Chapter 1

We were the Four Dukes of Duchess Hills. Duchess Hills was a small housing development in the little tourist town of Old Mission, Michigan. Built in 1960 there were 80 homes of varying styles, as long as you wanted one of the four the builder made available. We were a tight knit little community set aside from the rest of the peninsula town. The area was famous for its views and its wines. Right near Traverse City, people came for the wines, the tours, the cherry’s and Cherry wines. But in Duchess Hills we were almost oblivious to all of that. One little road led into Duchess Hills at one end and 2 connecting roads knitted us into the community. We were part of it all, but seemingly set aside. Most of our fathers were WW II vets in their 40’s and worked mostly in manufacturing for the auto makers in nearby Detroit. Brake parts, gauges, fan belts, and anything else that could be manufactured close by and not have to be shipped far. Little did our families know that by the 2000’s all those things would be made overseas at half the cost and our Dads would be retired early with no work, but great pensions that helped insure their jobs would never be left to their sons and daughters.

The Four Dukes were Larry, who we called Bones, Kerry, known as Jazz, Delbert, or Del, and me John-Jacob, (after my Grand-Dad) and everyone called me JJ. We started school together and made it through all 12 grades riding to school together with whoever’s Mom had their turn. There weren’t school buses for us, only for those who lived in the outer districts. Our Mom’s, and occasionally Dads, got us to school every day, and we mostly either walked, our caught a city bus home. By 10th grade a couple of us had drivers licenses or permits that let us bring a car to school, but still one thing was constant, the 4 of us were together.

Once we graduated from St. Paul of The Cross High School the great parting came about. We each chose different colleges and only summers and Holiday breaks brought us together. It was June of 1973 when we each came home graduated from college ready to take on the world. We each had jobs lined up or promised by summers end. We had time for one great summer.

Unfortunately, that summer didn’t turn out so great because of labor problems in associate unions causing temporary shutdowns of local plants putting a lot of our fathers out of work for on and off periods. Things began to smooth out by the end of July when the Dukes realized it might be our last time to do something together as THE DUKES.

Jazz had told us stories about his older brother going to Virginia Beach one summer and swore the girls were loose and there were all night parties on the beaches. We decided on a final road trip. We took what money we had personally saved and found we could each get a hotel room to stay for 4 nights. It was a 16-hour drive and if we split shifts, it would be an easy trip in the VW bus my grandfather had given me for college graduation. It was a ‘72 and only had 2300 miles on it when he gave it to me. He and Grandma had become sickly right after he bought it, Grandma since passed away and he was going to a nursing home just at winters end as I got home. It was sad to get it under those conditions, but the price was right, and I was set for a time, vehicle wise.

All was fine until 48 hours before we are to leave when Jazz calls me.

“JJ, I have a problem. My parents are held up in Canada, my Dad may have a line on a job until the shutdown is over. I can’t leave Jolie alone.”

Jolie was Jazz 17-year-old sister. We always called her Roly Poly Jolie. She had the cutest face, as a kid, and held onto all her baby fat, plus a lot more. Her parents babied her and still treated her like she 12 or 13.

“Jazz, don’t fuck this up, it might be our last chance to do this.” I shouted back over the phone.

“My Dad says I cannot leave her alone, he even joked to bring her.” Jazz said dejectedly.

I was quiet for a second and asked,” Why not? She’ll be OK with us at the beaches, just she’ll have to stay in your room when we go out at night. Shit, buy her a pizza and she’ll be happy.” I joked knowing how she liked to eat.

“She’s been on a diet lately and has gotten over food as a crutch, she discovered boys.” Jazz chuckled, “But, I’ll talk to her.”

I continued to pack and stay in touch with Del and Bones to put the trip together.

It was about 3 o’clock when Jazz called me back. “Jolie will go with us, she’s agreed to all my Dads rules and to everything I’ve told her, she knows, and my Dad knows how much this means to me. Plus, he really trusts you ... idiot. You’ve really “Eddie Haskelled” him. The fact we’re going for the nightlife has escaped him. If you guys all agree, she promises not to be a burden. Uhh, my Mom caught her meeting up with a kid she knew from school, a senior. She doesn’t trust the guy since Jolie is so immature, well my Mom thinks so. Anyway, getting her away from here makes my Mom happy, at least until school starts.”

