Or, rather, Zoey did. Maybe it’s in her journalistic training to ask lots of in-depth questions.
She explained how she was really interested in marine conservation and so she wanted to know all about the mission and about the day to day life on an ocean-going conservation ship.
The boys wanted to know if I’d ever been caught up in storms and how I’d coped being in the middle of the ocean and so far away from land. My mum wanted to know what the ships kitchen was like and what my job actually entailed. I tried to answer all their questions honestly.
I explained that a ship’s kitchen is called a galley and that the rooms are called cabins. I tried to make light of all that I’d experienced. When in truth, they were asking me to describe to them in mere words what had certainly been the most incredible and the most intense experience of my whole life, perhaps aside from having given birth twice.
‘But how did you prepare for it, mum? Was there some kind of special training?’ asked Josh.
‘Of course.’ I assured him. ‘Every crew member gets survival training. We were always doing drills. For example, we had to practice how to fight a fire onboard. We also did man overboard drills and learned how to safely abandon ship if we were ever in danger of sinking.’
‘Wow. It all sounds amazing and incredible. The ultimate adventure!’ Zoey enthused.
‘It certainly was.’ I agreed. ‘Although, looking back, I think I might have been a bit naïve in thinking that life on a ship would be something like living on a small island.’ I laughed.
I remember Ethan using that line on me when I’d admitted my inexperience as a sailor.
‘There are in fact only two similarities; lack of privacy and lack of space. And, as you wake up every morning in a totally different time zone and a different part of the world, it can be a little disorientating!’
‘Especially as you’ve always suffered with motion sickness.’ Mum reminded me stoically.
‘But you sailed around the whole world!’ Zoey cheered, looking at me in wide-eyed wonder.
‘Yes, after our sail away from the Virgin Islands, we crossed the Atlantic to head down the coast of Africa and onto Asia before crossing the Pacific to sail through the Panama Canal and right back to where we started.’
‘How many others were with you on the ship? Were there other women too?’ Lucas asked.
‘Yes, there were always lots of other women. We had eight crew members plus around twenty scientists, all top marine researchers and biologists, who came aboard or departed at various ports of call. Some stayed with us for just a few weeks and others for a few months depending on their studies. During our months at sea, mapping and collecting data, we all saw first-hand evidence of man’s destruction and pollution of the seas and oceans – we sailed through oil spills and vast areas of floating plastic debris, we stopped to help dolphins trapped in discarded fishing nets, and we’ve freed turtles caught up in old ropes. All the people I met on the ship were really lovely and amazingly capable. We were all part of a wonderful team working hard to make a real difference in the world. And, on the tough days, when we faced real trauma or trouble, everyone pulled together seamlessly to help and support each other.’
‘What kind of traumas and troubles?’ Josh asked me in sudden concern.
‘Like the times we battled high-seas and gale-force winds or when we tried to avoid storms or to outrun hurricanes. Trauma, like the time Ethan cracked his head open and we all thought he had a dangerous concussion. Or trouble, when we came across illegal trawling vessels. Except, of course, Ethan doesn’t call it trouble. He calls it dispute.’
‘What kind of dispute?’ Lucas’s eyes were now wide in alarm.
‘Well, we had the good fortune to be spared any run-ins with high-seas pirates, but we did have the misfortune of coming across illegal fishing vessels at various times. Our protocol in these situations was always to call for back up from the nearest coastguard or from one of the Sea Marshal conservation fleet who often patrolled the same waters.’
‘I’m a supporter of Sea Marshal and Sea Shepherd myself.’ Zoey told me stoically.
‘But sometimes, when we came across illegal fishing, it wasn’t always possible to maintain our impartiality.’ I continued. ‘And of course, it certainly wasn’t in anyone’s nature onboard The Freedom of the Ocean to allow the killing of whales for their oils or the slaughter of sharks for their fins. So, sometimes, we had no choice but to get involved to try to stop it.’
