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Chapter 20-The Perils of a Stormy Sea
We began to settle down in the main cabin as Roberto went to wake the crew. Beyond the main cabin was a hall with the captain's room on one side and the room for the crew on the other. His room was about the same size as the crew's but three of them had to fit in the other since he owned the boat. I dropped my backpack to the ground with a sigh and fell back onto the couch. I had been anticipating this moment during the whole walk and quickly
stripped off my boots.
"My feet are going to punish me for these boots the next few days, maybe weeks," I said, tossing them down near my backpack. There was a general chuckle in reply to it, but Kyle laughed heartily. He was the only one who seemed to be in any sort of good mood. I think he was overcompensating for his sadness, trying to push it away. He had a lot of the trip and I was afraid all the built up tension would make him snap. Everyone settled down in various places around the room and took off some of their more uncomfortable clothing.
Mitch sat down then back up quickly. He removed something from his pocket. It was the trophy from the dance contest and it must have poked him when he sat. He let out a heavy sigh and dropped back into the couch he had sat down on. His eyes were fixed on the trophy but I knew his mind was a million miles away.
"Mitch," I said. "I'm sure she got out of their fine. When we get back to the states, give her a visit. Hey, we may even see them again. With the way things are going, it wouldn't surprise me."
His eyes leapt from the trophy to me and he smiled. "Yeah," he replied.
We hadn't been settled down long before Roberto emerged from the hallway followed by three sleepy-looking men. Well, calling them men was a stretch. They looked to be late teens or early twenties. All three were Mexican and bared a resemblance to Roberto. They had a rugged look that I had to admit wasn't entirely unattractive.
"These are my crew," said Roberto. "My sons." He added the last part with a hint of pride that could be seen on his expression as well. I glanced over at Kat but she had only spared a few admiring looks for them. She must have been really tired. Though they were sleepy and annoyed, the looks were returned. Roberto glanced around at us. "You all just stay in here," he said. "Better if you do not get in our way."
"What if we need fresh air?" asked Kyle.
"Well," said Roberto, pondering for a moment. "That is okay but do not stay for long. We should be to Mustique in no time. Are you getting off there?"
We glanced at each other and shrugged. "I guess," said Kyle.
"Good," said Roberto. "That will get us out of the storm faster. Perhaps it will not even break until we are nestled in port, ay?" I glanced out the window. The sky had grown even darker, if such a thing was possible, and somehow I doubted that what he said would be true but I nodded anyway.
"Can we continue onto Union Island with you tomorrow?" asked Joseph.
"You do not wish to see Mustique?" replied Roberto.
"Not really," said Joseph, speaking for all of us.
Roberto shrugged. "I don't blame you," he said. "It's just a playpen for the rich. All right, you may come."
"Thanks so much," said Kat. "You're great." Roberto's stony face seemed to almost smile for a moment and then he nodded and gestured for his sons to follow him and they went outside.
"You're great," said Kyle in a high, mocking voice. Kat shot him a look that shut him up in a moment though.
"I think we can hardly pass this off like we did last time," said Joseph. He was sitting next to me and I nodded to him.
"My thoughts exactly," I said.
"Why is it worse?" asked Kyle.
"Why is it worse?" demanded Joseph. "Kyle, you spent a good time unconscious tonight and you wonder why it's worse?"
"He has an extremely good point Kyle," said Mitch.
Kyle sighed and shook his head. "It's done though," he said. "My lack of wondering should be a tip. I was hurt the worst and you don't hear me complaining."
Joseph glanced over at me and mouthed, "Denial." I nodded to him.
"Even if the actual event wasn't worse," said Kat, joining in the conversation. "The fact that we have been attacked twice now makes the overall matter worse."
Joseph nodded to her. "Thank you," he said. "That's why I said what I did."
"So you guys just want to give up and go home?" asked Kyle.
"No one has even said that Kyle!" said Mitch. "And besides, it wouldn't be giving up. It would be being safe." Mitch muttered to himself and leaned back on the couch.
"What are you proposing then?" asked Kyle.
"Marriage," said Mitch sarcastically.
I jumped in, knowing what a tangent those two could go off on. "Okay," I said. "How about this. We get a couple islands away, pick a nice place out in the middle of nowhere, and stay there for awhile. We'll forget what we were originally doing, it was naïve and has gotten us into nothing but trouble. We don't have to leave, we'll just be in less danger."
"Do we have the money though?" asked Kat.
"We'll stay until the money runs out," I said. "Leaving enough to get to Grenada of course."
"Besides," said Kyle. "I'm sure our parents will send us some money after they've heard what has happened."
I glanced over at them. "So it gets the Kyle stamp of approval then?" I asked.
