Chapter 14 Captain Yosef’s Woman
Kate realized her new quarters were in reality, the captain’s cabin. Although the ceiling was just as low as the other cabin, the room was much bigger and clean. The glassed portals were clear. The bunk was wide and made up.
As the door clicked shut and Kate was left alone, she sat in one of the two chairs in the room. The situation looked impossible. The only thing to do was to pray and watch for an opportunity to escape. Kate prayed.
As Kate stood peering through the window at the choppy sea beyond, the door behind her opened. Turning quickly, Kate was faced with her breakfast on a tray held by an African woman. She nodded and smiled at Kate, “Good morning,” the woman said softly. Kate saw a front tooth was missing and her English accent reminded Kate of Northern Africa. The woman looked about 40 years old. She was dressed comfortably in a brown and gold printed skirt, leather sandals with socks and long-sleeved cream colored sweater. As she set the tray down on the table opposite the bunk, Kate noticed the woman’s hands were wrinkled and worn but her nails were clean and trimmed.
Kate responded with “Good morning. My name is Kate.” The woman turned back to the door and closed it.
“My name is Myla. This is your breakfast,” she said with a nod to the tray. Kate looked and there was sliced fruit and flat bread and coffee.
Kate gave a chuckle. “It looks nice but I find I’ve got a tender stomach... May I eat it later?” Kate asked.
“Yes, yes of course. I will leave it,” Myla said. Her back leaned against the door and she did not act as if she would immediately go.
Kate said, “Sit down please and visit with me. I’m sure there is not much opportunity to speak with other women on this ship.” Kate indicated the chair she had been sitting in and she sat on the edge of the bunk.
Myla said, “Thank you.” She sat and Kate asked her about her origins and family. Although most of the ship’s crew were not from Nigeria, she was and also the captain had been living there for some years. The captain had two wives but she was not one of them. Kate told her of America and Flagstaff. After several minutes of talk about what was presently happening in the United States, Kate asked Myla what she should expect in the coming days... and nights as a hostage in Yosef’s care.
“I’m sorry for you, Kate. You see my man is a rogue or as the television calls him - a pirate captain. His makes his money by gambling that what he steals, he can sell or trade. It is very lucrative,” Myla sounded proud and sadly satisfied with being a part of the pirate life. Kate nodded and reached for the platter of fruit, offering Myla to take some. Taking grapes, Myla said, “Yosef put you in his cabin to protect you from the crew... He has done this before. They are a terrible lot and they have often taken advantage of the spoils the captain obtains, you see. So for a few days, you are secured in our cabin until he can find a buyer.” She sighed loudly. “Yosef had wanted to secure several other items from your vessel... maybe your boat as well but those rascals he sent aboard made a mess of it. So we have you.... only you,” she said with a toothy grin.
“Oh! I see. So the captain will not be staying in here - nor you? And uh... Captain Yosef is searching for a buyer? Where does one search for a buyer?” Kate’s mind was racing but she was trying to glean and analyze Myla’s information.
Myla laughed. “You ask questions! He looks for a middleman to work a deal. Where does he find these men? I cannot know... I have no idea, really.”
Kate commented, “Oh! I see.” But she didn’t. “I suppose it is very difficult to get good help, pirate help and so those guys made a mess of hijacking our boat. Only me? That’s what Captain Yosef got from our sloop?”
“Unlucky for us but very fortunate for your friends,” Myla told her. Kate smiled sourly. Merry was always the lucky one. In this case, Kate was sincerely grateful it was she and not Merry taken... a dime a dozen.
After some time, Myla left Kate. When she returned, Kate was napping. She sat up disoriented when Myla came through the door. Kate had fallen asleep praying, crying, worrying and praying some more.
“My lady, I have some fresh bread and cheese for you. Yosef says it is important that you eat,” were the first words out of her mouth. Kate got up and followed Myla out of the room.
Myla told her, “I have some other clothes for you too. So you can take a shower and then go back to the captain’s cabin.” A guard standing at the captain’s door followed the women to the head. Myla went in with Kate, handing her a bar of soap and some lotion. She told Kate she would return with some fresh clothes. Myla left a large thick towel on the metal handrail that ran along the wall. Although there was a bathroom attached to the captain’s cabin there was no working shower in it.
