THE BOAT TRIP: Stampy And Squid

The Mooring Line

Throw down the mooring line,
And climb aboard the land.
It's time to stop for the night,
To sleep above the sand.

Throw down the mooring line,
And tell us of your journey.
Though we may never sail again,
We'll always share our story.

Throw down the mooring line,
And tomorrow I'll be free.
Don't be sad, or look for me,
I'm happy out at sea.

10 years Later

Squid's POV
It was a sacrifice he was willing to make after Nicole died; moving to Yorkshire to live in the same nursing home as me.
Both in our eighties, we had experienced our fair share of love and loss. In the last year we had both lost our partners. Although that was a tragic loss for both of us, we got through it together.
I just couldn't get through it much longer. The cancer I had beaten 10 years ago had come back twice since and had spread to my lungs and pancreas. I knew it wouldn't be long.

If I'm very honest. I'm know he's breaking too.
I hear him walk the halls of this quiet old home, with a mind that is constantly fading.
Stampy has had dementia for quite a few years now. There are black holes in his memory. It kills me to see it, but it's real.

"Morning Joseph." I murmur, sitting up in my bed as he wanders in and sits in the chair beside me.
"How are you champ?" he asks, shakily sitting down. He looks frail now, the sparse white curls hide the sun blotches on his scalp but his eyes still look childish and innocent.
"I think I'm nearly done, mate." I say, smiling sadly at him while I watch his gaze fall.
"That's not good." he responds.
I sigh, but there is pain in each breath.
"Did you sleep any better tonight?" I ask him, wondering what he dreams about.
"there is a name that repeats constantly in my head." He tells me, his eyes looking sad.
"What name, Joe?" I ask him.
"Beth." he whispers, with such devastating loss in his eyes.
"Beth." I echo, smiling in sentimental grief. Only wishing he could remember how he loved her.
"I don't have the slightest idea who Beth is. I only know that the name feels like home. A home I haven't known for a long time." he tells me, a tear emerging from his eye.
"Bethany Bates." I told him, my eyes focusing on his, wishing he'd remember their happiness together.
His gaze lit up with the mention of a surname. A spark.

My chest began to hurt some more with each breath I took. I closed my eyes, seeing the ocean for a split second, before it disappeared again.
"Joseph?" I breathe.
"Yes?"
"Could you- could you press that red button, please?" I croak, a wave of fear overwhelming me as a horrendous emotion of longing swells over me.
He needs me.
Joe needs me.
I can't leave him!
I can't die!

"Hello Mr Spencer, hello Mr Garrett. How are we today?" asks Julie, a caring nurse while she enters the room. Her face grows pale as she sees the pain I'm in.
"Mr Spencer?"
My mother's name was Julie.
"Could you call my family?" I ask her, a tear streaming from my eye as I lie back in pain and heart break.

I lie there, in fear and sadness. I'm scared of death, I'm scared of leaving Joe. I'm scared he'll forget I'm dead.

"How old would Sarah be?" asks Stampy, out of the blue.
A flash of hope pounced inside my heart.
"sixty." I respond, astonished that she was still there in his brain.
"-and, Katie?"
"f-forty eight."
My chest was jolting as tears began to flood my eyes.
"How about Lily?"
"H-How do you remember this, Stamps? It was so long ago." I cried, remembering all the beautiful people I lost.
Stampy took my hand and squeezed it.
"I was there."
"you were always there, Stamps. Through all of it." I told him, trying to maintain eye contact. I knew I was dying.

"Mr Spencer- I have your son, Ollie on the line." greeted Julie, with a panicked smile on her face while he pressed the phone to my ear.

"Ollie?" I asked, longing to hear his voice.
"Hi dad, are you okay?" his voice sounded confused and slightly panicked.
"Oh I'm fine, I'm fine." I croaked. "How- How's your day?"
"busy! We're helping Katie move into her new house, Cooper was there too helping out, and Joseph is making us go and adopt a dog this evening. It's all a bit mad!"
I laughed, "What kind of dog?"
"A beagle, I think."
"Aw, Lily was a beagle. You remember her?" I asked him.
"Oh yes! Of course I remember Lily. She was around till I was seven or so."
I sighed, smiling, remembering the old days as I looked into Stampy's eyes.
"Ollie..."
How do I say goodbye?
How do I say goodbye to my son?
"yes dad?"
"I'm proud of you." I gulped, trying to keep myself together.
"Aw, that's nice." he chuckled awkwardly.
"You tell Cooper that, and tell the kids too." I said.
"Dad, I'm so sorry I've got to go Katie doesn't want to be late-"
"that's fine, that's fine." I sighed.
"I'll see you tomorrow, thanks for calling-"
"Ollie."
"dad?"
"have a lovely, lovely life, my boy."
"Dad, you alright?"
"I'm just fine."

After the call ended I lay in my bed, Joe's hand still firmly in mine.
"You're gonna go now, aren't you?" he sighed with sad eyes.
"I think so." I admitted. "Will you be alright?"
"I'll be fine." He said, "I'll remember."
"if you remember one thing, Joe.." I choked on my words, "Joe.. Please remember to be happy."
"please- please- you can forget about the boat, you can forget our adventures, you can forget about me.. B-but, please remember to smile."
I could feel the morphine slowly killing me while the tears streamed from my heartbroken eyes.
"You remember that too, Squid." he said, "Just friends."
"just friends." I promised, while he took my hand and squeezed it hard.
"You tell Beth I say hello."
"I will."

The End