Prologue: August 1945-Bradley Beach, New Jersey Sally (5th
grader), her brother Douglas, their parents and their grandmother whom they
call Ma Fanny stay in a boarding house and rent two rooms. An announcement has
just been made over the radio, he war is over. May 1947-Elizabeth, New Jersey
Chapter 1:
Aunt Bette (Sally’s mother’s younger sister-4th
grade teacher)Sally’s family waits for her brother Douglass to return from the
hospital with her father-He went into Union Woods and fell into the brook and
dislocated his elbow. Principal had notified teachers to tell students not to
go into the woods because of a strange man who lives there. When Douglas comes
home he is still soaked
Chapter 2:
Douglas got nephritis- kidney infection, no one worried
about him missing school because he was extremely smart but that did not make
Sally jealous because Douglass did not receive good grade and all of his
teachers said the same thing (he did not work to his full potential)-Sally had
a beautiful play house that her, Douglass and he father built. She had he best
friends come play in it all the time. Christine, Sally’s best friend, wanted to
see Douglass but no one could, not even Sally. He got better, but then started
getting worse. Sally’s parents were going to rent a house at Bradley Beach for
the summer but Douglass was too ill. Sally went to Y camp. Her parents went to
Florida (secretly to look at apartments for the winter)-Sally loved to tell and
think up stories.
Chapter 3: Sally.
Douglass, Ma Fanny and her mother decide to move to Florida for the winter.
They plan to leave mid- October. Their father has to stay behind for work so
Sally’s Aunt Bette and uncle Jack are moving in to keep him company. Sally does
not really want to go-she will miss everything, especially her father. She wished
her mother could be more silly but she know that she loves Sally
Chapter 4: Sally and her family
took the train all the way to Miami, Florida. It was nearly a two day trip. On
the train ride Sally met the Williamson family who were Negro’s. Kenneth, Kevin,
Loreen, and Mrs. Williamson were also on their way to Miami. The next morning
on the train the Williamson family was gone. Sally’s mother explained they were
gone because in different parts of the country they did not have certain
rights. Sally did not understand why and it bothered her how her mother did not
seem to care that much.
Chapter 5: The apartment was
nothing like Sally had expected. It was very ugly and small. Sally’s mother had
to share a bed with Ma Fanny that popped out of the wall and Douglass and Sally
had to sleep in the day room. Sally was starting school but before she could
start classes she had to get examined. Her physical went fine but she had lice.
The nurse gave them treatment and told them to come back in a few days. Sally’s
mother was outraged but the nurse tried to explain to her it was most likely
from traveling and she could have picked them up anywhere. She wrote a letter
to her father.
Chapter 6: Sally’s first day of
school: Her teacher was very pretty and very nice. Sally realized that
everything was extremely different in her school in New Jersey where it was
small and she new everyone. Here it was crowded and the bathroom stalls did not
have doors. They style was very different and a girl named Harriet told Sally
she hated her. Sally met a friend named Barbara. They went to lunch together
and sally found out there was only one option and her table monitor was a very
strict woman. She was forced to finish her entire lunch (spaghetti which she
hated) and take a sip of her warm milk after every bite. Sally raced home
because she refused to use the bathrooms at school but she didn’t make it to
the bathroom. She cried into her Ma Fanny.
Chapter 7: There were two other
apartments in their section. The Daniel’s lived next door and were intense
orthodox Jews-have daughter Beulah (bubbles) who had rheumatic fever and has to
have weekly tests like Douglass. The Rubins lived across the hall-have two kids
and a grandmother like Sally and were from Brooklyn, NY-Linda (2yrs) and Andrea
(6th grade). They have an all white cat which Sally thinks is
beautiful (mother tells her to stay away)-Sally’s mother is a germaphobe. Sally
and Andrea go bike riding together and she shows her Flamingo park. Andrea
talks down to Sally. A man stops them at a path and offers rock candy. Andrea
takes it immediately. Sally stares at the man hard and memorizes a description
of him. She screams no and rides away. Andrea explains that it was only Mr.
