Voyage of the Defiance

by S. E. Smith

  “Fish and chips,” Tyrell said with a grin.

  “Peanut butter and jelly coming right up,” Makayla retorted. “You can set the table.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you are bossy?” Tyrell complained good-naturedly as she walked away. “And that you look good in a bathing suit?”

  Makayla shook her head and ignored him as she walked down the steps of the companionway. She grabbed her clothes and slipped into the tiny head. Tyrell was right, it was difficult to move around in the narrow space, but when that was all the privacy you had, you didn’t complain.

  She quickly changed before washing her face a little better and applying a light moisturizer to her skin, before stepping out. Tyrell had taken advantage of her being in the head to change into his own dry clothes.

  She took her wet clothes up to the top and laid them over the railing, noticing that Tyrell had already done that with his shorts. Returning to the cabin, she quickly made them some sandwiches while Tyrell set out some water, chips, and the rest of the fruit.

  “We’re almost out of bread,” she said, glancing at him. “Maybe we can stop at Key West and see if we can find a store.”

  “I’ve never been down here before,” Tyrell admitted. “I’ve heard a lot about it.”

  Makayla slid onto the bench seat and picked up her sandwich. “My mom and I’ve been down here a few times with some of her friends. I also came down a couple times with Tisha and her folks before they split up.”

  “Oh,” Tyrell said, looking down at his plate. “We don’t get out much. Grandma goes to church on Sunday and to the grocery store. I spend most of my time at the Library or down at the park playing basketball.”

  “Why don’t you play for the school team?” She asked, looking at him. “I would have thought as big as you are that you’d have been on the football team, too.”

  Tyrell shrugged. “I like shooting hoops, but I’m not very competitive. I like doing it for fun. I was never interested in football. I played a little when I was younger, but never really liked it much,” he explained. “I liked the library because it was quiet and there were so many books and magazines that could take me anywhere in the world I wanted to go.”

  Makayla chewed her food and thought about it. “I never thought of it that way before,” she admitted with a rueful look.

  “Well, think of it,” Tyrell said, leaning forward. “In Jules Verne’s books I could go to the bottom of the ocean or to the moon and it didn’t cost me a thing. It’s the same with the magazines. I could see the world through the pictures and the articles.”

  “And always be safe,” she murmured, understanding what he was telling her. “It was safer to be at the library than at home.”

  Tyrell looked down at his plate, the earnest look on his face changing. “Until my mom moved out, yeah. My grandma told her not to come back until she got her life under control. I didn’t think she would ever do that until she met Martin. She’s happy now,” he said, playing with a chip on his plate.

  Makayla didn’t say anything, just looked down at her plate. She hoped her mom finally found what she was looking for. Unlike Tyrell though, she hoped that she was a part of that life.

  They both jumped when they heard the crackle of the radio. Makayla had turned it on after they came back on board earlier and forgotten about it. Sliding out of her seat, she grabbed it and continued up the companionway steps to the cockpit.

  “Defiance, Defiance, this is the SeaTide II, over,” Henry said.

  Chapter 26

  “Where are we supposed to meet them?” Tyrell asked, turning and looking at all the different shops.

  “At Sloppy Joes,” she replied.

  “Wow! This is tight,” Tyrell said, looking at the colorful houses. “Let me get a picture of you here.”

  Makayla rolled her eyes. He had been stopping every ten feet it seemed, wanting to take a picture. She turned and gave an exaggerated pose. Once he was done, she turned back around and started walking down Duval Street.

  The bar wasn’t far from where they had anchored the Defiance. It had taken a little while, but they had figured out how to inflate the portable raft stowed in the locker in the back behind the cockpit. They had used it to row the short distance to shore, tying it up and stowing the paddles near the docks.

  “You know, Henry and Jason can take you home,” she suddenly said, pushing her hands into the front pocket of her shorts. “Your grandma must be worried about you.”

  Tyrell wrapped his hand around her arm, stopping her in the middle of the sidewalk. He ignored the people streaming around them. Makayla bit her lip as she returned his intense stare.

  “No,” he said in a firm voice. “I talked to my grandma today. She’s still at my Auntie’s house and doing alright. She understands what’s going on. Yeah, she’s worried, but she also thinks this is good for me. I sent her some of the pictures and I told her you were even teaching me how to swim. Everything’s cool, Makayla. Besides, you need my help.”

  Makayla lowered her eyes, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I could do this on my own, but it wouldn’t be easy,” she said, looking down the colorful street. “I admit it is easier having someone there, especially at night.”

  “Good, that’s settled, then. I stay,” he said, looking up with a frown. “Now, where do we go?”

  “Just a few more blocks,” Makayla responded, nodding her head. “That way, towards Greene St.”

  Makayla didn’t want to admit that she had been nervous about meeting her granddad and Jason. When Henry had called this morning and suggested that they meet, her first response had been to refuse. Deep down, she was afraid he would try to trick her or keep her from completing her journey.

  That fear had opened her mind to a new discovery; that this journey was more than just about going home. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was a journey to see if she could do it. She wanted to know if she was strong enough to strike out on her own.

