***** Vol.1 Chap.9 Enjoying a calm morning at sea *****
Since the last encounter with Captain Jonas, Kristin busied herself in supervising the upgrade to the crane control. In addition, she meticulously worked with the XO in loading the submersible, Jennifer, onto Mayflower, the research vessel. She did not have to visit Jonas during this time, not that she had any desire to do so.
Now that the Mayflower was at sea, she was just a happy passenger, waiting eagerly for her turn to conduct her experiment, a moment to be her crowning glory. For the first time, she would take the sub out for an actual test, something she had dreamt for two long years!
The alarm clock rang at 6:30 am this morning. Though already awake, she wanted to catch the sunrise and perhaps had a chance to watch some dolphins. As her habit had been, she needed some strong coffee. She treasured the morning quiet time with her cup of coffee, planning out the day.
“Just me and my coffee” was her constant motto.
She sensed the gentle swaying of the vessel. One normally would not even sense the swaying amidst all the hustling and bustling going on. This morning, the swaying became mesmerizing, soothing, and calming. The weather had been especially calm. A few albatrosses squawking outside could be heard.
This is going to be a good day, she thought to herself. I will make the best of it.
In all honesty, she still wore the jeans from the day before. Quickly throwing a V-neck sweater on and glancing at the mirror for a second out of habit, though she did not look at all because there would be no one on the deck this early anyway, she ducked out of her cabin and headed first to the galley. There, the cook was just putting the coffee grounds into the machine.
“Morning, Kristin.”
“Morning, George.”
“A little early this morning, eh?”
“Oh, I thought I would catch the sunrise and perhaps spot the dolphins feeding or mating.”
“Always work, work, work!”
“I’ve studied the dolphins since coming to the Institute. They never ceased to fascinate me. Do you realize they live their lives together in a group, hunting, playing, and sharing their food?”
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“You are making me jealous!”
“I think they have the perfect life and the perfect community. They don’t have to work. They live in the ocean’s plenty and they have few natural predators. ….”
“Except man,” interjected George.
Ignoring him, she continued with gusto, “They have a pleasant company with one another. Most of all, they are enjoying this wonderful nature provided for them.”
“They are a part of this incredible nature,” remarked George, waving his hand.
As a cook, he had a lot of wonderful insights.
“Coffee’s ready.” He poured Kristin a cup.
For a minute, she savored the aroma of his brewed coffee.
“Thank you. I’ll be outside on the observation deck enjoying this coffee,” Kristin said as she turned to leave.
“If nothing else is going your way, you can always count on George to make the best coffee,” she said to herself.
From the kitchen, a narrow hallway with three flights of spiral staircase led to the outside. She tiptoed her way past the crew’s quarters and the other passengers’ sleeping rooms, being careful not to spill the piping hot coffee in her hand; though she found it hard to resist the urge not to take another big sip of this aromatic coffee en route. The coffee was George’s special blend: a mixture of French Roast and Vanilla Mint.
She opened the hatch to the outside deck. The clear air engulfed her and refreshed her. She took three deep breaths slowly, savoring the freshness and unspoiled cleanness of the air. What a contrast to the stale stank on the decks below. How the captain and the crew lived year after year in that staleness? She never understood. She picked up her coffee and scanned the skyline. The peace and stillness engulfed her. Only a gentle breeze blowing on the canvas on top of one lifeboat made a small thumping noise.
Ah, this is what living is all about.
Her friends from college never understood the earth’s beauty. To them, the stank of a smoke-filled room filled with beer was heaven. If they only would get up early enough to take a whiff of this fresh air, they would think differently. Well, I will breathe for them.
She walked across the deck towards the railings. The small deck, about the size of her living room at home, and the sparse furnishings had just a round table and a couple of metal chairs. All the furniture was painted in a nondescript gray. She observed that the chairs were all crooked and bent and one chair lying sideways on the floor. Leftovers from last night’s party, no doubt. Chip crumbs sprinkled everywhere and a dish of dried-up dip sauce still laying sideways on the table.
Slobs! What a mess! What do you expect anyway? Just be sure that this mess doesn’t get into my idyllic ocean!
She picked up a few crumbs on the deck and then let them be. Somebody would clean this up afterward. I did not get up early to play janitor for some lazy crewmen who had no idea where the garbage cans were located.
She walked towards the lifeboat on the other side of the boat. A chain railing stopped the unwary from going further. The metal railing painted with the same nondescript gray was visible in the dim predawn light. She took another sip of the coffee and savored the aroma for as long as the sip lasted in her mouth.
“Ah, this is life!” She said aloud, knowing full well that nobody came to enjoy this moment of serenity with her.