He smiled and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "It sounds good to me."
I glanced out the window near me to see that we had passed out of the harbor and were well out to see. The waters were dark and the waves rolled the boat over constantly. Despite the unsettling feeling that the rolling left in my stomach, it was also very lulling and I felt my eyes drooping. I noticed that everyone else seemed to be sleepy as well.
"We'll talk about it more tomorrow," I said with a yawn. "For now, lets get some sleep." No one argued as we made makeshift beds around the cabin. I curled up on the couch and felt a head touching mine. I glanced up to see that Joseph had stretched out the other way on it and that our heads were in the middle together. I smiled a bit to myself as I drifted off into sleep.
I dreamed that Joseph and I were together in a field. It resembled one of the lush, green expanses of land that we had seen many times on this trip. He and I were just lying there, in the sun, enjoying each other. Suddenly, he leaned over and whispered, "Melanie, I love you." I smiled and returned the declaration. We leaned for a kiss when suddenly the ground began to roll and we were thrown apart.
I blinked my eyes open to see that I was on the floor. Everyone else was in some disorderly state and looking as confused, as I know I must have. "What hap-" I began when the boat rolled again. I felt myself thrown against one wall, only to fall on the ground again. A pain was rising in my arm but I pulled myself up shakily. "Is everyone okay?" I tried to sound normal but I know my voice was strained.
"Yeah, I think so," said Kyle when we were suddenly thrown again. There was no stillness following this lurch, the boat suddenly was rolling up and down like mad, each drop shook me to the bone. We all started crawling for the door and bracing ourselves with each knock. Fortunately, we were all moving but everyone looked terrified. Joseph was the first to reach the door and when he pulled it open, deep water rushed it. I heard a scream that must
have been Kat's and I looked back quickly.
She was moving even faster than before and when she saw me staring said, "I'm sorry. The water just, scared me."
"Scared me too," said Joseph through clenched teeth as he vanished out the door and onto deck. I was out next and saw Roberto and two of his sons scrambling around, trying to run the boat and not be swept off. Joseph had stopped outside the door and made room for me along a pole to the right of the door as I came out. I huddled into him but quickly moved out of the way as Mitch, Kyle, and finally Kat emerged. We each grasped the pole firmly, outside
it was much easier to deal with the lurching.
Roberto finally noticed our presence and shouted, "What are you doing? This is madness! Madness!"
"We're sorry," shouted Mitch angrily. "But it wasn't comfortable in there."
"Comfortable!" the older man replied. "This is not some luxury cruise you snobby Americans! We are all going to be swept into the see like Alberto and die!" On his last note the man seemed to sob slightly. Alberto must have been his third son that I didn't see on deck.
Die, the word struck me. No, I couldn't die; we couldn't die-not here, not now, not like this. I looked over at my friends; their faces were a mixture of horror, shock, and fright. Suddenly a huge wave broke over the boat and tore at the deck. I held onto the pole with all my might and I could feel the force of the wave tearing at my hands. The boat hand been angling down so that my four friends and I were packed against the side of the boat and I
think it was only that which kept me there, which kept any of us there. My own hands could not have held me.
When the water cleared the only form out on the deck was Roberto. The wave had taken his other two sons and he had been thrown against the side of the boat. He just huddled there, not moving. "Is he dead?" asked Kat with a sob.
"I don't know," said Joseph. "But he will be soon if we don't help him."
"How?" asked Mitch.
"One of us will have to go get him," said Kyle. "We'll have to wait until the water is relatively flat."
"He could be dead by then!" I shouted.
"Right now," said Kyle. "Anyone who goes out there will die along with him."
"Let's wait until it settles a little," said Kat. "Then we'll link arms with the person going out for him. One person we'll hold the pole, then the others will go out from him."
"It sounds crazy," said Kyle. "But alright."
We waited for a few minutes as the boat tossed and turned, each movement threatening to send us into the ocean. Every moment seemed like an eternity until the water was a bit more settled. "It's now or never," I whispered. We all nodded solemnly, knowing we could be giving our lives for someone we barely knew. The chain began with Mitch holding the pole, then Kat held onto one of his arms and leaned against the side of the boat. Joseph crept along them until he was holding onto Kat's other arm and stretching himself against the side of the boat. I went next. Releasing the pole was one of the hardest things I had to do in my entire life but I did and made my way along my friends until I was at the end. With one of my arms I grabbed onto Joseph's and the other waited for Kyle.
As Kyle made his way out to me, I looked over at Roberto. He was slumped against the side of the boat, gripping some nets tightly. I could almost reach him and Kyle certainly would be able to. "Senior Montello," I whispered. He turned his eyes to me like a frightened animal and he seemed to barely comprehend what was going on. Kyle soon linked onto my arm and turned his attention to the man.
