Chapter 13
The next morning, the sun began to rise from behind the clouds, as the Montenero sat near Sugar Bay at Plymouth, Montserrat. It was a beautiful sunrise after the storm, and many people were out on the decks watching as it rose over the coastal city. The tall palm trees fluttered in the warm breeze and the peacefulness of the tiny Caribbean island emerged to show itself after the night-long storm.
Many passengers were eager to disembark and explore the tiny island but they could not. The captain had intended to arrive sooner the day before but was slowed by the storm and decided to wait it out on the west side of the island. An announcement was made, throughout the ship, apologizing to the passengers for not being able to visit Montserrat. It would take too long to board the tenders and go to the island and back again. They had to get back on schedule for the Mediterranean.
Rego finished his morning duties and was walking on the main deck, taking in the view of the small island. He, too, wanted to explore the island and was disappointed when he heard the announcement. The ship soon sounded the horn and slowly started to head south around the tip of the island. He watched as they slowly rounded the coastline. Mountains rose from the middle of the island and cascaded down with dark flowing green, all the way to the sandy seashore. What a beautiful area this is, he thought to himself. He dreamed of taking Rosa here one day. She would just love this.
The Montenero slowly pulled away from the island chain and Montserrat grew smaller and smaller behind them as they journeyed onward. Rego walked along the wooden walkway, taking in the sun, when a group of people passed him coming from the other way. One of them was the priest from the table in his section. The priest smiled as he saw Rego walking towards them.
“Ah, there is our faithful steward,” he said warmly. “I am glad you are able to take some time and enjoy this fine sea air.”
“Good morning, Father, nice to see you again,” Rego said.
“Do you mind if I walk with you?” Fr. John asked.
“Not at all,” responded Rego. “My name is Rego,” he said extending his hand. “Are you traveling with the Americans?” He was hoping he wasn’t prying too much.
“They are old friends of mine from when I studied in America. I am the ship’s minister during the summer months. I asked them to join me on this trip,” the priest explained. “I’m originally from Barcelona, where the Montenero is based. I will go back home with the ship after we leave from Athens.”
“Sounds like a great way to live in the summer,” Rego said. “I am from Brasilia.”
“I see. You are far from home as well then,” Fr. John said concerned. “My friends all appreciate how hard you work in the dining area. You are very good at what you do.”
“Ah, it’s just a job to get from here to there. Thank you, though,” he said as they walked along. “I don’t think I could do this all the time.”
“So, you are just working on the ship so you can get across to Europe?” Fr. John asked.
“Yes, I thought it would be a great way to see the world, live a little,” he said looking at the bright blue sky. “It’s very relaxing here. No one chasing you around.”
“You have people chasing you?” Fr. John asked with a chuckle.
Rego looked quickly at him, “Oh no, nothing like that. I just mean there are no bosses looking after your every move. It’s nice.”
“So, do you plan to go back home someday?” he continued asking.
“Oh yes, but not until I am ready. Not until I find what I’m looking for,” he said, almost thinking out loud.
Fr. John nodded. “Yes, we are always looking for something or running from something. It’s human nature. I remember when I was your age. I wanted to see the world too. That’s what brought me to America. I don’t even remember what it was that prompted me, I just left one day and searched the world over.”
“What did you find?” Rego asked curiously.
“I found that the Good Lord wants us to see new things and experience other ways of life.” He paused for a moment. “But I also learned that it is important to not forget who you are and what your duties are. Once your journey through the world is complete, you must accept that the real journey is where you began.”
“And where is that?” he asked.
They stopped walking and the priest looked at him and pointed towards his chest. “Right here at home, where your heart is. Have faith in the Good Lord, and He will always lead you back to the journey that matters. The journey of a man.” They continued walking for a while longer until Fr. John began to get tired.
“This looks like my stop,” he said with a smile. “It was a pleasure finally getting to talk with you, Mr. Rego. I don’t want my friends to think I fell overboard.” Rego smiled at him.
“Same here, Father, thank you. I enjoyed talking with you too.” Rego meant it too.
