Vision Of Darkness

3: In the Harbor

Days later, Simoun was sitting by himself in his living room and gazing at a photo of him and Abigail on their wedding day. He struggled to fight off the debilitating feelings of regret, sadness, and grief that engulfed him like a thick cloak. Even though Abigail had been dead for a week, he was still having trouble accepting her passing. He longed to go back in time and relive their special moments together because he missed her so much.

He took out a different photo album and paged through it, savoring each picture of their joyful times together. Simoun's thoughts began to stray as he thought back on the events they had experienced together, including their wedding, the birth of their children, and family vacations. He felt both relief and pain as it seemed as though he was reliving each memory.

Simoun sighed heavily and set the album aside. He understood that he couldn't remain imprisoned in his sorrow forever. It was easier said than done for him to move forward, but he had to. How was he going to let go of his true love?

He made his way over to the window and peered outside. Despite the fact that the day was sunny and bright, Simoun couldn't escape the sense that he was surrounded by darkness. He was aware that he needed to find a way to move on from his loss, but he was unsure of how.

His phone rang as he was standing there thinking deeply. It was Julio, a friend of his, and the brother-in-law of Simoun. "Hey, Simoun. How are you holding up?" Julio asked.

Simoun sighed. "I'm trying to stay strong, but it's hard. I miss her so much," he replied.

"I know, buddy. But we need to talk about something important. Can you meet me at the harbor in an hour?" Julio said.
Simoun took a deep breath and nodded, steeling himself for whatever Julio had to say. "Yeah, sure. I'll meet you outside the terminal in an hour."

Simoun was thinking about what Julio might want to talk about as he drove to the harbor. He observed the hubbub of activity around the port as he parked his car. Sailors were moving crates and equipment onto the dock as cargo ships were being loaded and unloaded. As he exited the terminal and arrived at the port, Julio was there to greet him. Simoun could tell that Julio was serious and that whatever he had to say was significant. For a while, they walked around in silence as they took in the sights and sounds of the busy harbor.
Simoun walked alongside Julio, his eyes scanning the crowd of people at the harbor. "So, remind me again, why are we looking for this captain?" he asked.

Julio turned to him, a serious look on his face. "I saw him months ago, you were in Spain at that time. He looked familiar, like I had seen him before, but I couldn't quite place him. And then, a few days later, I saw him again, but this time he was with Abigail. They were talking, and she seemed upset."

Simoun's heart started to race. "What were they talking about?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," Julio admitted. "I was too far away to hear anything, but I could tell that she was upset about something. And then, the next day, she was gone."

Simoun felt a lump form in his throat. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't want to upset you," Julio said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But now, I think it's important that we find this captain and ask him some questions."

Simoun nodded in agreement, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Do you have any leads on where he might be?"

"I heard that he's been operating a small ship that takes tourists on day trips to the nearby islands," Julio said. "I think we should head down to the docks and see if we can find him there."

Simoun nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's go. But what are we going to ask him?"

"We'll start by asking if he remembers seeing Abigail," Julio said. "And if he does, we'll ask him what they were talking about."