"Senior Montello," he said. The man looked at him and his extended arm.
"Boy, boy," he said. "What are you doing for me?"
Kyle glanced at us nervously then back at the man. "Getting you somewhere safer," he said.
The man's odd face lit up and he said, "Thank you boy, thank you boy, you are an angel." Kyle was about to grab him when suddenly there was a huge crash. I looked in the direction of it quickly. We had been thrown against rocks that tore at the other side of the boat. The wood from it splintered and hunks were thrown at us. From our other side we were assaulted by a giant wave. Our chain managed to stay together but when I looked over at Kyle, Roberto Montello wasn't there.
"We have to get out of here!" shouted Joseph beside me. The rocks were chewing up the side of the boat quickly and they neared us every second. I noticed that they rose up high, like the sides of a cliff. They were the sides of a cliff!
"It's a cliff!" I shouted.
"So?" said Kat, her voice tight with fear.
"So that means there's land above it!" said Joseph.
"Its up there, we're down here, and there is one gnarly cliff between us," said Mitch.
I glanced it up and down. The side of the cliff was heavily eroded and there were lots of places we could stand. "Listen!" I shouted above the roar of the sea. "I'm a horrible climber and even I could climb that. It's our only chance!" Kat gave it a final, terrified look but nodded in assent.
"Let's go!" said Kyle. We crawled across the deck slowly toward the rocks. It seemed as though we were walking into the mouth of a beast ready to consume us but I swallowed my fear and continued on. We soon reached us.
"The main problem is that the waves knock the boat against these rocks," said Joseph. "Wait for a wave to hit and when it clears away, start climbing. That will give us the most time possible. Don't look for anyone else, don't do anything but get up that cliff." We all nodded dumbly and spread ourselves on the remainder of the destroyed side of the deck, next to the rocks. I clung desperately to a piece of the woods jutting out, waiting for the wave to hit. Joseph was near me and as we were waiting he said, "Mel, if I don't make it, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart."
I felt my heart sing but my eyes well up with tears. "I love you too," I said. He smiled sadly and returned to his spot. Then, the wave hit.
I felt myself slam against the side of the boat but I held on and when the wave cleared I pulled myself up and onto the rocks. Sharp edges seemed to assault me everywhere I set flesh but I scrambled up onto the largest boulder we were being thrown against. I wanted to check on the others but I knew that I didn't want them looking for me so I kept going. The night made it hard to distinguish handholds but I felt for them and felt a small ring of success each time I rose a little higher. Soon, I was above the waterline and I felt it safe to look around. The other four were steadily climbing. I could barely make out their features in the dark, except for Kyle who was right above me. He was climbing with a look of extreme determination. He glanced down at me and said, "Come on Mel!" I nodded and started pulling myself up again.
The shape the furthest down I knew to be Mitch's. It surprised me but he seemed to be having the most trouble with climbing. I silently urged him on but turned my eyes back up to my destination and started ascending the cliff. I soon found myself unable to move because Kyle was stopped right above me.
"What are you doing?" I asked loudly.
"I can't go anywhere," he said in frustration. "Its dirt up here!" I looked at where he was and at the top of the cliff. There was a very large difference between those two. Eventually, everyone got up that high and we all sighed in defeat.
"So close, so close," said Mitch. "My parents.."
"There has to be some way up there!" said Joseph.
"If you find one," muttered Kyle. "Be sure to tell the rest of us."
I glanced over at Kyle but suddenly a bright light blinded me. Then it moved out of my eyes and it shone on Joseph next to me, causing his huddled form to squint in the light. It moved to each person quickly and then there was a shout in Patois. After a few moments, ropes descended to us. I could hardly believe my eyes and simply stared in shock. Above me, Kyle wasted not time before grabbing his and then he disappeared over the rise. Then Kat had hers wrapped around an arm and she rose as well. Mitch did likewise and it was just Joseph and I.
"Mel," he whispered. "Come on, we're so close, grab the rope." I didn't want to let go of the cliff, it didn't seem that I could.
"I'm scared," I whispered.
"You?" he said. "Come on! You're my Mel-strong and brave. Please, grab the rope."
I slowly removed one of my hands but then quickly grabbed the rope with it. I felt myself slipping and I gripped it tightly. I barely had time to get my other hand on it before my feet slipped completely. I screamed and fell but then I felt myself jolted as I came to a stop on the end of the rope. Above, I could hear grunting as people pulled me up. I soon felt my knees touch ground and strong arms pulled me all the way up and away from the edge. I glanced around at a group of huddled men and women who stared at me curiously then everything gave weigh as I collapsed on the ground, half fainting and half falling into an exhausted sleep.