Awaiting Destiny

by M. Schaefer

  “Grandfather, I am Destiny Mariner. I am sorry I haven’t visited before now. You see… I didn’t know you existed before, or I definitely would have at least written! I saw a lot of mail boxes as I traveled here, so I know you must have a good post office.”

  She knew she was starting to ramble, so Destiny got back to the point, “Well, anyway, I’m not exactly sure how I ended up here, or why I can freeze things with my mother’s necklace, she explained.

  “I do know that my mother disappeared when I was a baby and that this mermaid business has something to do with it. Nobody wants to tell me why and more than anything I need to know what happened to her.”

  Her voice cracked and she had to pause to take a breath.

  “Oh… and I seem to be a mermaid who can’t find her tail.” She pointed to her slim legs. Destiny didn’t know why she felt the need to tell him that, but she crossed her arms, stared directly in the eye and tapped her foot, silently waiting for his reaction.

  Her Grandfather looked at her intently for what seemed like an eternity. Then spoke “My, my, Bay told me you were like your mother, but I had no idea how much.” he said, and then a soft smile crept into his old features. It made him look even more like Santa than he did a moment ago. “Let’s sit awhile and talk, Destiny.”

  He heaved his considerable bulk up from his stool and waddled to a comfortable-looking red couch, sat down and patted the seat next to him. “Come here, granddaughter.”

  Perhaps the great king wasn’t as grumpy as she thought. Would he actually tell her the truth? Destiny had so many questions! Sheer excitement filled her, washing away the last bit of fear. She planted a smile from across the room so bright that all the nearby jewels seemed to pale in comparison. She skipped over quickly and plunked herself down next to him with an unladylike thump.

  “Well, first young merlady, I have to tell you I like the sound of Grandpa! I have waited a good many years to hear that from you. Just forget all the formal king stuff,” he said, with a wave of his hand as though he was shooing away a fly. “That’s only for special occasions. You just call me Grandpa.”

  He patted her knee reassuringly.

  “Okay, Grandpa,” she chirped out like an excited sparrow. “You know I have never met a king before. Do you have a crown and everything?”

  “Of course”, he said with a slight twinkle. “I only wear it when I have to. It is a rather uncomfortable contraption. It is right over there on the stand.”

  Destiny looked over, and wondered how she could have overlooked such a magnificent, shiny ornament. It was a thick gold headband, with gold carvings shaped like dolphins that curved up to a point in the center. Their noses held a huge sea green emerald at the top.

  “It looks really heavy,” she said, not blaming him at all for not wearing it much. He did look pretty old. She supposed it would probably give him a neck ache.

  “It is!” her grandfather chuckled. “I only wear it for special events when I have to look exceptionally kingly, for pictures and stuff.”

  Destiny giggled cheerfully. She was actually starting to like him! He didn’t seem nearly as scary as he did a moment ago. She wondered if even the jewel-encrusted crown and flowing green robes could make this round, elf-like man appear regal. Perhaps Pearl and Mrs. Kelp fixed him up the way they did for her before any important event.

  A knock at the door distracted her thought.

  “Come in!” Grandpa yelled, but the sharpness seemed to be gone from his tone.

  He explained. “That will be our dinner. I hope you don’t mind being my companion, I thought it would give us a little time to get to know each other.”

  “The boy, Kincade, did seem to be a little disappointed, though.”

  A merman and lady wearing white uniforms entered carrying two large trays with covered tops. It reminded Destiny of the room service she once had at a hotel with her dad.

  “Thank you, Conch…Seanna. This is my granddaughter, Destiny.”

  “Hello,” Destiny smiled and waved. They smiled back wordlessly, nodded and left.

  King Dolphinium lifted the lid on the tray, letting the smell of freshly steamed salmon and oysters in a green sauce waft up to them. Her mouth watered instantly at the delectable sight.

  “Eat up! Our chef is excellent. Obviously,” he said, with a tap to his bulging belly.

  Destiny took a small bite of the salmon. It was indeed wonderful, practically melting in her mouth. She took another and another, and before she knew it her entire plate was wiped clean.

  “That was the most delicious meal I have ever had,” she said, seriously. “My dad is not exactly a terrific cook.”

  At the mention of her father, the king’s eyes took on a slight steely glint, taking Destiny a bit by surprise.

  “How is Jacob faring?” he asked, his eyes boring into her, like he was searching for an answer he didn’t necessarily want to have.

  Destiny shrugged, picking her words carefully. “He is okay, but I think he really misses my mom,” she said. “I didn’t really notice it much when I was younger, but now he seems to spend a lot of time at night staring out at the ocean. I think he must have loved her a lot.”

  It was her turn to stare intently at her grandfather. His expression seemed to go through a torrent of emotions before finally settling on sadness.

  “Yes. He did love her,” he said with a deflated sigh. “I know that, now. Perhaps as much as a man could possibly love a woman, and she shared those feelings. I suppose it is time you learn the truth. Then maybe you will understand.”

  Destiny dared not speak. She drew a breath and held it in anticipation of answers she had sought her whole life. Her eyes, now a deep blue puddle, stared at her grandfather so intently he seemed to look suddenly anxious as the tale flowed from his lips.

