Page 53 of The Hitchhiker in Panama
“They are very different,” Elayna said.
“Yes,” Marcella agreed. “Backpacking in South America is challenging, but so is sailing. In different ways.” She sighed. “It is hard to understand how great of an opportunity this is to sail with Jonas and Eivind. The boat is amazing, and I trust Jonas completely as a captain. This is the whole package, and that is very hard to come by.”
“Argh! How can I make this choice?”
Marcella laughed. “Oh no, I have a gorgeous, hunky man who wants to have me trapped on a boat with him for a month.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” I huffed at her.
“I do not want to downplay how hard it will be,” Elayna said. “But these islands we are going to, this is a lifelong dream for most people.”
“Nah, yeah. I guess I should learn to be more flexible. I just hate that I tookso much timeto research and plan this trip and now it is for nothing.”
“You are young,” Marcella said. “There is plenty of time to travel. You will have the opportunity to go to South America again.”
“Yeah, but I will have a job. I hope.”
“And more money,” Marcella countered.
“True.”
“How are things with you and Eivind?” Elayna asked.
“We don’t have to talk about that,” I said.
“It is okay. I want to hear your love story.”
I blushed and laughed. “I doubt it’s love.”
Marcella raised her eyebrows. “I can see it happening. Eivind flirts but he is genuine. He has not been this interested in anyone that I’ve seen.”
“Good,” I said, and the girls laughed.
“Eivind has always been kind of . . .” Elayna trailed off.
“Independent?” Marcella suggested.
Elayna wiggled her head. “He is himself. He is contained. Jonas has always been the opposite. He has always been looking for something.”
“Yeah, but that’s kind of the thing,” I said. “If I sail across the ocean with him, that’s a big deal. We’d be sharing his cabin and all these experiences. But then I’d leave, and . . .” I hesitated for a moment. “Eivind would just go back to being his independent self, and where would I be?”
Marcella eyed me. “Back in Australia?”
“Oh, right.” I picked at my fingernail while lost in thought for a moment. Then I threw up my hands. “See? Only a couple of weeks with Eivind and I’m having all kinds of insane thoughts. What would happen after a month together out at sea? I’d be hopeless.”
It was Elayna’s turn to comfort me now. She squeezed my shoulders and I leaned against her for a moment.
“I remind myself every day,” Elayna said, “that this is an amazing adventure. I’m here to make the most of the time I have.”
Twenty-Four
It was time for a late lunch when we got back to the boat. We gathered in the main salon, and Marcella set some large platters on the table.
“Make-your-own sandwiches,” she announced.
I made a sanger and picked at it while the conversation flowed around me. I needed to make a decision.
Eivind finished his second sanger as I sat down. “What do you think, darling?”