The 4 of us all knew Jolie well from when we were kids and all through high school, Jazz had to “babysit” her all the while his parents worked. She shadowed us for a lot of our escapades, and I suppose her chubby round face smile got her, and us, off the hook in some trouble situations.

Two days later with me having went to bed in the afternoon and waking at 11 pm, we left Old Mission at midnight with me wide awake and the rest finding comfortable spots to sleep in my VW bus. Surprisingly, the bus went quiet fast and I listened to all night talk shows to keep me focused and awake and by six in the morning we had logged nearly 400 miles and I still felt fresh and wide awake. Once Bones woke up he moved to the front seat and began to bandy me to stop for peeing and coffee. I held off as long as I could, until I needed gas and that was getting real close. I was getting almost 25 miles per gallon and the evening air was cool enough to forego the air conditioner. I had no real worries with a 5-gallon Jerry Can with gas strapped in the back corner, my Grandpa was resourceful.

When we stopped on the turnpike to get gas it took over 14 gallons and the tank was just 15, so I was cutting it close. Bones got a tray of coffee’s whilst we all peed and I agreed to drive until breakfast to let them all wake up. As they sauntered back to the bus I really saw Jolie for the first time in daylight, and the first time in a year or so. She had shed a lot of weight and her roly-poly face was taking great shape, plus she had gotten much taller than I ever thought she might, maybe 5’7” or 5’8”. She had baggy clothes on to travel, but she was definitely thinner and taller, and had a cute face. Maybe the thought of a senior guy being interested in her wasn’t so far-fetched after all. However, she had been “forced” upon us so much she seemed more a little sister to each of us as much as she was to Jazz. In any of our escapades she always quietly went along without saying a word or complaining. Plus, she never breathed a word to her parents about anything. At one time we had a little shelter built up in the woods where we would play cards, start little camp fires, etc. Once one of the known “looser” girls in our class, Lois, wandered upon us while we were playing nickel poker. She and a friend had hidden a bottle of applejack in the woods for safe keeping and she couldn’t find it, only knowing it was in a triangle of white birch. Del sat up and told her he knew exactly where that was and took her to the spot. They were gone a long time when Del came back smelling of booze and sporting a big smile. He whispered to Bones and he went off only to return in the same condition. By the end of the day we all shared the applejack and Lois. Jolie sat watching each of us go off, and although she was only 10 or 11 at the time, she had to know what was going on. Never a word, never a question.

We each took our turns driving and sleeping and with me taking the last hour, 17 hours after leaving Michigan, we pulled into the Surfside 60 Motor Hotel. We were all tired and haggard, but anxious to have a good dinner, and raise a little hell. There was a Shoneys next door and we all went in for the dinner buffet. As we ate I kept looking at Jolie and taking in the changes in her face and how pretty she was going to become. She caught me staring once and made a face at me.

“I’m still Jolie, JJ, just a lot less of me and I’m not a little kid anymore.” She said to stop my stares, but Jazz jumped all over her words.

“You ARE a little kid, under 18 (legal age to drink at the time) and you can’t go out with us tonight!”

“I didn’t ask to, big brother, I promised to be quiet and go along with everything just like I always did. I packed 5 VHS tapes with movies to keep me busy at night. But I AM going to the beach with you.” She snarled back.

“Not in the bikini, Mom told me to make sure I brought your black swimsuit, she knows about the bikini, she found it in your drawer!” Jazz answered back pointing to her, embarrassing her in front of us.

I stepped in, “Hold it, you two. Jazz, she has always been a part of us and never breathed a word about the trouble we got in. She never had a say in where we went, what we did, ... SO, cut her some slack. She can’t go out with us at night and it sounds like she knows that, but in the day when we go to the beach it will be as its always been. So, let her wear what she wants, and WE won’t say a word and be cool like she’s always been.”

