Bored and barefoot on the hot sandy beach she said “Did you ever play STRETCH as a kid?’
“Sure, all the time. We played it barefoot on the grass at the local park. Different styles for each player. Some liked to make you stretch as far as possible within a knife length maximum, others liked to throw the knife close to your foot to scare you. Surprised no one got stabbed. You?”
“Yes, in Mississippi we played it on the soft grass behind my grandmothers house. In Connecticut we played it on the beach.. I was the best knife thrower”
“Me too. Wanna play?”
They played stretch for almost two hours with his old Ka Bar rigging knife She won every time as he would fall over, ending the game.
“See? I told you I was great!”
They laughed and collapsed on the hot sand. It was September 1971. They would be married in November and sail away to the US Virgin Islands in December. They wouldn’t play stretch again for 50 years.
July, 2024, Lincolnville Beach, Maine. He was 76 and felt older than he looked. She was 74 and still looked fantastic.
“Wanna Play Stretch?” she asked.
“What? With our knees? Can we do it sitting in chairs?”
“No! That’s cheating. We do it like we used to on the beach. Come on!”.
They held hands and walked down to the water’s edge on the south beach where the sand was deep even if it was mostly seaweed covered. They used a steak knife and she won easily as his left knee gave out after a few lame moves and he fell over.
That night they reflected back on their lives together. “Stretch” seemed like the perfect metaphor for all they had been through; sailing in Maine, Florida, the US and British Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and Guadaloupe on large old wooden and steel schooners and bareboat chartering on new fiberglass slops and catamarans. Restoring old houses in Connecticut (three), Massachusetts (one on National Register) Maine (two), South Carolina (one) and newer used houses in Florida (three houses) and Mississippi. Struggling without money through college and the early years. Endurng hurricanes, floods, and a bridge loan to buy an old house with no plumbing or electricity that took 16 years to restore. Yes, STRETCH was a good word for them. The stretching was over but the memories remain clear and comforting as they now had six grandchildren to watch over and wonder; Maybe they all will need a little more STRETCH in their lives?