Moti on the Water

by Leylah Attar

  “You saved yourself. You—”

  “I’m not done yet.”

  I waited, but she just stared at me. She looked tired, but her eyes gleamed with a new luminosity.

  Then she rushed into my arms, lifting her perfectly sculpted lips to mine. No kiss had tasted sweeter, no moment righter.

  “I love you, Alex,” she said, pulling back and gazing at me with her liquid brown eyes.

  I was wrong. This kiss was sweeter, this moment righter.

  Her body melted into mine as I held her, my hands still encased in shark mitts.

  Dear God, I never want to let her go.

  Something swelled in my chest, so big that I couldn’t contain it anymore. “Moti, I—”

  “I thought you were advised to stay in bed.” Captain Bailey’s words cut me off. “Moti, shouldn’t you be resting?”

  I felt Moti’s spine stiffen, like someone had taken a whip to her back. She ignored Captain Bailey and kissed me again—a soft nuzzle on the cheek. When she let go and turned around, I realized Captain Bailey wasn’t alone. She was accompanied by David, the onboard security officer.

  Security’s involved because Moti disregarded the doctor’s advice? I bristled at the ridiculousness.

  “You’re right, Captain Bailey,” Moti said. “I should be resting. I’ve done exactly what was expected of me for most of my life, and you know what? My life almost ended today. So I’m here, thanking the man who saved me. In case you’re still looking for something to say about Alex in your letter, how about that? And for the record…” She reached for my hand but ended up coming away with the shark mitt, which she waved in Captain Bailey’s face. “This man has been nothing but honorable. Anyone would be lucky to have him on their team. I’m not just talking about the magic he creates in the kitchen, I’m talking about who he is—heart and soul. I’ll happily take a bite out of anyone who stands in his way.”

  She slipped on the shark mitt and chomped her way past Captain Bailey and David, holding it at eye-level like a sock puppet, its red mouth trained on them.

  Damn, I thought as she walked out the door. Moti 1 went down and Moti 2 emerged—spunky, spirited, and ferocious.

  I hid a smile when her head popped in again. The rest of her body followed as she tiptoed back inside and slid the mitt across the counter.

  “You might…need that.”

  Okay, maybe not so ferocious. Moti 2 still had to master the art of the grand exit.

  Captain Bailey and David exchanged a look when she was gone. Then they turned their gazes on me.

  “What?” I said.

  “Does this belong to you?” Captain Bailey held out a clear, zippered bag. “It was found in your cabin.”

  I recognized Moti’s little stash of knickknacks. There was a new addition, something dark and distinct.

  “May I?” I took the bag from Captain Bailey and examined it.

  The world stopped on its axis when I saw what it was.

  A lock of my hair.

  A strange warmth flooded my limbs—a buzzing, liquid feeling I’d never known before.

  She’d stolen a piece of me and squirreled it away for when we had to say goodbye.

  How the hell am I going to let her go when my heart is brimming over?

  “Well?” Captain Bailey prodded.

  I wanted to shield Moti from the entire world, to keep her safe and happy and carefree. Explaining her impulses to Captain Bailey was one thing, but to her family? I knew how much it would embarrass her to own up to her need to take random objects.

  I already saw the way Dolly made her feel—like she wasn’t good enough. I’d witnessed her jump to her cousin’s bidding. She was a comma among the characters of her family—unnoticed and overlooked. Hell if I was going to stand aside and let her take the fall for a bunch of souvenirs.

  Taking the blame might ruin my chances of landing the Kiriakis gig, but I wasn’t going to give them any ammunition against Moti. I was already in trouble for breaking Captain Bailey’s cardinal rule: Thou shalt not hook up with the guests.

  “It’s mine,” I said.

  “Are you sure, Chef Alexandros?”

  “Yes.” I handed the bag back.

  Captain Bailey sighed and gave the security officer a nod. “Chef Alexandros, you are relieved of your duties effective immediately.”

  “Please come with me,” David said. “You’ll be placed in confinement until we arrive at the next port, at which point, you may request a lawyer.”

