Chapter 46: The Banana Boat

In all the time I was planning my disappearance, I never once doubted my ability to sail an 80 foot catamaran all by myself. I knew I couldn’t handle The Windsong by myself on a long passage. I mean, you have to sleep sometime. But for the short passage I had planned for tonight, it was a piece of cake. I only hoped that Captain Tony would one day forgive me for stealing his yacht.

It took me a little over six hours to find the Isle of Céleste. But since it was past midnight, I turned and headed to the west for a few hours. Then, around 3:00am, I made a 180 degree turn and headed back to the east, arriving at The Isle of Celeste’s only port just as the sun rose. I said a little prayer of thanks for all the time Captain Alfred had spent teaching me navigational basics.

I wasn’t sure what the proper procedures were for entering a strange port, or how I would be received, I just hoped that the queen still loved me a little.

I furled the sails and entered the natural harbor through the breakwaters on one engine. Then I took my time slowly crossing the bay, finally gliding to a stop alongside the only pier. By this time, there was a throng of maybe two dozen people gathered there, staring at the large sailing catamaran.

“Alex?” a voice called out from the stone jetty. “It that you?”

“Ahoy, Queen Jeanne!” I replied from the open fore deck as I tossed the bow lines to the hand on shore and then went to do the same with the stern lines.

“Permission to come aboard?” Jeanne called out when the Windsong was securely tied to the stone pier.

“Please, Your Majesty. You are welcome on board anytime,” I called back.

Jeanne stepped on the fantail and climbed the stairs of the sugar scoop. She was accompanied by three other women, two of them bearing some kind of fierce-looking weapons. After a quick round of introductions, I invited them to be seated in the salon, but they remained standing.

“What happened, Alex,” Jeanne asked as she rushed into my arms. “Why are you here? Are you alone?”

“They killed Cécile!” I blurted out as I broke down and began to cry. Jeanne just held me as I did. It was the first time I had cried for Cécile, and Captain Alfred and the Serendipity.

Yes, I cried for a stupid boat. She had been my first and I missed her.

“Is everyone else okay?” she asked when I finally cried myself out. “Can you tell me what happened?”

So I related the whole story from the time we arrived in the harbor at Martinique to my arrival on Céleste. Jeanne had become friends with Cécile when she sailed with us back in January and I could tell that the news of her death upset the queen.

“So Captain Alfred is going to be okay?” she asked.

“He will be sore for a while, but he should be alright,” I replied.

“And where are the others?”

“If I’m lucky, they are in Paris by now,” I replied.

“So now the big question. Why are you here?” she asked. “And please don’t tell me you came back just to practice with me for Blackpool!”

I looked at the ladies with her and then back to Jeanne.

“They are sworn to serve the queen. As long as your plans don’t involve any danger to the crown, they will remain silent,” she told me loud enough for the ladies to hear.

“I needed to disappear for a while,” I told her. “Whoever killed Cécile is still out there and is still trying to kill me. That means that anyone near me becomes potential collateral damage.”

Jeanne looked at me askew, “And you don’t mind putting my people at risk?”

I smiled. I had caught how she phrased her question. She was more concerned for her people than she was for herself.

“I was hoping that you could help me disappear without leaving a trail that goes through Céleste,” I replied.

Jeanne looked all around her at the Windsong. “This thing looks a little too large to hide, if you ask me,” she said.

“If we removed the mast and covered the yacht with netting, I could maybe take her up a river far enough to hide it from prying eyes in the sky. Then I was hoping to hitch a ride with one of the trade ships visiting the island. Either as a deckhand, or as a passenger if necessary.”

“Where would you go?” she asked.

“Ultimately, Austin, Texas. I already have an alternate identity from there and it would give me access to the internet and other resources at the University of Texas,” I told her. I really didn’t want to say more, but I would if she pressed me.

“Ha’biti, run down to Jalibe’s hut and tell him to bring his crew and his tools as fast as possible. We have a job for them,” Jeanne told one of the weapon bearers. “Nata, go to Mahila’s hut and tell Layami to pack for a long trip. And to bring her passport and her American clothes.” Nata was the other weapon bearer.

Then she turned and began to explain.

“The banana boat is due here tomorrow or the next day. I’m not sure where they go once they load our crops, but I know they will end up at Port Houston in Texas. Haman is the first mate on the Banana Boat and he will help you and his sister get on board. You will have to pay the captain a bribe. I don’t know how much. Do you have any cash?” she asked.

“I have some,” I told her. “But it’s mostly in Euros.” Monique had once shown me where she and Tony kept their stash of cash. I just hope I remembered the combination.

