Chapter 14

Don't you know ... there was nothing for it but Lucile Louise Austin simply had to have a test ride. Not a test sail ... a ride. There is a lot more to this test ride with Lucy Lou than the mere words would suggest.

To me, a test ride is a trip around the block ... the block in this case is Pentwater Lake. We don't have a dock ... the boat is on a big rubber ball that has a huge concrete block led to a chain. that is attached to the inflated rubber ball. The boat is out 'there' tethered to that ball and chain. To sail ones boat one needs to get to the boat. To do that one needs the dinghy. Since our piece of the lake shore is about a foot, we don't have a dock.

Since we don't have a dock, and the Yacht Club is fresh out of spaces for a dinghy, our dinghy is stored at the house. Our dinghy is too big to carry down to the Bait Shop launching ramp by hand, and the neat little two-wheeled carts that are made for that purpose are also too small, so, the dinghy is on a trailer next to the garden. We have to get the boat and trailer to the launching ramp.

"Jump the pickup off from the car because no one was thinking."

No ... wait ... pickup?

"We have one just for the lake house."

Jump start it? Just how old is this pickup?

"1937."

Why do you have to jump start it?

"Because no one has ever replaced the battery."

Go buy another battery.

"Negative ground six volt?"

I see. Isn't that going to be hard on the car battery?

"Daddy?"

"David? Are you ready? Lucy wants to get going."

"Leaving any time soon isn't looking too good, daddy."

"Why not?" he asked.

"We don't have a dock," Grace and I responded.

"I know that ... the boat is on the mooring."

"We have a dinghy."

That brought out raised eyebrows ... and that twirly motion that dads make with one hand when they want you to 'get on with it'.

"It's on the trailer ... we need to launch it."

More twirly.

"We need to start the pickup."

Continuous twirly.

"So we can hook it up to the trailer ... so we can run it down to the Bait House Boat ramp and launch it."

Twirly

" ... the battery is dead."

"I'll jump it off with the Continental."

"Six volt, Daddy. The Continental is 12 volt."

"Run next door and buy the place." Quick thinking for an old man.

I didn't roll my eyes ... I shut them first ... then I rolled them, "The one with the boathouse and retaining-wall?"

"Yeah ... the old man died and the kids live in Detroit. They're itching to sell. Hurry up ... Lucy is waiting." And he laughed. "The real estate agent is there. You and Grace have money ... get to it. Don't keep your mother waiting."

"Dad!!" That was twins doing what twins have always done ... speak for each other.

But we did it. The agent was just tap-tap-tapping the final taps on the Reality Office sign when Grace and I chugged around the Green street corner. Grace grabbed the agent by the hand and I ripped the sign out of the ground.

"Come on," Grace said, "Lucy is waiting and we need the place."

I looked at his look and agreed, "Of course we're demented ... but you just sold the place ... now you need to hash it out with our lawyer."

I looked at Grace, "Do you remember if we left the swim-ladder up or down?"