  The dining room was filled with anticipation when I walked in.

  In contrast to our first night around the table, all the empty, unexplored days had been filled and we were coming together with our lines and edges redrawn by the experience.

  “Moti.” Nikos rose from his seat and led me to the table. “How are you feeling?”

  “Come sit next to me, beta.” Naani patted the empty chair beside her.

  “What are you doing here?” Dolly got out of her chair. “You should be in bed. Come, I’ll take you back.”

  “I’m fine,” I replied, shaking her hand off my elbow and settling down beside Naani. “I’d much rather be around everyone, and I don’t want to miss the farewell dinner.”

  Every time I closed my eyes, I woke up with my heart hammering, clawing at the bedsheets like I was trying to rip breathing holes through a layer of cellophane. My accident had also dampened everyone’s spirits. They’d all stopped in to check on me. The last thing I wanted to do was weigh down Thomas and Isabelle’s wedding celebrations.

  “It wouldn’t be the same without you,” Isabelle said. She looked stunning in a floor-length blush gown.

  Everyone was dressed in formal attire for the last night on the yacht. I did a double take when I saw Captain Bailey. She was still in her uniform, but her hair was down and her face softened with makeup. She sat at the head of the table with George on one side, and Joseph Uncle on the other. My eyes went around the rest of the table, chair by chair: Kassia, Rachel Auntie, Fia, Teri, Dolly, Isabelle, Thomas, Nikos, Naani.

  And me.

  Thirteen of us gathered for the farewell dinner.

  Hannah arrived with our food. Her manner was cheerful and professional when she set Nikos’s dinner in front of him. No sign of their earlier altercation.

  “I’m glad you decided to join us, Moti,” she said. Then she turned to the steward who was assisting her. “Cancel the room service for Cabin Five and bring it to the table. It’s the special meal on the counter.”

  The steward left to get my dinner and Hannah stepped back to introduce the first course.

  “Given the events of the day…” She shot a quick look at Captain Bailey. “Chef Alexandros could not prepare the menu he originally planned for tonight. The good news is he still put together something special. The bad news is it’s just one course, followed by dessert. I hope you enjoy.”

  “It looks delicious,” George said, admiring his artfully assembled plate. “What is it?”

  “To be honest,” Hannah said, “Chef Alexandros didn’t say, but all special requests have been accommodated, so you can dig in with no reservations.”

  “A mystery dish on the last night,” Joseph Uncle said. “How intriguing. Chef Alexandros is a hero for saving our Moti and whipping up a meal for us.”

  “To Chef Alexandros.” Isabelle and Thomas raised their glasses. The rest of us followed.

  “A light meal for you.” Hannah took the tray from her assistant and served me a bowl of what the doctor had ordered.

  “Thank you.” I wasn’t hungry, but the aroma beckoned like genie hands rising from the broth.

  As always, the table went quiet while we ate, each of us immersed in our own experience. It was never just a meal. It was emotions, memories, textures, flavors—crisscrossed together, like a net woven in Alex’s kitchen to capture our senses.

  With each spoonful of broth, my belly turned warmer and warmer—at first a pleasant, glowing sensation, and then, as I continued, the hea
t churned higher and higher. All the hidden, burning things inside me came clamoring to the surface, gasping for air.

  Ma Anga was right. I died in the water. I recalled the moment its icy tentacles slid into the back of my throat, the explosion of air bubbles, the pain erupting like hot lava and seeping into every fissure in my body. The darkness had been a relief. How long I stayed there, I didn’t know. What I did know was that I wasn’t the only one jump-started back to life. Anguish. Desire. Frustration. Elation. They had risen like titans along with me. With each mouthful, they grew bigger and bigger, until my stomach felt like a cauldron about to spill over.

  I wasn’t the only one reacting to my dinner. Beside me, Naani reached for her water and dabbed her napkin on her forehead. Fia hand-fanned herself. Nikos shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie. Like wildfire, the chemical reaction spread around the table, even though we weren’t eating the same thing.

