Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 26

Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 26

(3:40 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

Well, gentle reader, trying to get started here. There may be band practice tonight so this may prove a tough day. Time will tell.

(3:50 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

Little things that burn your time. Sure, just a bit of housekeeping in connection with yesterday's words, but there goes a bunch of time.

Precious time.

Irredeemable time.

Unless I can manage to come up with a time factory... Perhaps in time for next year.

Oops... I am in trouble now gentle reader... Deep trouble...

I have just caught myself going back into prior day's writings and making little corrections. A real gigantic no-no during NaNo time. That person they call the inner editor must be kept away at all costs.

Now he can some in and vacuum up all your time much worse than any temporal black hole. Watch out for that fellow. Oh, he comes around acting all nice.

"Here, let me help out with that."

"That little correction will not take long and you should do it now where you have it in your mind. You may miss it when you get around to 'official' editing time"

"Can you believe you made that silly typo?"

"Oops, just a little transposition there, let me get that for you."

Helpful points all, I am sure, but don't let him start. And if you find he has started somehow despite your best intentions, run him off right away. Right straight away. Use whatever means necessary.

Mock him if you must.

Tell on him. Yeah, that's right, rat him out to the Fearless Reader.

Tell him there is a leaky pipe in the back yard and ask him to go take a look for you and report back... Then lock the door on him when he goes out to see.

(4:05 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

Put your head down and write and write and write while saying 'la la la la la la la...' in your head so you cannot hear his siren call.

(4:34 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

Whoosh! A bunch of time just went down the drain there. Do you see how it is the same fight each day gentle reader? The same fight, the same struggle. The same issues.

Where to now?








*** Shack Near Beach

Jack, Mandy, Sarai, and Ronnie are sitting on the front porch watching the waves roll in.

"OK, so you ladies can have the shack, Ronnie and I will string some hammocks and a tarp out back. Not the greatest shelter, but better than a bivouac in any case."

"No, Jack, we can get a room at some hotel and you can have your own room and you own bed."

"You see how bad it gets Ronnie? I can't even talk a woman into sleeping in my bed even when I am not going to be in it. Do I have fleas or something these days?"

There is tired, groaning laughter all around.

"Look, Mandy, I know you can get rooms, but it would be more convenient if we could cut out the travel time and spend the time we save talking and doing what planning we can. It's alright, really. Sometimes in the summer, we sleep out in the hammocks and leave the rooms empty.

(4:46 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

"Well, we can discuss that later then, right now, let's get down to business. And Ronnie, thanks again for sending out the smack boats to look for us."

"I am just happy that you all didn't drown and that they spotted your fire."

(5:24 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)










*** A Lonely Room

Well, there is band practice tonight at six thirty and I need to figure out and eat some dinner before going over there as well. Can I pull off a mini sprint about some of these story lines before then?

We shall see.






*** Shack Near Beach

"OK, so where are we now?" says Jack.

"Well, my people are sending down a team and some new equipment and we are going to take another run at those jokers. If they think they can go around sinking ships, they have another things coming."

"Ah, Mandy..."

"Yes Ronnie?"

"I am not so sure that Sarai's yacht was blown up by the people you think did the deed."

"What?"

"The reports that came in said they the other vessel went down in the same way."

"What!"

"Seems so, so unless you think they scuttled their own vessel as well as yours, there may be more to this whole mess that you think."

"Wait, their vessel went down? The one we were on?"

"If you were on it, yes, that one. The one near the Yacht when the yacht went down."

"How can that be? Who? Wait, what about survivors from that one? Was anyone picked up?"

"No reports of anyone being picked up from her. Dead or alive."

"What's up with that?" asks Mandy.

"No one seems to have any real ideas," says Ronnie.

"Well, I think I want to dive on that wreck and see if we missed something in our brief visit."

"I'm all for that." Jack butts in.

"You know, I am thinking that perhaps it was a mistake to involve you two in that part of the operation. Sarai, wait, before you object, you know you and Jack are civilians. it is not right for me to ask you to risk your lives in such an operation when I have a team coming in to work with me now."

"You are not going to get rid of us that easy," says Jack, "we are deep in this now and I, for one, want to see it through."

"I don't think I can let you."

"I don't think you can stop us!" spouts Jack, "I would like to see you try."

(5:41 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

"Sarai, can you speak some sense to this man? You know things are getting too dangerous. What if we are not so fortunate next time."

"I am not so sure Mandy, the two of us are in deep now. And we may be civilians, but we go back a long way and I can tell you that we have been in some tight spots before and Jack has always handled himself well. And I am not all that shabby myself if I may say so."

"Great! Two hard heads on my hands. What am I going to do with you two? I suppose you two might try to go out wild on your own if I didn't take you along."

"You got that right!" says Jack.

"I could always pull some strings and get you two locked up temporarily for your own good."

"Don't even try that!" says Jack standing up in a huff.

(5:49 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

(7:38 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)







*** Band Practice Room

Well, the first song just started. Let's hope this goes well tonight.






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

Well, Fred just barely made it to shore with the bull shark snapping at his heels. But make it he did.

Golden Child didn't know who was more afraid there. Fred for himself and his feet, or her for her man.

"What in the world were you doing out there Fred?'

"I saw this box floating way out there and I swam out to see what it was."

"Why in the world would you go swimming out there with this shark hanging about?"

