Beached

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Beached Page 15

by Brenda Beem


  Dylan glared.

  I’d hit a wall. It didn’t matter to me that I’d hurt Zoë or was angering my brother. “Look at the people barely surviving on that beach.” I gestured at the shore. “They don’t have enough water or food. And Takumi might be hurt or…” I took a deep breath. “I haven’t slept for two days. And now you want me to throw a wedding and party like everything is fine?”

  Dylan closed his eyes. “Toni, I’m sad too. And I know this is tough. All of it. I didn’t know about the sharks, I swear. Zoë’s been barely hanging on since we started getting texts. I’m worried about her. She doesn’t act like she gets it. She keeps talking about the huge wedding we’re going to have in Seattle. Sometimes I don’t think she understands what’s happened.”

  I glanced back at the stern where she stood watching us. “So we’re supposed to go along? Humor her?”

  “Not everyone is as strong as you are. And she’s having a baby. Doesn’t that make women a little …I don’t know. Emotional?”

  “Yes. If she’s really pregnant.”

  “Toni!”

  “Fine. I’ll perform the service. But not until I get a few hours of sleep. And I’m doing it for you and the baby. Not for Zoë. Are we clear?”

  Dylan’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.”

  “Good,” I snarled and started for the girls’ cabin.

  Dylan cleared his throat. “As soon as the wedding’s over, we’ll head back to Santa Cruz and find Mom and Dad.”

  I stopped. “Not until Takumi shows up. Give him the rest of the day and night to talk his way off the base.”

  “Mom and Dad are right over there.” Dylan stared at the island in the distance.

  “I know. But we are all exhausted. If Mom and Dad made it to the island, they should be okay for one more night. If we don’t get some rest, we won’t be. I mean it. You and Zoë can do your wedding thing, but not until I take a nap. I’ll take the first watch afterward. I’ll want to check the shore for Takumi, anyway. We can leave in the morning if he doesn’t show up.”

  “I’ll tell Zoë.” Dylan started to walk away, then paused. “Maybe you should brace yourself. There’s a chance we may never see Takumi and Kat again.”

  “Takumi said he would be back.” I elbowed Dylan in the ribs and headed below.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I was halfway down the steps to the main cabin when Angelina jumped up and squealed. “Mom’s alive.” She grabbed Makala and swung her around. “Mommy’s alive!”

  Makala clung to Angelina and squealed. Boots barked and jumped on the girls.

  “What did she say?” I asked.

  Angelina held up her phone. “A few doctors and nurses bused everyone in the hospital up to higher ground, in the mountains. After the wave, they returned to Seattle, but the hospital had been destroyed. Mom stayed on the bus and helped with some of the patients for a little while, then began looking for us. She couldn’t get to the waterfront where I’d told her we were camping. There was too much debris.”

  Angelina put Makala down. “Shush,” she told Boots. He chased his tail.

  “After a couple of days of searching, mom found a motorcycle, and headed to Mexico.” She glowed with pride. “I can’t believe she rode a motorcycle with her arm in a cast.”

  Boots yipped and Angelina took out the bag of dog food and began smashing the giant pieces of kibble.

  “Mom says she knows in her heart we’re still alive. She wants us to go to our grandparents’ house. Her last text was ten days ago. Her cell was dying and she had no way to charge it. She’d made it as far as Bakersfield.”

  Nick came down to the galley. His brows were cinched. “I could hear your news up top. That’s so cool, Angelina. Where do your grandparents live?”

  “Mexico. On a ranch, part way down on the Baja Peninsula. Grandpa’s the mayor of a small town. What about you? Did you hear from your family?”

  Nick smiled. “I did. My brother, my sisters, and my parents are helping my uncle and my cousins bring a huge herd of cattle south. Of course the tsunami didn’t hit Idaho, but it got dark and started getting real cold, real fast. The military bases began to disband and head south. My family hopes to find a place in Texas or New Mexico where the cattle can graze. They couldn’t just take off and leave the poor animals to freeze to death. And they have horses and dogs too. At the very least, they’ll give the cows to the military. The resettlement camps need food. But they hope to keep some and find a place for them to graze.”