Kate put Roger’s locket in her mouth before Myla returned. Two rings that had been on her right hand before she was abducted were gone. Kate assumed rightly that the locket had been overlooked. It was an exquisite, expensive piece of jewelry and Kate thought she would part with it eventually... perhaps, as a bribe.
Kate dressed in red sweats, size small, white socks and her own sneakers, was sitting down with Myla in Yosef’s cabin as the sun began its descent. The locket secured in her sock for the time being.
“It will go well with you, if you cooperate with Yosef. Eat and keep up your appearance. You, as he says, are a lovely specimen,” Myla said with a laugh. She reached over and pinched Kate’s arm. “Skinny but eat up and in a few days, maybe you will be fatter.”
Kate did have an appetite now. She had decided she must eat and exercise in case there was a chance to escape. Kate was wondering if the hope she had was true, perhaps from God, or was she simply in denial.
Eating while asking casual questions, Kate put together a clear picture of her predicament. Apparently Yosef hunted his victims south and east. He stayed well away from the Gulf of Guinea where his competitors lurked. Cape Town, St Helena and Luderitz, Namibia were Yosef’s present haunts. His informers had picked up information about the Serendipity at the Jamestown Harbour.
Myla said, “One of your friends told us plenty after a couple of shots of that foul tasting Tungi Spirits.” Kate kept her face but her mind cast about for an answer.
Roger owned the Tungi Pub. Had he mentioned their goods and their travel plans while sharing a few drinks unknowingly with Yosef’s spies? Surely not! Kate didn’t remember Roger partaking of anything stronger than the local table wine, which was basically grape-juice. Loose lips would be out of character for Roger, Kate was sure.
Zeff! Oh, no! Kate remembered Zeff returning from somewhere down the quay one night. He had helped her aboard and she smelled alcohol on him. At the time, Kate assumed he had shared a drink with another watchman guarding some other vessel along the docks. And he had but what did he say? Zeff must have talked about Mac and the crew, what was in the hold and their plans to go north.
Then Myla said, “He even told us about you and your sister. That is how Yosef knew you would be a valuable catch, Kate.” The woman continued commiserating about losing the other valuables and the detestable men that Yosef could not trust but Kate was not listening.
Chapter 15 GPS: God Positions Saints
After breakfast on the Serendipity while Kate was being interviewed by Captain Yosef, Mac, Zeff and Tino stood at the navigation desk below decks. Mac had given Merry and Junior watch duty. He didn’t want Merry around at the moment but he needed to keep her busy. Handing her a pair of binoculars, Mac told her to keep a lookout for ships, especially small to medium size vessels.
“As soon as you spot one, come below immediately and let me know,” he told her. He gave Merry this “important” duty to preoccupy her and it worked.
With Tino and Zeff, Mac was more transparent. “Kate... She could be anywhere,” he said looking at the charts and estimating the distance they had covered since last night. “My guess is she fell overboard. Unlike our uninvited guests, Kate wasn’t smashed on Tungi Spirits. She is athletic and in good shape. She is probab
ly alive unless she either hit her head as she fell or she panicked.”
Black-eyed Tino, bruised and shaken by the recent events said in despair, “It’s crazy. If I had a rosary, I’d pray it... Kate is going to need all the prayers we can offer.”
Mac had been cursing and condemning himself for his poor leadership but he had not prayed... not really. Looking into Tino’s good eye Mac said, “You know Tino, that is a marvelous suggestion and we don’t need a chain of beads to do it. Come on guys, help me out here.” Mac closed his eyes and asked for God’s direction and intervention. He finished with, “Lord, I assume Kate is alive. I ask You right now, please give her the help and hope she needs until she is rescued.” So, God did.
Zeff said, “Okay. Okay. Speaking of rosaries, I’ve got a confession to make.” Mac let off a gust of air and Tino looked curiously at Zeff. “Yes, it’s true,” He began in Spanish but continued in English. “I don’t know where to start but I do know how we can find Kate whether she is alive or dead. I’ll explain all of that but first I think Mac you must call your friend... Roger on St Helena. Trust me. If you tell him that you need to find Kate, he can do it. I know what I am talking about so don’t delay; use the ship-to-shore.”