  “Your mother was just a young girl when she met Jacob. Seventeen, to be exact, full of life, laughter and more than her share of defiance. Everything I told that girl not to do, she would find a way to do.”

  He chuckled, as if he were watching her now in his memories.

  “She was a princess, for sea’s sake! She had no business treasure hunting, traipsing all around the sea for pretty trinkets or hooking up with a topsider!”

  Then a look of pure admiration came over his face.

  “She was quite good at it though, as you can see,” he said, sweeping his arm around the room.

  Impressed, Destiny couldn’t help but to interrupt. “You mean my mom collected all this stuff?”

  “Most of it, yes” her grandfather admitted. “I have spent years researching, cataloging and sending it to the Mer-museum. It’s mostly a hobby really. I do it because I know it would mean a lot to her and it relaxes me. King business can be a bit stressful, you know.”

  Destiny smiled and nodded politely, not wanting to distract him from the story.

  “One day, she was searching an ancient wreck, not too far away from Mertopia, when she ran into your father,” he continued. “He was scuba-diving that night; searching at the same wreck site. She had, of course, snuck out right past the mer-secret service, mind you, as usual. For the record, I didn’t know she was doing that.”

  He shook his head as only an aggravated parent can do.

  “Anyway, according to her, she was absolutely shocked to see him. She panicked, froze him with her stone… then poked him with a stick for a while. When she grew bored, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with him. She knew she couldn’t bring him home and she couldn’t just leave him there. You see, she didn’t know if he had seen her, so she changed into legs and kicked to the surface, unfroze him and waited by his sailboat for him to surface.

  “When he came up, she acted as if she was drowning. Drowning! A mermaid drowning? Imagine that!” the king said, dumbfounded.

  Destiny’s stomach gave a horrid lurch and she nodded weakly. “I can’t imagine,” she croaked, sounding like a bullfrog and taking on a similar color.

  He continued on seeming not
to notice her greenish tint. “Well, the big oaf… I mean your father, actually believed it. So he ‘saved’ her and took her onboard his boat, where they foolishly preceded to fall in love and blah blah blah.” He seemed to spit out the last part like it was a sour lemon.

  Destiny was so absorbed she didn’t notice she was leaning over farther and farther on the couch.

  “It sounds so romantic,” she said, toppling forward in a half somersault, landing flat on her back. Her long braids muffling her cries of surprise. “OOPS! Sorry, Grandpa. Tell me more, please.” She picked herself up and climbed back up on the couch beside him like it didn’t even happen.

  “Didn’t my Dad wonder where she came from? What she was doing there?” she asked, practically jumping up and down.

  King Dolphinium smiled, poured some hot clam juice from the pot, and settled himself. “Well, she told him that her boat sank and that if he wanted to see her again, he could never ask or speak about her past…ever.”

  Destiny was stunned. “I don’t understand. That was enough for him? How could that be enough?” she asked incredulously. She never had thought of her dad as that silly!

  “Well, I suspect he knew if he ever brought it up she would disappear,” her grandpa said. “I believe he was foolishly love struck. He would not take a chance on losing her. She was quite a catch! Anyway, he must not have questioned his good fortune, because they met secretly after that for over a year before he asked her to marry him.” Seeming surprised, he asked, “Didn’t your father ever tell you any of this?”

  She shook her head and pouted a little. “I used to ask, but I think it was something he just couldn’t talk about.”

  King Dolphinium reached down to squeeze her hand comfortingly. “There is much, much more.”

  Destiny looked into his eyes. They were soft, sincere and held more than a little guilt.

  “I have not admitted this to anyone, but I think you have a right to know,” he said gently. “I didn’t approve of their engagement. She had certain responsibilities to uphold. She was a mermaid princess! In fact, I was more than a little furious. I forbade Shelleen to ever see him again. I told her she wouldn’t be welcome back if she did.”

  He took a deep breath as if to stuff back old, painful feelings. “Of course, she didn’t listen. She was too much in love,” he choked out, shaking his head. “That ultimatum was the biggest mistake of my life. It caused me to lose my daughter. I regret it every single day.”

  Destiny didn’t know what to say. Her grandfather was confessing that he tried to stand in the way of her parents. However, instead of being angry, her heart ached for the three of them…but especially for her mother. What a horrible choice to have to make. Her entire family, her home or the man she loved.

  She felt the need to try to make him feel better. “I’m sorry, Grandpa.” It was her turn to squeeze his hand.

  “What happened after that?” she asked softly.

  “Well, she married him anyway, of course,” he told her. “She left palace, completely revoked her princess status and went to live as a poor topsider on his rickety sailboat. It wasn’t long after that they bought the Enchanted Cove Marina. Soon after, she found out she was going to have a baby. You.”

  “I have a picture with my parents by the sign when it was new,” Destiny offered. “They looked really happy.”

  “I know she was,” her grandfather admitted.

  “Shelleen loved Jacob so, and when she found out she was having a baby…Well… let’s say the happy news traveled all the way down here. The sea was absolutely teeming with the news!”