Jalibe arrived and I explained my idea to remove the mast and hide the sailboat upriver. He agreed it would probably work but warned that the river might be shallow up under the trees. I decided that I would just leave the Windsong in his hands. My only other option would have been to take her out and sink her, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.

I went to the owner’s suite and opened the safe, taking everything of value, but leaving all their personal items and important papers. I put the cash in my backpack and made sure I had all my passports and I.D.s. Then I packed my clothes and headed back up to the salon.

Jeanne was still sitting where I left her.

“How much should I pay Jalibe?” I asked her. “And will he accept Euros? Or Turkish Liras?”

“Why don’t you ask him what would be fair,” she suggested. “If I know him, he’ll probably want to trade for something on your boat, like tools or spare parts.”

I ended up trading Jalibe ALL of the spare food in the pantry, along with three blankets, a couple of throw pillows, all the Tupperware, two large pots from the galley, and a DeWalt cordless impact driver with two batteries and a whole bunch of bits.

He and his crew, in turn, using the large crane on the pier, loosened the guywires and unbolted the mast, lowering it carefully and securing it at both the bow and at the stern of the boat. He also threw in some old fishing nets to cover the entire boat with.

I bid Jeanne farewell for the moment and started the port engine, then slowly steered the Windsong out of the bay and south around the small island with Jalibe acting as pilot. He directed me about two miles along the coast to where a small river emptied into the sea. When I saw how shallow the river was, I became worried about ever getting her back out, but Jalibe assured me we would be able to do it.

We then proceeded cautiously up the river and were quickly beneath the thick jungle foliage. After less than one hundred yards, the river became too shallow to go further, so I steered the Windsong towards the left bank, under a thick clump of trees growing next to the river and tied her securely to the largest trees.

Once we were tied up under the jungle foliage, I put up the panels to enclose the flying bridge and then closed everything else up as well as I could while Jalibe and his guys spread the netting over as much of the Windsong as they could. Then taking a last look around, I grabbed my backpack and jumped ashore, before following Jalibe through the jungle, back to the village.

Over the last two hundred years, the village surrounding the pier had grown up the side of the small mountain so that the queen’s palace, built near the crest, commanded a magnificent view of the entire village and the harbor below.

Jeanne’s palace was really more like a residence. A one-story structure erected with native exotic hardwoods and a Spanish tile roof. It was surrounded by a beautifully manicured, lush, tropical garden that seemed to be bursting with color from all the blooming plants. More of a home than a fortified defensive structure, Jeanne’s palace was open and airy with two receiving rooms, a large living/dining area, a small kitchen, and several pairs of bedrooms that shared adjoining bathrooms. Of course, since this was her official residence, one entire wing of the residence was her personal living quarters. The island’s government center was located further down the hill, nearer the center of the village.

When I returned from the jungle, I was escorted up to the palace and asked to wait. So I settled on a carved bench under a palm tree and closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew, someone was gently kicking my foot. It was Jeanne and she was alone.

“Are you hungry?” she asked.

“Not really,” I replied.

“Then come on,” she said as we walked around the side of the palace and up a jungle path that wound around a mountain. As we approached the top, I could see a clearing. Once we reached it, we could view almost the entire island and the surrounding Caribbean Sea. The waters were crystal blue, and the vista was breathtaking. In the middle of the clearing was a table-like stone. An altar of some sort.

“This is my inheritance,” she started. “And one day, it will be my legacy.”

“Amazing,” I told her. “It’s beautiful.”

“That is the altar of my ancestors,” she added, pointing to the stone table. “This is where I come to defend our island by making it invisible.”

She didn’t explain anymore, so we just stood there, holding hands, and staring out over the sea.

“Are you happy here?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I love it here. The people are all wonderful and they treat me well. I had hoped to introduce you around, but under the circumstances...”she replied.

“Yeah...”

“The only thing that would make it better was if you were by my side,” she added.

“Maybe one day. But for now, I have to find Cécile’s murderer,” I told her.

“I love you, Alex,” she said as she pulled me closer. Then placing her hand behind my head, she pulled me down for a kiss. A long, slow, love-filled kiss. I couldn’t help myself as I kissed her hungrily.

“C’mon. If I can’t have you forever, I’m going to enjoy having you while I can!” she said as she led me back to her palace.

The next morning, as we shared a breakfast of sliced fruits and coffee, I filled Jeanne in on my plans.

“I know that Cynthiana will be contacting you soon. If you would, could you tell her that I sailed here yesterday and asked you for provisions for a week or so, spent the night, and then sailed off this morning without saying where I was going,” I told her. “You CAN tell her that I said I was going after Cécile’s killer.”

