Chapter 3: A Hero’s Heart
It is near sunset when the aged freighter enters the Marquesas Island chain. The crew becomes more nervous the closer they get to Nuku Hiva's harbor. The “Virgin Queen” has plenty of knots of depth and speed to sail over the shallow coral, but the retreating “neap tide” and approaching darkness will make it more and more risky on this warm summer’s eve. Each time a wave settles under the ship there is the possibility it might smash its hull on an unnoticed reef, or worse. Most captains would drop anchor and wait for better light and a higher tide. I don’t know of any captain that would chance these conditions; except this greedy one. Time is money to the captain. And, this is the fastest way to port.
The crew rarely sees the Cap, yet speaks with him. This is the rare exception. Every crew member is at their post screaming out their independent observation as they perform their assigned tasks.
Cap stands in the “wheelhouse” listening to all the squawking being relayed towards him. Cap quickly calculates the necessary navigational adjustments needed.
The crew becomes scared as Cass yells out, “Brown floater!”
This means that some of the ship’s rusty haul has scraped loose and floated to the top. The “Virgin Queen” is a tough thick vessel, but no ship can take much of this.
Another, “Brown floater,” bellows out from the “port-side.”
Another and another are screamed out from different sections of the ship. Each voice has a dry “crackle” in its deliverance, and each ebb of the sea sounds like fingernails dragging a chalkboard. These sounds are terrifying.
Cass is the first to notice the spinning life line the lighthouse’s beam is throwing them.
“I see the point of the harbor!”
Everyone knows that reaching the deeper waters of the harbor will save the ship, and
possibly their lives. A great relief is now heard in the crew’s voices. They began screaming their finding with more confidence and boldness.
The Cap yells out, “One nautical mile till safe water! Keep the “Queen” straight and stead fellows!”
Every crew member can feel the slow tilt of the ship as she completes her gradual turn in to the port’s deeper water. The ocean and the crews’ nerves suddenly settle as Cap straightens the rusty freighter back-upright. A brave smiling Cass leaves his post to congratulate the crew on their job well done.
The Cap barks out, “Stay at your post!”
The crew knows now they can concentrate on much more important things. They turn to thinking about the countless exotic women the port of Nuku Hiva is famous for. The crew teases one another about how much of their savings they might spend, and what kind of fancy duds they’ll wear this night out. This is not on Cass’ mind. There is still only one real woman in Cass’ life, and in his heart.
The “helmsman” yells, “Dropping anchor!”
Not a second too soon for Uncle Jared’s ears. He moves out from his assigned position to go meet Cass. He finds his nephew securing the ship’s mooring rope on the top-deck’s anchor point.
Uncle Jared says, while patting him on his large shoulder, “A job well done laddie.”
Cass smiles at his stout Uncle Jared, and then winks.
Jared escorts Cass with his arm draped around his nephew’s back.
“I want to ask you a favor Cass.”
Uncle clasps the hair on his chin and begins to smoothly stroke it. As they continue towards the entrance leading below deck, Uncle says, “What to do, oh, what to do?”
Cass looks at him with a confusing smile.
He asks his uncle, “What?”
Jared states as he strokes, “It’s about you, me, and my name.”
Again, Cass looks at him confused.
“Well son, you’re a man now. A young man, but a man none the less. How about you call me; I know.”
Jared stops Cass, and then pauses.
“Laddie, how about now on you calling me Unks. Calling me Uncle Jared seems too formal. That’s reserved for special family occasions; and the such. Besides, a strapping fellow like you shouldn’t be forced to be so formal. It doesn’t do you justice.”
Cass pauses a second and prepares to discuss the matter. Before he opens his mouth though, he realizes this is more about Uncle Jared than it is about him.
Cass states, “Unks it is; Uncle Jared.”
The stout uncle smiles while saying, “I think I like that. It sounds manly. Don’t you think?”
Cass again smiles while shaking his head up and down slowly,
“Yep, it does sound manly.”