Fr. John turned to walk away but stopped and turned around. “The chapel is down on D deck if you ever want to drop in. We have services this Sunday. The crew is always welcome to come as well as the passengers.” Rego nodded to him. “Don’t forget, my son, the door to God’s house is always open.” With that, he turned and headed downstairs.
Rego watched as he disappeared down the stairs. He thought about what he had said. It did make him feel better. He thought about how he had stopped going to Mass after his grandfather had died. He started to realize that he had neglected a large part of his life. Or perhaps just ignored. But he knew that an unseen hand was guiding him through his journey, and watching over him at every turn. He began to see that the whole journey became less and less about the satchel and more about him finding his way back again. He thought about his uncle whom he hadn’t seen in so many years. Perhaps it was his way of helping him come to grips with so much loss.
Rego leaned against the railing and watched the sea flow past. Sometimes, you need to step back to see the whole picture and see where your place is in the world, he thought to himself. And sometimes, you just need a vacation.
The days passed as the Montenero crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The crew grew weary and many of the passengers grew restless. It was the leg of the journey that they all knew would be long. But it was compounded by the fact they were not able to land at Montserrat.
The crew did its best to keep the passengers entertained as they sailed on. Lindsey held games in the ballroom during the day for the passengers to participate in. They played bingo, trivia games, bridge tournaments, and even talks by individual passengers on topics of interest. The captain would announce news to the ship that he acquired using the ships powerful transmitters. He related important news from around the world, including the latest results from the World Cup. Italy, England, Romania, Peru, West Germany, and Uruguay had all earned triumphant victories in their respective groups. And, Brazil had even won their second match which was against England, one goal to zero.
Rego stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway. He almost reached the door to the cabin when Bolo came bounding down the hallway, just finishing up his shift at lunch.
“Another lunch forced down their throats,” he said sarcastically. “I swear the lunches are becoming shorter and shorter now. These people are never hungry anymore. I don’t even know why they show up?” He slapped Rego on the back as he opened the cabin door. “I’m up for some ping-pong, what do you say?”
Rego dove onto his bunk. The long voyage across the sea was starting to wear on him. “I guess so,” he said exhaling very tiredly. “I’m not too good at it though.”
They walked to the promenade deck and found a ping-pong table tucked away in a corner by a stairwell. They found some old paddles in a box sitting on a nearby bench. The box had two old ping-pong balls in it as well. Bolo bounced over to one side of the table and Rego walked slowly to the other side.
“So, what do you do?” Rego asked showing little interest.
“It’s just like tennis,” Bolo said stretching his arms and shoulders.
“I don’t know tennis either,” Rego said staring at his paddle.
“You just hit the ball, man.” Bolo held up his paddle and the ball. “You ready? It can only bounce once each time.” He served the ball and the ball bounced three quick times and Rego swatted at it and hit nothing.
“This ball is too small, I can’t even kick it,” Rego complained. He fetched the ball rolling on the floor.
“You serve it to me,” Bolo suggested. Rego held up his paddle awkwardly and slapped the ball to the other side and Bolo quickly retuned the serve. The ball went sailing past Rego’s paddle again.
“Ah!” Rego shouted. “This bat is too short too!”
“It’s a paddle. Try again,” Bolo said getting frustrated with him.
Lindsey came walking down the stairwell. “What’s going on down here, guys?”
Bolo shook his head. “Well, I wanted to play some ping-pong but instead I am watching Rego pick up the ball every five seconds. What’s shakin’ Lindsey?” Rego was impressed with Bolo’s command of English.
“I just did bingo with a room full of screaming old ladies,” she said plopping down on the bench.
“Sorry I missed it,” he said laughing.
Determined, Rego served the ball again and Bolo returned it with ease. He finally hit the ball back but it sailed into the net. He picked it up and served it again. The ball ended up in the net again. Bolo served the ball to Rego and it ended up in the same place again. Lindsey observed the game with a dumbfounded look upon her face.
“This is pathetic,” she said with a pained expression. “I can’t watch this.” She grabbed a paddle from the box and leaped to the end of the table next to Rego. “Let me show you how it’s done, soccer man.”