  “I have some unfortunate news.”

  All heads turned to Captain Bailey, who looked surprised at her own voice.

  “I planned on telling you later because I didn’t want to ruin dinner, but I can’t seem to keep it in any longer. Mr. and Mrs. Gonsalves came to me earlier today.” She gestured toward Joseph Uncle and Rachel Auntie. “Mrs. Gonsalves wanted to get into the safety deposit box in their suite, but she couldn’t find her key. We issue two sets per cabin and both had been in her possession. All the wedding jewelry was in their safety deposit box, so they were understandably distraught.”

  Distraught was an understatement. No Indian wedding was complete without lots of gold. Many families started saving decades in advance. Back in the days when all the property went to sons, people shared their wealth with daughters in the form of gold. The tradition also had its roots in the dowry system which, although illegal now, still influenced the well-being of the bride and her status in her new family. Gold for the in-laws, gold for the groom. Hair accessories, nose rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces for the bride. I knew for a fact Rachel Auntie and Joseph Uncle had stockpiled a sizable stash for the day Isabelle got married.

  “Security began a thorough search of the premises, starting with the lowest deck,” Captain Bailey said. “The keys were found, and nothing was missing from the safety deposit box. Unfortunately, it was found in a crew member’s cabin. Chef Alexandros has admitted to its possession. He’ll be turned over to the authorities at the next port.”

  The silence that followed was jarred by a ring tone.

  “Sorry.” Thomas’s father silenced his phone.

  I stared at my plate, shocked by the news. Why in the world would Alex take the keys to Rachel Auntie’s safety deposit box?

  The silence stretched out as Hannah collected our plates and brought out dessert.

  “Galaktoboureko, a creamy custard pie,” she said. “And for you, some fruit, Moti.”

  I blinked at the five orange segments before me. Flipped inside out, they were arranged like a starfish on the plate.

  My mind flashed back to lying on a pile of quilts next to Alex, the stars glittering above us on his rooftop.

  What’s your favorite childhood memory?

  My mother, peeling an orange and bringing it to my room while I was studying. She never said a word. She’d come in, put it on my desk, and leave. Sometimes I didn’t even know she’d been there until I saw the plate. She had this way of flipping each segment inside out, with the flesh arched out, so I didn’t have to bite through the stringy white fibers. Mountains of orange spikes waiting to be scraped off with my teeth.

  Nothing says love like a plate of cut fruit left silently for you.

  I gasped like I’d been splashed in the face with cold water. The keys I found in the hallway, the ones I stashed away under the bunk bed in Alex’s cabin, along with all the other stuff I stole—they were the reason he was in trouble. I took Rachel Auntie’s safety deposit box keys and Alex took the fall for me.

  Everything bubbling inside me spilled over, like someone flipped the release valve on a pressure cooker. Words vented out in a jet stream of admissions.

  “I steal things,” I said. “Things I don’t think anyone will miss. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember.” I glanced at Joseph Uncle and George. “I took the playing card that messed up your game. I took a champagne glass from Naani’s suite. A ping-pong ball. Coffee stirrers. An hourglass. A lock of hair.” I fixed my gaze on Captain Bailey. “I took the safety deposit keys. Not Alex. I didn’t know what they were for, but I know you found them in a zipped plastic bag under the bunk bed. I know because I hid it. I’m a thief.”

  I faced my family with my secret. What should’ve mortified me, felt cathartic. “I’m the culprit. And my name is not Mo-tee,” I said to the rest of them. “It’s Mo-thi.”

  Once again, the silence was interrupted by George’s phone. Before he could reach for it, Kassia tossed her napkin over it.

  “I want a divorce,” she said. “I’ve had it with all these phone calls. I’m sick of you skulking off to answer them. I know you’re having an affair. I’ve ignored it for months, but enough is enough. As soon as the wedding is done, I’m leaving you. It’s over, George.”

  Thomas’s father stared at her, his jaw slack. His phone kept ringing.