Cass stops to allow Unks below deck first. Uncle stops and looks at Cass to recognize his respectful gesture.
Jared says with a proud stern face, “Unks. I think I like that.”
As they descend the steps, both men take turns proudly practicing Uncle Jared’s new title.
Their feet make a “clanking” sound as they proceed down the metal steps while repeating his
new name in several different tones and gestures.
Below deck, Unks strips down to his skivvies, and then tosses a towel over his shoulders.
He stops a second and asks Cass, “So, what are your plans tonight laddie?”
Cass sits on his bunk saying, “Well, after you guys take off, I’m going to use the remaining hot water you guys leave, and shower a whole hour. After that, I’m going to raid the “mess galley” and make the biggest sandwich my mouth can bite. Then, I think I’ll read a good book. I might even go top-deck and watch the lights in port and stare at the stars.”
Unks tells him, “You’re a romantic. One day you’ll be a 'lady killer'.”
Unks heads towards the “head” while repeating, “You’re such a romantic.”
Cass smiles while watching Unks march-off. He stores this picture in his memory bank under “tender moments between Unks and Cass.”
He proceeds to lay a clean set of duds on his bunk. He removes his skivvy shirt, preparing to have a long private shower. This is a treat that is rarely experienced on the seas.
Several of the sweet smelling crew members walk through the steam cloud produced by all the intense showering. Cass greets them.
“Hey fellows, are you ready for a hot night of romance?”
A couple of the crew just stare at his bare imposing chest.
One remarks, “I’m sure glad you’re not coming. You might steal all our dames.”
The crew members belt each other with shifting elbows.
“I’m glad you’re still a little young to come with us.”
Cass politely blushes while brushing off their comments with his own reluctant laugh.
Unks cuts a clear path through the steam filling the room. He swishes the moist fog away
in front of him with his swirling wet towel. His arm is dedicated to finishing drying his round body while he clumsily carries his dirty duds with his other arm. Cass notices every hair on Unks head is in perfect place.
“You expecting a date?”
;
“Never mind you, smarty.”
Unks slaps some strong smelling cologne on his face that is reserved only for special occasions. He bends slightly due to the immediate pain caused by the cologne on his fresh clean shaven face.
He strains out, “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
Unks proceeds to put on the final touches while looking in the adjacent mirror. Afterward, he walks over to Cass, and then proceeds to pat Cass’ bare chest.
“I’ll bring you back a present. Do you have any special request Cassy?”
Cass scratches his head and tells Unks, “You surprise me.”
Unks pats him again, and then walks away while saying, “Take care Laddie. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You too Unks!”
The rest of the crew march off while shoving one another as they follow Uncle Jared up the stairs.
In the following few moments, Cass only hears the distant echo of their departing conversations. The next noise Cass hears comes from his empty stomach. He heads off to the shower while striping off the rest of his clothes along the way. He reaches the showers and stands a moment.
He stares at the empty stalls while quietly saying, “All mine.”
Cass turns on several of the shower valves to test the warmth of the water.
It is immediately followed by a relaxing, “Ahhh.”
Cass faces the shower heads as he proceeds under the soothing downfall. He turns around and lathers as the fountain of warm rain rush over him. The solitude of the moment is abruptly interrupted as the water starts turning cold.
Cass thinks, “Well, I guess that’s it for my long shower.”
He deducts the dirty men used their fill of hot water, and then some. He dries himself, and then dresses before heading off to the “mess galley.”
He tells himself along the way, “I sure hope the crew’s appetite wasn’t as large as they were dirty.”
He makes it inside the “mess galley” to see several salted meats hanging alongside a couple stacks of aged cheese. Cass quickly fulfills his promise and makes himself one large sandwich. He eats a slice of cheese while he finishes making dinner.
Cass gobbles the sandwich down while walking back to the “living quarters.” The only sounds he hears now is the metal of the ship settling as the port’s men relieve the weight of the ship’s supplies topside. That, and the ship’s pipes quietly “screeching” as the boiler cools.
