TLA-Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Charlie and the two members of his new family rode the offshore breeze for several miles straight out to sea due west. Today the Atlantic was smooth as glass with just a slight ripple from the steady breeze.

The boat was handling nicely. The sails were full and the rudder was very responsive to Charlie’s experienced touch. Fatima and Ali were riding on the bench seat just forward of the small shelter. Charlie looked over at the boy. He was smiling from ear to ear as he told his mother about the various parts of the boat and everything he had learned about the ocean. She just nodded and smiled. Her perfect teeth shining like pearls in the midday sun. Her head was covered in a white scarf and she was wearing a red long sleeve shirt that Charlie had given her. It was a light fabric which hung loosely over her thin athletic body. She wore a pair of camouflage pants that Charlie had found back at the radio station. They were baggy and held up with a belt Charlie had fashioned out of crocodile skin.

Even in the loose fitting clothes she had an attractive figure. Her arms and legs where long and graceful. When she moved to Charlie it seemed like a ballet with imaginary classical music playing in the background. Charlie, in all of his many years had never seen anyone with such natural grace. Her skin was dark brown and he thought about how soft it was to the touch. This despite not ever having moisturizing cream or other man made products to soften the skin. She was strong and yet very feminine. He looked at her and said a silent prayer of thanks for her and the boy.

Ali seemed to him to have grown six inches since he had arrived a little over three months ago. He was considerably fairer than his mother and had long semi-straight hair that was under a watch cap that Charlie had given him. He wore a pair of green trousers made from a cut of canvas cloth and had a crocodile belt like his mother’s with his knife proudly hanging in its case on his hip. He had a long sleeve black t-shirt on, another one of Charlie’s gifts and the shoes made out of the croc leather and canvas. It wouldn’t be long before he could wear the boots of the dead men and Charlie’s clothes comfortably.

Charlie wasn’t sure how old the boy was, and Fatima didn’t know for sure either. He guessed around thirteen or fourteen. It was possible, however, that he was as old as 16. His mother had, understandably, lost track of time long before he was born. Without connections to the outside world she and her husband had lived every day like the last one. The man would wake up early and go fishing, return with fish for her to cook and then work in the garden or gathering fruits and occasionally checking traps for small rodents, birds and sometimes snakes.

They shared the duties of watching the boy as he learned to crawl, walk and run. When they slept it was the three of them together on the mat inside the hut. When they ate it was the three of them. It had been wonderful and perfect for her until the day he did not return from fishing.

She remembered he had kissed her on the cheek, the morning he left. He rarely did this but it was welcome when he did. She had just turned over and went back to sleep with the boy, who at the time was about two years old. He had just started talking and had been walking for quite some time.

Fatima stared off at the distant ocean as she remembered that day. She had waited for him as she always did sitting on the stool outside watching the baby play. She had stayed there all night and he never returned. At first she held out hope that he had lost the boat and was walking back home from some distance away. After the first month she started coming in earlier and earlier. By the second month she had given up.

She had spent night after night crying, praying and pleading to God that he would return to no avail. She learned to gather food in the area and to plant yams and tend the small garden. Luckily the food was quite abundant in the area and with just her and the boy they managed pretty well.

She didn’t know how to hunt with the bow and arrow set he had made. She learned to check and set the traps he had laid out around the area. She also designed one of her own with a large clay jar. She would leave some food inside and set a stick against it as a ladder. The rodent would get stuck inside and she and the boy would benefit from the protein it provided.

It had been about one year when the two men had arrived for the first time. They had arrived just as she was putting the boy to sleep. She came out wearing a scarf and greeted them. They spoke only a little bit of Arabic. She offered them food and drink. It was getting dark so she offered them to sleep by the fire on the opposite side of the hut. She retired to her mat with the boy. As she slept she felt the older one come next to her on the mat. His hands moved around her and told her what he wanted.

