Page 64 of The Sailor in Polynesia
“Hey, Jonas, is everything okay?”
Jonas came into focus and smiled. “Ja, everything is fine. But Marcella wanted to say goodbye.” The camera panned over and I could see Marcella sitting next to Jonas.
“Hi, Mia!” she called out, and waved.
“Hey, girl! What’s new? How did the interview go?”
“That’s why we’re calling. I got the job! They want me ASAP in Tivat, so I am flying out early tomorrow morning.”
“Hey, congratulations!” I said. “That’s so exciting.” Marcella raved over the details, excited to get back to the Mediterranean and fine dining.
“I won’t be here when you get back, but I wanted to say goodbye.”
She blew me a kiss through the phone and I waved at her. Jonas came back into the shot and gave me a soft smile.
“Talk soon.”
I hung up and stared at my phone. Marcella was leaving. WasEiknext?
Twenty-Four
The next few days were spent with the family, and most nights ended much later than I would normally stay up. The kids were often tucked into bed with a team effort by the adults—although my niblings had a particular interest in Uncle James tucking them in. When the basement was quiet enough, my mom would open a bottle or two of wine. By the time we made it back to James’s place—once with the help of an Uber—it was late for us, but also late for Jonas. We hadn’t talked for a few nights, but we had messaged occasionally.
James’s words echoed through my mind when I considered calling Jonas. It was easier to be distracted.
Then a message came in while I was at my parents’ house.
Can you talk now?
Instead of responding with a text, I placed a call and climbed the stairs to find an empty bedroom.
“Mia.” Jonas’s voice came through the phone, and I felt warm and fuzzy in my chest, even though I was pretty sure Jonas was calling to say they were moving on.
“Hi, Jonas.”
“How is your family?”
I leaned back on one of the guest beds while I talked to Jonas, and he listened patiently. When I tired of family chat, I changed the subject. “Was there a particular reason you wanted to talk on the phone?”
“Yes, I have to talk to you about your boat.” He cleared his throat. “Eikis going to move to Moorea tomorrow.”
I sat up and swallowed hard. Moorea was a short sail away from Tahiti, but that would mean that Jonas would be gone. He wouldn’t be there for me to see him when I got back, and they would probably move further west after that and I might never see him again.
“Oh” was all I could say.
“I was wondering, what if I stayed on your boat?”
“You would want to do that? ButEikwould be moving without you.”
“Yes, but Moorea is a short ferry ride away. So even if you do not sail over to Moorea, I can always get over there quickly.”
“Why isEikmoving over there?”
“The crew is a little restless. Tahiti is not... There is not much here for us to do without a car. The other islands are more interesting, unless you are staying in a resort.”
“Hmm. Well, if that’s what you want to do, then yes, you should stay onWelina.” I smiled broadly. “That would mean you would be waiting for me when I get back, hopefully.”
“Ja. I would like that very much.”