Cass looks for a book to read from his collection in his footlocker. He suddenly realizes he’s read each book a dozen times. He knows the end of every novel by heart. All the adventure has been read out of their stories to the point of becoming mundane. He decides to go topside and look at the village lights instead.
Cass immediately notices the moonlit starry sky and decides to climb the stairs around the forty foot tall chimney stack for a better view. Each step higher brings a new revelation as his hearing and view improve. The stars above seem close enough to grab. He can see pretty much of the entire village, and hear all the laughter and music coming from town. Cass leans on the platform railing and stares at the panorama of flickering lights just below the twinkling stars on the horizon. He begins to imagine all the adventure this exotic village holds.
Cass wishes on the brightest star, that he might have just one for himself. After a while, he stares down at the dancing lights in the rippling water. It seems peaceful and a bit magical. He wonders when his adventure might start, or even if he’ll ever have one. He decides to take this dream with him as he proceeds to “call it a night.”
He moves down the quite spiral staircase while reflecting on his thoughts. All of a sudden, he hears a loud “cracking,” and then a long “screeching” sound. Cass thinks the sound is coming from something heavy being drug. His eyes follow the sound's path to find it is coming from the ship docked just ahead of the “Virgin Queen.”
Screaming erupts as Cass watches the swinging loading boom sweep men and cargo overboard. He determines the net must have broken loose from its mooring. As he watches in horror, they fall over ship. The boom makes a loud “crack,” and then breaks before falling over them. Cass realizes these men are trapped beneath the cargo net and heavy boom.
He grabs the rails and slides down the staircase fast enough to burn his hands. He leaps down the steps leading to the “living quarters,” and then grabs his Uncle Jared’s survival knife. Quickly, he jumps up the steps while placing the blade between his clenched teeth. He hears the distant moaning and cries for help right before leaping over the rail. Without a second though, Cass dives into the shimmering silhouette of their ship.
He follows the path of the rising bubbles down towards the drowning men. He finds the dark harbor bottom ten fathoms down. Immediately, he begins slashing and cutting loose the men the wavy starlight points out. He counts their shadows passing him as they swim topside. Cass notes nine dark figures pass by as he feels the mounting pain in his lungs. But, Cass is determined to free every man before the pair explodes.
Dock-hands topside hand poles to the survivors in the water, while a few jump in to help.
A gulping survivor catching his breath tries frantically to scream out, “At least a dozen men are trapped!”
Their ship’s captain starts counting the number of bodies drifting in the water.
He tells one man assisting with the rescue, “That can’t be right. I count at least ten living men floundering topside. If they’re trapped, who are these men?”
One dock-hand reaches down to pull up a survivor from the water.
The gasping man remarks, “I saw someone dive into the water right after the accident.”
The captain replies, “That hero must be dead. It’s been five minutes since this all happened.”
He makes the sign of the cross on his chest while saying, “May our God bless that guardian angel. For, I know he’s in Heaven now.”
The second he finishes his remark, he hears something loud breaking the surface of the harbor. There is a large dark figure surging half way out the water before “slapping” back down on the sea’s surface. No doubt due to pressure caused by its buoyancy.
The captain immediately tears off his coat, and then jumps into help what he hopes are more living bodies. Several other sailors follow the captain’s example by leaping off the dock to go help.
The captain swims frantically toward the figure he thinks just might be cargo popping up.
As he nears it, he instantly realizes it is a man holding an unconscious man’s head out of the water.
“My God,” the swimming captain proclaims.
He gets close enough to grab the unconscious man; which the captain has to rip away from the grasp of the other partially submerged man.
As the captain swims back, he commands the men swinging towards him, “Hurry! Go rescue the other man!”
The exhausted captain pushes the unconscious man from the water as men on dock pull him up. The captain grabs the dock ladder while struggling to catch his breath. As he pulls himself up the last rung, he looks back and smiles. He sees two men swimming towards the dock, dragging this hero's lifeless floating body along.
