A Winter Trip to Florida
I cannot remember the year. It was more than thirty or so years ago. Peter’s law office always closed between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. That year Peter decided to take an extra week off to drive to Florida to visit his mother and her siblings. Except for her brother, Uncle Mo and his wife Corrine, I had not met Peter’s family that lived in Florida. This was an opportunity to do so.
Piles of snow covered the ground and it still was rushing down. There seemed to be no sign of it stopping. Try as hard as I could, I could not imagine being able to swim anywhere in December in the United States at the end of December or in January. However, Peter told me to pack a swimsuit, so I did. I noticed Peter furtively pulling out a pair of ratty looking swimming trunks from the darkest corner of his chest of drawers. He must have worn them as a teenager. They were faded and worn thin. He tried to get away with wearing them on several occasions despite him owning some really lovely ones. Up until now, he had not succeeded, nor would he if I have anything to do with it.
I walk towards him and gently pulled them out of his hand. ‘’Oh no you don’t! These are awful’’ I said. “Your mother would be mortified to see you, wearing these.”
‘’Oh well, I tried,’’ he replied with a mischievous smile upon his face, as he put them away once more. He treasured them because they reminded him his youth when he was a young heart throb. He was now in his forties and those trunks definitely had seen better days.
We packed our suitcases and loaded the car and set off. It took a long time to get out,of the city. But once we were out, it was smooth sailing. This was the second marriage for the both of us. When we first met we both quickly realized that this was as it. We had found our soulmates. It turned out to truly be the case.
I had never been to Florida before. My relatives lived in California and Colorado. When I traveled in the US, it was to visit them, otherwise, I preferred to go to London where I had more relatives.
We took our time driving to Florida. We stopped at various places that took our fancy. The one city that attracted me, was Savanah. In my imagination, I pictured it like it was during the Civil War as I had read about it in history books. I pictured it as I had read of it in Gone With The Wind. I was not disappointed. It is a beautiful and well preserved city. We stayed there for the night. The next morning, after a hearty southern breakfast, we strolled down its streets. As we walked, we came across a synagogue with a plaque at its entrance declaring that it was the oldest synagogues in the United States. Moreover, that George Washington had visited it! To say that I was thrilled, would be an understatement! Here we were in one of the oldest cities in America with a bonus that George Washington had visited the oldest synagogue in the US! I was thrilled! I love history! It tickled my imagination that this information just fell into my lap!
All the while during this trip, Peter kept commenting on how I will be so pleased about how pleasant and warm Florida is. After all the heavy snowfall in New York, I found it difficult to visualize summer like weather anywhere in December. I was not to be disillusioned. As we approached Jacksonville, snow began to fall! At first there were tiny little flurries. Peter felt chagrined that he was being proven wrong. After a while he forgot about that. The snow began to come down hard and relentlessly. We were in Florida! They do not have any idea on how to cope with snow. They do not need to! They are the Sunshine State! Yet here we were, in Florida, in a snowstorm! Visibility was poor, even trucks were slipping and sliding. Some even slid off the highway! “We’re in Florida,” Peter kept muttering as he leaned his whole body forward. He was clutching the steering wheel so hard, to the point that his knuckles turned white. Luckily, he managed to get off the highway safely. We were fortunate enough to be able to get a hotel room, for very quickly the hotel filled up. That did not prevent them from allowing people to stay. People slept in the lobby, by the indoor pool on the lounge chairs, anywhere and everywhere they could. Still the snow continued to fall. It was just before Christmas. On the radio and television stations, clergymen began to pray for the end of the falling of the snow. Florida was simply not equipped for snow. They did not have any snow plows, nor salt, nor even snow shovels! This was Florida. They had nothing to alleviate their present problem, nothing but the clergymen’s prayers. Everyone felt trapped. Everyone kept looking out of the windows, as the snow piled higher and higher.
Peter as getting cabin fever. He never liked to stay in place for too long, especially if he had nothing to do. This was in the beginning of the snowfall. Since we were equipped for snow, we took a walk by the shops near the hotel. We came across a very flustered young woman.
“I don’t know what to do. I needed to buy a few last minute gifts for Christmas. Now it’s snowing. My tires are covered with snow! I just don’t know what to do!” she despaired.
Peter, being the kind, caring person that that he was, told her, “We are from New York. We get a lot if snow. The snow is still light. If you drive carefully, there is a very good chance you’ll reach home safely.”
“I don’t know what to do. I better call my husband.”
At that point I understood that no matter what Peter told her, she really needed her husband’s reassurance. I gently tugged at Peter’s arm. It was cold. The best thing to do was to walk back to the hotel.
I must say that the hotel staff were heroic. They worked tirelessly to tend to their hotel guests in the most pleasant matter. Their supplies were dwindling, they were overwhelmed, yet they were as gracious as could be! If there ever was a Christmas spirit that winter, it was at that Holiday Inn in Jacksonville. It took a few more days before it was announced that the roads were safe to travel. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and hurried along their way, but I think the hotel staff were the most relieved of all. They were exhausted, but now they knew they would be able to celebrate the holidays with their families and friends!
