Chapter 33: What Goes Around Comes Around

I held Portuguese papers stating that I was welcome in Portugal until God took me. I bought a little 30-foot cat boat to fish out of, and screw around in. I finally got my goddamned vacation boat that I wanted to go exploring in! Of course, I was on the wrong continent, but you can't have everything.

My catboat sat a little lower in the water than normal, due to a few ammo cans and a Browning .50 cal sitting under a ratty old sheet, up at the prow. After long consdieration, I registered my boat as the Wasp, after all, she had a sting to die for... literally!

If it had a dock I tied up to it. If they fished for a living I bought their best, sweetest harvest, and paid them enough to appreciate the business. I grilled dinner on the beaches and fell asleep to the sound of my one true mistress: the sound of the waves. Gunk-holing was such a nasty name for it. I held cookouts for thelocals in so many places that I lost count. I did my papa Hemingway bit, until it got to be that I could do from memory, time after time; dock after dock.

I plugged all around the Med, keeping clear of France and Marseilles, those dirty bastards. I spent a few interesting mornings blowing the fuck out of 'North African entrepeneurs' (read, pirates). I spent many late-afternoons in front of beach fires, charring my dinner. I found myself with a perpetual smile. I ate what I wanted, did what I wanted to, talked to whomever I wanted to and ignored many people that found it personally necessary to talk to me. I found the best part of retiring consisted of ignoring people with type-A personalities.

I understood that the Blessed Silence took a recruiting trip to Japan. I was surprised that I found myself regretting not being a part of that. I smiled and made the conocious decision not to envy the others. Each morning I stretched. Each morning I faithfully performed my katas. I worked with the singlestick and Eskrima batons. I worked out on the beach each morning, sweeping my imaginary foes beneath my feet and crushing their bones without contest. One always wins the battles in one's dreams.