The captain
mightily clenches his fist and yells out, “Not this one Poseidon! We’re stealing this one from your greedy grasp!”
He shakes his fist in the air as the dock erupts with thunderous applause. Two more men hurry down the ladder to assist with the large drowned man.
One of the crew tells the captain, “Eleven men are accounted for.”
The captain reckons only one man is still down at the murky bottom. He looks at the men on dock, and then turns his head towards the starlit sky saying, “This truly is a miracle.”
It takes five strapping fellows to hoist the drowned man out of the water. They quickly lay him on the dock, and then immediately attempt resuscitation.
A fountain of water gushes out his mouth, spraying it all over the reviver's face.
He takes in one huge breath and expels, “You better not kiss me again!”
He sucks in another breath, and then shouts, “I’m a sailor, not a Suzy!”
The soaked man rendering “first aid” just burst out laughing.
The joyful captain wraps his arms over the shoulders of his closes compatriot, and then
says, “Now, that’s a real man.”
Joy explodes! It's evident in the ever increasing “clapping” sound thundering off grateful hands everywhere. Cass rolls on his side just in time to see half the village approaching.
Lantern lights bob up and down, giving him a brief glimpse of the store fronts as the towns folks draw nearer. Cass lays on the dock “dog-tired,” while gazing at the wonder this town holds. He wishes he could venture through those picturesque shops.
Trousers brush against Cass, as numerous slaps pound his back with congratulations.
A man wearing a waving “night shirt” draws close while asking, “What’s happened? I’m the village Viceroy!”
“I’m the captain of the ‘Lord Byron.’ And, what you’re looking down at is a full-fledged hero.”
Cass really does not like all the attention he is being given. What Cass sees now is more than a beautiful vision.
Just behind the Viceroy is a pair of the most beautiful blue piercing eyes God has ever created; at least Cass thinks so. There is just something wonderful about her magnificent mysterious eyes. He rolls the rest of the way onto his belly, and then pushes his soaked body up. A couple fellows try to assist him, but Cass just brushes them off.
The young lady behind the Viceroy sees Cass’ arms flex through his soaked skivvy’s shirt and melts.
Cass now stands a whole head higher than the Viceroy. He searches for the face containing those hypnotic blue eyes hidden slightly behind the Viceroy.
She smiles while shyly moving out from behind him. In this second, her beauty eternally captures Cass’ heart.
She too is astounded. Not just because of his heroism, but because of Cass’ handsome captivating face. She reaches her hand towards Cass to welcome him.
Realizing her desire to meet Cass, the Viceroy properly announces, “Oh, this is my beautiful daughter Brandy.”
As their hands touch, she feels a slight “shock,” and then a “tingle” radiate through her whole body.
She tries to ignore this reaction by boldly replying,” Merced. That’s Brandy Merced.”
She wants to run and hide before she explodes with embarrassing giggles. But, her desperate heart won’t let him out of her sight.
Cass asks her, “Vous parlez francaise assez jeune dame?” This means: do you speak French pretty young lady?
Brandy is startled by his ability to speak French as she nervously responds, “Eh bien, oui je fais beau sir. Vous parlez la langue francaise beautifully;” which means: Yes I do handsome sir. You speak French beautifully.
Cass says, “Merci pour le compliment. Vous parlez francais beautifully egalement.” This means: Thank you for the compliment. You also speak French beautifully and elegantly.
Brandy is totally overtaken with Cass. Not only is he very handsome, muscular, brave, and tall; but he is also very smart.
The captain of the “Lord Byron” just smiles at the pair. He knows this is much more than just an introduction. The captain moves alongside the Viceroy while gazing at the gawking couple.
He tells the Viceroy, “I think I’ll take this young man back on board and give him
bedding for the night. He’s probably still tired.”
Cass begins to thank the captain for his suggestion, but the captain interrupts him.
“I won’t take no for an answer! Plus, the men you saved want to thank you.”
Cass decides he cannot refuse the Captain out of respect.
Instead, he tells Brandy, “Maybe tomorrow you can show me around. I would really like a new book.”
