Page 43 of The Sailor in Polynesia
Jonas nodded in sympathy. “Families are tough.”
“You said you aren’t that close to your mom? How does she feel about having both her sons out sailing?”
“She is supportive, but she is alone and getting older. I worry because we are not there. It is part of a reason to go now: she will need caretaking before too long.”
I nodded and took another bite. Many sailors worried about their families. Some had aging parents or grandparents to care for. Or, on the other side of the spectrum, there were kids to consider, and pregnancy often meant moving back to land life.
“What is the plan when you get to New Zealand?”
“I will sell the boat. I cannot ask Eivind to go further, especially now that he has Lila. They are great to have, but sailing is not something they want in their future.”
“You won’t sail by yourself on your big beautiful boat?” I teased.
Jonas chuckled. “It is too much.”
“You could get more crew. You’ll be replacing Marcella, right?”
“We have been lucky with our crew. I will never find another crew member like Marcella or Elayna.” He struggled with his words a bit. “I do not like it so much. I had always wanted to sail away with a partner, or a wife. To take on strangers, and worry about their safety or your own safety, your boat...” He shook his head. “It is too much.”
“That makes sense. It is hard. You have to really trust your crew, I would imagine. It should be easier when it’s your partner, someone you know really well, and can anticipate them.”
Jonas watched my face. “It should be, ja. But not always, no?”
I stared out at the sky behind him. “No, not always.”
The conversation hung for a moment till Jonas broke the silence. “You should sleep if you can.”
“Yes, I should.” I gathered our lunch plates and put them in the sink below. When I came back up, I gave Jonas a briefing. He was already familiar with the electronics system, so my briefing was short.
“I might sleep out here if that’s okay with you?”
“Of course. I will take good care of your boat, though, if you will sleep better downstairs.”
I shook my head. “I like the fresh air.” I curled into the corner on the bench and read for a little bit until sleep overtook me.
Sixteen
I woke to Jonas sitting at my feet. He was reading and absentmindedly stroking the top of my foot whileWelinameandered along under full sails.
When Jonas looked up, he smiled at me and I grinned back. Just like he had, I stretched deeply and yawned. My toes pointed, and the flexing of my muscles caused Jonas’s hand to slip further up my calf. I faced the back of the bench and wedged myself in.
Jonas chuckled and resumed running his fingers over my skin. It didn’t tickle me like it should have. It felt good, and I was loath to stop him.
Checking the time, I saw that I had slept away most of the afternoon. Rolling off the bench, I forced myself to go downstairs and make a coffee. I braced my hands against the furniture or walls as I walked around, struggling to get used to the motion again. It had been so long since I’d felt the boat move like this. When I was done, I climbed back into the cockpit, sitting in the corner and kicking my feet into Jonas’s lap. We read in silence whileWelinasailed along, and to my pleasure, Jonas resumed stroking my feet. I was so comfortable, I dozed off again, despite the caffeine.
When I woke up, the sun was a few fingers away from the horizon and I couldn’t see Jonas anywhere. I sat up, looking around. “Jonas?” I called out.
“Down here,” came his voice from the main salon. “I am preparing dinner. Would you like to eat?”
My stomach rumbled. “Yes, please.”
A few minutes later Jonas stuck his head out and handed me two bowls of pasta, then waters, utensils, and napkins.
We ate, watching the sun creep down the sky.
“OnEikwe have a tradition.”
“Yeah?”