  “You can’t divorce me,” he said when it finally stopped. “We’re Greek Orthodox. We stick together for life. Do you really think I’m having an affair?” He held his hands up. “Like one woman isn’t hard enough to handle.” Laughter started like a newly sprung leak from his chest. It sounded like relief, like a dam bursting open. “I’m not having an affair, Kassia. We’re going bankrupt. All of this…” He flashed his arms around. “One last hoorah. They’ll be swooping in as soon as we get home.”

  From across the table, someone gasped.

  Isabelle.

  Before she could compose herself, Nikos piped in.

  “I love you,” he declared, his eyes smoldering with intensity as he gazed at me.

  What the hell?

  “The flowers, the picnic, the whole thing with Moti… It was all for you.”

  Wait a minute. I swung around. He wasn’t gazing at me.

  “I was trying to make you jealous, Hannah,” he said.

  Another gasp. This time, from Captain Bailey.

  I was caught off-guard myself, although it made sense in retrospect.

  You used me? He laughed when I confessed about using him to get Dolly off my back. He’d used me too—to get to Hannah.

  He ignored Captain Bailey’s reaction and forged on. “I wasn’t ready to commit then, but I am now. I’ve gone about it the wrong way, but if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it.”

  Our eyes bounced from Nikos to Hannah.

  “You’ve been awful to me,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “Mean.”

  “I know.”

  “You don’t deserve my love.”

  Nikos hung his head, misery settling on his shoulders. “I know.”

  “But you have it anyway. You’ve had it all along.”

  “What?” Captain Bailey said as Nikos’s eyes lit up.

  “I know it’s against the rules,” Hannah said. “I know you told me to never fall for one of the passengers, but it happened. Nikos and I met last summer, on another charter. I’m sorry, Mom. I know you met my father on a yacht just like this, and I know it was so much more for you than it was for him. That’s why you’re so adamant about the rules. But I love Nikos. I love him, Mom.”

  Mom.

  Now all eyes bounced between Hannah and Captain Bailey.

  My mind flashed back to Ken and Judy, the Canadian couple Alex and I had run into in Santorini.

  Judy’s sister and niece got here yesterday, so we thought we’d come and see them.

  Their niece. Captain Bailey’s daughter. Hannah.

  She didn’t have allergies to the flowers Nikos sent me. She’d been crying.

  And now I knew why t
he captain was so determined to keep Alex and me apart. It wasn’t just the rules. It was more personal.

  “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me.” Nikos stood and went around to Hannah. “No more of this.” He took the pitcher of water from her hand and placed it on the table. “I mean, unless you want to,” he added when he noticed her expression.

  “I’m still on duty, Nikos.” Then, when his face fell, she softened and threw her arms around him. “Oh, what the hell.”

  As we watched, captivated by the intensity of their kiss, the next person succumbed to the spell that had been cast on the table—a spell that was making us all spill our guts out.

  “I like to play dead.”

  Our eyes swung to Dolly. She was standing, as if trying to make herself bigger than her secret.

  “For those few minutes when everyone is fussing around me, it feels like I matter, like I’m worth something. Because I sure as hell don’t feel worthy of much. Truth is, I’m a coward. A fake. I’ve been faking it all my life. The only time anything felt real was when I was with you, Fia.” She raked in a deep breath, her bosom puffing out like her heart had just been released from its shackles.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t fight for us, Fia,” she said. “The day we decided to tell our families, I failed you. And I failed myself. I didn’t have the courage to stand up to my father, so I married the man he picked out for me and left you behind. I tried to make it work with Moti’s father. I really did.” Her eyes met mine for a brief second, an apology cocooning the shock of her revelation, before she went on.

  “But you were always there. I hated you, Fia. If I’d never met you, if you hadn’t been so sure and unapologetic about who you were, I would’ve never fallen for you. Our friendship would’ve been just that. But seeing you again… I feel exactly the way I did all those years ago. I love you, Fia. I always have, always will.”

  Dolly. And Fia.

  What happened between you and my mother? Was it a guy?