Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 17

Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 17

(5:56 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

And how did this day come to this gentle reader, How did the whole day pass by with nary a word written until almost six in the pm?

(7:42 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

Is that some top notch procrastination or what? Well, perhaps not world class but not bad.

Now how to get back on track and try to sprint right through the day's quota. Will that be possible? I have had day's like that in previous years, but so far this year I have not even come close. Except for the day that I sprinted through close to zero words. I feel like having another such day today but am trying to resist the temptation.

(7:56 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

Sprint my eye. I need to go and read the tortoise and the hare story from our own neck of the woods and take some counsel from that tale.

*** Shack Near Beach

The phone rings and Ronnie answers it, "Hello. What's your pleasure?"

"Hello? Is this Shack Near Beach?" says a female voice at the other end of the line.

Ronnie is enchanted, "This is surely Shack Near Beach, what can I do for you my sweet?"

"Is Jack there? I need to speak to him on a matter of some importance and urgency."

"Are you sure you don't want me instead?"

"Look, who ever you are. I need to speak to Jack right away, so please call him to the phone if he is there or tell me how I can get in touch with him right away."

"OK sister, don't get all worked up, I was just trying to be nice is all. Look, Jack is over by the pond looking for gold shells, he should be back in an hour or so, is that good enough for you?"

"No, not really, is there no way to get him now?"

"You could try his cell, he may have it on him. Do you have the number?"

"No, can you give it to me please?"

Ronnie gives it to her and she laughs, "Thanks, I will call him now."

She hangs up and Ronnie laughs too. Jack's cell number often gets that reaction from people who were around back then.

A song started playing, one that matched Jack's cell number and Ronnie laughed again, "Well I guess she will be calling back," he said to himself and decided not to answer Jack's cell.

*** A Not Quite So Mega Yacht 'Risin Tide' In A Marina On Paradise Island

Sarai and Mandy are on the sun deck, Mandy has her cell phone to her ear. "Come on Jack, pick up." But Jack does not pick up.

"He must not have his cell phone on him." says Mandy.

"Call back to the Shack and ask that guy to try and go get him for you," says Sarai.

"I will," says Mandy, dialing the number at the Shack again.

(8:37 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

*** Shack Near Beach

The phone rings and Ronnie answers it, "Yes... alright... I will go and try hunt him down for you and bring him back here."

"Well, could you take a cell phone to him please so I can speak to him sooner?"

"OK, I can take his cell to him, if I can find him. I think I know where to look."

*** A Salt Pond

Jack is squatting on a thin, muddy beach on the shore of a salt pond. He is about twenty yards away from a cut where the water is flowing swiftly through the channel between the island he is on and the other shore. The cut is only about twenty feet across and about three feet deep. Fish swim against the current in the cut, unmoving.

Jack likes this spot.

He is digging in the muddy sand looking for gold shells. He makes jewelry from them which he sells occasionally but mostly gives away. He has always been fascinated by these tiny shells from the day he first encountered them so long ago during his childhood years. His father had brought him and some of his young friends to this very cut to fish and swim one day when he was about nine or ten. It was the first time he had been to this pond, but he knew from the start that it would not be his last.

"Jack! Jack!"

He looks around but does not see anyone.

"Jaaaaack!"

Is that Ronnie? He listens more carefully.

"Jack! Where are you?"

That does sound like Ronnie, "Ronnie! Is that you? I am over on the island, almost to the cut" he shouts near the top of his lungs.

"Yes, it's me, you have an important call!"

Jack stands up and walks down to the water's edge, the water here is only a few inches deep, and bends down and washes the sand and mud off of his hands. Then he stands up again and puts his right hand over his eyes and looks in the direction that Ronnie's voice seems to be coming from. There are two main routes to take to get here from the shack, both take about the same amount of time to cover but each gets here from a different direction. The thing is, here on the pond, the sound does not always come from where it seems to come from. It can be very tricky at times.

Yes. There. He sees a speck off in the distance. Ronnie must be running, he thinks to himself, that looks like spray he is kicking up. I wonder what has gotten into him?

(9:04 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

Jack figures something important must be up to get Ronnie moving like this and so he begins gathering up his gear and his haul. After he has every thing ready to go, he begins jogging along the little beach towards Ronnie.

*** A Lonely Room

Just in case you are a bit confused as to why Jack would be out in a salt pond at night, gentle reader, I want to let you know that he isn't. He is actually out in the pond during the day. Remember a while back I pointed out that the times in the Novel this year represent the times that things are being written here in this old lonely room and not "in novel" as it were. At least not necessarily "in novel" although, at times, it matches the "in novel" time as well, just not right now for Jack in the pond.