  Nick moved to stare out the port window. “It’s a huge job driving that many cows. I wish I were there to help them.”

  “You can meet them when they get settled in the south, though. That will be great. And they are alive!” Angelina grinned.

  Nick turned and hugged her. “You’re right! My family is still alive.” They laughed and danced around the tight space. Makala joined in and the three spun in circles.

  Zoë came out of her cabin and smiled at them. Was it because of what Dylan had said, or were her eyes almost a little too bright?

  “Did you hear from your family?” Angelina asked her.

  Zoë grinned. “Mom wrote that the tsunami was coming and they were trying to get a flight out of Hawaii. That’s all she texted. But, my parents are terrible about keeping their cell phones charged.” She giggled and fidgeted with her rhinestone bracelet. “I bet they are sitting in a beautiful resort just waiting for the power to come back on. When it does, they’ll call or text me. I’m not worried.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Angelina gave me a concerned look.

  I checked the beach for Takumi one last time and then I headed to bed. Angelina promised she’d wake me if Takumi showed up on shore.

  I snuggled down in the covers as the boat rocked gently and read the messages my best friend sent. Her first were full of excitement and adventure:

  “You wouldn’t believe the traffic. We almost ran out of gas just getting to the cabin. But we made it and the cabin is so cute. You’d love it. Uncle Paul has been busy chopping wood. We all brought food and we have enough to last us forever. Dad keeps talking about wanting to leave after the tsunami, but Paul thinks we are better off just staying here. I still can’t believe you are on a boat. Text me.

  After the tsunami she wrote:

  We lost power and had our first snow fall today. Snow in August? Mom and Dad are fighting all the time about whether or not we should leave. We don’t have much gas left in the car, so I don’t know what good it would do to leave. Paul has a radio and we heard that Seattle was completely destroyed. Guess there’s no going back.

  She wrote four more messages. The last one gave me chills.

  The snow is now so deep that we have trouble opening the door. And it is freezing. We can’t be out for more than a few minutes. The guys hunt for food, but there aren’t any animals around and no grocery stores. We are going through the food we brought too fast. If the snow doesn’t stop soon, I don’t know how long we’ll last. I can’t charge my phone anymore. I guess this is good-bye. It’s not fair. We should be the high school diving champs. We should be going to the Homecoming dance. I miss you.

  I laid the phone on the shelf above my head, closed my eyes, and let the tears flow. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamt I was covered in ice, and about to dive into a pool of sharks.

  It was a relief when Angelina shook my shoulder and said, “Wedding time!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The crew had been busy preparing for the big event while I slept. Paper flowers had been made from pages torn out of our National Geographic magazines. Pictures of butterflies from the butterfly article had been cut out. The decorations, hung off the rails and dodger with fishing line, swung back and forth with the rocking of the boat. Small votive candles were scattered around in votive holders, bowls, and even coffee mugs.

  “Oh, good. You’re up.” Zoë grabbed my arm. “I have the perfect dress for you.” She pulled me into her cabin.

  I mouthed
‘help’ to Angelina. She was wearing a lovely light blue cocktail dress. I forced a smile. If Angelina could go along, I would try. Zoë held up a red silk dress. It was a simple wrap-around style with a v-neckline.

  I plopped on the bed and lowered my head. It was the dress Takumi had asked me to wear to the Homecoming Dance we were never going to attend.

  My eyes misted over and I fought for control. I told Zoë to give me a few minutes to clean up and washed up as best I could with a bucket of room temperature salt water. My hair was greasy and I didn’t have time or soap, so I piled it up on my head, pulled a few tendrils down around my face, and called it good.

  Zoë gave me instructions while I dressed.

  “I have it all written out. Even the marriage certificate. You’ll need to sign it. Nick and Angelina will be our witnesses and sing. Makala will be the flower girl and ring bearer. Angelina can be maid-of-honor since you’re doing the ceremony.” She bit her lip. “I wish Takumi were here. I planned on him being the best man, but oh, well. Nick will have to do that too. This is just a formality anyway. Just until my parents can throw us a huge wedding at our country club.” I narrowed my eyes and studied her while she went on and on about what her real wedding would be like.

