Sag Harbor

Content Warning: The Chapter 4 Summary of this section includes a scene of parental abuse.

Benji gets a job at the popular ice cream parlor, Jonni Waffle, where he is paid only minimum wage but gets to eat as much ice cream as he wants. Benji excels at making the waffles on the grill during busy times, which is important since waffle cones are in high demand at Jonni Waffle, much preferred over the traditional sugar cone.

Benji rides his bike to work, taking the short cut by the beach. As he rides, he reflects on the various homes in his neighborhood, the modest bungalows as well as the Martins’ home, “A real Hamptons-style modern beach house, one you might see in a magazine when they ran out of white Hamptons houses to feature” (97). Benji’s shortcut takes him through both Azurest as well as “White Sag Harbor” (100). He tries to imagine the types of people who lived in Sag Harbor 150 years ago during the whaling boom, but the best he can conjure up are some of the Black sailors returning home.

When Benji arrives at work, he briefly mentions the vast array of ice cream vats and toppings available to the customer.