Chapter 23

Once decided, there was no waiting.

One would think that a town the size of Grosse Ile, population ten thousand, would have a Marriage License Office.

Nope ... Wayne County Clerk. Downtown Detroit.

“Drive, City Bus or boat?” Daddy asked.

“We have a boat?” Gen said. The look she gave David was reprehensible.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Small boats and Big boats don’t mix well.”

“Big boats don’t venture on our river. Low bridges.”

“You were 4 ... almost ... when we bought the place.”

He had a guilty look.

“What else?”

‘Never play poker with the kid,’ he thought. “I just found out about it.”

‘Hmm?’ A wry face to go with the wry thought. “Daddy, there’s a list of assets that came with the place.” That created a genuine pause. Time for a think. ‘Ah. Got it.’ “A boat is not on the assets list.”

“How do you know?” ‘The list is in the vault ... How does she know?’ Ah ... the look.

“I read the list.” ‘Drat ... confession time ... only if he catches that.’ ‘Drat ... he did.’ A gathering of her forces, a mental girding of the loins. “The top right hand drawer of the Base Commandants desk is not the place for the combination.” ‘How far must I confess?’

Daddy gave a slight doubletake. ‘Shit ... I wrote that combination on the bottom of the drawer,’ “Took the drawer out, huh? Checked the vault lately?”

“Not since I was 6.” ‘Lately? what else has happened ... lately?’

‘Tell her now? Or not?’

“Tell me what?”

‘Nope ... no poker with the kid.’

“Since you read the list you know we have a semi-annual inspection and a twice a year government ... Naval aircraft ... operational fitness ... landing.”

“Yes. I’ve seen and talked to the pilots.” ‘Does he know about the rides?’

‘The pilots all say you don’t get sick upside down.’

‘He knows.’

“We own the whole damn thing.”

“WHAT?!?”

“The township.”

“All the islands?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Last inspection ... we did the whole thing. I kept trying to tell them we didn’t own the little islands. We do. I’ve seen the plats. They want up to clean up Stony.”

“Where is the boat?”

“You know the boat at the concrete pier at the bottom of the runway?”

“By the Designated Wetlands?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not a boat ... that’s a ship. It has a guard ... I know ... he’s run me off often enough.” The long pause of the dawning ... or a lightbulb moment... “That’s ours? Daddy?”

“The government says so.”

“It has the Coast Guard racing stripe.”

“It’s retired ... like her captain.”

A sudden backtrack. A wait a minute moment.

“We own the whole thing?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go get a marriage license.”

“They won’t let you be on it.”