Small Boats and Brave Men

"When I wrote that I had no idea if we were or not. At sometime in the future I had planned on finding out. But it only had to be after we established a relationship."

Taking me by the hand, saying that the time had come to find out, she led me into her bedroom. I'll leave to your imagination as to what transpired. Suffice to say it was out of this world.

The next morning as I stumbled out into the kitchen for a cup of coffee I saw Elizabeth's notebook on the table. It was still opened to the same page as she showed me last night. The question marks had been scratched through and a series of exclamation marks followed by the words 'WOW and YES' in big bold letters now appeared.

********************

All through October and early November we visited many of the Fall Festivals that were held in the area every year. On many of these occasions we went with Elizabeth's mother, Marie, and my mom and dad. Our parents became friends and my mom and dad made it a point to include Mrs. Becker in on many of their activities.

With each passing day I became more convinced that Elizabeth was the woman with which I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

Elizabeth and her mother were invited to join my sister, her husband, as well as mom, dad and myself for Thanksgiving Dinner. We all took our places at the table and prepared for dinner.

It had always been a tradition in my family, for as long as I could remember, for each person at the table to give 'thanks' for something good that had happened to them over the course of the year.

Dad began by expressing his thanks for his family being here to celebrate the day with mom and him. Mom followed by echoing what dad said and adding her thanks for her new friend, Marie Becker, who was able to join them today.

My sister expressed thanks for her husband's successful defense of his doctoral dissertation. Her husband, Peter, was thankful for his wife's support for the entire time he spent acquiring his Ph.D. "I couldn't have done it without you," he told her.

Then it was Mrs. Becker's turn. She was thankful for being included in our family's celebration and for having such good friends as my mom and dad. She also was thankful for being able to see the return of her daughter's happiness that had been lost for so many years.

Elizabeth looked at me and simply said. "Thank you for making my life one filled with joy. I love you."

Then it was my turn.

"Elizabeth, the past few months have been like a dream come true for me. I cannot express how much love and happiness is in my heart at this very moment for you. Thank you for becoming such a big part of my life."

********************

Twelve days after Thanksgiving was the annual Christmas Boat Parade. It is one of the oldest Holiday Boat Parades in the Nation. Over seventy boats, ranging in size from the smallest sixteen footer to over eighty feet in length, each highly festooned with Christmas lights and decorations cruise north on the Intracoastal Waterway to the enjoyment of thousands of spectators.

I remember always being a part of this parade and this year it would be even more special. I gave my mom and dad a heads up on what I was planning to do.

Mom thought it was romantic and dad just said, "it's about time you got off your butt. I thought you were going to pull the trigger Thanksgiving Day after what you said at dinner."

That's my dad. No mincing words for him.

After spending the entire day helping dad decorate the boat and taking care of some very special arrangements, I picked up Elizabeth and her mom, bringing them to the dock and all five of us boarded just before four o'clock.

Cruising north we arrived at the starting point at Lake Santa Barbara just after five o'clock and found our spot in the line of boats. As soon as the sun set the parade began.

An early season cold front had swept through South Florida that day and the night time temperature had dropped into the low fifties.

Mom, dad and Mrs. Becker stayed in the aft cockpit somewhat out of the chilly breeze. Elizabeth and I were up on the fly bridge and it was cold. I wrapped a warm blanket around her as I piloted the boat slowly north.

As she snuggled up against me enjoying the spectacle around us I drew her close to me and whispered in her ear.

"Elizabeth, I can't begin to tell you how much love and happiness is in my heart. I cannot imagine my living my life without you in it. Will you please marry me so that I may continue to love and cherish you for the rest of my days."

With that I produced the ring I had purchased several days before.

For what seemed like hours, but was only a few short seconds, she answered me.

"OH MY GOSH!! YES. . . YES!! Yes, I will!"

With that I sounded the boat's horn which was the signal for the three parents waiting below to join us. Dad brought up the bottle of champagne and flutes I had secreted away earlier that day.

"She said YES, she said Yes!" I exclaimed.

Marie and my mom hugged us both and my dad slapped me on my back several times. Elizabeth was showing her ring to the two mothers as dad opened the champagne and said.

"Here is to the loving couple. May your life be one filled with joy and happiness."

Then he sounded the boat's horn over and over for the remainder of our journey.

It truly was a memorable night.

The Christmas Holidays and New Year's Day flew by and then it was back to work.

********************

One Monday afternoon in early February, as I was reviewing some test data with one of the electronic engineers, my phone rang. Answering it I found my father on the line.

"Eric, I need to speak with you as soon as you can break free this afternoon. It's important and it is something that I don't want to discuss over the phone."

"Okay, pop. I'll meet you in your office . . . say somewhere around four-thirty."

At four thirty-five I walked into my father's office. Dad got right to the point of why he called me.

"A guy walked in here today looking to buy a go-fast boat. Said he needed it right away. When we got into my office to discuss the details he saw that photograph of you hanging on the wall."

"He looked at it and told me he knew you. Said you served together in Nam and you both were at Mare Island at the same time."

"What's his name, Dad?"

"Kerr, he told his name was James Kerr. You remember him?"

"Yeah, I remember him all right. A real piece of crap. I heard he had to resign his commission, under somewhat suspicious circumstances, a couple of years ago."