‘Really? Whales? And sharks are killed just for their fins?’ Josh gasped in horror.
‘For shark’s fin soup.’ Zoey informed him. ‘It’s still a delicacy in some places.’
Everybody went quiet for a moment as they contemplated the atrocities I must have seen.
‘Mrs Anderson, if there was just one thing – one experience that you will never be able to forget from that amazing voyage –what would it be? Can you tell us?’ Zoey investigated.
‘One thing?’ I considered, wondering if it was really wise to speak of it.
They all sat back waiting quietly in encouragement and eager anticipation. Even my mum.
‘Well … it was without doubt the time we sighted an illegal whaling ship in the South China Sea. As our ship approached, we discovered a great slick of dark red steaming whale blood and a dying fully-grown female whale on the surface, with a young calf next to her who was still alive. It was a terrible sight. One I’ll never forget.’
‘Oh, my gosh! So what happened? What did you do, Mrs Anderson?’
‘Oh Zoey, please, call me Lori or Lorraine. I remember watching in horror as the whaling ship’s crew reloaded their harpoons. Our captain was bringing us about, changing our direction, so to position our much smaller vessel between the whaling ship and the whale and her calf. I suppose we were gambling on the hope that the whalers wouldn’t harpoon us. Ethan was hailing the captain of the whaling ship over the radio and ordering him to cease and desist. Our crew were all up on deck yelling at the other ship’s crew. Our scientists had appeared from below decks to offer their voices and to record the video evidence on their phones; something we did in the hope that being identified and outed on social media might send them away, but it just seemed to aggravate them instead.’
‘And what were you thinking while all this was happening around you?’ Zoey breathed.
‘I remember thinking that the sun was hot and the sea was incredibly calm and the winds were light on what should have been a beautiful morning. But instead, all around us, the air was thick with the smell of blood and the reek of oil and vibrations from the ship’s engines and the low moan of the dying whale. I remember thinking that the whaling ship was huge and rusty and scary looking. I could see its deck was a dirty cluttered mess of coiled lines and hoists, winches, and it had two huge harpoon canons. Not only was their ship much bigger than ours, we were outmanned too, as I saw around thirty or more, filthy looking, ugly, very mean men, who were all yelling at us in a language I didn’t understand. Once we were close enough to smell their sweat and the overwhelming stench of dead fish coming from the bowels of their ship, they were shaking their fists at us for gate-crashing their killing party. Then there was a bang and a crack, that sounded like a firework going off, and I saw a harpoon with a train of long rope arc through the air and then I heard a dull thud as it hit its target. I heard her scream, and in response, I remember that I screamed too. It was terrifying.’
‘And what happened to the young whale?’ Josh pleaded, his face pale with anxiety.
‘I did something entirely instinctive because I’m a mother myself.’ I told them, my voice betraying the boiling indignation that I’d felt in my heart at that time. ‘I jumped from our ship into the sea and I swam as fast as I could towards the whale and her calf. When I was in the water, I could hear people yelling and suddenly the man overboard siren was sounding, but I didn’t stop swimming. When I reached the mother whale, I could see the pain and the look of despair in her huge eye, just bef
ore it became a blank stare.’
‘Oh my God!’ Zoey cried out; her own eyes wide in anguish.
‘At this point, I’m crying with rage and trying to tread water rather than swallow it, when I saw the young one disappear beneath the surface only to resurface right next to me. With a blast of his hot breath, I’m now covered in a gory pink foam mix of blood and sea spray. I turn my head to look for the position of the whaling ship and then back to where I can see Ethan leaning over the deck rails waving his arms at me in warning. I’m in a total panic. My only thought is how to stop the next harpoon hitting this calf.’
‘What did you do, mum? What happened next?’ Lucas begged.