She accepted his advance hoping that he would stay and help her raise the boy. She didn’t resist him but she didn’t encourage him either. It was, from her point of view, unremarkable and over very quickly. In the morning when she woke up they were both gone. They left her some dried meat on the table and some small silver coins.

She never saw them again until the day they had died in her front yard at Charlie’s hands. They had been aggressive with her, slapping her in front of the boy asking who the new man was and why had he run away from them. Evidently they had observed them from a safe distance the night before they announced their presence.

Fatima hadn’t shed a single tear when they died. She had tried to explain who the man was but they didn’t believe her. The younger one was not responsible for what had happened, but they had invaded her home and she was helpless against them. They hadn’t had a chance against Charlie. He was a masterful fighter she thought. He was a very strong and smart man. He was a bit old, she thought but one could never tell by his passion for her. She said a silent prayer of thanks for him.

Riding in a boat was always something she had enjoyed. It had been one of the things that had brought her together with her husband. She never thought she ride in a boat again. Now she was riding fast and smooth across the waves. Right at this moment she was about as happy as she had ever been in her life. Her boy was growing strong and tall. Her new husband was a very good man she thought. When they learned each other’s languages better they would talk a lot together she thought. He was already having long talks with Ali. He gave him lots of attention and love.

This was something new to her. She had never seen such a love given by a father to a son. She was amazed at how patient and calm he acted no matter what happened.

Even when Ali had taken the small boat out by himself and go stuck outside the surf zone Charlie had been patient and kind. He had taken off his clothes and swam like a fish out past the breaking waves to rescue him. He made him sit outside during dinner that night. Later before bedtime he brought him a small bowl and sat beside him talking to him. At the end Ali was crying and hugging his new father.

As Charlie held the boy he remembered that he had never really hugged his own son. Instead he had been driven to see him succeed and thought he needed to be tough to do so. What a fool he had been he thought. But now he had a chance to start new and he was not going to blow it this time.

The boat was about two miles off shore when Charlie turned it south. They sailed at a moderate speed. Charlie was careful not to overdo it on the shakedown cruise. The steady ten mile per hour breeze allowed Charlie to put the craft through its paces.  Ali proved to be an able deckhand and quickly obeyed all orders given by Charlie. Fatima sat and took in the beauty of it all.

The ocean was six different shades of blue, grey and green. The sea breeze made her feel young and alive again. Her prayers had been answered by Allah. Her son had a father and she had a husband who was very kind, gentle and loving to her. She wasn’t happy to have lost her first husband but that had been many years ago and she was content and grateful for what she had now. It was far more than she could have ever imagined.

Charlie spotted a flock of seagulls off in the distance and set a course to intercept them. They weren’t good to eat but he had found that they usually knew where the schools of fish were. Charlie let the air out of the sails and decided to drift fish for a bit as they reached the spot where the gulls had been circling. Fatima went into the small shelter to prepare some lunch. Ali joined Charlie on the foredeck and they both sat and fished quietly together.

It was a special moment for Charlie. He looked around at the calm water, bright sunlight and his new son sitting next to him and thought, “this must be paradise.” He knew it wouldn’t last though. Someday in the future, whether a few days , a few months or a few years they would be forced to flee their home and find a new one. Charlie wanted to be prepared for that day so he would need to have a fast enough boat to out run an enemy.

It was unlikely that there were any other boats out there that could catch them unless someone had miraculously found some fuel to power an engine. Barring that he felt pretty confident that his craft was the fastest thing around.

Fatima brought out their bowls and some water for them to drink. Charlie had shown Fatima how to use the portable distiller, or the “magic waterbox” and she was fascinated with making fresh water from sea water. The distilled water had little flavor and no nutrients but it quenched one’s thirst quite well.

Both Charlie and Ali drank the water slowly from the plastic cups he had brought along with him. They both savored the cool wetness and let it slide down gently into their stomachs smiling at each other as they finished.

