Dad was a watchman at the grain elevators in the harbor, I would go down to the boats waiting to be unloaded and run errands for the crew.It gave me some extra money and most of the sailors had adopted me sort of.I used to eat with them, watch t.v., etc.I reminded, the father's in the crew of their children, they left behind.They all treated me like their own son.Dad knew I was there, but didn't know how often or how long I would stay.
We lived in the fourth on our street, the first three houses belong to sea captains, from the Patterson Steamship Line, lake freighters, On July 1 st, all three ships were in port, so the captains and their wives went on cruises, on one of their yachts.They got caught in a sudden storm capsizing their boat and killing all six of them.Five of the bodies were recovered in the search, after the sinking.In mid-August, i was at the docks, on one of the boats, when dad came on board and told me to go home.On my way out of the galley, I heard dad ask some of the crew if they would help him if needed, a take a body out of a small boat that was coming in.The body had washed up on the shore of the lighthouse and the lighthouse attendant, had managed to get it in his motor boat and he was on his way in.Dad went on to say, he had called the police and they had requested him to try and get extra help if he could.The broken water leading to the elevators was made up of massive boulders, several tons apiece.because of this I was able to hide easily among them.I picked a spot overlooking the harbor, where I know the boat would have to pass close to the shore.I was totally unprepared for what I saw, the body was so badly bloated it took up most of the small boat.I thought i was going to see my friend the sea captain, for the last time.What I saw was a large mass that had no resemblance to a human being.This was another case of me, thinking I could handle anything, but finding out I was wrong.I knew the answer, but nobody had asked the question!!I saw the body every time I closed my eyes for years.