Mac nodded. “I thought about calling him and then just now as we prayed, again ‘Call Roger!’ came to my mind.”
Mac hurried off to call Roger. It was still early and he hoped to catch him at home but if not Mac would call the port authorities in Jamestown.
Roger’s manservant picked up on the other end and then at Mac’s orders, he hurried off to get Roger.
A few minutes later, Mac was explaining what happened.
Roger asked incredulous, “Did Kate tell you or how did you know to call me?”
“Kate didn’t tell us anything. We, uh... are in the dark as you say but I prayed and you came to mind,” Mac told him but he didn’t mention Zeff as he wasn’t sure what Zeff knew and what Kate knew. Mac only knew - he knew nothing.
Roger was quiet and then said, “Really? Okay, give me an hour or so and I will call you back with what I find out. In the meantime mate, keep praying and head back to St Helena.”
Roger got busy while Mac charted a course to return to St Helena. There was a mild swell and the wind was in their favor. Mac hoisted the jib and mainsail and put Tino at the helm.
Merry had cast her binocular duties aside but Mac re-instituted them once again. “We need to be vigilant and I am working on a plan,” he said. Mac didn’t want to get her hopes up but he did want to talk to Zeff - alone.
“Let’s hear it, Zeff. What do you and Roger and Kate know, that I don’t,” he asked none too gently as they sat in the salon.
Zeff rubbed the back of his neck. He said, “Kate probably doesn’t know... Let me start with my family. My older brother has interests in many different technologies. The big one right now is the radio frequency chips but in this case it is simply GPS.” Both men were tired from last night’s ordeal and the morning emotional drain. Noting Zeff’s articulate English, Mac just listened.
“Anyway, the wealthy and the very wealthy have been buying jewelry embedded with GPS tracking. It’s a novelty but many are using it as serious security for their loved ones and employees, too. It has its downside but like I said, the GPS jewelry is a novelty item right now and selling quite well, especially since earthquakes... natural disasters and terrorism are on the increase,” Zeff explained. His little sister had given Zeff a GPS crucifix for Easter but it was lost when he was beat up and thrown in Puerto Vallarta harbor.
Mac nodded grimly as he understood where Zeff was heading with this information. Zeff said, “Roger gave Kate one. I saw it in her cabin. I knew right off what it was. The design of some of the more expensive pieces are distinctive and unique. Like a piece of art that you might identify because the artist’s technique is distinct... Anyway, Kate’s gift is a locket and very tricky to open. Once opened, it triggers the GPS signal. You have to turn it off manually if you do not want the battery to go dead but that takes weeks if not months before the signal quits.” Zeff smiled. “You see Mac, I triggered it when I opened it. I confess I was sneaking about her room when I stumbled upon Roger’s gift. I was really mad and opened it to see if he had the cojones to put his picture inside... He did but before I could do anything, Kate came below decks. I put it back in the box but didn’t have time to disarm the GPS. The next time I had a chance to go into her cabin the gift box was empty... She had put the locket on!” He cursed in Spanish.
Locking his jaw, Mac said nothing. In the old days, he would have thoroughly disciplined Zeff for violating another crew member’s space but that was then and this was now. Mac hadn’t set any rules of integrity down for the Serendipity as he hadn’t thought it necessary. Thoughts of God’s perfect timing paraded themselves across Mac’s weary mind. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Mac was reminded of these words from Romans that Kate had quoted a day or two ago when they were having a study. Zeff had not yet surrendered to God’s invitation but Kate was one of “the called” as the phrase stated and yet, God used Zeff in his sinful state to help Kate.
The salon stilled smelled from the pirate’s revelry. Mac stood up. “Zeff, God loves you. You’re a mess. We all are without Him. I believe God was waiting for this... this situation to show you how much you need Him. God’s timing... Because of your sinful meddling, Kate may come out of this alive.” Mac shook his head. They went to the ship-to-shore radio to await Roger’s call.
