Chapter Six
After a playful morning swim in the Atlantic, Sky and Julsey cruised the long way to Sk'lars dock via' the Rumsom Islands. A school of Risso's Dolphin approached and started playing with the small boat. Sk'lar knew these cetaceans, they were old friends, and he came to a stop and jumped in. Three individuals came up to him as he swam next to the boat then greeted him cheerfully. Julsey reached her hand overboard and pet one who had come along side. Her eyes were filled with wonder as Sk'lar played with his waterborne friends, he not thinking anything special of something he had done all his life, something as common as petting a neighborhood dog. The night before some Harbor Porpoise had escorted them out to the small barrier island, now these beautiful animals were circling and playing with them like the old friends they were.
When they had returned to the dock and tied up, she told him she had never seen these amazing creatures so close up before, and Sk'lar realized that he had a lot more to offer her. He knew the woods and hills having traveled and hiked, and was familiar with the Catskills and Watchungs and Appalacians because he like to ski. Most people who visited the Shore usually just came to swim and enjoy the beach for a few days and that was it. She had also come to explore flora and fauna a couple of times, but this was more new to her than her home was to him. Orion was on the dock chirping short little high pitched barks of “hello” and actually greeted her first rather than Sky. She didn't realize the significance of this but Sky did. The dog had already considered her his as well, and Orion was a great judge of character.
He told her that he was behind in his work and needed to leave for a while to catch up some, and that she was welcome to join him, or stay and get settled in. Julsey opted to stay, she had the whole place to herself except for Orion, and after he had gone, she unpacked and then taken another bath in the hot tub, remembering her experience in that warm water the day before. Just the thought of the preceding few days with him, and the image of them in the hot tub the day before, stimulated her and she removed her craving by herself manually, and as she relaxed from that started got out of the tub, dried off, and began to explore the house she had complete unfettered access to for a while. She found a photo album, and had thought to herself that with a few exceptions there weren't many women her age in it. She realized that he had opened a door to his world that he maybe never really had before, and she felt special because of it.
She was touched by the apparent sentimentality of this young man whom she had fallen so hard for. He had keepsakes that only someone of extreme heart and reverence would keep around. She investigated his library recognizing almost all the books there, having read many of them herself. She opened his computer to his music file and discovered they shared musical tastes. She picked four artists she did not know and created a playlist for them to randomly que up, and she discovered she liked these songs as much as any other favorite she would have picked. She also went through his desk and found a book of poetry. She opened it and read.
Under the moon of the midnight Atlantic sky, I am unbounded.
I release myself in the water, in beliefs and resolve well grounded,
yet floating like a child yet to be born safe in the womb of my mother.
Liken to my line of sight as I stare into the horizon,
I seek for where my bountiful sea and endless sky meet.
I search for where I shall meet that missing element which can complete me,
and I face the future with out compromise making no retreat,
as I move forward,
under the moon of the midnight Atlantic sky.
She was blown away. Like petals of a rose how many layers did this young man have? She saw the clothing he had worn the entire time he was with her and picked up his shirt. She brought the soft cloth to her face and breathed in. She could smell him, almost taste him. There was his scent mixed with a hint of the sweet smell of sex they had generated together. When she had had her fill of exploring and peeking into his personality and was done snooping, she started to clean up, and then went to the kitchen to explore that living area. For the most part, everything he had there to eat was also a mirror of her likes and preferences. She munched on blueberries he had in a red bowl on the second shelf.
She started a soup of onions, potatoes, celery, green tomatoes, peppers, leek, and clams. She was a natural cook, and she wanted to surprise him. When everything was set to simmer and she had cleaned up her prep, she went back to his work area and pulled out his plans for kelp farming. She was reviewing his notes when he came home.
“Damn, that smells good, yo.” were his first words and she came up to him and kissed him. “Wow, that's a nice thing to come home tu.” He said. “This is so comfortable here. I LOVE this house. Thank you for inviting me to stay.” She said with earnest thanks and humility. “I didn't realize it was missing anything really until you. You finding everything okay?” he asked. “Yussss, this place is amazing. I took the liberty of digging through your work, hope you don't mind, and I'm interested in the kelp farming project.” she said. “I've had some issues with that. Wave action rips the kelp off the cages.” She answered to the issue. “I have a few ideas about that. I'll go over them after dinner. I made an onion and leek light chowder with oyster and clam.” His eyes lit up a little, it was nice to have something unexpected and that he didn't decided upon himself for once. “Good, I'm starved.”
After they ate and served Orion the leftovers they cleaned up together. She knew her way around as automatically and with ease as well as she did helping offload the catch the night before. They settled in on his couch, her playlist still playing, and with Orion at their snuggled in and curled up at their feet. They started sharing even more stories of their youth and life experiences. The last few days had been exhausting and they both drifted off to sleep to the flicker of candles and glow of a bright full moon which was beaming in the picture glass and through the stained glass above their heads. Sex was an option, but they were both so satisfied and comfortable that it wasn't necessary for at the moment. It was just as rewarding to just fall asleep in each others arms.