  I tied the belt around my waist and turned around. Zoë stopped talking and tipped her head. “You’re actually kinda pretty.” She sounded surprised. I kept smiling like I’d promised Dylan I would.

  When we opened the cabin door and stepped out, Nick whistled at me. “Wow. You clean up good.”

  Zoë shooed everyone but me up top. She handed me a sheet of lined paper from dad’s logbook. It was written like a script for a play. I read the words next to my name. It seemed simple enough.

  “This is the last thing.” She pulled out a sheer lace shawl. Dad’s black comb stuck through the lace near the edge of the shawl. She showed me where she wanted it placed in her hair. I did my best and she adjusted it in the cabin mirror.

  With the veil, Zoë actually looked like a bride. The lace draped around her shoulders and down her back. The silver dress glimmered pale in the twilight. “Just a minute.” I grabbed my phone and took her picture.

  “We’re going to be sisters, can you believe it?” She hugged me. Tears welled in her eyes and she threw her head back. “Now stop it before I ruin my make-up. Go up top and stand behind the wheel. When you’re ready, send Makala down, and tell Angelina and Nick to start singing.”

  The candles were all lit and glowed in the increasingly darkening light. Nick stood on one side of the companionway, Angelina on the other. Boots lay on the deck behind Angelina, quiet for once. Dylan was in front of the wheel I was to stand behind. I nodded and Angelina and Nick hummed Here Comes the Bride.

  Makala came up first wearing a glittery gold dress that had once been a woman’s dressy sleeveless top. Angelina and Zoë had taken in the sides with duct tape so it fit Makala. It ended up looking like a roaring ‘20s flapper dress and Makala loved it. She was carrying a small garbage pail.

  She slowly climbed the steps from the cabin to the deck, rested the garbage pail at the top of the steps, brushed off her dress, and began tossing tiny pieces of colored paper on the ground. The tiny bits blew around the boat, into the barbeque grill, and onto the water. When she ran out of room to walk, she turned the pail upside down, shook out any remaining paper, and ran to Angelina.

  We all smiled.

  Then it was time for Zoë. She was a vision. But then the shawl blew up and off her head, caught the wind, and landed in the water. The little butterflies and flowers rapidly swung back and forth, almost frantic. One by one, the candles blew out.

  I tried hard not to laugh. Zoë tapped her stiletto heel and glared at me.

  I checked my script and read the, “We are gathered…” part.

  Angelina said a prayer.

  As the sun set, we began to shiver. I couldn’t see a thing, so Dylan ran down below and found the flashlights. Nick and Angelina kept singing some song they both knew from church. Over and over again.

  Next on the list was Zoë and Dylan’s message or poem to one another. Zoë cleared her throat and recited a poem about love and flowers, and love growing like flowers, or maybe it was growing like a tree, or into a tree. I shivered, rubbed my bare arms, and thought about my friend who was trapped in the cold.

  Then it was Dylan’s turn. “I…I didn’t know I was supposed to say anything,” he whispered.

  “Just say what’s in your heart, darling. You must know a poem that captures the love we feel for one another.”

  I wondered how well Zoë really knew my brother.

  Dylan raised his eyebrows. “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, but not as sweet as… I love you.”

  I held my breath and waited for Zoë to explode at the childish poem Dylan had corrupted.

  Instead, Zoë giggled hysterically, and threw herself into his arms. “You are so funny. I love you so much.”

  The group sighed with relief. The gleam in her eyes seemed almost maniacal in the dimming light.

  They said their vows. Dylan put the ring on her finger.

  “And, by the power vested in me by the history of maritime weddings,” I said, and declared them husband and wife.

  Nick and Angelina took pictures of the wedding couple, and then we all set up our phones to take group photos. A sudden gust of wind blew across the boat and we were done. Zoë, Angelina, and Makala hurried below. I went around and gathered up the darkened candles.

