Our home is in San Francisco California.
Mom was on vacation from her job
as a registered nurse.

She planed to spend her vacation
in Belvedere with Valerie.

Valerie is married to my father's brother.
His name is Dennis Brentz.


Belvedere is just outside of San Francisco City.

My uncle Brentz is in the United States Navy.
He was temporarily stationed at...
Hunter's Point Navy Shipyard in San Francisco City.

He was to be shipped to east Germany for
overseas military duty.

"We're driving up to Belvedere to visit
Valerie," Mom told me.
"Then the three of us will visit your uncle
at the naval base."

"Isn't the navy sending uncle Brentz
overseas?" I asked.

"That's right," Mom replied, " Valerie
knows that we're coming.
But it will be a surprise to Dennis."

"We'll stop in to pick Valerie up.
Then we will all drive up to
Hunter's Point Navy Shipyard...
to pay Dennis a visit."

"Wow!" I exclaimed, "that's gonna
make uncle Brentz happy, huh, Mom?"

"Yes, Brittney. I'm sure that it will.
Our surprise farewell family gathering
at the base will make Dennis very happy."

"Maybe we should bring him some of your sugar cookies.
Uncle Brentz just loves your sugar cookies, Mom."
"Okay...we'll bake up a batch of them for him, Brittney."

Valerie was a police officer.
She had been called in for emergency duty
and she couldn't go with us.

"You girls take this map," she said, "Follow it
and you won't have any trouble finding the shipyard."

After her squad car had gone out of sight
I turned to Mom with question.

"Can you read a map?"

"Your father taught me how when we went
on our honeymoon. That was twelve years ago.
Valerie showed me what routes on the map to follow.
I think we'll be okay."

Mom always had a keen sense of independence about her.
She always made me feel that all she really wanted
or needed was me.

Everybody said that we looked exactly alike.
They all said that we acted like we were sisters...
more than we acted like mother and daughter.

When she wanted, Mom could be ten, like me.
Or she could be her own age...
which was thirty-one.

"I think we'll be okay too, Mom.
Looks like since Dad just walked out on us...
we kind of have to look after ourselves, huh?"

"And don't you ever think for one moment
that you and I can't fend for ourselves young lady."
Mom asserted.