My Sister's Keeper

You live in a small town with less than a thousand people on the southern coast of Alaska. The year is 1964. It is late afternoon on Good Friday. You see the freighter moored to the end of the pier. It must have just arrived. "You sure we should go out there? . . . Mom and dad will be mad, if they find out." Your sister's wide eyes search the scene ahead. Stevedores have begun to swarm the area. Burdened forklifts move about and gantry cranes swing cargo containers off the ship and onto the pier. "I have been out here before. The cook onboard the ship always has treats to throw down to us." You spy a group of kids on the pier near the bow of the ship. Pointing, you say, "See. Over there." You both begin moving faster, anticipating the opportunity to enjoy a surprise.