Zavodsky who lives in the building. Sally thinks he looks like Adolf Hitler.
Andrea and Sally play on the beach one afternoon with their families and
Barbara comes over. Andrea doesn’t know how Sally stands her she thinks she is
dumb. Sally’s father is coming for Thanksgiving. So is Andrea’s father whom she
doesn’t care for much.
Chapter 8: (letters between Sally
and her Father)Sally to her dad: Miami beach is full of bugs and
salamanders-they found mice in their kitchen-mother is still concerned with
many germs and infectious diseases-she met a new friend, Shelby-there are Man
O’ Wars in the water. Sally then wrote a letter to her Mr. Zavodsky about her
suspiciouns of him being Adolf Hitler-she kept it in her keepsake box until she
wanted to mail it. Dad to Sally: sends a yellow balloon with red writing on
it-didn’t pop-can’t wait till Thanksgiving-Sally calls her father “Doey bird”
he saw her best friend Christine Sally to dad: Halloween is coming-Shelby will
be a flamingo-Sally will be a peanut girl-the sun is helping Douglas-he loves
cocoanuts-he is building a contraption to catch them-mom is worried he is not
making any friends-Douglas likes to be alone
Chapter 9: Sunday mornings
Douglas, Sally and their mother wait by the phone at 10am for their fathers
call(they did not have a phone in the apartment)-each child talked to
him-mother got emotional when speaking to him sent children outside-Sally sat
by the goldfish pond. Mr. Zavodsky snuck up behind her and offered her candy again-Sally
ran inside and told her mother-mother said to stay away from him. Thursday
school was closed-Shelby came over for lunch liked her apartment-Sally admitted
it looked so much better with her mother and Ma Fanny’s touch-mother took kids
to movie and ice cream afterwards-Sally seemed to be getting more used to Miami
Beach
Chapter 10:
Wednesday afternoon Miss Swetnick
dictated a poem to the class-they were getting graded on penmanship and
spelling. Barbara always got an E for excellent while Sally always got G for
good. She watched Barbara but still got a G. Peter Hornstein was playing with
Sally’s braid-he dipped it in ink-she got messy-Everyone knew Miss Swetnick was
“going with” his older brother and would never send him to the office. She went
to Barbara’s apartment after school. Barbara’s mother worked and her father
died in the marines. This made Sally think a lot.
Chapter 11:
Sally’s father was turning 42-mom
was emotional-both his brothers died at 42. Sally had a dream that Miss Kay had
died-Ma Fanny told her it meant she was going to get married. Sally has
thoughts about her father’s death. Sally gets a letter from Christine.
Neighborhood kids are playing hide and seek one night. Andrea and Sally are
hiding behind the bushes when Mr. Zavodsky sneaks up behind them and asks if
they would like candy. Andrea shushes him and he goes away. Sally tries to hint
to Andrea who Mr. Z reminds her of. Sally writes him another letter. Saturday
Andrea and Sally go to the beach. Andrea tells Sally that Douglas was looking
at her body-they talk about “Latin Lovers”. Mom was singing in the
shower-parents spent night at a hotel near the airport.
Chapter 12: Sally’s father
finally came-Thanksgiving dinner-Ma Fanny becomes sad because the turkey is too
dry-she becomes happy when she realizes that they are just all together. Mom
and dad went out to a club with his new friends whom he met on the plane, Ted
and Vicki Wiskoff. Mom becomes drunk for the first time. Sally had a dream
about Lila, Peter and Hitler. Next day spent the day at the beach with their
father then had dinner that night with their new friends. Father had to
convince mother to come out. Children had a wonderful time. Vicki was a
dazzling woman-showed Sally how to clean her diamonds. Sally told her mother
that night how she was grateful for her love and she wouldn’t want a mother
like Vicki. Her mother needed to hear that.
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