Charlie found it odd that something as simple as drinking fresh water could be so delightful. They both smiled at each other as they luxuriated in the waters’ properties. They swirled it around in their mouths and swallowed it.

“Ahh,” Charlie said with a satisfied look on his face. “Nothing like good fresh water when you’re thirsty.”

“Ahh,” Ali said, following his father’s lead and imitating his look. Fatima laughed and they all started laughing together.

Charlie decided it was time for a swimming lesson. The water was warm and the air was warmer. He would teach the boy how to swim while Fatima finished preparing the food.

Charlie pulled off his shirt and stripped down to his shorts. He had been a “boxers” man all of his life and had packed several pairs of simple colored shorts with a trim of white in his pack when he left home. They were appropriate swimming shorts he thought. Not like those idiot speedos the Europeans used to wear he mused.

Ali stripped down to his underwear as well. They were made of plain white cloth hand sewn by his mother. Charlie inflated the boy’s life-preserver and told him to jump in. Ali didn’t move. He was frightened of the water. Charlie dove in and swam around the boat to show him it was ok. The ocean was calm with only gentle waves floating by as they drifted with the currents. Finally Ali got up enough courage to jump in. he plugged his nose and jumped in off the right side of the boat near where Charlie was floating effortlessly.

Fatima came out of the cabin wearing her life vest and a pair of Charlie’s shorts. Her breasts were covered by the vest but just barely. She smiled at the two of them as she inflated her vest. She remembered very well the safety briefing Charlie had given them before they went on the boat.

“Come Mama,” Ali said as he splashed her. She plugged her nose and jumped in. She did it exactly as Charlie had instructed her. Her long brown legs were thin but muscular. As she jumped in they moved like she was riding a bicycle. When she entered the water she went under momentarily until the vest lifted her back above the surface.

“Swimming is good. “ She said with a smile as Charlie swam to her. He moved behind her and held her close. She smiled back at him and said “nice.”

He smiled back at her and said, “Very nice.”

Ali was busy climbing out of the water and jumping back in. Charlie watched him and remembered watching his son and daughter do “cannonballs” and “can-openers” in their backyard pool down in Southern California when he had worked for one of the defense contractors. He hadn’t really enjoyed those days much. It should have been the time of his life. He had a beautiful wife, two wonderful kids, a “great job” and plenty of income to spend on toys, vacations and savings for the future. But all he could think about then was his job.

He remembered his manager back then was a real “piece of work.” The guy had barely squeaked through a poorly rated engineering program no doubt by cheating his way through. They had started out together and the guy was at least five years younger than him. While the guy was at his high school prom, Charlie had been out in the jungles of Vietnam trying to survive. But his daddy was a high level executive with the company so he had been put on the “fast-track” to management. It was an old story. He’d seen the same thing in the military-Officers who couldn’t lead their way out of a paper bag put in charge of combat tested troops. Usually they let their experienced non-commissioned officers keep them out of trouble when the bullets were flying lest they get killed and miss out on opportunities that lie waiting for them down the nepotism road.

But when guys like that got into the defense contracting business it was open season on screw-ups. Charlie remembered sitting in meetings with junior managers, some of whom could barely operate a slide rule and getting into pissing contests over performance testing data that was clearly over their head. Charlie had made war on people like that by being over prepared for every test, meeting and roundtable discussion. He developed a reputation for being ruthless in exposing intellectual weakness in his superiors and doing it as a matter of fact by always being better prepared than the “other guy.” Most smart managers learned to give him a wide berth and if they ever questioned him they better have done their homework or they risked humiliation in front of the assembled staff.

Several new managers had learned the hard way not to mess with Charlie. But being right all the time had cost him dearly. He spent nearly all of his time at work. When he was not at work he was thinking about work. He was lucky that his wife never left him. She was utterly devoted to him and the children and that devotion never wavered. She stood by him and the kids until the very end and then she was gone. What a fool he had been.

