CHAPTER 5

Slamming Great Fun

Falling asleep I pictured myself having one of those dreams where you might think you are dreaming but you are still almost awake. There were sounds of people having sex. Ally again? Or, maybe Joni and Carl. It was a slamming good session whoever it was. After that a few Hammerheads including joyful Joni and Carl were fishing off the stern platform when there was a big commotion about catching a shark and chopping off its fins that I dismissed as fooling around. Later on Joni was lopping off thick cross-sections from what appeared to be a shark carcass. It was very late in the night, she looked tired, too, but she still carried on like a trooper.

Early in the a.m. I awoke, but was undecided about getting out of bed. All was quiet but for the usual banging of objects against one another to the rhythm of the waves, and I got up for a beer. On second thought, I took a whole six-pack topside and sat down to appreciate the peaceful evening in the marina, a bright crescent moon overhead, the vast carpet of waves rolling by. It was hard to believe we almost died out there. Flash lightning still glowed behind the horizon more than twenty miles away, too far to hear or worry about. I put away the first beer in a minute and imagined how pirates could steal up to any boat full of sleeping people on a perfect night like this. What a bad way to go. At that moment I heard someone on the deck below, which set my nerves firing.

It was Ally wandering right beneath me. I was too jumpy. It was understandable with such little sleep and all these new things happening, but I reasoned one must be careful.

She climbed up and took a seat on the top deck with me. “I can’t sleep,” she began, looking upset. “I got these bites all over me, itching like crazy. Something’s banging, too.” She declined a beer. “So, you’re Gun’s friend.” It almost made me laugh since she never remembered me before. Maybe she was guessing! “This boat sucks. I’ll never come back, never.”

“Yeah, no disagreement here,” I replied, surprised by her anger. “I love the diving, though, and even learned navigation. Met great people. But this boat is terrible. Filthy. It’s not even worth showering. In five minutes you’re filthy again. I don’t expect to be clean again until I get home.” Then I regretted focusing on my filthiness. “I may not sleep much either.”

“I almost backed out when I saw this boat,” she admitted.

“That’s two of us!” I got excited and she smiled.

“And, another thing,” she said, scratching her legs up and down with great relish, “I’ve never been on a boat that rocked this much.”

“Gun said it was a modified fishing boat. I think this whole upper deck was added on. You can see the new seams and caulking like a home addition.” Sensing some interest I opened my mind to her.

“That makes sense. The boat’s balance is all screwed up. Also, every charter I’ve been on had Automatic Pilot. Radar. This one’s very under-equipped. I hate to see it in a bad storm. You saw how tough it was getting here from Miami, and those were only three or four foot waves.”

“Really, that’s all?” How could I forget the trouble steering while she was passed out. “Hey, at least I saw the bad side of these trips.”

“My last charter cost two thousand but you had nice bathrooms, a big living room. We didn’t sit on coolers and eat frozen lasagna. Another thing, too, that Gulf Stream crossing should’ve taken two hours. Not seven. What a waste of time and energy.”

She was taking out her anger as I feared I’d be doing instead. The only difference was the newness for me. She had lots of experience. “So, you don’t think it’s worth it?”

“I don’t. But, I’m different than all these people. You’ve seen them, these are bloodthirsty hunters. I swore off killing things ten years ago. But, it fulfills all their needs.”

“I’m sure with all those girls aboard The Rapture you won’t see much fish gutted on the sundeck, either.” We smiled and chuckled.

“Or, conch piled three feet high to be skinned.” Ally drew out the last word for emphasis. “They keep a tight reign on everything. Those women have their comforts, they can look nice.”

“That’s the thing,” I said. “I don’t know a single woman who would accept this without becoming a complete bitch.” I didn’t believe that came out of my mouth.

“See, these people, they don’t care about any of that,” Ally agreed, getting closer and lowering her tone to a whisper; she overlooked or approved of my comment. “It’s serious sport fishing. Not a social or casual thing. What they pull out of these waters is worth tens of thousands in the stores.” She winked at me, and then nodded, which now made me suspicious of everyone including her. This could be illegal fishing, drugs, pirates, who could really be trusted? “Those rare corals, too,” she added. “Worth lots of money.” The fluffy brown hair held up in a loose bun was cute on her.

“On a boat like The Rapture I wouldn’t even get in the water, isn’t that true?”

“No chance. Not without a current Certification,” she answered.

“What do you think of that, as a scuba instructor?”

“Oh, I don’t care much.” She shrugged her bare shoulders. “We’ve been watching, Gun’s always with you, you’re fine. Do you always catch on so fast?”

I decided to kiss her when it felt right. “Well…more or less,” I replied. “If I like what I’m doing. The sights down there are fabulous, constantly evolving and moving. Time goes by so fast just gazing at all the unusual life.” When she leaned back to absorb the scene I was going to kiss her.

“It’s different, allright.” She sounded philosophical but if anything she sat up straighter. “Another world of colors, strange forms. All so very perilous.” Again she drew out the last phrase, but this time it aroused a menacing feeling.

My thought of kissing her was on hold. First I wanted to know whether she was coming from menace or romance. “It’s so calming and comforting. All the turtles, too, they’re so graceful and laid back…like people should be. Don’t you think?”

“Never get comfortable.” Her tone was absolute authority. “In one split second things change.” She kept scratching her back, stomach, arms and lower legs as though obsessed. I was going to suggest ointment, or offer to help her rub herself. But she got up instead.

I gazed at the sharp crescent moon and its glimmering reflection upon the water leading right to the boat. I drank my beer, still conflicted about making a pass at her. She didn’t seem too interested but what was there to lose?

“But, you know, though, you’re right,” Ally said, standing at the rail. “Gun’s a great captain, the diving was good, and I know diving. Some people I met, too.” She looked in my general direction. “They’ve been good. The night, the moon here now, this is wonderful.”

That was all I needed to hear, the final Go-Go cue, and I got up to approach her from behind so I could gently turn her around, and kiss her. “But this boat…” She scraped her nails up and down her legs again. “The crawly bugs, the dirtiness, the food, they suck.”

When she saw me approaching she seemed surprised, and retreated a half step. I pretended not to be going for her. The words, What-do-you-have-to-lose-if-she-rejects-you kept ringing in my head as I grappled with this terror of rejection. “At least the price is low,” I said, and studied craters on the moon.