A voice shouted,"Hey, Nick, wait up!"
Nick turned and his face lit up as his best friend Riley appeared at the ticket booth. He and his friend were going to have a great time.
"Yes, one for my son, and one for me," said Riley's mother.
"I am sorry Madam, women visitors are not permitted on Fun Island."
"Not permitted!?! That's positively un-American!"
"Yes, Fun Island is by treaty agreement not part of the United States of America."
"Wha?"
"Mom, hurry up, and get the ticket! The ferry is ready to go!"
The man reached under the counter and handed Mrs. Riley a grey labelled bottle.
"I assure you, Madam, that you won't have to worry a bit about your son on Fun Island. Thousands of boys go there every week."
"They do?"
"Please, mom!"
"Oh, allright, but you be back here at 9pm tonight. I'll be here waiting," then she turned to the ferry attendant, "Your ferry will have him back here by nine, won't it?"
"I assure you, Madam, if you are here at 9 pm to pick him up, your son will be here," said the grinning attendant as he took her $35 and handed her a ticket.
"Okay, John Riley, you behave yourself!" she hands him the ticket and he runs to the ferry.
"Don't worry I will!" he shouts as he runs.
"Don't forget your water, Mrs. Riley."
"Oh, thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"Compliments of the house," he said winking.
"Thank you," she said. She went to the rail and began sipping the bottle of water. Two boys on the ferry leaving from the end of the pier were waving, so she waved back. She looked around and wondered who they were waving to, since she was the only one there. Oh, well children do like to wave to strangers.
She fumbled in her purse and found a car key with a remote. She pressed the button, the lights on a minivan flashed, she headed toward it. She owned a minivan? She saw herself as more of the Mini Cooper type, but if the key fit it must be hers, and there weren't a lot of cars in the lot this early in the morning.
"Oh, I must be getting senile. I can't remember where I live. I suppose I should go home."
"HOME," said the voice activated onboard navigation system. A map lit up on the computer monitor in the middle of the dashboard. The global positioning satellite map showed her parked next to the ocean, a green line appeared on the blue and red street map showing her the route to take.
"Ah, that's good," and she started the car. The ticket attendant scratched his head, as Mrs. Riley drove off in her car. He had expected a cheap date when he slipped her the water. Well, sooner or later she'd drink the water, he was sure she wouldn't be back tonight to pick up her son. The Palm Zire in her purse was programmed to remind her at 8pm to pick up John at the pier at 9pm tonight.