TRWD37C

My Journal
By Harriman Nelson
37C

Jiggs, O’Brien, and I appeared on deck to polite applause from the gathered crowds behind the barricades. Then Chip appeared to yells of ‘Chipee! Chipee!’ Joe followed basically ignored as the teens and women were still squealing over our ‘Greek God’ as the tabloids had labeled him.
Then Lee appeared, having added a plaid beret to his ensemble. Probably at the request of Will, though there were no helicopters to loosen them.
I swear the applause and cheering shook the water lapping against the dock. The sirens of a police escort announced the arrival of the mayor and his companion Angus McDonald.
Acknowledging the cheers from the crowd with a smile and wave, Lee was first to walk down the gangplank, saluting the colors on his way. Not technically correct as he was way out of uniform, who cared? The crowd loved him, and ‘going native’ was appreciated.
I don’t think anyone really noticed the rest of us, except for Chip, as we followed Lee down the gangplank to the deck. At least, I knew the DOD couldn’t complain about us saluting the colors, except for O’Brien, who was just as out of uniform as Lee.
We lined up next to Lee, as the driver and his ‘spare’ opened the passenger side doors
“Welcome to the Seaview,” Lee told the mayor and Angus, shaking their hands.
“Ach, Laddie,” Angus said, giving Lee a hug, “tis a fine thing you havin’ us over for a bite aboard yer fine craft.”
“Lord Mayor, Angus,” Lee then said, “may I present again Admiral Nelson, Admiral Starke, Commander Morton, Lt. Cdr. O’Brien, and Cdr. Jackson.”
“Looks like we’ve been invaded by the U.S. Navy!” Angus laughed. “And a fine lot ye all are.”
More sirens, and the mayor and Angus took their places on the other side of Lee as a shiny black Cadillac, also with a police escort drove up.
The prime minister, who had surprised me when he’d finally agreed to the invitation, was treated to the same polite applause from the crowd, and endured our greetings and introductions and took his place closest to Lee but leaving Lee in center place.
Another police escort and a shiny black car, the make and model of which I had no idea, pulled up.
Only one driver hopped out to open the door nearest the dock.
The queen emerged in a colorful dress and coat of blue and yellow, to applause and bows from the prime minister and Angus. She shook their hands as Lady O’Brien slipped from the car and stood behind her.
“Your majesty, Lady O’Brien,” Lee then said, extending his hand formally, “welcome to Seaview.”
But instead of taking his hand, the queen embraced him and kissed him on both cheeks in the European fashion of relatives and friends, to a lot of soppy ‘ah’s’ and ‘ooh’s’ from the crowd.
“Lillibet, please, Sir Lee,” the queen told him
He flushed and extended his hand to Lady O’Brien who also kissed him on the both cheeks.
As introductions began Lady O’Brien whispered to her great nephew that she was glad he was wearing the family kilt and not a contrived one like most Americans did.
“May we escort you aboard?” Lee asked our guests, and extended his arm to the queen to walk up the gangplank with him.
“You seem to be much improved, Sir Lee,” she was heard to say as we all followed, with brief stops to salute the colors again as Lee did.
“Must be the Loch Ness Monster’s kiss. Supposed to have magical powers.”
“Indeed,” she smiled, stopping on the deck to turn and wave to the crowd, which Lee did as well to applause, applause, applause. The crowd was greeted to her smile and to his sheepish grin, which endeared Lee even more to them.
While both ladies were wearing sensible shoes, in fact rather orthopedic looking, I could only hope that no one below would stand too close to the ladder. We certainly didn’t want anyone looking up their dresses.
As soon as we had all assembled at the base of the ladder, we could hear the ‘Stand easy,’ order to the topside honor guard which would have to await clearance to return to the warm confines of Seaview once our guests were settled in the nose.
And so, our royal visit had well and truly begun.