Chapter 40: Choosing Wisely

Wednesday was just another boring day at sea for those of us onboard the Cécile.

NOT!

Fleur and Rachel had deserted me earlier this morning so when I woke up, I fumbled through a quick shower and then stumbled down to the galley for some elixir of life. You know, coffee.

All the way down both flights of stairs, I found myself asking why? Why had I not insisted on an elevator? They had those in yachts, didn’t they?

Monique saw me coming and by the time I reached the table, she had me a hot cup of coffee.

“Alex? Can I talk to you?” she asked.

“What time is it?” I mumbled. Warning bells were sounding in my mind.

“It’s about 10:30,” she replied. Since it was light outside, I knew she meant 10:30 in the morning. I decided that the four hours of sleep I had gotten last night would have to be sufficient to get me through the day.

I contemplated how to answer her for a good half-cup of coffee, but she patiently waited me out. Finally I looked up and fixated on her perky breasts.

“It’s your nickel,” I told her. It was one of my dad’s favorite expressions and was quickly becoming one of mine.

“Well, as you know, my family is what you Americans call ‘old money’,” she started. “The truth is, we are REALLY OLD money. And Tony’s family is what is usually referred to as nouveau riche or newly rich, which in Europe usually means going back only a couple of generations. The thing is, I bought the Windsong for Tony when he retired from the navy. As a retirement present. Granted, it was a bit lavish, but I’ve spent more for other things. And I knew that it was something that he really wanted. Especially after we sailed with Al and Archara on theirs.”

“Okay... “ I said cautiously. I was not sure where she was going with this.

“Well ... it’s just that lately he doesn’t seem to want the Windsong any more. He wants to trade it in on one of these,” she said as she waved her hand around, indicating the Cécile.

“Ahhh...” I thought to myself. “It looks like I am about to get sucked into this little family discussion anyway!”

“Is the Cécile so distasteful?” I asked.

“Oh no!” she replied. “It’s a lovely ship. But I bought the Windsong for Tony and now he doesn’t want it anymore!”

“Maybe you’re just looking at it the wrong way,” I suggested. “Did he say he didn’t like the Windsong?”

“No ... in fact, he said that he loved the Windsong. But he’s talking about trading it in on another boat!”

“Did you ever think that what you actually bought Tony ... was not a yacht, but freedom. The chance to get out and explore the high seas. The freedom to go where he wants, when he wants, and with whomever he wants?”

“No...” she replied slowly.

“Think about it. For the last twenty-plus years, someone else has told him where to go, when to go, and how he had to get there and who was to sail with him. They told him how to operate the ship, and he had to seek permission for even the slightest divergence from orders.”

“Oh, yeah!” she said as the light bulb clicked on.

“Then he finally retires and the love of his life gives him the one thing he truly craved. Freedom!” I said dramatically. “It wasn’t the Windsong. It was the choice to decide for himself where to go and who could go with him.”

“I see...” Monique replied.

“The gift you gave him was freedom and the opportunity to exercise that freedom. It wasn’t about some pile of fiberglass and rigging. That’s why it doesn’t really bother him to think about trading the Windsong for the Windsong II. It’s still just a bucket of steel and engines. It’s just a different means to an end ... freedom to sail the high seas in even greater comfort and safety for those he loves and wants to travel with him.”

“Oh, my!” she said breathlessly. “I hadn’t ... thought of that!”

“Go to him. Tell him what we talked about. Ask him if what I said is true,” I told her.

She didn’t say a word, but simply left the table. I closed my eyes and pinched my nose, high up, next to my forehead. Was this a headache coming on?

“Alex? Can we talk to you?”

I looked up to see Jana and Marta standing beside me.

“You see, it was supposed to be my turn next, but Marta is due to start her period today or tomorrow and she wanted to know if we could swap places...”

“Rachel? Where are you?” I thought in pain. Yep. It was a full blown headache now.

“Come on, girls,” I heard Rachel say to Jana and Marta. “Let’s go have a talk.”

“Here. Drink this,” Archara said to me as she handed me a glass with something fizzy in it. “Al showed me this a long time ago. It’s call BC powder.”

I was hurting enough that I was ready to try anything, so I held my nose to try and kill the taste and chugged the horrible tasting concoction.

“Now go to my cabin, leave the blinds closed and take a nap. You have a tension headache and this should help,” she said in a motherly tone of voice.

I didn’t argue, but asked her where her cabin was.

“This level, port side,” she replied.

I followed her instructions and was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I felt their presence before I opened my eyes. I didn’t hear any sounds, like voices or machines, but I was aware that they were next to me, and it was more than a few. As I lay there, I began to feel their thoughts, jumbled and indistinct at first, but gradually, my confusion cleared and I began to actually understand their chatter.

“He is coming around,” said voice number one. It was neither deep nor loud but had a masculine tinge to it.

“Yes. He should awake any moment,” said voice number two.

“What should we do? Should we <something indistinct> or should we just send him back?” asked voice number one.

“He was in much pain,” said a third voice. “But I cannot discern if the pain still persists.”

“What kind of pain, Teacher?” asked a much younger voice.

“I know not,” said the voice I now recognized as ‘Teacher’.

“But we cannot allow him to suffer like that!” chimed in yet another voice. This one also sounded young.