Chapter 8: Sally Up

As soon as we were off the bottom, at first light in the morning, Laura headed us out of the lagoon at Aldabra Atoll without incident. We all sighed with relief and satisfaction, when we were steadied on course running for Phuket, Thailand.

Time to go. Will, Helena, and Nana kissed everyone goodbye, and Zapped away, back to the neglected work of the ranch.

Will and I had a long talk during the later winding down phase of the party. Prior to that, we also managed a bit of an adventure together.

Sally is the only one sad to be leaving Aldabra Atoll. Tony mentioned, they also lived on Aldabra Atoll, at our first meeting. This information had slipped my mind. Sally hadn’t known or been told, we were planning to leave. Now, at the last minute, almost, she finds out, and rightly feels left out of the loop, disenfranchised. Sally throws a childish tantrum! Understandable. She wants her clothes and stuff, collected and retrieved from the Research Station, where they lived.

I was unaware, they lived at the station. A concession from certain Seychelles officials for some service Tony rendered. Anyway, we go.

Will, Sally, and I, run a skiff to the station. Sally gathers her belongings, stuffing them in large trash bags. Will snoops around, and I load Sally’s stuff into the skiff. What about Tony’s stuff? Sally worries he will be upset if she doesn’t bring it with her. I figure he’ll be more upset if we take it.

I live with Sally, not Tony. My bias is towards Sally’s preference. After he tried to drop that shipping container on us, his feelings don’t weigh on me much.

We boxed it all up. Some, maybe most of it. The booby trapped computer setup self destructed. How we all escaped injury, I’m at loss to explain. We boxed the debris, and took it with us as well. Gidget can do marvelous repairs. She might salvage some data from the parts. Well, boys and girls? The end! That was our little adventure.

Back at the beach party, it was cozy-up time around the dwindling fires. Everyone ended up around the wienie fire. It had accumulated less party debris. Party detritus is particularly repugnant, ever notice that?

We added more fuel, reluctant for the evening, now early morning, to expire. No ghost stories or sing-a-longs, thankfully. Mostly, folks are quiet, just staring into the fire, a thoughtful time, shared with close friends and loving companions.

Will asked about Tony. I didn’t build Tony up, or even try to give him a benefit of a doubt. Will formed a pretty poor impression of Tony from my narrative, I’m sure. Conversation progressed to other topics.

Expressing my gratitude, I encounter resistance on Will’s part. He feels he has done nothing of value. He saved the day, I insist! He brought Gidget! Will reluctantly agrees bringing Gidget was of value. Laughing together eases tensions. Pride in Gidget shared in common.

What’s to be tense about? Will says it feels crazy, talking to himself, meaning talking to me. I convince him, my memories of being him feel different from the few days I have been a separate me. I am a different person, with his persona only as background memories, but no longer am I his persona. I’m distinctly me.

Giget knows it. Calling me uncle feels natural to us both. Will is a little mollified by the uncle business, bur not pleased Gidget wants to stay. Gidget has informed us, she is not returning to the ranch, when Will’s party departs tomorrow. She wishes to remain aboard. With me! Grown woman! Gidget has a right to go where she chooses. Will has the right not to like it. He doesn’t!

Flor and Bebe, he flat out gives to me. They’re yours, he says. They’re people! Real living, important, valuable, I can’t find the right words to express my feelings on this! One thing I know, they aren’t property, to be dispensed with so nonchalantly and arrogantly. Arguing is counter productive. I read that in Will’s set-in-stone facial expression!

Will doesn’t respect me as a real person either. Views me as a mere shadow of himself. Of his former self. Will has changed, too!

We agree, his wives are his. My wives are mine. Assuming in my future, if I have any wives. Gina can choose for herself, and for all the Duende harem with her. Will says he doesn’t care about the Duende.

Will HAS changed! Not for better! Except for those exceptions, hands off his women. Will wants the lamp and Louis THE GENIE returned, before he leaves. It’s his! I believe Bebe has the lamp and contact her. Yes, she has it, she’ll fetch the lamp for Will. Morning be soon enough?

“Yes. Fine.”

Businesses business.

Some of Louie’s former holdings will become mine. The ships, the marine fleets, take them! EROS, likewise is mine. More to follow. The rest to be negotiated later. Will is haughty in generosity towards me! “Oh, Thank you Great and Gracious King!”

Phil’s thin-as-sweat sarcasm! I’m only groveling ingrate Phil?

Please ignore shadowy me, pissing on your shoes!

Our parent’s old house is Gidget’s inheritance, with Will serving as lifetime resident administrator.

His career is his. I am not permitted to trade upon his reputation or his credit. I need to establish banking, credentials, and credit for myself.

We have exhausted all the topics of note, and the conversation peters out, at about this point, rather more adversarial than when it began. Unfortunate. Will and I, it now seems evident, are not fated to have a close relationship. Like estranged brothers most likely. Oh, Well!

Regal Helena arrives, cool salutations, leads tired Will away to bed.

Not alone long, when Gina and Gidget join me. Gidget tries speaking,

“Fugu!”

Did Gidget just tell me “Fuck You!”? Unlikely! More likely would be for her to invite me, “Fuck ME!” Hmm! Interesting idea! It’s been awhile!