Rego stood watching as she and Bolo expertly hit the ball the back and forth with little effort. He shook his head and slowly walked over to the bench and watched them play. He watched as Bolo finally met his match.
“Let’s play a game,” Lindsey challenged him. “You start.”
“You’re on,” Bolo accepted. He served the ball and the game began. Lindsey was beating him easily.
“Damnit!” Bolo shouted as the ball went whizzing by him again.
Rego smiled as his roommate was schooled in ping-pong. “Sitting here and watching is much better,” he mused.
“Yeah, yeah,” Bolo retorted. “She’s just getting lucky!”
“Of course,” Rego said with a laugh. Lindsey was enjoying herself, watching Bolo run after every winner she hit.
Rego began staring past the ping-pong table, out to sea. He stood up to get a better look, something had caught his attention. He pointed out to sea and said in English, “Look!”
Lindsey and Bolo stopped their game and looked in the direction he pointed. Far in the distance, a group of islands, spaced far apart from one another, could be seen. “Hey, I wonder what those islands are!” Lindsey said excitedly.
Bolo nodded, he had seen these islands before. “They are the Canary Islands. They are just off the coast of Morocco.” He smiled at Rego. “We are getting closer!”
Rego looked with fascination. “Really, Morocco?” he asked curiously. Lindsey stared at them too. She had never seen them before either. Rego looked over at Bolo who was waiting for Lindsey to come back to the table. “Tell me about Morocco. Have you been there?”
Bolo shook his head. “No, but I hear it is a wonderful place. Lots of history. And excellent craftsmen.” He shot a glance at Lindsey, “Can we get back to the game now?”
Lindsey answered with a smile, “You mean me whipping your butt? Of course.”
“What kind of craftsmen?” Rego asked.
Bolo and Lindsey started hitting the ball back and forth again. “They are known for their excellent work with leather,” Bolo said. “It is sold all over the place. When we stop in Gibraltar, there will be lots of markets. The Moroccan traders come across the straits to sell their leather goods there. It’s very interesting to see.”
Rego was intrigued. He thought he could take what little pay he had been given and look for a gift for Rosa. He wanted to get something for her from one of these faraway lands. He was certain he would find something nice in the leather markets. “I’d like to see these markets,” he said with much interest.
Bolo nodded his head, hitting another ball back to Lindsey. “Well, you’ll get your chance then, we should be getting there soon. Probably tomorrow. I’m sure everybody will be getting off the ship when we stop there.”
“I love to stroll around the markets. I know I’m going.” Lindsey said, smacking another winner past Bolo. “Game over, you lose!” She smiled at Bolo in triumph.
“Beginner’s luck!” Bolo said embarrassed. “Hey Rego, we’re having another party tonight after the dinner shift. A little pre-arrival party. You ought to come. You kids can do some more dancing,” he said with a wink.
Lindsey put her paddle in the box sitting next to Rego. “I’ll be there,” she said smiling at him. She headed back up the stairwell. “Nice game, loser!” she shouted down to Bolo as she disappeared up the stairs. Rego rested his chin on his fist and looked at Bolo. Bolo smiled at him very mischievously.
The cleanup of the evening meal was winding down and some of the crew slowly started making their way to the crew area break room. The music started playing and a few of them finally sat down to have a bite to eat. Rego sat on a bench, eating some leftover roast beef on a sandwich. Erik sat next him holding a cold bottle of soda to his forehead.
“Oh man, those rich fogies give me such a headache,” Erik said wearily. “And that old lady Mrs. Johnson kept pinching my butt every time I refilled her wine glass. Man, that lady can drink.”
Rego smiled as he kind of listened to him. He was in deep thought as the ship neared the Mediterranean. He started to worry as he got closer and closer to his destination in Malta. What will happen when I step off this ship, he thought to himself. Will the agents be there? Will I find the Sister of St. Paul? His mind ached.
“Speaking of girlfriends,” Erik said cleverly. He elbowed Rego who snapped back into reality. Lindsey walked into the break room, carrying a bottle of soda. Rego slumped in his seat and stared at his sandwich. She walked right past them, trying to get Rego’s attention, but he never looked at her. Erik looked at him puzzled. “What’s with you?” he asked him.