  A part of her understood that one of her mom’s biggest weaknesses was her fear of being alone. Her mom had always had someone there, whether it was her parents or Makayla’s father or the many other guys that came into her life. When Makayla’s father died in the plane crash, then her mother, it was if she was losing everyone.

  Yes, she’d had Makayla, but that never seemed to be enough. Her mom was needy, always looking for that next person who would take care of her. That was something that Makayla never wanted to do. She wanted to know if she could do this on her own.

  She could argue that having Tyrell aboard might count as still being dependent, but she discarded that thought. She had left her grandfather’s house without knowing that he was there, proving that she could make this journey without anyone else. The voyage had also shown her something else about herself, that it was okay to need help. It didn’t make her weak or needy, just human.

  “There they are,” Makayla whispered, seeing her grandfather and Jason standing outside of the open-air bar.

  “I’ve got to get a picture of this,” Tyrell said, pulling an amused groan from Makayla.

  “Remind me to tell Henry to take the camera back with him,” she teased as they crossed the street.

  *.*.*

  Henry glanced around the busy street. He had quit coming down to Key West after Mary Rose died. He decided it really hadn’t changed all that much. Duval Street was still filled with tourist shops and it still held the same festive atmosphere.

  “There she is,” Jason said, pushing away from where he had been leaning against the wall. “That must be Tyrell.”

  Henry watched through narrowed eyes as the tall boy next to Makayla paused and took several pictures. The boy said something to Makayla that made her laugh. It was the first time that he could remember her being this happy and relaxed.

  “Hey, old man,” Makayla called out as she stepped up onto the sidewalk.

  “Your bruising is going away,” Henry commented, glancing at
Tyrell. “You the stowaway?”

  Tyrell looked at Henry with wide eyes before he laughed. “Now I know where she gets it from,” he said, shaking his head. “Yes, sir, but in truth, I fell asleep and didn’t mean to stowaway.”

  “Your family okay with what’s happening?” Henry asked.

  “Yes, sir. My grandmother knows I’m doing this,” Tyrell replied.

  “I’ve got a camera just like that,” Henry reflected with a nod. “It takes nice pictures.”

  Tyrell glanced at Makayla when she smothered her laugh. “Yes, sir. It sure does,” he said with a smile.

  “Well, now that the twenty questions are over, I’m starving. What about you two?” Jason said, clapping his hands together.

  “Yes, sir!” Tyrell said with a huge grin. “As long as it doesn’t involve peanut butter, I’ll eat it.”

  Henry and Jason both laughed while Makayla stuck her tongue out at Tyrell. Jason slapped Tyrell on the shoulder and the two of them walked into the bar, leaving Makayla and Henry to follow. He reached out and touched the fading bruise on Makayla’s cheek with a gentle finger. His eyes were thoughtful as he stared at her.

  “I want you to know that I’m proud of you, girl,” he said in a quiet voice. “Has that boy behaved himself?”

  Makayla looked at where Jason and Tyrell were talking. Her eyes darkened when she thought of the storm and how close Tyrell had come to dying. It suddenly dawned on her that Henry felt the same way, but about her.

  “Yes, believe it or not, we have a lot in common,” she said in a soft voice. “I need to finish this, Henry. I think Tyrell does, too.”

  “I know, honey,” Henry replied with a sigh of resignation. “I know.”

  Makayla breathed a sigh of relief as they followed Jason and Tyrell to their table. She listened more than talked during the meal. Jason and Tyrell joked about being unintentional volunteers on the Defiance before talking football.

  Makayla was just glad that Tyrell didn’t mention what happened during the storm. Henry had asked them if they had any problems and about the conditions. Both she and Tyrell had responded with vague answers and assurances that they didn’t have any issues.

  “I need to get a few groceries before we head back,” Makayla commented later. “Tyrell wanted to see the Southern Most Point, as well.”

  “We’ll walk along with you,” Jason said with a shrug. “It’s not like we have anything better to do. We’re just following you.”

  “Do you need to refuel?” Henry asked.

  Makayla shook her head. “We still have over three quarters of a tank,” she said. “We’ve used very little. I used some going out the Inlet and during the storm, but the tank is big.”

  “What about fresh water?” Jason asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  “The fresh water collector has done a good job of keeping it full,” she said. “Plus, we’ve been really careful about not taking long showers or just using the outside hose to rinse off.”

  “Yeah, when you’re as big as me, you don’t fit in that tiny bathroom real well. I told Makayla if I wasn’t bumping my head, I was kissing my knees,” Tyrell complained with a grin.

  “Better than a bucket,” Henry commented.

  Tyrell glanced at Makayla and laughed. “I swear you two are so alike it’s scary,” he said.

  *.*.*

  “Did you know that Key West is also known as the Conch Republic and that it actually declared its independence from the United States in 1982 for one whole minute before surrendering?” Tyrell asked later that night as he leaned back on the couch with his feet propped up. “I remember reading about that in one of my National Geographic magazines, but had totally not connected it to Key West for some reason.”