Del and Bones both stuck up for Jolie as well.

“You guys realize I am responsible for her.” Jazz threw out.

“We’re ALL responsible for her, and always have been.” Del shot back.

Jolie smiled big and looked to her brother, “See, my other brothers support me Kerry.” (she rarely called him Jazz) We finished eating and 3 of them went to the Men’s room leaving me alone with Jolie.

“I hear you have a boyfriend?” I asked.

“Well, sort of, My Mom and Dad forbid me to see him, so we have to sneak. He bought me thong underwear and my Mom found them, it’s probably why she snooped and found the bikini, he bought that for me too.”

“How do you see him?”

“Do NOT tell Kerry. We each have the same study hall periods alternating days. If you’re Honors, you can leave the building, as long as you’re never late for next class. They expect you’re going to Mission Branch Library, a coffee house, or MacDonald’s. We each have period 5 and 7 studies, period 6 of course is lunch, so Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays we have 2 hours together.”

Just then, Jazz and Del were coming back, so I didn’t get any more details, but it made me wonder what a senior guy would do with a sophomore girl for 2 hours in the middle of the day. I wondered what this guy was teaching our little Jolie. I couldn’t think of her as anything but innocent.

We split up the check and walked back to our rooms and agreed to meet at 9 o’clock to go out. There were two clubs in walking distance and both advertised shuttles to local hotels with DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE logos in their ads.

We all met up at the microbus and I showed the others the ads for the 2 clubs just down what the ads called the Lynnhaven Strip. In a 3 or 4 block area there were 2 hotels, 4 dance clubs, a strip bar, a seedy motel, a diner, a restaurant, a pizza place, and 2 fast food joints. The two clubs we were interested in, Froggers and Shuckers, were beer and wine only clubs that could serve to 18-year old’s (at the time pre-1/1/74), they could not sell liquor, though.

“I’d rather none of us drive tonight until we get the lay of the land, know the area a little. We’re all tired, let’s go have a few drinks, maybe meet some locals, and agree if we get split up to meet at the Shoneys for breakfast at 10 tomorrow.”

The other 3 agreed and we were off for a short walk to Froggers, the closest club. We ended up staying together as a group, but we each did meet a local girl or two, having a dance and sharing drinks. A couple of us got phone numbers but the two of us who made serious connection, me and Jazz, both told girls we would be at Froggers the next night. Del and Bones each found a few dance partners but nothing beyond that. The girl I did meet, who they called Jonesy, said Froggers was the more popular with college kids, and the other club, almost next door called Shuckers, had a little older crowd, but did feature live bands Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So, with our stay being so short, just spreading ourselves between the 2 nightspots seemed the wisest.

I slept right up to my wake up in the morning and by the looks of the 4 others at Shoneys the next morning so did they. I think the drive, the drinks, and the anticipation had us worn out.

The waitress at the Shoneys told us about local beaches. The one just kitty-corner to our hotel was long but was eaten up pretty well at high tide, but if we drove just about 10 blocks or so down the Lynnhaven Strip the was a large sign that simply said BEACHES with an arrow pointing to them and the parking lots. We would see 3 distinctive lots and Public Ways. The last one, she said was mostly older people, what the kids called Wrinkled Beach, but the other two, only separated by a jetty, were fun and had lots of things happening. She smiled at Del saying, “if you want to meet locals, those are the best 2 spots.”

Jolie was taking it all in and innocently asked, “Why do we want to meet local people, we just want to swim and tan.”

The waitress looked at each of us guys and then to her with a smile and she just said, “girls”.

After we ate we hurried back to the Surfside and agreed to meet in 15 minutes at the “bus” where we drove to the “Beaches” sign and found everything as we were led to. We set up on the first beach laying out 5 towels and we were all off to seek our own fun once we got our bearings. The only glitch was Jazz shaking his finger at Jolie with a long list of things she wasn’t to do. She was looking a little beat down and I stepped in again for her.