  Destiny’s heart swelled learning with the words that her mother had wanted her so much! “So why did she disappear after I was born?” she inquired. “I thought that maybe…well, maybe… I was the reason she disappeared,” she said meekly.

  “Oh,… no child,” King Dolphinium said with gasp as though the weight of that thought had crushed the air from his lungs. “You can’t have it more wrong. Let me explain.”

  Destiny leaned forward again, careful not to topple off the couch.

  “Shelleen hadn’t been feeling well before you were born,” he said. “After all, she had been living topside for more than a year and barely had the chance to get her tail wet; she was so busy trying to fix up that old boat!”

  Destiny could sense that the Seadancer must be a sore spot with her grandfather.

  “On the day you were born she was working on the deck, sanding and scrubbing her fingers to the bone. Stubborn merwoman, that one,” he said. He stared absently a moment, deep in his own thoughts, twisting his long, white beard with plump fingers.

  “She apparently wanted to surprise your father when he came home. He was out getting materials or some such nonsense,” he said, pounding his fist on the table.

  “Shelleen was not expecting you for another three weeks and was rather shocked when she realized she was about to have a baby. She was so focused on sanding the deck that she hadn’t noticed any twinges until they became very close together.”

  “You mean she went into labor and didn’t notice? That’s not how they show it in the movies,” Destiny asked, surprised. “They mostly show moms screaming, dads passing out, and stuff flying around. That sort of stuff.”

  “Ahh, you already know about that stuff, huh? I wasn’t sure,” he said, with a pained expression that looked as if it held a bit of relief.

  “Well, Grandpa, I am fourteen years old,” she informed him, matter-of-factly. “They taught me that stuff in school years ago.” She was enjoying his discomfort. Trying not to giggle, she realized that this was probably why her friends thought grandpas are so much fun. She was glad she finally had one of her own to irritate.

  “Yes ..yes of course. I forgot,” he stammered, a crimson flush spreading across his old face. “Well, anyway, she was busy and that’s the way I heard it happened.”

  Destiny, deciding she better keep quiet for a while, threw him a smile warm enough to melt butter. It was a technique she had perfected over the years with her dad.

  “Don’t think that’s going to work! Your mother used to try the charm tactic on me all the time,” her grandfather said, pointing his finger at her. He paused a moment and began twisting his beard again. “Of course, now that I think about it…I guess it did work.”

  “What do you mean, Grandpa?” She pouted, innocently.

  He shook his head, looking exasperated, and ignored her question.

  “Your mother realized that you were going to be born early, panicked, and instantly leaped off the deck to make her way to the Mertopia Hospital. She knew she couldn’t take the chance of your being born topside. It would cause quite a commotion if you were to be born with a tail.”

  “Yeah ..that’s true!” Destiny agreed quickly. “There would be pictures all over the tabloids.”

  “The tab-what?” he asked, quizzically.

  “The tab-loids,” she explained, feeling smart. “They are the magazines and papers that carry all the sensational stories that nobody really believes. You know… like ‘My Pig had an Alien Baby’ and such. My dad doesn’t really like me to read that stuff.”

  He nodded and rubbed his beard as if deep in thought. “Oh, I see.”

  “I could bring you some, next time I come to visit, if you like,” she suggested with a shrug.

  “Oh. Well. That would be… interesting,” he said in a polite, adult manner that Destiny knew meant he was only trying to be nice.

  “Well, .. as I said before… Shelleen hadn’t been able to change into her tail for a long time, and she hadn’t been feeling like her normal self. After swimming a little while, she noticed some strange spots on her flutes,” he continued.

  “What’s a flute?” she asked, knowing he wasn’t talking about a musical instrument.

  “It’s the lower, flowing fin part of your tail that helps push you along in the water,” he explained without pausing.

  “Oh.” She wondered what her own flute looked like.
Perhaps she could figure out how her tail worked. Then Kincade could teach the names of all the technical parts.

  “Anyway, she must have discovered the infected spots on her way here.” His eyes started to well up.

  “She must have known it was bad.”

  He paused as if to compose himself.

  Destiny had the feeling he was about to tell her something very important and her heart began to thump wildly. She could hear her pulse throb through her ears like a raging current. She held her breath, waiting in anticipation for him to explain. Her face had started turning blue before he finally continued.

  “Our best guess is, and believe me! I have had some very smart merpeople working on this theory.” He cleared his throat and coughed slightly. “Either she developed the disease from eating contaminated fish topside or she was somehow exposed to a contaminated sea creature and hadn’t realized she was infected. We know, well… I know! Shelleen must have known it was hopeless at that time, otherwise, she never would have done what she did.” Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks and glistened in his beard, like raindrops caught in a spider web.

  Destiny felt the tension building in her own heart and she knew it was about to burst out in the form of her own tears at any moment. She concentrated intently, trying to suppress her feelings as long as she could.

  “She barely made it to Mertopia before she collapsed,” her grandfather said. “She was strong and there was no way she would let any harm come to you. Only ..she didn’t go to the hospital. Instead she made her way to the Mertopia University.”

  He sniffed and blew his nose like a foghorn on a handkerchief that seemed to magically appear from nowhere.