  “That’s nice,” Makayla said, frowning at the messages from Tisha, Debbie, Laura, and Audrey. “I need to program in the route we are going to take tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, Jason said that storm they were telling us about is stalled and the weather guys are expecting it to move north,” Tyrell said, glancing up at her. “I don’t know about you, but one was enough for me.”

  “Me, too,” Makayla muttered, picking up the GPS. “I’m going topside.”

  “OK,” Tyrell replied in a distracted voice.

  Makayla shook her head. She liked Tyrell, but right now, she needed some alone time. He had talked non-stop since they got back.

  Deciding to sit up on the bow, she walked along the deck, glancing about to make sure that everything looked like it was secured. She’d do another, more thorough check in the morning. They had left the raft tied to the back. She would have Tyrell help her figure out a way to strap it down so they didn’t have to deflate it again.

  Looking up at the sky, she stared up at the stars. For the first time since she could remember, she felt… calm inside. Today had been a good day. Henry had been quiet at first, but as the day wore on, they had both opened up. He told her that her mom was doing good, working through things and finally finding her place.

  “I have hope this time,” Henry had said. “Arnie said she told him to take a hike yesterday. He was giving your mom a hard time about being so down on herself. Guess she told him off pretty good.”

  She remembered looking at him in shock. Her mom telling anyone to take a hike was a huge change in her personality. It had been another wake up for her that the world, and people, didn’t stay the same.

  Releasing a deep, tired sigh, she forced herself to focus on the route they were going to take. The Gulf side was a lot shallower than the Atlantic side in many places. She would need to make sure that she kept enough distance that they didn’t run aground.

  Looking at the nautical chart, she mapped out the most commonly used route up the western side of Florida. It was approximately two hundred and six nautical miles to Tampa from where they were now. They should make it to Tampa by late Saturday afternoon. If they did, he could ride home with Henry and Jason either Saturday night or Sunday and still make it to school on Monday.

  She carefully programmed in the longitude and latitude before turning off the GPS. It had been a long couple of days with broken sleep. Tonight she and Tyrell had a chance to catch up before they began the last leg of their journey.

  Makayla pushed herself up off the cushion, stretching and yawning. Her eyes swept over the brightly lit town. She could see people still out on the streets even though it was close to eleven o’clock in the evening. Deciding she better get some much needed rest before her early morning start, she turned and retraced her steps down to the companionway. Tyrell was passed out on the couch, his cell phone lying across his chest and his mouth hanging open. Grabbing a thin blanket, she picked up his phone and laid it on the table next to him before spreading the blanket over his sleeping form.

  Yawning again, she turned and headed for the bed in the bow. She barely had time to pull the thin blanket over her own body before she fell into an exhausted sleep. In the back of her mind, she heard the faint vibration of Tyrell’s cell phone.

  It had been doing that more and more. He sure does have a lot of friends, she thought as darkness edged out her remaining consciousness.

  Chapter 27

  Makayla wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished attaching the last bungee cord through the rope on the life raft. They had decided that turning it upside down and securing it to the bow would make the most sense. She hadn’t realized it was so heavy, or big, until they were trying to wrestle it to the front of the sailboat.

  “What do you want me to do next?” Tyrell asked, wiping at his own brow.

  “Make sure everything in the companionway is secured,” Makayla instructed. “I want to do one more walk around before we pull anchor. I’ll use the engine until we are clear of the major traffic.”

  “Okay,” Tyrell said.

  Makayla watched as he disappeared below deck. Glancing to the east, she could see the sun breaking over the horizon. She hoped to get an early start and miss most of the boat traffic, especially
the tourist’s boats.

  She checked the Sheets to make sure they were not binding. A smile curved her lips the first time she heard the name. She couldn’t figure out why there were ‘Sheets’ on a sailboat. Henry had explained that it was what the lines were called that pulled the sail up.

  She did a walk around, mentally checking off all the things that Henry had taught her. Climbing back down into the cockpit, she adjusted the Dodger. It looked like another sunny day and she wanted to make sure they had it attached before it got too hot.

  Turning on the GPS, she waited for it to find the satellites that it needed before starting their route. Once she felt confident that she had done everything that she was supposed to, she called out to Tyrell to come help her pull the anchor lines that they had attached to the floating buoys.

  “Can you get the front one while I take care of the back? I want to make sure I have the engine going first. I’ll release the back then pull forward so you can do the front,” she said.

  “Sure, just like when we stopped, only in reverse, right?” He asked, climbing up and moving toward the bow of the boat.

  “Yes,” she said, starting the engine before climbing up and untying the slip knot that she had fastened around the cleat. “Clear.”

  She scrambled back down into the cockpit to the helm. Pushing the throttle forward a tiny bit to give the engine some gas, she turned the wheel slightly to the starboard side. Tyrell knelt and quickly untied the knot up front before pulling the rope free. Standing, he gave her the thumbs up to show that they were clear.

  Makayla turned the wheel again, this time to the port and slowly pulled away. Tyrell kept an eye out up front until she was clear of the other boats mooring near the pier. It was only once they were in the marked channel that he moved back to the stern and the cockpit. Jumping down on the cushion, he quickly wound the rope like she had shown him and stored it back under the seat.

  “You’re beginning to become a pro at this,” he said with a smile.