‘I reached out to grab the mother’s lifeless fin and I haul myself out of the water and onto her enormous body. Then, for a moment, I have to stop to catch my breath and get my balance before I crawl up her slippery wet skin and up and onto my knees and onto my feet. Then I’m standing on top of the mother whale and waving my arms and shouting at the evil whale killers in the hope that they won’t fire their harpoon. And then, with a great belch of black smoke, I see the whaling vessel turning to leave and I started cheering. And then I see that Ethan is shaking his head at me but he’s also cheering and waving too.’
When I stopped telling my story there was a poignant and stunned silence in the room.
Eventually, Lucas asked me if I thought the calf had been old enough to live on its own.
I nodded. ‘Yes, it would grieve for its mother, but it was old enough to survive.’
‘We all think you’re a real hero and incredibly brave.’ Zoey added compassionately.
‘Oh, no. Please. I didn’t feel brave. I’d been quite terrified!’ I heartily admitted.
‘Well it was all incredibly daring.’ Josh insisted.
‘And dangerous.’ Lucas spluttered. ‘Not exactly the kind of thing mums normally do, is it?’
‘Oh Lucas, come here and give me a hug!’ I said, seeing how much I’d worried him.
I grappled him in my arms and hugged him like I used to do when he was a toddler.
‘It was the adventure of a lifetime.’ I insisted. ‘And, for the rest of my life, I’ll never forget the day I stood on top of a dead whale in the middle of the South China Sea, waving my arms at its murderers and yelling like a crazy woman. I don’t regret what I did for a minute.’
‘I’m proud of you, mum. We all are.’ Lucas told me earnestly.
‘Thank you. But you should also know that for all the lows and anxieties there were just as many, if not more, highs and moments of pure joy. I’ll never forget the long days of peace and tranquillity at sea. The incredible unbroken horizons. The shimmering shades of blue.
And in that moment, I was transported back to a very special time in my life. It was a beautifully warm and clear starry night and the sea was as calm as a mill pond. Ethan and I lay up on the top deck, gazing up at millions of stars and ageless constellations. Who knew that star gazing was so much better in the southern hemisphere? And, that south of the equator, the northern hemisphere constellations all appear upside down?
Ethan had pointed out the Southern Cross to me. ‘Look, it’s right in the centre of the Milky Way. In the constellation Crux. The bright yellow star you can see at the far left is Alpha Centauri.’ And, as we were gazing up in wonder, a shooting star had streaked across the sky.
I remember that I caught my breath and took Ethan’s hand in mine and squeezed it in a tight grip. Neither of us wanted to say anything until the star had fully dissipated.
‘What did you wish for?’ he asked me out of curiosity.
‘For us to always remember this moment together and how special it is.’ I replied.
And Ethan said in a whisper that sounded to me like a lover’s sigh of errant longing.
‘Oh … I love you, Lori.’
‘And I expect that all these experiences have changed you?’ Zoey suggested to me.
I gave myself a mental shake back to the present and I looked at her and smiled.
Something tells me I might have just inspired Zoey to go off and live a life of adventure on the high seas. I smile because I think she understands me in a way that perhaps my sons don’t.
I feel I have found a new ally in my future daughter-in-law.
‘I expect so, Zoey. I think travelling and meeting new people and having experiences, especially those that take us out of our comfort zone, can make us rethink our own place in the world. It’s too easy to sit back and let life happen. We should all be taking a positive and interactive stance. Ever since I’ve met Ethan, I feel much more inclined to take a stand against wrongdoing and take positive action against injustice. One person really can make a difference. I’m very grateful to him for teaching me that.’
‘And who is this Ethan you keep mentioning?’ Lucas demanded.
Chapter 6
‘So, tell us, Mum. Are you home for good or just for Christmas?’ Josh asked me boldly, after I’d been back a whole week and he and Zoey and Lucas had popped over to their gran’s house for a quick weekend visit. Today just happens to be 1st December, so naturally, our conversation had turned to our plans for the Christmas holidays.
