Lesson 10 Class Notes

Location can help bring life to your story, even if it shocks the reader. After all, even Honolulu has a down side.

It certainly does! It may be difficult , however, to convince anyone if I use the location of my submarine, that she was haunted on more than one occasion.

Sprinkle  details about particular situations like seasoning in a fine meal. Too little, the story will be lacking, too much and it might be boring.

Why is it that so many Americans equate everything with food!

Write for your readers. Is your story for family and friends or for everyone. It will make a difference just how you want to express yourself.   

Since I didn’t ask to be enrolled in this course, I can’t really say just to whom I’d be writing for. After all, I might not actually write my life story at all. And I don’t have a string of children, nephews or nieces to pass on down the family skeletons. But I do have Lee. And the NIMR family. So perhaps for them. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Homework for Lesson 10

Although I’d like to write about my feelings as to how I felt when writing about Lee, since my journal is pretty much nothing but Lee, and his character sketch is fuller in volume than most, I’ve decided to go with someone else. In other words, my ‘faithful hound’, aka Francis Sharkey, as he’s become known by officers and crew alike.

So, what were my emotions when writing about him? Aside from pride in him as  fine Chief Petty Officer and loyal employee, I’d add  a touch of exasperation, sprinkled with humor.

Sharkey is always ready to pull his weight, (literally, if Doc can convince him that his few extra pounds could be harmful-though Sharkey always manages to pass his fit reps better than me in that regard) and of course, in getting  the crew to do what needs to be done, sometimes even before Chip, Lee, or I order it.

 I remember when Sharkey first reported to Morton and I in  my  NIMR office, more than a  half hour late,  a little bedraggled, his orders in hand. (He was drafted to Seaview as Lee had been.) It was apparent that he was none too pleased about it either.

“I realize,” I said as he handed me the orders, “that  taking you away from your boat was unexpected, but you are on rotation, and I needed someone with your experience and skills. It won’t be for long, I’m sure, before I can hire someone permanently. You may be back on your boat before  she sails again.”

“It’s not that, sir,” he answered, “I’m sorry if I gave the Admiral and the Commander  the wrong impression. It’s just that this punk kid rear ended me on the way here.”

“Are you all right?” Chip asked, “we have a medical center right here on the grounds and I’m sure Seaview’s Corpsman or Dorctor are available…”

“I’m okay, sir, but man,” he ran a hand through his hair, “it’s gonna’ take weeks to get  Herbie fixed up.” “Herbie?” I asked.

“It, um,” Sharkey turned an interesting shade of red, (something I’d soon learn to get used to)“It’s a Volkswagen Bug and you know with that old kid’s movie, well, the guys kinda’ teased me about it, and it kinda’ stuck.”

“Well, I’m sure we can find you  a  reputable dealer to fix it up, Chief,” Chip offered.

“That’s what the kid said when he found out I was coming here, but somehow I doubt it. He said his old man was gonn’a have his hide. That he’d never get a chance to ride the  classic again. It was some foreign car, too  small for my liking. Only 2 seats up front. And a convertible,” he groaned.  “They just ain’t practical! I mean it’s gonna’ rain sometime, even here.”

“Was the other driver properly insured?”

“That’s the other thing. He kept saying his old man had insurance, but the kid wasn’t sure he’d  be springing for the repairs. Said if not, though, he’d loan himself out to me to do odd jobs, or maybe he could give me his medal that he won in a surfing contest. Said he thought it might be worth something.”

“Oh shit,” a familiar voice said from just outside my open office door. “Like, I thought you said he was alone, man.”

“Well, he was before I got a drink from the water cooler,” Ski replied.

“Riley?” I called out, “Front and center. Kowalski? You too!”

“Sir!” Both men entered and stood at attention, Ski in his customary jumpsuit, and Riley, in his surfing baggies, flip flops, and Hawaiian shirt.

“Chief, is this the young man that rear ended you?”

“Yes, sir, that’s him.”

“Care to explain yourself, Riley?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Like, it was all his fault, Admiral! He just slammed on his brakes!  I couldn’t go around him, not without driving off the cliff. It was an accident. I’ll pay for it. You know I’m good for it. It might take a little time, but...”

