by John Molloy
They sat out on deck sipping chilled Chardonnay. The offshore breeze had fallen away and a still calmness lay on the hot evening air. Kerstin turned her head to Henry in a lazy motion as she lay back on the canvas chair.
“Not much luck today where will we head for now?”
“I never thought deep down he’d settle on one of the larger islands. I’m putting my neck on the line here, thinking he’d opt for a smaller place where he could have some kind of control. With his money he could buy himself into a position of power. We will have to try the Dominican Republic next. I think we should give Haiti a miss; there wouldn’t be enough prosperity there for him. Although I’m just surmising now. What would you think?”
She looked up at the crimson sky and watched the sun setting over the island like a great ball being immersed in a fiery furnace.
“It’s such a beautiful evening I think we should have a swim, and I’ll cast some thought on where I believe Tukola might be. I’ll let my mind wander to all the islands I’ve visited and try to think of the ones where he might feel at home.”
She jumped up and eased out of her shorts, whipping off her top she stood naked apart from her bikini bottoms. Her bronze skin was tinged with a rose colored hue from the rays of the setting sun. “Last in has to serve supper.” Henry was down to his shorts when he heard the splash. He ran over to the rail and saw her frolicking in the water. Her giggling mirth carried on the still evening air. He dived down and swam to where he’d seen her but she was gone. She surfaced again further out. He turned on his back and floated as she came up from beneath him and threw her arms around his waist. He had just time to get a breath before she drew him under; he could barely see her long hair floating around her like feathery Sargasso weed. Her lips came out of the tangle and kissed him full on the mouth and pressing her body against his they floated to the surface. She laughed and swam away to the boat. He followed and had time to lightly slap her bottom as she climbed the ladder. She turned to look back down at him. “What was that for?”
“For your efforts to try and drown me.”
Smiling, she grabbed a towel and went to the shower.
A few minutes’ later she was standing alongside drying her hair; this time she wearing the bikini bottoms she had bought on their shopping spree.
“Go shower,” she ordered.
“Ok, but what would the people on the other yachts think if they saw you nearly naked?”
“Not much; going topless is par for the course around here.”
He showered and had a towel around him when he came back on deck.
“Our next port of call, the Dominican Republic is roughly how many days sailing?”
“Oh let me see now,” Kerstin closed her eyes in concentration. “It will depend on which coastal area of the country we intend to go to. We better look at the chart”
Down below they stood at the chart table and looked at the large chart of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. She had the dividers and she was pointing to the capital, Santo Domingo.
“What do you think, should we make a course for there and give Haiti a miss?”
“Yes, I don’t think he’d be in Haiti. Santo Domingo it is, but we could do the same searches from any large port or city.”
He could feel her bare flesh as she leaned over to put back the dividers. Her generous firm bosom rubbed against his shoulder and a protruding nipple sent a pulse of excitement racing through his body as it brushed against his arm.
Now facing him, sensing his excitement she stepped back and glanced down. “Ah!” she exclaimed as she caressed the embryonic bulge that was clearly visible despite the best efforts of the towel to conceal it. Within moments he was fully aroused. “Come on, I can’t teach you navigation while you’re so distracted!”
Henry followed her into the larger of the two bunks. Slipping out of the lower half of her bikini, Kerstin lay provocatively as she beckoned him to join her. The fragmented rays of the deck lantern streaming in from the port window caused light and shadow to dance together creating flickering zebra patterns across the satin-soft skin of her expectant body. Moving closer they embraced, they kissed, they caressed; every intuitive touch heightening the intensity of their passions. There was no urgency as Henry lingered at her sensitive spots, slowly tantalizing until she begged him to bring her to climax. She squealed and juddered, pulling his hair as he relished her sweet wetness. Gradually her body relaxed, her cries subsided. Moving up to her breasts, his tongue traced her silky smoothness, teasing her firm nipples as her breathing once again deepened. Her attention turned to his pleasure; inching down his finely honed torso, he groaned with ecstasy as she deftly worked him into a convulsive frenzy. Now at his most aroused, Kerstin straddled his body and eased him inside her. Her actions were slow and deliberate as she rose and fell with devilish abandon. He ran his hands down her back and caressed her soft silky buttocks. Her movements became more intense, more demanding; they both reached the point of no return and she tensed and cried aloud as she felt his release inside her. In the warm musty air that permeated the cabin, they gently shuddered to an ecstatic halt. As the last pulses of sensual pleasure ebbed from their bodies she fell into his strong protecting arms.
They lay in glorious satiated silence watching the flickering light cast shimmering patterns on the cabin walls. It wasn’t long before tiredness prevailed and they succumbed to the irresistible call of sleep.