“Do you think that will work?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But it’s the best I could come up with. I don’t think she’ll actually come here. It’s more likely that she’ll just call you.” I replied. “You still have the satellite phone she gave you?”

“Of course!” she said.

“Well, just be careful what you say over that phone. As far as I know, all satellite phone calls are monitored these days.”

It was later that afternoon, shortly after the Banana Boat arrived, that I met Layami on the pier in front of an old freighter. Jeanne had explained that Layami had completed all the education that the island had to offer and that Cynthiana had said she would pay for her to go to school in America. My job was to make sure that she got there safely.

“She has been conditionally accepted at the University of Texas in Austin pending her being able to get there and a few other things that the Foundation is taking care of. However, since it would not be wise to let her travel alone, she has not been able to go,” Jeanne explained. “And since you want to go to Texas, and Layami wants to go to school in Texas, being her escort is the best cover I have to offer you.”

It just so happened that my other identity, the one that my mom and Dr. Vonn had set up for me last year was in the name of Daniel Williams from Austin, Texas. And included a passport, a driver’s license, a credit card, and even a library card. And Austin was where The University of Texas was located.

“If I can help you get to Austin, do you have a place to stay until you can get enrolled,” I asked Layami. I was more concerned with her safety being around me than in anything we might face on our journey there.

“We have cousins in Branch Creek. That’s not too far from the campus,” she said. “If I can get there, they will help me until Mrs. Rappeneau can make her arrangements.”

The ‘Banana Boat’ as Jeanne called it, was a small, general cargo freighter that plied the islands for fruits and other food crops and took them to the Port of Houston to sell. Tied to the pier, I realized that the Banana Boat was more than twice the length of the Windsong. However, it’s beam was probably only half the beam of the yacht. Maybe twenty-one or twenty-two feet at most. Her complement consisted of a captain, the first mate and six crewmen.

Layami’s older brother, Haman, was the first mate and greeted his sister warmly when he spotted her on the pier. Layami introduced Queen Jeanne and asked if he would speak on her behalf to the captain.

Haman disappeared into the superstructure and moments later, appeared at the rail with another man.

Captain Rick was a small, wiry guy with tattoos all over his arms, neck, and face. As he looked down on us with a perpetual scowl, I wondered if this was a good idea.

Jeanne, Layami, and I stood there as Haman explained to the captain that his sister wanted to go to America to go to school and I was her escort.

“A thousand for the both of them and they sleep in your quarters,” Captain Rick growled. A thousand dollars was a large sum of money.

“One hundred euros!” Jeanne shot back and refused to turn away from his glare.

“ ... and your ships may stop here twice a month for the rest of the year,” Jeanne added.

“Done!” shouted the captain in English. He knew the value of the concession the queen was offering.

Jeanne and I had said our goodbyes earlier, so to avoid drawing any attention to her or myself, I simply picked up my backpack and Layami’s bag and followed the brother and sister up the short gangplank.

Haman led Layami and me aboard the ship and down a short ladder to the crew’s quarters, pointing out the crew mess and other facilities along the way. Then he showed us into his room. As first mate, he had a small cabin to himself, with a single narrow berth and a wooden stool. There was also a large military-style chest at the foot of the bed with a large padlock.

Haman looked at me, realizing we hadn’t been introduced.

“He is my escort,” Layami explained.

“Does he have a name?” Haman asked.

She looked at me and then said to her brother, “He is my escort. He will ensure I arrive at our cousins’ home in Texas, safely.

“Then I hope that he will keep you safe in America,” her brother replied as he gathered a few things and turned to leave.

“But where will you sleep?” Layami asked her brother.

“Unless we run into foul weather, I’ll string a hammock up on deck,” he replied. “I’ll be fine. Just keep the door locked at night and you should be okay.”

Haman then hugged his sister saying, “I’m so proud of you!” and then turned and left the small cabin.

“What do we do now?” Layami asked.

“Once we put to sea, we can go out on deck. In the meantime, I guess we’ll just have to get comfortable in here,” I told her as I found a spot that wasn’t too dirty and stretched out on the floor. Then using my backpack for a pillow, I closed my eyes and began considering what I was going to do once we got to Texas.

Our eight day journey was without incident. Mostly, I sat on one of the large loading hatches and stared out to sea. Sometimes, I would work out in my mind how I would rig the sails if I were still on the sailboat. Other times I would contemplate the task before me.

Each day, Layami tried to spend some time catching up with her brother, but most of the time she spent sitting beside me. We didn’t talk much, simply because I had nothing to say. Occasionally, she would tell me about growing up on Céleste, but mostly, she read, or just sat there watching the horizon with me.