Brandy says, “I know just the place. I’ll be by in the morning to show you our village bookshop.”
Cass turns his body away to follow the captain, but his eyes stay fixed on the very pretty French Polynesian lady.
After reaching top-side of the “Lord Byron,” Cass and the captain are greeted by a half dozen soaked sailors standing at attention.
The pair passes them as one of sailor says, “We men will never forget what you did for us.”
Cass continues by them, returning his respectful nod of gratitude to each one. Cass’ heavy legs “clang” up the long flight of metal steps, following just below the captain. They enter the “wheelhouse,” and then they proceed through a door leading to the “Captain’s Quarters.”
“Oh, by the way, we have not been formally introduced. I am Captain Alexander Trousi.”
The captain stops to offer his introductory handshake. He continues his conversation while noticing Cass shiver.
“I’ve captained the “Lord Byron,” well, just about my whole life.”
He opens his cabin door, and then politely stands aside to let Cass be the first in.
He points to a beautiful mahogany cabinet and tells Cass, “You’ll find dry clean clothes in there. And, I’ll be bunking with the men tonight.”
Cass feels uncomfortable by this very special privilege being offered by the captain.
He tries to tell the captain this is not necessary, but Captain Alexander sternly warns him again,
“And, I won’t take no for an answer!”
He politely smiles at Cass before stating, “See you in the morning”
He pats Cass’ shoulder while whispering “Goodnight,” right before leaving quarters.
Cass hurries to change out of his damp clothes. He now lay in the nicest bed he’s ever experienced, while his mind replays the frantic faces he’s saved. His thoughts pleasantly shift.
Cass’ delighted heart burns with the image of the departing Brandy. He rolls on to his side while grasping the sweet fresh linen covering his pillows. His face wears a great smile before falling fast asleep. He’d have sweet dreams of anticipation the rest of this night.
Cass is awakened by a knock on the cabin door. A warm morning breeze carries the scent of sweet flowers to his waking nose. The door swings open revealing a nicely dressed sailor holding a tray adorned with a vase filled with flowers. The wonderful aroma of the tray?
??s contents overcomes the first fragrance. This wafting scent is filled with coffee and the taste of breakfast; which precedes the sailor’s remark.
“Captain Trousi said to tell you 'please take this with his compliments'. And, he said to tell you ‘a fine good morning to you’.”
Cass is eager to get up and get his day started. Visions of Brandy still follow him from his dreamy state. Cass grabs the tray and gobbles down the delicacy he thinks is fit for a king. He tries to savor every swallow, but he is eager to prepare for this morning's outing. Cass notices men loudly conversing on the dock below the “Captain’s Quarters.” He takes his last swallow while sliding the cabin window open.
Cass sees Uncle Jared with several crew members from the “Virgin Queen” yelling
something to the deckhands of the “Lord Byron.”
“We’re missing a mate and we’re about to shove off!”
Cass yells down to his Unks, “I’m up here! I’ll be right down!”
A loud blast of the horn comes from the “Virgin Queen,” warning Cass he must hurry. He slides down the rails to the lower deck, and then leaps onto the dock. Cass’ heart suddenly realizes he won’t make his date with Brandy. This heartbreak weighs his legs down, but the removing of the gangplank from the “Virgin Queen” forces him to run all out.
“Wait fellows!” he yells.
A second later, Cass leaps the distance between the end of the plank being removed and the top-deck of the “Virgin Queen.” He immediately bends over gasping for breath, while remorsefully thinking about how he won’t have the chance to say “goodbye” to Brandy.
As the ship pulls away, Cass sees what he thinks is beautiful Brandy. She is wearing a bright flowery dress, shiny white gloves, and a fancy hat.
She waves in his direction while he yells to her, “I’ll be back one day!”
She just stands at the dock’s edge staring at the “Virgin Queen” speed away.
Brandy grows smaller and smaller as Cass’ heart pounds harder and harder. It knows it has to return to her one day.