The sun was filtering through when Henry awoke and crept out without waking Kerstin. He showered and pulled on a pair of shorts then went about making breakfast. He was as hungry as a proverbial horse and presumed Kerstin would be the same. He fried up generous helpings of bacon, eggs and sausages. He also prepared tomatoes, toast, hot coffee and glasses of chilled orange juice. He held the tray and watched his beautiful goddess in peaceful slumber. Although he thought it a shame to wake her, he gently caressed her face until her sleepy eyes opened and looked into his.
“Breakfast up.”
She sat up and blinked.
“What time is it?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“It’s breakfast, time now take this.”
She smiled as she pulled the sheet around her for modesty.
“Thank you very much.”
“You’re very welcome my lover, thank you for a wonderful night.”
She blew him a kiss. “I was too exhausted to tell you I hadn’t experienced such a night since I can’t remember when.”
Henry was on deck enjoying the view. He had binoculars and was scanning the other yachts. A few seemed to be getting ready to sail.
“Anything saucy to see?”
Kerstin had her hair in two large plaits down to her shoulders, a flimsy blue blouse with one button fastened and no bra. Her shorts were tight and frayed around the edges.
Henry handed her the glasses.
“I’m looking at the most wonderful sauciest young lady around.”
She had a quick look through the glasses. “A few are getting ready to sail, we could do likewise if you want Henry?”
“Yes, why not. Are we ready to go or do we need to get more water or anything?”
“No, we have plenty. Come into the chart room and I’ll work out how far it is to Santo Domingo. I can remember attempting to do that last night until I was interrupted.”
Playfully, he tapped her behind.
“I wonder who could have been so rude as to interrupt you.”
Smiling, she took up the dividers and measured the distance to Santo Domingo; three hundred and forty miles. So with fair weather and a kind wind we should average six knots, so,” she scribbled on the side of the chart, “say approximately fifty eight hours. If we sail at noon we’d have a few hours to lose to arrive in daylight on our third day.”
“We can always manage that, and if the wind drops we might have no choice.”
“Henry, I want to show you how to lay off the course.”
She placed the parallel rules and from
a point five miles out of Montego Bay, she drew in a course to four miles off Pointe a Gravois on the Haiti coast. From there she laid another course to five miles off Cape Beata and then a run into Santo Domingo.
“Now,” she said, “there’s the course so to find what to steer….” She placed the parallel rule on the course and then worked it on to the compass rose and read off the course. She wrote that on the line and then did the same for the other two lines.
Henry was impressed. “And that’s it?” he said, looking into her bright eyes.
“Yes, that’s the basics but in some areas you might have to allow for currents. However, there’s none of these on our planned course. If we get a contrary wind we might have to allow for drift, but that’s all for later.”
She reached up and pulled down a small book; it was the Mariner’s Handbook.
“Here; when you get a bit of free time have a read through this, especially the rules of the road part.”
“Aye-aye skipper, will do,”
He looked at the clock and it was eleven o’clock. What do we have to do before sailing?”
“Nothing really, I’ll just nip ashore and pay the few dollars harbor dues then we’re off.”
When she returned, they got ready for sailing. Henry began heaving up anchor and Kerstin started the engine. He stood on the foredeck as they cleared the harbor and steered for open water. A fresh breeze played truant under his loose cotton shirt, caressing his skin like cool fingers. This was the freedom he relished; so uncompromised and absolute, like that of the seabirds that swooped and caught small fish. As he looked down into the sparkling azure sea, he could see the pale blue coral reefs and the milky white stretches of sand in the crystal clear water. No dark criminal underworld out here, he thought to himself, only the tranquility and companionship of one being for another.
“Take the wheel,” Kerstin’s order broke his dreaming.
He took over while she went below and checked their position.
She came back up and looked out at the little wavelets, and then glanced up at the clouds.
“Fair enough wind, I’ll just let her run on another mile before altering course and setting our sail.”
She went below again and came back with two mugs of tea.
“Sorry no cakes, they’re still packed away in the stores somewhere.”
“That’s ok; too much sweet stuff isn’t good for you anyway.”
She grinned.
“Aye-aye sir, now starboard helm and steady on zero nine three.”
“Zero nine three,” he repeated, and as the yacht swung around he steadied her on course.
“We’re on zero nine three now.”
“Thank you. Now fix the wheel and come help me set the sails.”
With sails set, the Witch was soon lying over to a firm breeze.
“Knock off the engine while I steady her on course.”
Kerstin brought her up and she settled to her easterly course like a swallow gliding across the waves.
They sailed watch on watch off for two days making about five knots, and rounded Cape Beata as an orange sky turned to crimson away to the west. Kerstin altered course and set straight for Santo Domingo.
“We should be there before noon. What have you drummed up for dinner?”
Henry stood looking at the faint flashes from the lighthouse as it slipped away to stern.
“Do you think she’ll hold course if you come and eat with me?”
“Yes, she’s holding fine.”
He had cooked a fish pie made from a tuna caught earlier that morning.
“It’s absolutely scrumptious,” she pronounced, and then the thought struck her and she spluttered a laugh.