Then I proceeded to tell him everything about my relationship with James 'Chicken-Shit' Kerr. I gave him the full R-rated version. Dad listened to everything I had to say and then continued telling me about his encounter with Kerr earlier that morning.

"He is an arrogant son-of-a-bitch. Kept telling me money was no object. He told me exactly what he had to have.

He wanted the cabin under the fore deck completely stripped bare of all accommodations including the head (toilet). Said he needed the boat to have the two of the biggest V-8 engines available."

"Here's the kicker said he has to have it by this Saturday."

"So, dad, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I've got one out in the yard I told him. Won't take but a day or two to strip the cabin. It has two of the biggest engines already installed."

"I went on to tell him I needed half of the money up front, no checks, cash only. The remaining fifty percent to be paid, in cash, upon delivery."

"What did he say to that, pop?"

"The jerk agreed. Came back an hour later with sixty grand in hand. I took him over to my bank where I deposited it in my account."

"When we got back I gave instructions to Charlie to start on the modifications immediately and that I wanted everything

completed by Friday morning for a shakedown run. Kerr was standing right next to me and seemed satisfied with that before he left."

"Eric, I may be old, but I'm not stupid. I know exactly what he's planning to do with that boat."

"Okay, dad. I'm on the same page as you on this. I'm going to call Doug Wilson over at the Coast Guard Base and give him a heads up."

"While you are at it tell him I'll install a tracking device so they will be able to keep tabs on him," he chuckled.

I made the call and Doug, who commands the Coast Guard Base at the port, and explained the situation. He replied that he would contact DEA to set up surveillance.

Turning back to dad I said, "looks like Kerr may be in for a nasty surprise this weekend."

By Friday morning everything had been completed. Kerr went on the shakedown run, was satisfied, paid dad the final sixty thousand in cash and took possession of the boat.

On Sunday night's late TV news there was a brief story about a significant drug bust by the Coast Guard and agents from the DEA. No details were given. I couldn't help but wonder if it was Kerr who was involved.

Tuesday morning I had a visitor to my office. It was Doug Wilson.

"Thought you would like to know what happened Saturday night."

He then confided, off the record to me, what transpired.

"Late Saturday afternoon Kerr and two other men left Port Everglades and cruised out past the twelve mile limit of U.S. territorial waters. They met up with a old tramp freighter and off loaded almost two tons of pot along with over sixty kilos of coke. Thanks to that transponder, your dad secreted away aboard his boat, we were able to track him with no problem."

"They came back in through Hillsboro Inlet. We followed and watched him tie up to a dock behind a home on a canal just south of the inlet. The DEA agents tried to effect an arrest when one of the two men with him began shooting at the agents. They returned fire and killed him. Kerr and the remaining suspect were both arrested and taken into custody."

"Yesterday morning he was arraigned in Federal Court. Multiple drug charges and also a homicide charge relating to the death of his companion. No bond. He'll be sitting in jail until his trial."

"Thanks, Doug. Can I pass this along to my dad."

"Yeah. Just don't tell him it was me who told you. The story is going break in the news later this afternoon though."

As soon as Doug left I called my dad and related everything that I had been told. Then I just sat back in my chair and thought to myself. This is one scrape his family won't be able to get him out of. Karma is a bitch that sometimes bites you big time hard on the ass.

******************

For the next few months Elizabeth, her mom and my mother planned the wedding. I offered to help but was told in no uncertain terms that they had everything under control.

My dad told me that I had only two tasks to perform. "Show up on time and say 'I Do'. Other than that just sit back and say 'Yes Dear. Whatever you want to do is fine with me'."

Elizabeth and I were married in early June. It was a small affair with just a few close personal friends and family members. The reception was held in the restaurant that Elizabeth's friend, Charlotte and her husband owned.

We went to Paris and London for our honeymoon. We saw several shows in London including 'The Phantom of the Opera'. In Paris, 'the City of Love', we did all the sightseeing that tourists do, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe . . .

Returning home we both went back to work. Eighteen months later Elizabeth resigned her job when Doctor Chapman retired and closed his office. She would have had to leave shortly anyway as she was pregnant with our first child.

Then the Navy, in its infinite wisdom, decided to transfer me from the Warfare Center to another post halfway around the world. After talking it over with Elizabeth I decided to retire and go into the inactive reserves.

I went to work with my dad. He wanted to retire, but not really retire. He came in for a half day in the morning and went home at lunch to be with my mom for the rest of the day. Gradually even that stopped and I was left alone to run the business.

Mom and dad always wanted to travel and boy did they ever. They explored every continent and that even included Antarctica. God Bless them they both. They more than ever earned it.

Both of them were here for the birth of Elizabeth's and my son. Two years later they were home for the birth of our second son. They spoiled the heck out of those two little guys.

As the boys grew older I would take them with me to the boatyard. They loved playing in and around the boats. One afternoon Elizabeth entered my office closing the door behind her.

"Where are the boys?" She asked.

"Outside, playing in the twenty-eight footer." I replied.

She walked around my desk and stood at the window that overlooked the boatyard to watch them.

I stood right behind her and whispered in her ear. "You can hear them from here."

"They're having a great time fighting off pirates today. Yesterday they were were in the Marine Patrol chasing after bad guys."

"Little boys and boats. Can it get any better?"

Elizabeth turned to me, giving me a soul searing kiss and replied.

"There's only one thing better and that is a big boy and his boats."