The Captain's Only Sea (Cavanaugh #4)

Kabanata 30

Kabanata 30

Distress

After hearing him said those words to Mrs. Siguenza, I pretended to sleep when I heard him walked inside the private cabin, closing the cabin's door, and sat on the chair in front of his table. Continuing his work once again.

Opening my eyes, the cabin was dim and the only light I saw was from the desk lamp. Daumier's back was facing me, I could stare at him all night without getting caught.

What did he mean by it? He wouldn't let me go to the bridge? Why? I felt like something was wrong. I had a feeling, but I didn't want to overthink.

Nagkunwari akong tulog. Perhaps, minutes, I was trying to digest it all in my brain.

There's a heavy storm, and they were making up plans. Ipapalipat kami sa isang cruise ship na malapit lang sa amin? How many miles were we from the storm? Kung makapagbitaw sila ng ganoong salita ay para ba'ng nasa kalagitnaan kami sa mata ng bagyo.

Sensing the whole cabin, and feeling my body, I realized how unsteady the ship was. Parang dinuduyan ako sa kinahihigaan ko. But it was not that extreme though. Wala namang mga gamit na nahuhulog. Siguro ay malalaki ang mga alon pero hindi pa marahas.

Approximately fifteen minutes of reckoning and acting asleep, I took my phone beside my pillow and checked the time. I got up from the bed, went inside the comfort room to relieve myself, wash my face, brush my teeth, and fix my hair beforehand I carefully went to him.

"It's late, Daumier. You haven't slept all night? It's already two in the morning," humawak ako sa backrest ng upuan niya upang mabalanse ang sarili. "Paano mo nagawang magtrabaho? The ship is unsteady. Maybe you should go to sleep and continue that later."

Kahit isang sulyap sa akin ay hindi niya ginawa. Nakatutok ito sa nautical chart habang may sinusulat.

"Hm? I'm fine. Go back to sleep, I just need to finish this," his baritone voice was firm.

I did not obey him. "Are you going to the bridge?"

"Yeah, after this."

"Can I come?"

Lumipat ang tingin ko sa kaniyang maugat na kamay nang natigilan ito sa pagsusulat. His body went rigid on his seat. Pero hindi pa rin naman niya akong tinatapunan ng tingin at nakatutok pa rin sa nautical chart.

He continued to write. "Oo, pero hindi ka puwede'ng magtagal doon."

"Bakit?" I softly asked with my hoarse voice.

I would like to touch his tensed shoulders and maybe give him a massage, but I could not. There was a boundary that he walled up in between us. Like an iceberg trying to separate me from him, hard and cold. He was distant. The way he speak, his treatment to me.

Naninibago ako. Hindi ako sanay na ganito siya. How do I handle this?

"We will be busy, and I want you to stay with your diving team," he answered with all the coldness vibrated off his air.

I got confused although I already have an idea. "Huh? Why? I want to stay with you."

He shook his head twice. Again, without glancing at me beside him. "I want you to stay with me too, Kaleidoscope. But I have other responsibilities in this ship, including you. Not as my girlfriend, but as one of the researchers. I am responsible for everybody's safety."

Kumunot ang aking noo at parang may natunugan sa kaniyang seryosong tono. Lalong lalo na sa kaniyang mga salita. May kakaiba roon na hindi ko maipaliwanag.

"Safety? We're safe, Daumier. You told me that it's just a light rain, or what? A bad weather that this ship could go through? What are you saying?" pagkukunwari ko na para ba'ng hindi narinig ang pag-uusap nilang dalawa ni Mrs. Siguenza kanina.