  Dylan began raising the sails.

  “What are you doing? I thought we were going to wait until the morning.”

  “We are, but the boat has been floating towards shore. I’ll take her out a long ways, and we should be okay floating until morning. Of course, we’ll have to take turns watching, just in case.”

  “Okay. But don’t take too long. We’re all cold and hungry.” I headed for the warmth of the cabin below.

  On top of the mattress that covered most of the floor of the main cabin, the girls were spreading a tablecloth. “Close the flap, close the flap,” they yelled as I started down.

  Angelina handed the plates and silverware to me and I set the table. We placed the candles I’d gathered from the ceremony on top of a cutting board on the center of the ‘mattress table’ and lit them. They brightened the room and actually seemed to give off a little heat.

  Zoë found another shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders.

  “I’m going to change into some warmer—” I turned toward my cabin.

  “But it’s our wedding reception!” Zoë’s lower lip stuck out in a pout.

  “Really?” I huffed. “I’m freezing.” She continued to pout. “Fine. Do you have any other shawls in there, then?” I motioned towards her cabin.

  Zoë found each of us a perfectly coordinated pashmina. They helped with the cold, a lot. Makala’s shawl dragged on the floor but Angelina wrapped her up in it when she finally sat down and Boots burrowed under it.

  Zoë went on and on about how lovely the wedding had turned out. Angelina and I kept looking at one another. Was she serious? I’d never seen a wedding as strange as the one we’d just had. I didn’t trust myself to respond to her raves and moved to help Angelina in the galley.

  I expected just a big bowl of rice and beans for dinner. And there was a bowl of it on the counter, but then Angelina opened up the oven we hadn’t used for weeks, and pulled out three big lobsters.

  “Wow!” I exclaimed. “When did you catch these?”

  Zoë smoothed out her dress. “Dylan put out the crab pots and caught these instead of crabs. They have sharp spines, so be careful. Dylan got pricked. We boiled them this afternoon while you guys were out screwing around.”

  “Screwing around?” My hands formed a fist.

  “Zoë and Dylan’s wedding!” Angelina reminded me as she shoved a cookie sheet of lobsters my way.

  “I found some tools for cracking crab, but I’m not sure how to crack lobsters.�
� Angelina held up a silver tool.

  I was more familiar with crab, too, but on a few special occasions, Mom served lobster. “Mom uses scissors to cut open the tail.”

  “Scissors?”

  “Yeah.” I washed the scissors we stored in a kitchen drawer and cut along the back of the lobster tail. Using pot-holders to protect my hands, I grabbed hold of both sides of the cut, and opened up the back. With a fork, I pulled out the big chunk of sweet white meat.

  “Cool,” Angelina said and went to work cracking open the claws while I cut the meat up into bite-sized pieces.

  Soon, Dylan and Nick joined us in the cabin.

  “I can’t see us floating into anything out here for a while.” Dylan plopped down next to his wife. Wife? That felt so strange.

  Nick helped Angelina and me dish out the food. We all found places around the mattress and feasted. Angelina said she’d added some chili powder to the salt water she cooked the rice and beans in. It gave it a spicy flair. The lobster pieces melted in my mouth.

  While we ate, we pulled out our cells and took turns talking about the messages we’d just gotten. Angelina was excited to see her grandparents again. She felt certain her mom would be waiting.

  “I don’t understand why we can text, but when we try to make calls, they don’t go through.” I quickly texted my parents, my friend, and checked again for a message from Takumi. Still nothing.

  Dylan said he’d tried to search the web and check the GPS, but that didn’t work either.

  Nick seemed to know the most about how it all worked. “During an emergency, the government can flip a switch so only emergency personnel can use their phones,” he said. “Add to that the problem of the thousands of cell towers that were knocked down when the tsunami hit. I’m surprised we have service at all. Especially on the coast. We’re probably only getting texts because we are close to a military base.”

  “So why do you only have one text message? Your family was inland,” I asked Nick.

 

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