‘Oh, I’m definitely home for Christmas!’ I enthused. ‘I want this Christmas to be really special. I want us all to have a wonderful family Christmas together this year. I’ll cook. We’ll have a traditional turkey and bacon rolls and roasted potatoes and all the trimmings. It’ll be a three-day festive extravaganza from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day, with fun and games and gifts under the tree!’ I was quite breathless with excitement just telling them about it.
My mind wandered back to last year, when I’d been on a small tropical island in the Sulu Sea, just off the coast of Northern Malaysia with Ethan. We’d roasted a Christmas lobster on an open fire on the beach. It had been wonderful. But I’d really missed my family.
I’d missed them so much that I’d sobbed my heart out on the beach.
And my Christmas gift last year from Ethan had been a satellite video link call home.
It must have cost him an absolute fortune.
Mum piped up to interrupt my thoughts. ‘Well, just so you know, Lorraine, I’m serving Christmas lunch to the homeless on Christmas Day. I could try and get back here at around 4p.m. but I can’t promise.’ I stared at her blankly for a moment while I processed her words.
I could hardly believe it. She’d wanted me home. She’d told me how she’d prayed every Sunday in church for me and in particular she’d wanted me to come home for Christmas.
Yet she wasn’t actually going to be home for Christmas herself.
I really wanted to point this out to her in no uncertain terms. But instead, I reminded myself that I must admire my mother for her charitable considerations and for giving up her own time, so that she can serve turkey to the homeless and those who might otherwise go hungry. It’s such a kind and worthy thing to do. Even if it did put a big prickly holly leaf right in the middle of my very special family Christmas Day plans. With an uncharitable sigh, I revised my schedule. I moved serving Christmas dinner to later in the day.
‘Okay. I suggest dinner at 6p.m. Would that work for everyone?’
I looked at both my sons and Zoey who were sitting on the sofa with long faces.
I was reminded of the three wise monkey statues I’d seen in Thailand.
Bapu, Ketan, and Bandar. See No evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.
Surely the promise of a fabulous festive feast and a bit of fun over pulling crackers and wearing paper hats and an exciting game of charades in front of the fire would soon get the smiles back on their faces. ‘But you three can come over earlier, if you like. I’ll be cooking all day, so there’ll be plenty of nibbles. We can open some champagne while we wait for Gran to come home. Then we can all open our presents together from under the tree. It’ll be wonderful. What do you think?’
I was already imagining the scene: snow falling gently outside, logs on the fi
re, the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree in the corner, the scent of fresh pine needles in the air, a stack of presents in Christmas wrap and ribbons, the table decorated and beautifully set with candles and flowers, the smell of lovely food coming from the kitchen, the crooning sounds of The Rat Pack or Michael Bublé in the background and our laughter filling the room as my mum arrived home. A perfect family Christmas.
I forced myself not to think of Ethan right at that moment, whom I’d briefly spoken with on the phone several times this week, who was still asking about whether he could jump on a plane and join us here for Christmas. But I’d been adamant that until I could broach the subject (of him) and properly explain (to my kids) how I was in a relationship (with him) then he would had to wait patiently in the wings for my signal that that it was safe for him to arrive.
Then I spotted Zoey and Josh elbowing each other in the ribs.
Until Zoey spoke up in a small and apologetic voice.
‘Erm—actually, Lori. I’m really sorry, but Josh and I have already agreed that we’ll be spending Christmas this year with my family. It’s all been arranged.’
I forced myself to adopt an expression of understanding.
Even though I actually felt like I’d just been slapped hard across the face by the Grinch.
‘Oh, please, don’t apologise!’ I fussed. ‘I mean, I’ve just arrived back and so I wouldn’t dream of asking you to change your plans and disappoint your family. But, I’m sure that you and Josh can still come over at some point during the day, can’t you? To open presents and have a mince pie?’ I paused expectantly and maintained my upside-down sulk.
‘Not really. You see, Zoey’s parents live in Cornwall.’ Josh explained. ‘And we said we’d drive down there on Christmas Eve. But we could try and get back here for New Year?’
The Next Adventure Page 7