Elizabeth was in the third grade, David the fifth and Michael was in second when we took the kids to Mackinac Island for the first time. We had a great time exploring the island. We walked through the main streets, bought fudge and t-shirts, held photo shoots like this one, and rented bikes. The five of us road around the entire island.
As we were nearing the return of the bikes, I remembered that a friend had a house on the island. We checked out the mailboxes of homes where I thought he may live. After finding what I thought might be his house, we returned the bikes and walked back. The house was only a couple of blocks from the main part of town.
I met Doug while we were both serving as Michigan school administrators. I worked in Addison and he in Fowlerville. Doug dated a girl who taught in Addison, so we saw each other socially. We both took part in Michigan State’s “extern” program, so we connected professionally as well.
After Doug stopped dating the Addison girl, he started dating his school librarian, and eventually they got married. Doug and I fell out of touch after the “extern” program ended. I never met his wife until I knocked on their door on Mackinac Island.
I explained who I was and asked if Doug was home. He was, and our crew was invited in. Doug went to the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of vodka out of the freezer. That set the tone for the remainder of the evening. We sat on his front porch and “just talked” while Ruth and the kids spent the time with Doug’s wife and new baby. While we spoke I couldn’t help but notice that a number of trucks were hauling and dropping fill dirt across the street at the water’s edge. I learned that the coastline had eroded because of massive ice flows the previous winter.
“It must be costing the island a lot of money to haul all of that dirt.”
Doug corrected me and said, “It’s costing the homeowner. He’s responsible. And he’s having it hauled by ferry across from Mackinaw City.” And then he told me that he was the homeowner.
After a couple of drinks we decided to order pizza and stay for dinner. As we waited for the pizza Doug shared more with me. His wife, her father, and her brother had each inherited a large amount of money from her grandfather. Her grandfather was the former owner of a company called Toledo Stove. He sold the stove company and bought some land in Florida. He ultimately sold the land to the federal government where they built Cape Canaveral.
When the grandfather died he left his estate to his only son and his two grandchildren. Doug was smart enough to marry the granddaughter, and the rest is history. He told me that he didn’t know of his bride’s wealth until after they were married. I chose to believe him.
We talked about a multitude of things on into the evening. I learned that Doug and his wife owned two homes in Michigan and two condos in Florida. (One for themselves and the other for guests.) Doug’s brother-in-law spent part of his inheritance on flying lessons and an airplane. Doug bought an airplane but chose to hire a pilot rather than fly himself. Doug’s former Detroit Public Schools shop teacher father-in-law lived his life much as he had before he inherited his money.
We left in time to catch one of the last ferries back to Mackinaw City. On the return ride, Elizabeth announced that she had left her retainer on the island. She’d wrapped it in a napkin while eating pizza and forgot it. I wasn’t happy with her negligence but decided the best thing to do was call Doug when we arrived in Mackinaw City.
This was long before the birth of cell phones and google. I used a pay phone and asked the operator to look up Doug’s number for me. Luckily for us, it was listed. I explained to Doug what had happened and asked him to look for it. I also told him that I’d call him back in thirty minutes for an update. I waited and made the call as I had promised. Doug and his wife had searched the garbage but hadn’t found it. I thanked him for his effort. Elizabeth was without her retainer and I was going to be out the money to replace it.
I drove back to the cabin where we were staying resolved that the lost could not be found. Early next morning, as we were preparing to head back “down state”, Doug appeared. They had done a second dumpster dive and found the retainer wrapped in a napkin as Elizabeth had described. She and her retainer were saved and so was my replacement money.
That’s the last time I saw, or spoke, to Doug. I did read his name a couple of times a dozen years later. When Michael went off to Michigan State, Ruth and I attended a few football games. I read Doug’s name on the donor list in the football program. Prior to one of the games, I wandered down to the fifty yard line before the game began. I wanted to take a look at the field from what I expected might be the best seats in the house.
I sat down on the fifty yard line and admired the view. I glanced down at a brass plate on the armrest of the seat. Doug’s name was engraved on the plate. I looked to my left and right and found similar plates. After inspecting all of the neighboring seats, I discovered that eight seats on the fifty yard line had the same plate.
I guess that’s just one of the perks of marrying a girl who inherited a large chunk of change. That plus the fact that she had a great eye for finding lost retainers.