The Iowa Sisters #2 The Red North

Chapter 3

CHESAPEAKE BAY JANUARY 1950 "MISSOURI"

Before I get started on this, Arianna I will answer the question that I can see is burning in your eyes.

When I went to Cherbourg, the boy who touched my surrender plaque and nearly got an early swimming lesson was your father. I don't know how much you know of your family's history but I know that your grandparents moved to England from Germany sometime during the war.

Just your grandmother, not your grandfather? What happened to him? Oh he was in the Royal Navy. And they divorced after your grandmother moved to Ireland. Ah well, life goes on doesn't it and here you are. A beautiful young woman with an endless desire to learn.

Ha! I knew I could get you to blush. Don't give me that look Arianna it's true. You are stunningly beautiful, and surprisingly non whiny for a teenager.

Wisconsin, don't you dare! Ugh, sis really! Did you have to do it right there, honestly go find yourself a bucket. Sorry about that Arianna.

Well anyway, I'm not going into the details of my grounding because there are too many but I will say that like everything else I did, I did it hard and fast and good.

Captain Brown tried to turn me to port to nudge me off the banks but I knew it was no good, I was already aground. My momentum carried me half a mile up onto the bank, that was farther than even I'd anticipated. "How's that for a grounding!" I laughed at him.

"You planned this?" He asked. "Yep." I replied. "Missouri!" He exclaimed. He proceeded to call me every bad name in the book. He started with sly dog and worked his way down from there.

I winced at his rather gushing vocabulary. "Now I understand what people mean when they say 'cuss like a sailor'." I muttered. Most of my crew gave me the stink eye. I risked a look over to the fort and saw that the admirals were all laughing their heads off at me.

I stuck my tongue out at them but they just laughed harder. "Why Missouri?" Captain Brown asked. "Because, I want the world to see that I'm nothing special." I replied. "What do you mean, you are something special. You ended a war!" He exclaimed. "But everyone seems to think that I'm different, that I'm some sort of supership that will always protect them. And I'm not Brown, I'm just like any other ship in the navy." I cried.

"Missouri, you are different." He insisted. "How am I different?" I asked. "Can the other ships claim being the hostess to the Japanese delegation?" He asked. "Screw that! I just want to be normal, can't anyone understand that. I don't want to be singled out because I was chosen for something I barely took part in. I don't want Truman to keep me in active service just because he likes me. I'd rather be mothballed than in active service on the personal opinion of the president! All I want is to be treated the same as any other ship in the fleet. It's hard enough to try and blend without unearned fame making it worse." I wailed.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked. "I'd be proving you all right by running to the white house if I did." I said. "Missouri honestly, no one would think any less of you if you did come to us. We're the ones who can solve the problems, you could've made it a whole lot easier if you'd just said something." He said.

"But it's not just about the white house, the whole world's got it in their heads that I'm some sort of superfreak that cannot be sunk. I can't let them see me as something I'm not." I moaned.

He sighed. "I understand Missouri, but you still should've talked to us." He said. I nodded. "Now I just have to find a way to get you off here." He said. "Do what you can, but I can almost guarantee you that I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." I said.