(9:10 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

A little free cell brainstorming session that actually proved to be nothing more than a tempest in a tea cup...

*** A Salt Pond

Jack and Ronnie meet in knee deep water between the other end of the island and the main shore. "Ronnie, what's going on? What lit a fire under your tail like this?"

"Not what, Jack, who."

"OK, who lit a fire under your tail like this?"

"Some woman claiming to be with the DEA and claiming to be working with you on some project. She kind of persuaded me to take her seriously and to come and get you. Here is your cell phone, she wants you to call her right away, just press redial. She had me make sure your cell could get through to hers before I left the shack."

"Thanks, Ronnie," says Jack taking his cell from him and hitting redial before putting it to his ear." It rings twice and then Mandy answers.

"Hello? Jack, is that you?"

"Hey Mandy, yes, it's me. What's up? Must be something important. if not, Ronnie is going to take some real sweet talking on your part, let me warn you."

"Oh, it's important Jack. You know that group I was talking to you about? Well, I think they may have found what they are looking for, or at least some of it."

"What! How so quickly?"

"You must give good directions Jack. In any case, we need to move fast. How soon can you get here? Do you need someone to come get you?"

"Well, this moke I am driving these days is no speedster. never was, even in its better days. Tell you what, if you can send someone, please do. If traffic is not too bad, they may even get to the shack before Ronnie and I get back there."

"OK, Jack, listen, when you get back to the shack, pack a bag for a couple of days at least so that you can be ready when my driver gets there."

"Will do Mandy, see you soon."

(9:28 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

(10:41 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

*** 38' Cheoy Lee Ketch - Up Around Nun Jack, Abaco

"Hey Fred, can you get me some water please?" calls down Golden Child from the cockpit.

"Sure thing my love," calls out Fred from down under, "just give me a second."

A short time later, Fred's arm comes up the hatch holding a glass of water, "Here you go Goldy, I will be up in a bit with the fish."

Golden Child tends some vegetables grilling on a small grill clamped to a stern railing.

She hears Fred moving about below and music comes up.

She was a real beauty
An Out Island beauty
She looked so fine in the sun

The sea wind was blowing
Her blond hair was flowing
As along the wild beach she would run

I saw her crying
As my turbot was frying
So I told her we could have us some fun

She slapped me silly
Said I wasn't Willie
Said her heart was reserved for just one

Ten years later
I started to date her
Seems Willie had married for mun

Yes Willie was silly
He ran off with Millie
And left me a piece of the sun

After a short while, Fred comes up the ladder with a bowl of turbot fillets soaking in lime and red pepper. He also has a baggie of flour seasoned with salt and black pepper.

"Hey, how are the veggies doing?"

"They are almost done, get the fish ready and let me put it on and we should be good."

Fred takes the pieces of fish out of the lime one at a tie and dips them in the flour before passing them to Golden Child who puts them on the grill.

(11:04 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

*** Shack Near Beach

Ronnie is sitting in front of a computer laughing to himself. A car drives up and stops by the front porch. A horn blows.

"Hey Jack, your ride is here," calls Ronnie.

"Right there," calls Jack coming out of the back room with a duffel bag in his hand. "See you when I get back Ronnie, tell Sam I will try and call him if I can in the next few days."

Jack walks out the door and Ronnie goes back to his computer and laughing to himself.

He is writing an email to a list he is subscribed to. People are kicking around the idea for a virtual band to make Free music with Free tools. Some have been throwing ideas back and forth for the name of the virtual band.

Ronnie has seen some good ones show up in his mail box so far today. He is working on his own list to contribute at the moment.


Here are some more band name possibilities I have come up with:

Naturally Sophisticated
The Fairly Unique Band
Endless Summer
Always Winter
Never Sleeps
Never Sets
Tone Def
2hotbbPerfect
proKrastination
Later!
The Discoverators
Who Dat? (From the saying... (Who dat say who dat when I say who dat? Who
dat?")
How You Akin?
Gone Den

Endless Summer, Always Winter, Never Sleeps, and Never Sets are all references
to a world wide band...

Let me know what you guys think...

Da Don

(11:47 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

Well, gentle reader, it is late, midnight approaches and my eyes hurt. Still, another day of making quota. I hope you have enjoyed at least some of today's words.

I have enjoyed writing some of them for you despite the struggle.

Out.

(11:49 pm Saturday Nov 17, 2007)