"He hasn't been around in a while and I kind of forgot about him. Then too, this thing looked interesting floating out there. And I probably wasn't thinking right because I was still pretty upset with you."

"Well, don't do that again my love! I don't think I could handle losing you at this stage of the game."

(7:53 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

They lay down on the beach to catch their breaths and soon burst out laughing.

"I think I am going to kill that beast soon. Do we have something back on the boat to catch him with?"

"I think we should have something. Why do you want to kill him?"

"He is getting on my nerves. Plus, this isn't natural. I have never seen an animal act the way he is acting. It is almost like he has something personal against us."

"Maybe he has been watching too much 'Jaws' lately," laughs Fred. "I normally don't like killing animals for no real reason, but I think he has given us enough reason, so, if you want to, I am with you in it."

"So, what's in the box? Let's open it up lover. No sense in you risking your life and your beautiful limbs and us not even bothering to see that it is that you got."

Well, they got up and tried to open the box but the effort proved to be a non starter. So they decided to take it back to the ketch and open it there.

The bull followed them back around the point and was waiting at the beach near the dinghy when they got there. Patrolling back and forth along the beach.

"You know Goldy, you are right, we need to be done with this brute. He has to die before he puts a hurting one one of us or on someone else. I wonder what has gotten into him?"

(8:29 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

*** Band Practice Room

Well, gentle reader, this is really slow going right now. I am almost tempted to give up on the writing for the duration and try to knock it out when I get home later.

That way, I could just kick back and relax and enjoy the music for the rest of the practice.

Sounds good. But do I want to be up till midnight when I get home. And I am getting sick as it is and probably shouldn't even be here tonight.







*** A Lonely Room

(9:34 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

Seems I gave in to that temptation.

Well, gentle reader, back from band practice but still having a hard slog of it. Having to do some phone tech support for work right now too.

Once again...

Life Interrupts Art.








*** Shack Near Beach

The planning is over and the night has settled down to one of fun and relaxation. Sam and his wife dropped some steamed steak and white rice off earlier along with some Johnny cake. That went down well.

After dinner, they sat around telling jokes and stories and relating their recent adventures again for Ronnie's benefit. Then Jack went in and put on some music and they began to wind down in earnest.

He put on some classical and followed that up with some easy old island songs. They kept up the conversation over the music until 'Why Fight The Feelin' came on.

(9:47 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

(10:17 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)

when you're home and lonely
on a friday night
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

when the days grow longer
and the night's too bright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

when your best emotion's
either fight or flight
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

when your heart comes crashin
to the ground at night
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright
baby why fight the feelin
ya gonna be alright

They all had a great time singing along with that one and after it was done, 'Mary, Quite Contrary' came on.

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

When it came on, Ronnie jumped and went inside and they could hear him rummaging around looking for something. He must have found it since he let out a yell in celebration and then the song went off and he came running back out on the porch with some sheets of paper in his hands.

"Here, everyone, take a copy, I wrote some new words for that tune. Sing it with me."

"You gotta put the music back on for us to sing it."

"That wont work, those words will get mixed up with these. Come on... Let's just try singing it alright?"

"We need the music, Ronnie," explains Jack a little exasperated.

"Does anyone have a guitar?" asks Mandy, "I think I could play along. Would that work?"

"Jack, do you still have that old beat up thing in the closet?" asks Ronnie.

"Yeah, but its out in the shed now, you should be able to find it."

So Ronnie is up and dashing around the side of the shack in a flash.

They hear him rummaging around out there for a while and then another yell of celebration and they hear him returning.

"I have to warn you Mandy, the thing is pretty beat up," says Jack before Ronnie returns.

He comes around the corner and up on to the porch almost at a run, "Here you go, do you think it might be in tune?"

"Do pigs fly? Not to worry though, I think I can tune it if it can be tuned in this condition."

Before long, she has it tuned and she starts trying to play the music to the song.

"How's that?" she asks.

"That sound OK," says Ronnie and he starts to sing along almost under his breath.

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

After that they all join in.

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

Hey now Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife but, he couldn't keep her
Well he put her, in a pumpkin shell
Then he kept her,
So very well

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

By now, they are having a great time and laughing and singing along and cutting up some.

Mother Hubbard, went to her cupboard
Get her poor dog, a little bone...
But when she got there, that cupboard was bare...
Well that poor dog he... aint got no bone...

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

Well Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet
She was eating... her curds and whey...
Come this spider, sat down beside her
Well he frightened... Muffet away...

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

Well William Winkie... runs through the town
Up stairs and down stairs, in his night gown...
Peeking in windows... tapping on doors
That boy goin be up, quarter to four...

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

Mary had a... little lamb
Had a fleece was... white as snow... o
Every where that, young Mary went...
Well that lamb he... surely follow...

There goes Mary, quite contrary
asked her how did... her garden grow
she said silver bells
she said cockle shells
said somethin bout pretty maids
in a row... o

It ends and they all bust out laughing.

"That wasn't half bad Ronnie. I think you are going to need to keep working on the words in some places, but it is fun. When did you do that?"

"About a week ago now I think," says Ronnie, "I liked you playing Mandy. Thanks for jumping in like that."

"Thanks, I used to dream of being a rock star when I was younger, but my parents sort of side tracked me. Anyway, that is another story for another time. I am getting tired. Can we turn in now?"

And they do.

(10:39 pm Monday Nov 26, 2007)