On His Journey To Forget

Chapter Fifteen

A couple days of slowly rocking and weaving in the ocean, and he seemed a bit more prepared to move on. Ready to let the wind do it's job of taking him away, to carry him to another place of solitude. But first he needed to restock his supplies and let his feet touch the earth for a while. He swung the sails around, the wind would take him to the island of Mahe, to a small port town outside of Victoria. He didn't need anything more than some water, and his supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. He had learned how to prepare of lot of pretty good dishes with nothing more than that.  The whole process took no longer than an hour, and he was ready to shove off again. As he made his way from the port and out into the main body of water, his mind once again thought of his Dad, and how he longed to see him. He had never gone anymore than a few months away on assignment without visiting him. He seemed to need to see Turkey, actually Istanbul, it was the place that made him feel the best. 

He sailed south, back down the African coast, back along the same route he had taken earlier. His head just seemed to be taking him there. He took the small channel of waterway between Africa and Madagascar this time, staying closer to land. The scenery was beautiful, he admired it as he took his time drifting along, something he hadn't done before. After a few days he was nearing the town of Durban, a very highly populated town. The port was large and full of boats, he knew he didn't want to stop there, but the sight of it was amazing. He traveled on down the coast towards Port Elizabeth, his mind becoming more clear with everyday that passed. It had been almost 3 weeks since he left the Seychelles Islands, his body was tired and needed a rest. The Cape of Good Horn was nearing, and after that he would be back out in the open Atlantic Ocean. He would stop somewhere close to Mossel Bay on the southern tip of Africa for a couple of days to rest, and prepare himself for the long trip on the Atlantic. 

He opted not to dock at the port, but just a ways out away from the pier. The lights from the pier and the music that always erupted along the long line of boats made him feel good. That was a new feeling, and the first time it had happened on this trip. He was happy to hear the sound of other people. He made an omelet from the last of his eggs, and filled it with vegetable, the smell of it made him hungrier. The taste of food seemed to be different as he dived into the plate of food, finishing it off and wishing for more. Maybe he was coming back from the dead, he thought, as a smile crept across his face. He took his empty plate to the galley and poured a small glass of wine. He had even limited himself on his intake of wine over the past few months, knowing that he needed his senses about him more than ever on this part of the journey. It was an unfamiliar part of the world, totally different from the Mediterranean Sea, or the Aegean Sea. The thought of those places made him want to see them, he felt homesick for the smell of those waters. He reached over and turned on his radio, leaning back against the railing relaxed and calm he thought, " playing my favorite music and drinking a glass of wine, maybe I am going to make it  after all." 

It was late in the night, or early in the morning hours, he wasn't sure which, when Sanem made her almost nightly  visit. But this time they were happy, laughing, playing in the snow. They had been sledding and he saved her from crashing, rolling and tumbling on the snow covered hill. It was like it happened just yesterday, so vivid and clear in his head. He opened his eyes with a smile on his face, half expecting to see her there. He laid there for a minute, his heart sinking back down to that feeling of regret. It was just a dream....but it felt so real, he could feel her still in his arms, as he sat up looking around realizing where he was. The music still played softly on his radio, and the stars were still scattered out across the sky like diamonds. But he wouldn't be able to close his eyes again, not after that, not after that sound of her laughter, the smell of her body and the feel of her touch. His mind was playing tricks on him, it was making him feel and smell things that weren't there. As he relived the dream over in his head, the thought of seeing her didn't cause as much pain as before, he was even enjoying it, the thinking back on the times they were happy.

As the sun peeked its head up above the horizon, glowing like a ball of fire in the water, he took his pen and recorded the beginning of a new day. The time seemed to be passing by much quicker now, it was now February 12th. Hard to believe that another month had passed by, over a month since he had seen her book in the bookstore. The port town was calling to him, as he sat on the deck bench. He might as well to ashore and get it over with, he thought. He pulled up the anchor and fired up the motor to weave his way up to the pier, tying up in a slip on the end of the dock. There was a multitude of activity going on up and down the pier, a farmers market caught his eye as he exited his boat. He filled a bag with some freshly grown fruits and vegetables, he was sure he would be able to use all of them. His appetite had returned, and the thought of inventing some delicious recipes with the fresh food had him excited.

He walked further into the port town, exploring all the colors of it, the flavors and smells. He found the town center, and saw a large bazaar setup, full of everything imaginable. He wandered through, in awe of all the handmade items there. He stopped at a booth full of hair accessories, all handmade and beautiful. Ribbons, bows, combs and clips, all different colors, shapes and sizes. His eyes fell on a pair of clips for the hair, they were black with an albatross bird made out of bone attached to them. He couldn't look away, his eyes filled with tears but he quickly wiped them away and picked them up. The young girl that was selling the goods asked if he would like to buy it, Can immediately said yes. She showed him how to attached it in his hair,  just the feel of it in his hair, for some reason had made him happy, happier than he had been in months. He paid, thanked the young girl and started to walk away, but then he stopped. He turned back looking at the remaining Albatross clip in the table, " Ma'am I think I want the other one also, the mate to this one. They come as a pair, right." Can asked her. He paid for the other clip and stuck it in his pocket, feeling it nestle down inside her scarf. 

His whole body had relaxed, he felt happy and calm as he started back toward the pier, with his last stop being for the water. 

The Albatross clip that was wrapped around a piece of his hair, had been a turning point in his recovery and his return to the living. On that impulse of buying the matching clip for Sanem, he had admitted to his heart that one day he may see her again...

If that day ever came,...he would be the one to place that clip in her hair....