings, restaurants, athletic center, golf courses, swimming pools and the BX and Commissary.

The registration process took more time than Paul was used to, but this is a large resort and there was a lot to learn, and Andi had her hands full keeping watch on the girls. The lobby had a gigantic Christmas tree reaching 25 feet up to the vaulted roof, a massive fireplace, huge comfortable chairs, a waterfall, a coffee kiosk, and an ice cream vendor. Once the paperwork was completed with a cheery “Welcome Home” Paul went out to park the car, and shortly the Bell Captain arrived in the lobby with a cart full of Jarecki luggage. and he led Andi and the twins to their room.

The suite was large and comfy. It was a studio with a living room, kitchenette and dining area, and a bedroom. The couch was a futon and was going to be for the girls while the honeymooners got the bedroom. The suite featured a patio that was just feet from the huge horseshoe-shaped swimming pool and not far away was the Mill Pool, which was the children’s swimming pool. Finally, the Bell Captain extended his hand, not for a tip, but to shake Andi’s hand. “I understand you’re a gold star daughter. Thank you.”

“My mom always gets a gold star,” insisted Sandy, thinking of the gold stars her mom gives them for completing their schoolwork and finishing their chores.

“No, he’s talking about my father, Grandpa Dan.” Andi always insured that the twins were filled with stories of Dan Roberts, her dad. “Thank you,” she said. “I only wish the girls had met him.”

Paul showed up just then as the bell captain hung a gold star on their door. “I was told that you requested we didn’t put the second gold star up,” said the Bell Captain.

Paul’s expression went ice cold. “She didn’t die with honor,” was all he said as he entered the room. He was still angry over his wife’s death that was caused by her infidelity.

“Ok folks, let’s head to the BX!”

“Will it be as big as Nagra Falls?” asked Madeline who loved the toy department at the little BX on Niagara Falls ANG (Air National Guard base).

“No, probably not,” said Paul as he led his family up a flight of steps, across the skywalk to the main building and into the AAFES (Army/Air Force Exchange Service) Base Exchange.

“This is a real BX?” asked Andi in shock.

“Well, yeah. It will be small, but it will be tax free, and we’ll be able to use our Star Card.” The star card is the credit card system in the military. It can only be used at the Air Force and Army’s Base Exchange and the Navy and Marine Corps’s NEX.

When they got to the BX, they found it was quite small, but Paul expected much smaller. It was about half the size of the BX at Niagara Falls ANG, and it was without a toy and electronics portion. They bought things like sunscreen and swimsuits because those things are few and far between in Buffalo during the winter. Andi found Paul a nice-looking golf hat emblazoned with “Shades of Green.” It would shade his head and it was the first hat she ever saw him wear without the Buffalo Bill’s logo. Then they found the ultimate prize – a TwinHauler, a large foldable wagon with soft sides and had a soft roof to protect little heads from the Florida sun. It was big enough to hold both twins plus blankets, towels, and an assortment of beach toys and it had wide inflatable tires that would work great on the beach.

Near their room was a Tiki hut themed restaurant that the twins loved, but Paul and Andi thought was overpriced, so they also got a frozen pizza and drinks at the BX. The family headed back to their hotel room to cook the pizza and rest up for the big day tomorrow. However, when walking back to their room, the twins saw the swimming area named the Mill Pool. The Mill Pool had abundant attractions for the small swimmers, including a big three-story tall water slide, which attracted Sandy, and a small eight-foot-tall water slide and splash park which attracted Madeline.

“Can we? Can we? Can we?” begged the twins. “Pleeeeeeeeze?”

Andi attempted to reason with them. “We should be resting up to go see Ella and Anna tomorrow.”

“Can we please? Can we please? Can we please?” The twins clasped their hands as if in prayer.

Paul finally sighed, “Ok, but two hours, no more. AFTER you eat.”

“We promise!”

The twins dashed off up the hallway to where they thought the room was to get changed. Andi drew close to the new dad and said, “You have no idea of the can of worms that you just opened.”

The frozen pizza was a good idea because the only restaurant the twins eat properly at is Giardino’s, but they will eat almost any pizza put before them. There was no chance they would forget about the swimming pool either, because they changed into their swimsuits as they ate. They were still gnawing on pizza crusts as they headed off to the pool.

Andi’s words were prophetic. At the pool it was non-stop action; the twins were everywhere doing everything. Where just hours ago Paul was able to tell the twins apart by their actions and reactions, in the pool they became identical, identical twins. Every squeal, every splash, and every shout of “Watch me!” was identical. Regardless of the context, every time a face got wet, the owner of the wet face ran to Andi or Paul for a wipe down with a dry towel. Andi and Paul lay side by side in a double lounge. Both had changed to swimsuits also, and eventually the twins asked for help. They wanted to try the kiddie water slide, but the pool guard said that they needed a “spotter.”

“This was your idea, daddy,” said Andi.

“What is it going to be like this summer at the cabin? Duty calls,” sighed Paul. He got up and peeled off his t-shirt. When he pulled his shirt over his head and turned to drop it on the lounge, Andi gasped loudly. “What?” he asked.