“Chief? What’s your version?” Morton asked.

“I didn’t slam on no brakes, sir. I slowed down ‘cause , er...” he paused then, not quite sure about how to continue. “I saw a sailboat with an unusual standard flying from her mast, sir.”

“Unusual  standard?”

“It was a brassiere, sir. A hot pink brassiere. It just wouldn’t be natural for a guy  not want a closer look.”

“What’s a brassiere?” Riley turned to Ski.

“Beats me, kid.”

“Brassiere is a French term,” Chip explained, “for a female undergarment for the lady’s  er…upper parts. In other words,  a bra.”

“Is that ... customary for Santa Barbara?” Sharkey asked, trying very hard not to seem too be too interested.

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Very well, Chief,” I said, “you slowed down to, er, admire the view, correct? Just how much did you slow down?”

“Well I didn’t slam on the brakes, if that’s what you’re getting at, Admiral. This kid just wasn’t paying attention.”

“Hey!” Riley spouted, “it’s not my fault if I’m more used to power brakes instead some import’s old fashioned kind.  I couldn’t stop in time! And I sure as hell didn’t want to send the Skipper’s car over the Cliffside in order to go around .Especially with me in it.”

“And just what were you doing with the Skipper’s car?” I asked.

“He asked me to give it a five dollar tune up. You know, sir, run it hard to burn out any leftover carbon.  Said he’d give me ten bucks and a free pizza.  It’s been sitting awhile. He said he’d have done it himself, but he had other pressing matters to attend to.”

Just then Edith called out, “Hey, who’s minding the store? Harry,  you in?”

“Kowalski, you’d better go man the fort again,” I said.

“Aye sir.”

As Edith strode in she came over to give me a sisterly hug but I was in no mood for it. While she wore flip flops, I could tell from the damp fabric of an oversized man’s shirt (I could tell from the side the buttons are on) that part of  her bikini was missing.  Her hot pink bikini bra! 

“Did you, um, have a good time Miss Nelson?” Chip asked a bit too formerly, as I resisted the urge to kick him.

 “Oh it was heaven, Chip,  sheer heaven. And  Lee was in such a good mood!”

“Don’t even say it Mr. Morton,” I warned.

“Why, whatever’s wrong,  Harry?” she asked sweetly.

“Riley?” Lee’s strong (and angry) voice interrupted, echoing down the corridor. “Riley? Stuart James Riley!” he yelled.

“In there sir,” Ski said, his voice quivering.

“What the devil did you do to my car?” the swim trunks clad and shirtless Lee barged in.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Lee,” Edith scolded “It’s only a broken headlight and…well, a few other things.”

“A few other things?  A few other things?” he began to circle Riley completing ignoring the fact that I had a guest. For a moment he reminded me of a panther toying with its’  prey just before devouring it. At least in my mind’s eye.

“I trust you to give her  a simple tune up and you smash her into smithereens !”

“Begging your pardon,” Sharkey spoke up, “but, er, it ain’t that bad. Yeah, it’ll need a repair job, but it looked to me like most of the damage was just to the chassis.”

 “And you are?” Lee frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. I don’t believe for one minute that Lee was deliberately being rude. He just didn’t  like being interrupted in the middle of a tirade.

“This is Chief Sharkey, Captain Crane,” Chip said. “Our new CPO, and the other part of Riley’s little accident.”

“Are you okay, Chief?”

“I’m fine,” Sharkey answered with more than a bit of distain toward Crane. I could have settled things right there and then by explaining that the multi colored bruising all over Lee’s torso, and parts of his face and arms, not to mention some of his scars had been earned in the line of duty, and that Captain Crane was not some hot shot who enjoyed picking fights. But I was royally pissed off at Lee right now, so  I decided against it.

“So,” Lee leaned against my desk and folded his arms across his chest and faced the men. “Do either of you care to explain what happened? Chief, you first.”

“Actually, it was all my fault, sir,” he said, surprising both Riley and myself, “I um…kinda’ slowed down and the kid couldn’t stop in time.”

“No sir,” Riley piped up, “er…it was my fault. I was going too fast and those aren’t power brakes…by the time I managed to give em’ to work,  it was too late.”