Rego shook his head and picked at his food. “I guess I’m not hungry right now.”
The music was playing and some people started to dance. Erik and Rego took their plates to the kitchen and then came back into the break room. They stood and watched as the people danced. One of the girls across the room made eyes at Erik.
“Well, buddy, gotta run. Duty calls,” he said winking his eye at him. He strolled across the room and led the young girl to the dance floor.
Rego could see Lindsey talking across the room. He knew he would have to face her sooner or later. He knew she would want to dance. But the whole journey he was on was starting to wear him down. He knew the challenge and purpose of it all still lie ahead of him. It was difficult to muster much enthusiasm for the party.
He took a deep breath and walked through the dancing couples and over to where Lindsey was standing and talking to her friends. He put a smile on his face and snuck up behind her. Lindsey turned around and smiled when she saw him.
“Hey stranger,” she said turning away from her conversation. “What brings you over my way?” Rego smiled shyly at her and motioned to the dance floor. He held up his arm to escort her to the dance floor. She smiled and took his arm and followed him.
They danced to every song, and when they played the slow songs, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close. She wished she could talk to him mor
e but she decided she was content to just be able to dance and be close to him. She wanted him to kiss her very badly. But he just smiled and held her close as they danced.
They decided to leave the party and go walking for a while on the main deck. The stars were out brightly and blanketed the sky. She looked up at him as they walked but he just stared out into the night. She knew his mind was elsewhere, and she was frustrated that she couldn’t talk to him about it.
“It’s so nice out tonight. I can’t believe we’re getting closer to Greece. I can’t wait to get there,” she said as they walked. She talked some more as it made her feel more at ease, even though she knew he didn’t understand.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do when the trip is over,” she went on. “Maybe I’ll spend more time in Athens, I don’t know. I’m not ready to go back home, though. I love seeing the world.”
They stopped and leaned against the railing. “I wish I knew what you were thinking. I wish I could get inside that head of yours,” she said brushing her hand through his hair. She pulled herself in closer to him and bit down on her lower lip. “Don’t you want to kiss me?” she whispered softly to him. He met her whispers with a soft stare and silence. She looked down at his chest and her heart began to crumble.
He looked away from her and started to feel terrible. He really cared for her but the timing was awful. He knew it wouldn’t be right to go any further. She couldn’t look at him. Her hands clenched in frustration as she lightly slapped her fists against his chest, shaking her head and sniffing her nose.
“I’m such a fool. Can’t you see how I feel about you?” she said sobbing softly. He held up his elbow for her to take his arm. She looked down in sadness. She gazed at him and wiped a single tear from her cheek and sniffed again. She sadly took his arm and he continued walking with her down the deck.
He walked with her down the narrow hallway and then stopped in front of her cabin door. She turned and stared at the door knob. She gathered her courage and then finally spoke softly with her back to him. “You have a girlfriend, don’t you?” He tried to look over her shoulder as if he didn’t hear what she said. Then she tried her best to speak in Spanish.
“La novia? In Brasil?” she asked, turning slightly around, still looking down. She finally lifted her head. She had tears running down her face. Rego felt ashamed. He felt terrible seeing her like this. He put his hand to her face and wiped the tears away.
He finally nodded and said softly, “Sí.”
She wiped the rest of her tears away and straightened up. She gathered all her courage to accept the reality. Then she smiled faintly and nodded. She opened the door to her cabin and started to walk inside but she stopped. “She’s a lucky girl,” she said, staring at her door. Then she stepped inside and closed the door.
Rego stood in the hallway staring at the door. He hated that the night had ended this way. He felt ashamed that he had led her on. But the communication gap made it difficult. He tried to rationalize it all in his head, but he knew actions spoke louder than words.
He started to turn and walk back down the hallway when suddenly the door opened. Lindsey ran out and threw her arm around his neck and pulled him close and kissed him long and passionately. After a few long moments, she pulled her lips away and quickly slipped back inside and shut the door behind her. He stood dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway for what seemed like hours. He smiled at her courage and decided it was as good a time as any to turn and walk away.