At 3:07 a.m. A skype call was coming through. It woke them up, and Sky grabbed the remote and put the call on the big screen on the far wall. “Sk'lar, I need you.” There was a man in an office with some communication equipment and computers behind him. “Professor Mazza? What's up?” he asked his former professor. “A blue whale was spotted southeast of here near the Bahamas. It's a pregnant female, and the cargo ship that spotted her last thinks she's in trouble. I'm forming a team to go see if we can help her, and I want you there. In fact, I want you to head the team.” He sat in silence and thought for a moment. He was sitting on the edge of the sofa and Julsey got on her knees behind him with her arm reaching around his thick bicep. She knelled down behind him as he let out a breath.
“I suppose I can have Lawrence and my family take care of everything here, but I have a shipment of live salmon coming by rail all the way from Seattle.” Sky told his former mentor of his concern. “I'm aware of that actually. I really proud of you for that, and I'm going to give Lawrence access to my students to help if he can handle it. If not, you can tell me what to do and we can skype and you can direct me. You're the best qualified person I know.”
“Lawrence is mechanical, but scattered sometimes. I need someone to make sure the fish are handled properly” Sk'lar spelled out his concerns. “I promise you I will see to that.” That was good enough for Sky, but he was still a little aprehensive.
“Isn't there anyone else?” Sk'lar asked. “Look, you rescued more porpoised than anyone I know, eh, and helped that humpback deliver her calf two years ago. No one else I know has any experience except a few people down in New Zealand and Tasmania. There's no logistics ta get them here any time soon, -nd yous just it. They can skype when satellites agree to help advise you, but this will be your team. You make the call.” Michael Mazza had laid the deal out, and there really wasn't any negotiation to it,
not really. Sk'lar didn't have to be forced or coerced, even if he wanted to protest. It was his duty, and besides, he loved whales. It was only recently that blue whales were reclassified from extinct to endangered. For ninety years until six years earlier, not a single one had been seen anywhere.
Sk'lar accepted the fact and said in a commanding voice, “I want the Hornet and the Watson fueled, stocked and ready, and I want Denise and Louis from Regional and that old vet, John, the vet in Holmdel Hills, on the team if you can arrange it.” Mazza was quick to answer. “Louis is already part of the team, I'll work on the rest. For now, just start getting ready, yous leave in a few hours. The Watson has already been assigned, but what do you want as your command vessel?” “The Watson will do, yo.” came Sky's response. “Can you have them meet me here or do I need to go where the Watson is at?” he asked.
“The Watson is actually heading for you right now. Don't worry about it. As soon as you board you go, and don't worry, I'll get the Hornet for you, and the Wicked Wind will be right behind you as well.” The R.V. Wicked Wind was his old high school research ship he had taken classes and done labs on when he was young, it was shared between three schools and the province for research and testing. The S.A.R. Hornet was a rescue cutter for the Shore Province Fire and Rescue, which served in the capacity of what the Coast Guard once did. “Good luck, I'll be back in touch shortly, eh.” Michael said as he was standing up. “I got this, I'll do my best, Sir.” Sk'lar leaned into the camera a little. “I know, it's why I'm sending you.” Profesor Mazza smiled and the screen went blank with the logo of the Rutgers College of the Shore Province logo remaining on the screen. In addition to being a respected professor in the sciences, Michael Mazza also sat on the Administrative Board of the Shore Province and was part of a five member permanent board that served in disaster and threat response. He might have gone himself except he was damn near seventy. Sk'lar was a protege, and was the best qualified to go.
He was ready to get back on the R.V. Watson. It was a student and faculty commanded research vessel for Rutgers College, and he was on it for 30 months starting the second term of his freshman year in college. He was first mate for the last six months of his sophomore term then captain for his entire junior year. It was his ship except for having to answer to Professors Mazza and Melie, who were in charge of the research and marine labs. It was perhaps the most beautiful of the three boats that would be heading out. It had a trimaran style hull, was very stable in the water, and had state-of-the-art hybrid propulsion. It was actually an old boat, but went through a refit two years before Sky started college. For a research vessel, it actually looked more like a luxury yacht inside, maybe because that's what it had been converted from. Most boats were more utilitarian with only some aesthetic treatments, but the Watson was a real gem.
He turned to Jules, who had been standing there with her jaw almost dropping, stunned by the urgency and what this meant. “You can stay here, stay with my parents maybe, go back to your parents or...” “Go!” she finished his sentence. “I want to go with you if I can.” He just smiled..... “Looks like you have to pack a bag again. We gotta go play midwife to a whale.”