Chapter 24

They drove to the pier. Gen took her tiny 1930’s race car replica. Bethanne chauffeured David in her Cadillac Sedan Delivery. Gen arrived first. Why? you ask.

David and Bethanne detoured to the house to pick up his canes. Over distance his limp becomes more pronounced and it becomes increasingly hard to walk without his ‘helpers.’

The caretaker was on deck and waiting. “You ... girlie, No ... just plain no.”

“Why not ... it’s my boat.”

He started his standard scheduled and rehearsed, Government Property ... Get the fuck off my boat talk when David and Bethanne pulled up and parked.

“Chief,” said David, “Take us to the Underground Railroad Memorial. We’ll walk from there.”

“Who are you?”

David has paperwork of possession ... normally in the vault ... but now on his person. He presented.

“I see ... yes sir. Come aboard. Not you, girlie.”

“Daddy,” said Gen. She pointed at David.

“Daughter,” said Daddy. He waved a nonchalant hand at Gen.

Master Chief Roberts, USNR-A, retired, laughed. “Chief Roberts, miss.”

“Genevieve, or girlie ... your choice. I give you leave to use my name, Chief.”

“All this time and you never said,” said Chief Roberts.

“I didn’t know,” Gen explained.

“Didn’t know?”

“Found out today.”

“You’re, what? Twelve, thirteen? You’ve been trying to get aboard for 6 years, and you just found out?” That caused Roberts to chuckle ... and Genevieve to blush.

“Well, Recruit. Time to make ready for sea.”

Gen said, “We’re not going to sea ... we’re just going up the river.” Then what he said, dawned. “Deck hand?”

“Yes. I need you to follow me ... there will be a test.”

They ‘made ready for sea.’ “It’s just a saying ... we’re not going out on the lake. Okay?”

“Yes, Chief.”

Roberts had to explain, ‘Aye, Aye.’ “We don’t use yes as a response.”

First they went to the ‘bridge,’ ‘ventilated’ the ‘machinery spaces’ and started the “4 Cummins VT-600 diesels, output combined is 2200 hp.” Then they went out on deck, checked the ‘cooling water discharge,’ “Four engines ... four exhausts.” and ‘sticked the fuel tanks’ and checked the water tank gauges. He showed her how to ‘remove the warps’ and ‘retrieve the cables’ from the ‘bollards.’ “That’s How ... but not yet.”

Back at the bridge he had her, ‘make certain the engine gauges’ were ‘in the green,’ and sent her out to ‘remove the warps’ but not the cables...

“In sequence ... bow cable, center, stern ... but only after the bow had ‘maneuvered’ away from the pier. “Don’t scrape my boat, Girlie.”

All the way upstream he quized her on what he had said ... and other important subjects ... like why lakers don’t use the Michigan/Grosse Ile Detroit River ... but small boats do. “The Toll bridge has a clearance of ten feet, the Wayne County is a “swing bridge” and can “open to allow yachts access to the Lakes.”

When they docked at the Riverwalk, the cops started to run ‘em off but the boat glistened and looked completely official. Chief Roberts was in full uniform and ‘outstared’ the police.

The County Building is not far from the Memorial, but David needed his canes before the day was over.

He was right ... Genevieve didn’t get her name on the license. David and Bethanne only.

What a rip!