The Journal

Chapter Four

"Hold on to your hats, kids! The water is pretty choppy this morning!" The Captain bellowed over the PA system from the bridge above, his voice partially distorted from the overabundance of static emanating from the old, worn out speakers. "We should arrive at our destination within the hour." The Captain finished before dropping the microphone back to its fork-shaped stand, next to the steering wheel.

Adam, Grace, and Paul were all in the kitchen area of the boat sitting at the table where they had eaten breakfast less than an hour prior, playing a card game to pass the time. Another crew member, Rodrigo, hovered over the sink finishing the dishes from breakfast. After the Captain finished his announcement, Paul suddenly ran his fingers through his wispy gray hair in a frenzy and patted his head as if making sure it was still there.

"Oh, NO!" Paul exclaimed. Grace and Adam snapped their attention instantly in his direction. "I lost my hat!" He cracked a smile ear to ear and started laughing hysterically.

"You know, Paul, if they paid you extra to be sarcastic, you would've retired twenty years ago!" Rodrigo chimed in laughing and then mumbled something in Spanish along the lines of 'you crazy old man.'

Paul finished his self induced laughing fit and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Thanks for finishing up those dishes for me, Rodrigo!" Grace beamed.

"No, thank you for such a satisfying breakfast! It was a welcomed change from the usual gruel. It was even better than my mother's famous tortilla de patatas, but don't tell her I said that!"

Right as Rodrigo went to set the last dish on the strainer, the boat rocked violently to the port side, causing the bowl to soar out of his hand and shatter on the seasoned wood floor sending ceramic shards flying in every direction. The cards slid off the table in unison with the broken dishware, scattering on the floor.

"Oh, Dios mio!" Rodrigo groaned. When are they going to buy all metal dishes for this place?" He raised his fist in defiance toward the Captain's bridge above.

Grace jumped up quickly and grabbed the small trash can Adam had regurgitated his breakfast in to help clean up the broken bowl. Adam shuddered when he saw her grab it, hoping none of his breakfast remnants were stuck to the side, lest he die of embarrassment.

"Looks like we went from playing poker to fifty-two card pick up, quicker than we lost our hats!" Paul began a second laughing fit as he wheezed in breaths of air.

While Paul was holding his sides, Adam picked up the cards one by one and began sorting through them, making sure they were all facing the same direction. Just as Grace went to sweep up the last broken bits of the bowl, the boat was jolted by another wave that crashed into the starboard side of the boat like a liquid linebacker. Grace lost her balance, throwing her left arm up in front of her to avoid face planting on the floor. She yelped in agony as a jagged piece of ceramic sunk into her forearm.

At the sound of Grace in distress, Adam threw his arms skyward, sending the deck of half organized cards spinning to the floor once again before bolting to Grace's side to aid his crush.

"Grace, Grace, are you okay?" Adam shrieked with worry as he helped her up from the floor, picking her up under her shoulders.

"Ouch!" Grace whimpered, gingerly holding her arm in her hands. Rodrigo tied up the bag full of broken pieces while Paul just stared at the cards on the floor.

"Do you need me to get the doctor?" Rodrigo asked Grace with a concerned tone.

"No, don't bother him. I'm sure he's busy in the engine room."

Being such a small crew, each member had a diverse set of jobs. Matias, the doctor, was also head of engineering and kept the seventies-era rig running smoothly. Rodrigo was technically the third mate, but when not attending to those duties, he helped Matias with all technical aspects of the boat, whether it regarded mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic. Paul was titled as a boatswain but helped pick up the extra slack where it was needed most and was thoroughly versed in nearly all aspects of the boat.