“You’ve driven my car before,” Lee said.

“Uh, yeah, but…um…”

“Give the kid a break Captain,” Sharkey said, “he could have  gone over the cliff if he’d tried to pass. There’s not much pavement or shoulder on that road, and  um... well, maybe I did kinda’ slam on the brakes too hard.”

“I see. Well, it seems as though I owe you an apology Riley. Now, I seem to remember a job waiting aboard Seaview with your name on it.”

“Aye, sir,” Riley replied, without enthusiasm.

“And,” Lee added, “don’t forget to call  Angelina’s and mention my name when you’re ready for that pizza. It’ll come with a couple of beers and chocolate milkshakes. They’ll deliver. And don’t worry bout the tip. That’s already been taken care of too.”

“Aye, aye, Skipper!” Riley brightened up considerably and left.

“Chief?” Lee continued, “I’ll take care of your repairs. Just give my secretary the invoice and I’ll write you a check. Now, I believe you might want a tour of your new domain?”

“Just a moment, Lee,” I interrupted,  “Chip? Why don’t you escort Chief Sharkey down to the boat.  Lee and I are going to have a little talk about his sailboat’s  new standard. Hot pink I believe, wasn’t it Lee?  Edith, go with them. And close the door behind you.”

“Why, what’s so import...oh! Harry! You…you don’t think, you…can’t think Lee and I…oh, Harry! For your information, the ketchup bottle squirted me instead of my hot dog. I  needed to wash it before the stain set in. And before you get all hot and bothered, Lee  had me go below deck to change. He was a perfect gentleman. Even if he did look at me a little wistfully,” she couldn’t resist  giggling.

Lee just winced.

“Out, all of you,” I ordered, “ except for you, Captain Crane. “

Lee hadn’t moved anyway, but I felt compelled to make a point, especially in front of witnesses.

“Harry, you’re not going to yell at  him are you? And it’ll be dry and ready to wear again in a couple of hours…”

“Mr. Morton,” I raised my eyebrow, as Chip took the hint, took her arm and led her to the door, which Chief Sharkey was holding open.

“Please Harry, please don’t yell at him. It’s not fair! Don’t tell me you’re going to yell at him!”

“All right, I won’t tell you,” I said and nodded to Chip who dragged her out.

“Lee’s a big boy, Edith, he can take it,” I overheard  Chip say as he closed the door.

“Sorry about that,” Lee sagged in relief, “she can be a little…’much’ at times.”

“Why did  you look at her like that?” I couldn’t help yelling. My  ‘little sister’s big brother’ mode was in full gear,  “Wistful? You looked at her wistfully?  Thinking about what she looked like...like… topless?” I think I nearly choked on the mental image.

“If she weren’t your sister, and just a pretty girl, ” Lee said rather too calmly for the mood I was in, “wouldn’t you?” 

“That’s beside the point! I know you’re a normal healthy American male. But the fact remains that she is  my sister, and you, Lee Crane, should have had  more sense than to hoist her bra up the mast for all and sundry to see! Who knows what the rumor mills will be saying tomorrow! Maybe you don’t care about your reputation, but I sure as hell care about hers!”

“I…I guess I didn’t think about it like that…”Lee answered, genuinely contrite. “I just thought it would be the best way to dry the thing quickly. So, he grinned at me, “am I out of the doghouse now?”

Damn, it was just too damn difficult to stay angry with him. Of course Lee was too honorable to have done anything wrong. Except perhaps for that little lapse of judgment.

“Of course you are, lad, but don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.  Was bad enough when you were an Ensign.”

Now, I won’t bore you with the details about that other incident, and it was a very long time ago.  Suffice it to say, over the next few days I could have sworn that Lee Crane had gone up considerably in Sharkey’s estimation. 

Whether due to his Captain’s paying his repair bill (which was substantial ), Crane’s  extracurricular activities with ONI and with the ladies (which had been pointed out to him by Ski and Riley) or for simply having been chewed out my me, (cause for anyone to be sympathetic), is anyone’s guess.

Soon, Sharkey became not only my ‘faithful hound’, but Lee Crane’s too.

Sorry I went over the word count again. I guess I just have a hard time following directions. Not a very good recommendation for a scientist.