“Not this time,” he thought. Second chances in life were few. He thought it was ironic that the world had to come to an end in order to get him out of his cabin and back into life.

Fatima turned around and kissed him softly. She wrapped her legs around his waist like a bear cub clinging to its mother. Charlie held her for a moment and looked up at the sky. Clouds were rolling in. There were white puffy clouds and darker, more menacing storm clouds behind them. It looked like it was coming from the north. Charlie decided they had better get to shore and wait it out.

Their location was about an hour south of where they had launched. That meant about forty minutes south of their beach and the trail back to the hut. If necessary they could head for shore and hike back home leaving the boat for the next morning.

“Abhi look.” Ali shouted pointing to the north where lightning was striking on the water in bright streaks through the dark grey clouds. Charlie could tell by the dark shadows falling on the water that the storm was getting closer and quickly.

They all climbed aboard and set a course for the nearest land. It looked to be about two miles away. The wind was getting stronger now. A bit of wind chop was stiffing up the sea but Charlie was confident they would make it to shore before it really got rough. He looked at Ali and Fatima expecting to see concern or even fear. They both smiled at him and seemed not to have a care in the world. He wished for the moment that he possessed their kind of faith.

As they got closer to the shore Charlie saw what appeared to be the mouth of a river next to a peninsula jutting out into the sea. His boat would do well in the brackish water and they should find cover there pretty easily he reasoned.

The boat slowly passed the peninsula and was caught in a fast moving rip tide. Charlie turned hard into the current maintaining the speed and momentum of the boat. He had steady wind and adjusted the mainsail accordingly. As their view of the water to the north was covered by the peninsula Charlie thought he had seen the outline of a boat on the horizon. He immediately looked at Ali and Fatima for confirmation of what he saw or thought he saw. There was no reaction from them. It was possible that they hadn’t seen it but more likely that he had imagined it so he let the idea go.

“Probably my imagination,” he said to himself aloud.

They were moving well against the current until they passed into the wind shadow of the peninsula about a mile upstream. Charlie made for a small beach off to their left just as the rain began to fall. When the boat reached the shore Ali and Fatima jumped ashore and pulled on the guide ropes attached to each pontoon. They pulled the front of the boat up into the shore through elephant grass at the edge of the water.

As the rain began to fall harder they heard thunder in the distance. Charlie quickly stowed the sails and the three of them crowded into the shelter of the small cabin and fell asleep on the mat Fatima had made for the boat. It was a bit thinner than the one they had back at the hut but it was still green and quite soft.

The wind and rain battered the outside of the cabin but the steady noise and gentle rocking motion had them all sleeping soundly within minutes.

“Bapu,” Fatima said softly while shaking Charlie awake from his nap. Charlie woke instantly and sat up listening to the voices outside. He peered out the door afraid of what he might see.

In the distance downstream Charlie saw a large boat that resembled a fishing trawler with a large square sail trying to come upstream. There were several men on deck shouting because their momentum against the tide was nonexistent. It was about a quarter mile downstream from their current position and on the other side of the river which was at least five hundred yards across.

Charlie reasoned that the boat was probably overloaded and not designed obviously for sail power. In addition, the crew was probably inexperienced and didn’t understand the concept of tacking. The sail seemed to be enough to propel the craft in calm water but not against a strong current like the river.

The elephant grass concealed their presence and the color and camouflage paint scheme made Charlie confident that they had not been discovered. Just in case someone saw them he developed a battle plan in his head.

The mouth of the river was about ½ mile across. The river wound its way east like a snake moving through thick brush. The elephant grass covered both shores. They were about six to eight feet tall and provided excellent concealment for them and their boat. If they had to make a break for it he was certain they could out run and out maneuver the other boat as long as the wind didn’t die suddenly as it was prone to do sometimes in this area.

Charlie watched as the boat slowly turned around and headed back out to sea. The boat turned left as it headed out of the mouth of the river. That meant they could turn right and go home.