After that misadventure, Peter and I were in no mood to dilly dally any longer. No more sightseeing! We drove straight to our destination. As we drove along, the weather began to change. Snow flurries turned into sunshine. We soon doffed off our winter outerwear. We opened the car windows and began to sing at the top of our voices. A huge big smile spread across Peter’s face. This was the Florida he had been telling me about. This was the Florida he was looking forward to see! We were on our way to see Mother and the rest of the family. His sweet off key voice rose joyously higher and higher in song. I smiled as I sang along with him. The car seemed to take wings, as if it knew that we were on our way to see Mother and the rest of the family. It sailed all the way to Tamarac. It seemed to know exactly where to go and where to park. As we parked, I spotted Mother peering anxiously from the balcony.
“There she is!” I exclaimed anxiously.
Peter tapped the horn lightly. Mother’s face lit up in relief. “Don’t come down, we’re coming down,’’ Peter called up to her. But she would have none of it. The tiny little lady was down before we even got out of the car. I smiled as she rushed into his arms and the two of them embraced each other in delight.
I was quite familiar with Uncle Mo, her brother, and his wife Corrine. He was her youngest brother. He and Corrine came to New York quite often. They were quite fun and I truly loved them. He reminded me of my Uncle Philippe, who had the same easygoing and charming ways as Uncle Mo. I truly loved Uncle Mo and Corrine. They exuded verve. They loved to joke, laugh and have fun. Uncle Mo was warm, caring, loving and lovable. I am guessing that Peter took those traits from him.
Peter’s Uncle Seymour, at the time when I met him, was quite old and feeble. He was thin and badly bent over. It must taken him a great deal of effort to join in the conversation when we all to went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Because it was was the very first time they were meeting me, Mother had graciously invited the family for lunch. We occupied a round table that seated twelve. Except for Uncle Mo and Corrine, I knew Mother’s friend, Mae, who was as sweet and gentle as my mother in law and Peter’s cousin, Leonard, or Lenny for short.
I cannot remember the rest of the family that I met that day, for only time I met them was on that that once across a round table that seated twelve. The two that are still indelibly imprinted on my memory, are Aunt Frannie and her unmarried sister Ruth. Aunt Frannie was Uncle Seymour’s wife.
I was seated next to Aunt Frannie at the table. Everyone ordered what they wanted. When the orders came, they were placed in front of them. In the middle of the table was a Lazy Susan, for passing dishes across. As soon as everyone got served, Aunt Frannie leaned forward and with a supercilious smile pasted on her face, she asked each one of us, ‘’You aren’t really hungry, are you? Seymour would love some of your food.’’ She repeated herself several times. Then her sister echoed her sentiments. What was one to do, but offer half of their meal? So, everyone put half their food on the Lazy Susan and directed them to her! She then ordered the waiters to pack it all away. Perhaps she worried that someone would change their mind! All that while, poor Uncle Seymour was sitting quietly in his seat, with his head resting on his chest, staring into space. I did not see him eat once! I could barely control my mirth. She was so outrageous! I looked at Peter. He was trying to control himself as well. Uncle Mo had put on the sternest face imaginable. His face was flushed from the effort of trying to control his laughter. Corrine looked as if she would lose control any second. By the look of Mother, well, she was not at all amused. She wasn’t too pleased by her sister-in-law’s behavior. I turned my attention back to Corrine.
‘’Corrine, I need to powder my nose, would you like to come?’’ I asked with a smile.
‘’I do believe I would,’’ she said, as she eagerly got up. Our bodies shaking with silent laughter, we walked arm in arm to the ladies room. Once there, we began laughing uncontrollably until our sides began to ache! We were both second wives who had fairly recently become part of the family. We found Aunt Frannie’s behavior behavior to be comically hilarious. For the first time Corrine found in me someone who found that situation funny. As for the rest of them, they had known her most of their lives. To them it was just Frannie, being Frannie.
Except for Uncle Mo and Corrine, Mother’s friend, Mae and Peter’s cousin, Leonard, I never saw any of them again.
We spent the rest of the trip with Mother and Mae. Since it was Christmas, there were ships and yachts of the rich and famous docked at the Floridian waterways. Florida was the popular place to be during the winter holiday interlude. Mother and Mae loved the sites and we concentrated on doing things that made them happy. Mother liked eating out, as did Peter, so we did so frequently. We fussed over her. We swam in her building’s pool. One evening we went to Uncle Mo and Corrine’s club for dinner. She introduced me to all her friends. They all knew Peter. She was so happy to have us there.
Soon the Christmas holidays drew to a close. Once more Mother stood at the balcony, but this time with a sad face. It is never easy to say goodbye. Peter’s face did not wear a smile, as we drove away.
The next day we arrived home at dusk. There was still snow on the ground. The air was frigid. The wind shrieked and howled as if in pain. We quickly entered the house. We raised the heat on the thermostat. In the silent house we heard the furnace begin to hum. Ah home! Home sweet home, we are back.