On the fourth morning of her captivity, Kate sat wrapped in an elaborate purple satin material with makeup on and her hair piled up, then down and then both up and down with strands curling about her neck. Yosef directed, as one of his men took pictures. He had a buyer or at least as Myla told Kate as she applied the make-up, Yosef had a middleman. If the middleman liked what he saw, he would meet them in Namibia and the negotiations would begin. In the meantime, Yosef would send his spies ashore to ferret out some other victims.
Kate worked furiously on a plan. When she prayed, it seemed God would only drop the word “patience” into her heart and mind. Patience was one of the Fruits of the Spirit that Kate never prayed for. What was she suppose to be patient for? Was God actually going to allow her to be sold off to be added to an escort business or to some one's harem? Surely not! God had good for her and not evil but on the other hand, God’s ways were not mankind’s ways... God had a plan. Kate struggled to surrender to God’s plan and concede to His counsel of “patience.”
Trying to blame God for her present situation, Kate came up short. Hadn’t she always tried to do God’s will, she had reminded Him in prayer? Kate didn’t wait for His answer. She knew that most of the time when God moved her to die-to-self as the Bible reiterated, she modified God’s nudging to suit her own plans. Spiritual growth was a slow process for her and Kate decided that she really-truly didn’t trust God.
The historical account of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible kept rehearsing before her mind’s eye. Kate didn’t have a Bible. There were some books in Yosef’s drawer but they seemed to be Arabic or some other mid-eastern script. The story of Abraham was one she knew well. No matter how she examined the marriage of Abraham and Sarah, Kate had never quite understood Abraham’s willingness to save himself, letting Sarah be taken twice into princely harems. Abraham asked his wife, Sarah to propagate his “white” lie by letting it be known that she was purely his sister and not his wife, as she was gorgeous. Abraham thought the men of the foreign lands where they traveled would kill him for Sarah and so she agreed to lie.
Kate had returned to the captain’s cabin, having discarded her satin, wearing yellow sweats on this particular evening when the Genesis story of Abraham and Sarah took on a fresh meaning...
God had told Abraham that Sarah would have his child and even Sarah heard the promise made as she was eavesdropping from inside the tent when the words were spoken. Tent walls are not
soundproof! Yet, a very short time later, from what Kate could remember having read the account several times, Sarah was taken away by the king’s guards. God’s integrity was at stake. In the king’s harem, Sarah could be impregnated by the king. God had promised Abraham a son through Sarah but Sarah had been taken because of their self-preserving lie... “She’s my sister.” One moment, Sarah was free making her own decisions as a wife and also, a favored one of God but then the next moment, she was separated from her loved ones and possibly from God’s destiny... All because of distrust. Concerning life and death, Abraham and Sarah didn’t trust God.
Kate watched the sunset reflecting on the water as it set behind her. The cabin window faced east. She empathized with Sarah of the Bible. Somewhere along the line, Sarah needed to put a stop to the lie, the distrust... She wasn’t a child but an adult. In the end, Sarah procrastinated and she was no longer free to do what God wanted her to do. She was a prisoner and soon to be sex toy to a king. Tears pooled in Kate’s eyes. True, like Sarah, Kate had ignored the obvious Godly direction. Maybe Sarah had been sensitive to God’s voice initially but as time went on and everyone thought that Abraham was her brother, Sarah became numb to her responsibility to God and just maybe she liked her independence as a “unattached” woman. God intervened. Sarah was freed by the sovereign hand of God. The historical record showed that Sarah went on to fulfill her destiny in God, having the son God promised Abraham... an ancestor of the Messiah.
It was obvious to Kate that the Biblical account revealed Sarah’s and Abraham’s lack of faith. Hadn’t God already told them His plans for them? He had good plans and a far-reaching destiny for them and yet, their actions dripped with unbelief.
Kate sighed audibly. “God, my Father, have I been this way with You? Independent? Unattached? Unbelieving?” Recently, the thought had crossed her mind that God had a bigger plan than the one she was trying to forge. Roger seemed to be a part of that plan but she had shrugged off the spiritual inclination that surfaced in her mind and heart while on St Helena. She was free to do so then but now like Sarah of Genesis, she was not free to do whatever she wanted.
Catching Kate (Scenic Route to Paradise) Page 13