“Holy hell Smith, how’d you make it?” Kenneth shouted in a mix of desperation and excitement, “We all thought you died.”

“Well, I made it, just like I said” I said while attempting to tie my boat to the dock, “Jesus, it’s windy.” I repeated the knot over and over again, but the wind just blew the rope right of my hands.

“Careful there Smith, we don’t want you falling in the sea now,” another docker worker shouted.

“Ah whatever, it’s just a quick stop anyway,” I thought to myself. Looking up, I was mildly stunned at how dark it was at the port. I’d never even seen the streetlights on my previous trips and here they were lighting the place up in a warm orange glow.

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“Here’s the fish,” Kenneth said as he limped over with the usual crate. He looked quite downtrodden compared to how he used to be. But alas, it has been years.

“I’ll take it,” I said I grabbed it from his hands, “I need the exercise anyway. And you sure look like you need a break.”

“Suppose I do, yeah…” he said with a mild laugh, “Anyway, good luck with your journey, I can’t see you off. Got another job and I’m already late for it.”

Pressing as hard as I could on the accelerator, my ship barely moved.

“Damn ship. I can’t have you dying now,” I shouted to the air while turning a random valve, “Nope, what a surprise.”

Finally though, I flicked a switch marked “cabin lights” and the engine suddenly whirred back into life.

I then set sail in my usual direction with the storm now all around me.