Charlie tried to remember the images he had seen to recall the details. He took out a pen and started scribbling in his notebook.

Size-30-45 feet

Location- 40 minutes south of homebase

Identity-unknown African origin

Equipment-one small fishing trawler with sail, very slow, light blue color

Direction-heading south

Well that settled it. There were definitely others out there in the neighborhood. He mused. For now he would get the woman and boy home so he could make a plan to get more information about these unknown people.

It didn’t seem like they were heading anywhere specific up-river. They had given up rather easily if there was somewhere they really wanted to or had to go. He thought. Charlie judged that they were inexperienced sailors and not very technically oriented. Only one sail on such a large boat was not very effective. The boat did move though so they had at least some mechanical ability.

The journey home was quite uneventful. Charlie taught both of them to handle the helm and how to adjust the sails. This might be a lifesaving measure if anything happened to him. Ali was a natural sailor. He seemed to have an innate ability to find good wind and smooth seas.

When they secured the boat for the evening they took extra care to conceal it well in the treeline. If the people on the other boat were on an exploration journey it was likely they would find their way here eventually. Charlie mused. The three of them quickly erased any sighs of human activity that could be viewed from off shore.

After they settled in for the night Charlie told Ali and Fatima that he would be leaving for a few days. He wanted to go down and complete a thorough reconnaissance of the area and see if he could find out a little more about the new arrivals.

Fatima put her head down and was silent. Ali asked if he could go along. “Please Abhi I want to go with you. I be no problem.”

“Ali I’d like to take you with me but I move faster by myself and I need you to stay here and protect your mother.” Charlie said firmly.

“I understand papa, “Ali said using the affectionate English name Charlie had taught him earlier in the week. He had learned it from a story Charlie told about how he had interacted with his own father. That had been a time when children were seen and not heard. The story he told was about how he had told his father he had left the gate open and how one of the family’s prime cows had wandered out to the road where it had been killed by an oncoming truck. His father had never really forgiven him for that mistake even though he was only about twelve when it happened. Charlie’s father had been a tough taskmaster. He had been a Marine in the Pacific during World War II. He was only seventeen when he enlisted. By the end of the war he was a hardened old man. He got a small farm on the outskirts of town and started raising prime beef cattle. Charlie learned to ride a horse before he could walk. Ranch life was tough but it made him tough too. Charlie had taken care to make his own son tough too. Living the soft suburban life was not good for a kid he had believed. He overcompensated by being a harsh father. He had managed to pass on his toughness to his son, but with Ali he decided to take another approach. The life he had led so far was tough enough. So far the approach of love and compassion was working well. Ali was becoming very reliable and dependable. Charlie was becoming quite fond of the boy and his mother although he wasn’t quite sure why Ali was doing so well. Part of it had been his religious upbringing. His mother had taught him to read the Quran and to write in Arabic. Charlie had thought her illiterate but it turned out she was just being humble. When her son was present there was no need for her to read the Quran.

Charlie got used to hearing the boy recite verses from the holy book each night and sometimes in the morning. He took to joining them in their prayers each morning, midday, afternoon, evening and at night. Charlie estimated their prayer times for them. It was not an exact science. Back in the “old days” there had been many ways to keep time. Now Charlie had the last working timepiece of its kind in the world, or so he thought.

Charlie’s watch was solar powered and had several other valuable functions. One was a barometer. This had been essential in determining weather during his crossing and in understanding if a rain shower was passing or an actual low pressure system that would last for days. It also had an altimeter which was invaluable for use in the balloon. There was a stopwatch and an alarm function but he hadn’t used either of them in years. Clearly there was no reason to be in a hurry anymore. That is one of the things he loved about his new life. There was no more deadline pressure or drama regarding time in his life. Things happened when they happened, just as they had for thousands of years in Africa before Western “Civilization” arrived.