The Sky’s the Limit: My Journey with Maryellen

I can see that Maryellen really wants to go to Cypress Gardens, and that Mrs. Larkin really wants peace and quiet. So I don’t suggest that we stay home. Instead, I follow Ellie, Carolyn, and Beverly to the girls’ bedroom where we put bathing suits on under our shorts and shirts. We get our bathing caps, flip-flops, and towels, and hurry out to the driveway. The station wagon is big, but not big enough for all of us. Ellie and I are happy when Mr. Larkin suggests that we should ride in Jerry’s hotrod with him and Joan.

We clamber into the jump seat of Jerry’s convertible. Maryellen is as excited as I am, and I’m over the moon because I’ve never ridden in a convertible before. Carolyn, Beverly, and Tom get in the station wagon with Mr. Larkin, and we all wave goodbye to Mrs. Larkin. I notice that she looks visibly relieved to be left at home with only the turkey and sleepy Mikey for company.

Jerry puts the pedal to the metal and the convertible zooms off. It’s exhilarating. I close my eyes and tilt my face up to the sun as the wind whips my hair. Maryellen says Jerry is driving like Fireball Roberts, the driver who won the Daytona Beach race this year. Jerry sighs and says he wishes that we were going to Gator Land. He leans over to Joan and says that Gator Land is in Kissimmee, Florida. If they went there, she’d ask where they are, and he’d answer “Kiss-i-mmee!” Joan chuckles and leans over and kisses Jerry on the cheek, and Maryellen groans.

We fly along Highway 27, which signs call “The Orange Blossom Trail”, and arrive at the Cypress Gardens about an hour later. Jerry parks next to Mr. Larkin, and we all get out of the cars. And then, a peculiar feeling hits me. I feel like I’ve been here before. Maybe I dreamt it, but Cypress Gardens is like something out of a dream. It’s a tropical paradise of giant ferns, draped with Spanish moss and enormous flowers that scent the air with perfume. As we walk around, the feeling grows stronger. The canals, bridges, gazebos, waterfalls, and lake all look strangely familiar. And so do the pink flamingos, the butterflies, the parents, and iguanas. I recognize the ladies called “The Southern Belles” who pose for photos while carrying parasols and wearing pastel-colored hoop dresses like those in Gone with the Wind.

Maryellen nudges me and asks if I’m okay. I say yes, but I stumble over my words. It’s like I’ve been here before. But that’s impossible. I just feel like I recognize the place. Maryellen laughs and says it’s probably because of the movie that was filmed here, “Easy to Love”. It stars Esther Williams, the famous movie star swimmer.

That’s it! I did see that movie. My grandmother is a big Esther Williams fan, and my sister and I saw “Easy to Love” with her. It’s one of her favorite movies. I don’t tell Maryellen that Emma and I watched it grudgingly and rolled our eyes at how silly it was. When it comes to Gran, Emma and I haven’t been easy to love. But I’m glad I saw the movie, and I whisper a silent thank you to Gran. Her funny, old movie transported me back in time almost as well as my watch did.

Maryellen asks if my grandmother loves the movie because she’s been here. I say that I don’t know. I admit there’s a lot I don’t know about my Gran. Mom told me that she traveled to lots of exotic places for her job as an archaeologist. I guess I’ll have to ask her if she ever traveled to Cypress Gardens for work or fun.

Mr. Larkin calls over to us that the show is about to begin. Under big, shady awnings, we sit on bleacher seats facing the lake. Other people are sitting on the sandy beach. I’ve seen some pretty spectacular special effects on TV and movies, but this is more impressive because it’s the real thing. First, a guy named Alfredo Mendoza skis off of a 100-yard jump, which shoots him high into the air. When he lands, he skis on one ski, does somersault flips, helicopter spins, skis backwards, and then kicks off his ski and skis across the water in bare feet.

Maryellen whispers to my awed face that if I think he’s good, wait until I see Willa Maguire. And I don’t have to wait long. Willa Maguire is a ballerina on water skis. She’s surrounded by other ballerinas in tutus, tiaras, and long white gloves. They do synchronized ballet moves on the water skis while flying across the water at full speed. They form pyramids with Willa Maguire at the top. They twirl flags, weaving in and out among one another, ski backwards, and ski with only a foot looped in the rope connecting them to the boat. The whole time, they’re smiling and making it look easy.

Emma would go crazy for water skiing. It looks like a lot of fun. Too bad skiing is mostly ruined for me now. I wish I could hold onto the parts of skiing I love, like being on the cold mountain, skimming over the snow, and being with Emma. And then I could get rid of the parts I don’t love, like ski team and racing.

And then, a voice on the loudspeaker says that after the show, they’re offering a ski school. Children from the age of six and up are invited to be “Ski-lings.” They can take lessons in water skiing. The lessons last about an hour. Anyone who is interested can meet on the dock on Lake Eloise.

Carolyn, Beverly, and Maryellen turn to Mr. Larkin with earnest faces. They ask if they can go to ski school. Carolyn says she wants to learn to water ski like Elvis Presley, and Beverly wants to be a skiing ballerina like Willa Maguire. Maryellen exuberantly exclaims that me and her should be “Ski-lings” together.

I shudder at the thought of skiing in any shape or form. But Mr. Larkin says it’s a good idea for us to take water-skiing lessons. No time like the present. All the girls cheer, and I smile a watery smile. Mr. Larkin hands Carolyn money to pay for the lessons, and they all thank him.

Joan and Jerry go off on a romantic boat ride, and Mr. Larkin takes Tom to the restaurant for a snack. Beverly says it’s a good thing we all wore bathing suits under our clothes. She hurries after Carolyn to the skiing school dock. Ellie and I follow behind.