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| A Tale From The Sea Karla Clinch It was almost noon, when I first saw her. A thing of Beauty and intrigue, she was…. her lines smooth, her colors true. Though she looked a bit green around the gills, she was made of stronger meat, and would do well in the open seas, if she was treated with the kindness and gentleness that she deserved, yes, even desired. I knew that I had to have her, regardless of the cost. As I set about looking for the Lady Ann’s owner, I wondered how much he would want for her, not really having a dime to my name. But, I knew I would have to her…regardless of the cost. I stopped by the local tavern, hoping to glean some information as to who was her owner. I meandered up to the bar, as if I had not a care in the world, thought my troubles were many. I asked the bartender for a beer, and settled onto my stool. “Tell me, you wouldn’t by any chance know who owns that old sloop in the harbor, would you? The Lady Ann?” “Nah, but might ask the guy over by the door. He’s been on this island for many many years, and he might know.” He responded with a wry grin, “though, were it me, I would take some fortification with you.” “What’s he drinking? Give me one and another beer.” I replied. As I glanced over by the door, I saw a fellow who looked to be a century and a half in age. Lean and lithe, gray hair down to his shoulders, and a grizzled beard, looking like 10 miles of really poorly paved road, I knew I had my hands full. “Sir,” I started to say… “Yeah, and what the hell do you want?” Came the surly reply. I knew instantly, that this would be a hard nut to crack. “I was wondering if you might know who owned the Lady Ann, the sloop that’s moored in the cove, to the north end of the island.” I asked. “What’s it to you?” “Well, sir, I do believe that she might be the most beautiful boat that I have ever seen in my life. And while I am not the best sailor around, I would love the opportunity to purchase her, and make her as beautiful as she must have been 40-50 years ago.” “Aye,” He sighed, “That she was. But sonny, let me tell you, you don’t have enough money in the world to buy her. Let me tell you the story of the Lady Ann.” I leaned forward in my seat, not wanting to miss a single thing that he said. As he looked off into the distance he seemed to mellow considerably. It was with great melancholy that he started his tale. “She was built in the late 30’s, before the war. She was commissioned to the government as a guardian of the shore. Finished her commission and was returned to her owner in May of 1945. She had some dents and dings, but there was nothing about her that could not be repaired. Her owner, however, was killed in a freak accident, when he was struck in the back of the head by the boom. He never came out of the coma, and died a week later.”
A Tale From The Sea Karla Clinch Chapter 2 “And fun they had. Many days and nights were spent enjoying life on that boat. The days always seemed to be sunny, then…” the old man said, as he got a far off look in his eyes. “What happened?” I asked, not really wishing to break his train of thought. He didn’t reply immediately, seeming to acquire a distance in his eyes. As he continued, the sadness in his voice was evident. “They traveled the world in that boat, going to Australia, Canada, Scotland, England, and Africa.” “After several years, the Lady sat in the harbor getting weathered. Children and other issues took up more space in their lives than caring for the boat would permit.” “As fate would have it though, one of their sons fell in love with her. He would go out, polishing, shining, and loving her, even as a child as young as 6. If he didn’t show up for supper, you could bet he was on the boat.” “Then the war to end all wars came, and the boy, now a young man, was drafted. Lucky for him, he was placed in the Navy.” The sun was beginning to set, when I realized that the old man’s drink was dry. I signaled the bartender to bring another one, and offered the geezer a sandwich. We sat quietly watching the waves gently lap on the beach while we waited for the drinks and food to arrive. It was a comfortable silence. The old man, looked longingly at the sea that he had grown so used to and loved so much. And the young pup, full of life, and energy, with a will and desire to meet and befriend the sea, and all the beauty and turmoil that it held. After the food arrived, the old man began his tale once again, “Once WWII was over, the young man came home with more scars than the eyes could see. He was sick at heart of all the hatred, violence and death that he had seen.” “His parents, older now, had no idea how to help him, so they did the only thing that they could think of. They gave him the Lady that had filled his days of youth, hoping to mend the heart of the child they loved so dearly.” “They man worked, cleaned, and scrubbed every day for what seemed like an eternity. One day, after telling his folks that he loved them, he boarded the Lady, for what might be a one way trip.” “He too traveled many of the same places that his parents traveled, only there was no joy in the journey.” “One day, after a particularly severe storm, he thought he heard a voice crying out for help. Since the nearest island or land mass was days away, he did not see how that could be. However, it stayed in the back of his mind, as he laid down to rest. Later, a pod of dolphins started chattering next to his boat, waking him. He came flying out of the Lady, furious.” As the old man paused, for what seemed like an eternity, to light a cigarette, I took a sip of my drink, anxious to hear the rest of the story, yet not wanting to interrupt. “There, in the circle of dolphins, was a goddess, hanging onto what appeared to be a door.” “Please,” The voice of the goddess croaked, “Help me.” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