“I now have two scrumptious things on board. How would I say, one edible and the other not quite.”
She smiled between mouthfuls of the pie.
“Only partly edible the second one, but probably tastier than the first.”
He leaned over and held a large spoonful of pie over her plate, “second helping?”
“Please, it really is delicious. The only thing is, a lot of fish makes me horny. How about you, much the same I suppose?”
“Yes,” he laughed, “and I’m definitely having seconds!”
She poured cold apple juice into the chilled glasses.
“Tell me Henry, and I hope I’m not prying; were you ever married or in a long-term relationship?”
Before responding, he carried on eating as if he hadn’t heard her.
“To say you’re not prying is an understatement, but I’d like to tell you anyway if it’s not too boring.”
“Go on, I’m all ears and full of curiosity like a very curious cat!”
He started with his early life after Shirley’s murder and related most of the affairs he’d had.
“Why didn’t you take up with Vera, she seemed a type of soul mate?”
“I think her broken heart never mended and beneath the facade she never really wanted to commit herself to love again.”
“It’s more than surprising that an eligible chap like you never got into a serious relationship.”
“I suppose it was a state of mind more than not meeting the right person. I’ve probably met a lot of very right women but failed to recognize the signs.”
Kerstin stood up to get the coffee from the stove and leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.
“When this chapter of your life is complete you will live life with a happier perspective. Do you know you talk in your sleep?”
He sat up straight somewhat startled.
“No, I never knew that.”
“I only heard you a couple of times but you sounded tense and worried. What you were saying was a bit mumbled but next time I’ll listen a little closer and try to understand what you’re saying.”
“I hope I don’t give away any personal secrets, not that I have many anyway!”
She sat on the couch beside him and sipped her coffee. Henry laid a hand on her wrist and she turned and looked into his soulful eyes.
“Your turn now. Why hasn’t a beautiful girl, and I don’t say that lightly, been married, or have you loved and lost?”
She cuddled up to him.
Did I mention that my mother is Swedish?” she said, trying to evade his searching questions.
“No.”
“She met my father who’s English and I was raise in England,” she hesitated, “but do you really want to bore yourself listening to my life story?
“Come on now, and don’t leave out the good bits; I’m sure it’s anything but boring.”
She laughed
“Of course I won’t, the good bits are the only ones worth hearing about! You know Henry I have a theory about love. I believe when you love someone you have to love the whole package. You just for instance can’t love a beautiful face, two firm boobs and a shapely figure. That just will not last. The little idiosyncrasies will creep in and the annoying habits that irritate you they can be numerous. I should know, I’ve had quite a lot of men, particularly when I was younger. I won’t say I haven’t had my moments and illusions, but I’ve always come out the end more knowing and wiser about the human condition than when I began an affair. I suppose like you I had a derailing process when I was young and impressionable and it took a toll that with me has no real end. You see, when I was eighteen I had a burst appendix and I was lucky to live, but the surgeon who operated and saved my life informed me when I went back for a check-up that my ovaries were so damaged that it was unlikely I would never have children. I sought further medical opinion and to my utter devastation, it was confirmed that I could never be a natural mother.”
Henry looked at her with a profound sympathy. A young girl loving and caring. Falling in love but having to tell the man the truth before they got into a serious relationship. It was heart-rending to say the least, he thought.
“It must have been extremely hard on your love life, and difficult to contemplate a long term relati
onship.”
“Yes,” she smiled, so what did I do? I’ll tell you; I became the college whore! I was the easiest lay around, and I began to get good with all the practice. I had sympathy from my roommate; she was also a source of comfort during this time of trauma caused by my distorted view of life. Then her comfort blossomed into a relationship and I responded and we found solace in one another’s arms. It was a strange time and when I look back on it now it seems like a dream, but I suppose it served a purpose at the time - a healing process. After we broke up the thought of a female relationship never again arose in my mind. I’m really heterosexual and happy with it. When college term ended, disillusioned and feeling all alone, I signed on a yacht that summer. We sailed to the Canaries and when it was time to sail home I decided to stay. So began my life as a sea gypsy.”
“Do you ever make it home to visit your family?”
She put an arm around his shoulder and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You know you are like a concerned father. I do get home at least once a year and often spend up to two months with my parents.”
“What do they say about your choice of career?”
“They’ve long given up asking me to stay at home, get a responsible job and live like a normal person,”
She threw back her hair and turning to Henry, her face close up to his, she said, “do you think I’m a normal person?”
He kissed her on the nose.
“You come across as the most stable, happy and normal person I’ve met in my life. I can say that even though I’ve only known you a short time. I’ve been living and working with people for forty years and can only now see what a false dreary and pathetic life most of them lead. They do the same things day-in-day-out and only break the monotony with an annual vacation among a crowd of their own kind on crowded beaches and noisy hotel apartments. This helps keep them sane; along with planning their next excursion to Costa del Nowhere!”