Page 7 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
“If there’s an abandoned vessel in the water, the captain is required to report it in case someone is in the water.”
A murmur of dissension followed.
“Could one of the crew have fallen overboard?” came another question.
“That’s highly unlikely.”
“But possible?”
Earl shrugged.
Leaning back with his arms folded, Kyle said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Could it possibly be engine trouble?”
The crewman glared at Kyle. “No way. The engines on these ferries are the best in the world.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the loudspeaker squeaked, indicating a forthcoming announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Douglas. I apologize for the delay. We are currently experiencing engine problems. Our team is investigating the issue. As soon as I have an update, I’ll let you know. For now, sit back and relax. Hopefully the issue will be resolved quickly.”
After the announcement ended, it seemed that everyone started to talk at once, voices of discontent filling the area as folks expressed their dissatisfaction.
“I told you we should have driven around,” Harrison heard a woman bitterly complain to her husband.
“I’ll be late for our family party,” another complained.
“Join the club,” Dan commiserated. “My wife and son are already at my aunt’s place along with my parents.”
“I’ve got to get to work,” someone else shouted. “I need this job.”
“No, no,” the businessman said and groaned, “this can’t be happening.” He placed his hands over his face and bent in half, resting his forehead on his knees.
Harrison knew that whatever the reason, the delay must be more than a casual inconvenience for this guy.
CHAPTER THREE
After the captain’s announcement, Virginia Talbot’s fellow passengers headed for the cafeteria. They apparently weren’t willing to second-guess the length of the delay.
She was grateful she’d eaten earlier, although not much. This trip into Seattle was long overdue. It’d been two years since she’d last talked to her sister. They’d had a disagreement over their parents’ estate, and instead of settling it like civilized women, they’d argued to the point that they no longer communicated beyond a few terse text messages or emails.
Once they’d been as close as any twin sisters could be, caring for their aging parents, dealing with the aftermath of their deaths, each grieving. Dad had been thoughtful in the financial decisions, making sure the estate had been evenly divided between them. His goal was to eliminate any potential problems.
What he hadn’t anticipated was the disagreement over Mom’s china. It had been a wedding gift and used only for special occasions. As the oldest, Virginia felt she should take the twelve place settings and Veronica could have the silverware. The silverware was by far the more valuable of the two.
Instead, Veronica had insisted she should have the china and had no interest in the silverware. Earlier, Virginia had given in on Mom’s pearls, letting Veronica have those when she had always admired them. Veronica knew Virginia would treasure those pearls. It was a power play to her, making sure Virginia got only what Veronica thought was right.
Hoping to keep the peace, Virginia had agreed to let her twin have the pearls. She got her mother’s ruby ring instead.Although she’d yearned for the pearls, she’d been determined to be content with this special gift from the estate.
When it came to the china, though, she put her foot down. The china rightly belonged to her, and this time she wasn’t giving in. The sole reason her sister wanted it was because Virginia had said she did. This time she refused to bend. Veronica made a huge fuss, complaining to any and all who’d been willing to listen about how she’d been cheated.
The bad feelings escalated from there. At one point, sick of arguing, Virginia offered up half of the twelve place settings in exchange for half of the silverware. Veronica wasn’t interested. With her it was all or nothing.
If Veronica chose nothing, then that suited Virginia just fine. So nothing was what she got. The silence between them was deafening. Tragic. Sad.
As time passed, Virginia felt the loss of the close relationship she’d once shared with her sister. It hurt when their shared birthdays passed without a word from either. Holidays were the same. They’d always spent Christmas together, even as young newlyweds.
Their parents would be upset if they ever knew a twelve-place setting of china was what drove this wedge between them. Thankfully, they would never know, and for that Virginia would always be grateful.
Someone had to make a move toward reconciliation. This silence was a thorn in Virginia’s side, an ache she couldn’t relieve. She’d been a widow long before she lost her father and then a year later her mother. Her children all lived in the Kitsap Peninsula and visited often. They were a close family.
