“What’s going on?”
He visually inspected the engine hoping to find a minor problem. His hopes were crushed when he saw a sticky trail of gas oozing from a bullet hole on the side of the gas tank.
“You stupid boat…” Danny cursed under his breath.
Starved of fuel, the engine died. They began drifting to the side. All Danny and Helen could do was to watch their atoll of salvation move farther away.
Not wanting to just give up, Helen lifted the seat covers to find a folded, military style shovel and a pair of old flippers. They began paddling toward the island. While they propelled the boat forward, the current was too strong and kept pulling them away from safety. Seeing that their situation was deteriorating by the minute, Danny donned the pair of flippers, jumped in the water and began pushing the boat toward the island. He kicked as hard as he can, Helen paddling with the same determination. Danny synchronized his kicks with her strokes to maximize their efficiency.
After an agonizing hour, Danny finally felt the tip of his toes touch the white sand. The atoll was no bigger than an average-sized concert stadium. Danny looked down the transparent absinthe green water and saw his feet digging into the sand. Helen grabbed the long pole from the floor and pushed the boat forward.
Their hard work finally paid off when Danny heard the sweet sound of the hull’s bottom scraping on the sand.
Drained of all their energy, they collapsed on the beach. Helen reached for Danny’s hand, thankful for his gallant efforts to save them.
She looked up and saw the lemon sun shining brightly, coconut trees bowing low in the wind.
* * *
Their thirst and hunger eventually caught up to them. Danny looked through the boat’s compartment, hopeful he’d discover a water container and some fruit to eat. Instead, he found a folded plastic sheet, a green duffel bag, a flashlight, and a bolo knife.
“Is there any water?”
Danny emptied the duffel bag’s contents on the sand and found a book of matches, a bag of rice, a small cooking pot, several cans of corned beef, some plastic cups, and a bottle of lambanog.
“What are we going to drink?” Helen asked. “I’m really thirsty.”
“Coconut juice,” Danny replied.
With the bolo in his hand, Danny cut a wedge off the trunk of the coconut tree and used it to get up the tree—cutting more wedges as he ascended.
“Back off,” Danny shouted from the top of the tree.
He sliced the stems, coconuts falling one by one onto the sand.
“Think we have enough?” Helen asked, surveying the twenty gourds on the ground.
Holding the bolo firmly, Danny began chopping the husk off a coconut until exposing the shell. With its point, he cut a small hole.
“This is so good and refreshing,” Helen said, drinking the clear juice.
After Danny and Helen finished their drink, he cut the coconut in half, exposing its semitransparent meat. Helen was about to scoop the meat from the shell with her fingernails when Danny stopped her.
“Wait, I want to show you this.”
He cut away a piece of fresh husk and formed it into the shape of a shoehorn.
“And?” Helen asked.
“Use it to scrape the meat off the shell,” Danny said, handing it to her.
* * *
While she enjoyed the coconut meat, Danny reached into his knapsack and pulled out the VHF radio. He pressed the scan button and listened for random radio transmissions but heard only white noise. He switched the channel to the international distress frequency and sent out an SOS. He clicked the push-to-talk switch—three quick bursts, three long bursts, then another three quick bursts—repeating the process several times. A few minutes later, he made a mayday call, announcing their GPS coordinates in hope that the Coast Guard could hear his message or triangulate his signal.
With the sky turning yellow and night fast approaching, Danny and Helen worked to build a shelter. They ventured further inside the atoll to gather dried sticks and coconut leaves. Danny dug holes in the sand, burying a quarter of a long stick and forming an A-frame for a makeshift tent. Helen tied the coconut leaves to the sides and fashioned them into walls.
“Our palace in the sand is not too bad,” Danny said, looking at his first architectural accomplishment.
“I’ll order furniture online. Do you think they’ll be here tomorrow?” Helen asked with playfulness in her voice.
“Don’t forget the string lights I’ll want to hang from that tree to the top of our house. Then I’ll put the dining table right over there,” Danny said, pointing to an open space near a short coconut tree, “so we can dine under the stars.”
“We could have had a real dining set and a real bedroom with a bedspread and ten matching pillows,” Helen replied, picking up loose leaves around the tent while avoiding his eyes.
Danny was taken aback by her comment. He thought that he was the only one who had regrets about their breakup years ago. He wanted to be open and honest and to tell her that their breakup wasn’t entirely his fault. She was equally to blame. Not wanting to get into an argument, he pretended not to grasp her comment’s undertone.
“It’s dinner time,” Danny said, digging through the duffel bag.
Realizing that she was out of line for starting the blame game, she quickly changed her demeanor. “I think we’re having steak for dinner.”
“There you go!” Danny said, retrieving the can of corned beef.
“Now all we need is a bottle of Worcestershire sauce and we’re set.”
“Oh, I almost forgot—we have coconut wine,” Danny said.
“And for our evening’s entertainment…” Helen said, pressing the play button on her phone. A love song filled the quiet night.
Danny took a sip of the lambanog and passed it to Helen.
* * *
The sun dipped below the horizon, its orange rays reflecting on the underside of the clouds. The sky turned into a canvass, painted with smudges of orange and dark pink.
Danny dug a hole in the sand, filling it with dried branches and leaves. Lighting it with a match, the flame from the bonfire radiated warmth and comfort at the same time. They found the pulsating amber light soothing.
“What if we never get off of this island?” Helen asked.
“It will be many long nights spent in front of the fire with a diet of freshly-caught fish and coconut juice.”
“That wouldn’t be too bad.”
“I can take up residence on the other side of the atoll just in case you get tired of seeing me every day.”
“I prefer that you’re just a few feet away from me,” Helen said.
The embers flew in erratic patterns and died off as they blended into the still air. Though Danny didn’t know when a rescue boat would ever pass by, in a strange way he was glad because he was spending the night alone with Helen.
“I am sorry for disappearing from your life. I had to stay away from you because you told me that being a teacher meant so much to you. I knew that if I asked you to stay with me in San Diego, you would have stayed but given up on your dreams. I didn’t want you to resent me.”
“That was for me to decide and not you. I’m big girl. I can handle the consequences of the choices I make. All those years we were apart, I kept asking myself what I had done wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about the stupidest mistake I’ve made in my life—not telling you what was on my mind. I could have at least flown out to see you every three months or so,” Danny said.
“You knew where I was. How come you never visited?” Her face contorted into perplexity.
“Leaving you was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. I thought of you often, especially those lonely nights in my apartment. I’m really sorry for all the years I’ve been excessively proud. I should’ve dropped whatever I was doing, gone to Boston, and begged you to come back to me. I could have taken a t
eaching position at the local university and still done my research on the side.”
“Not moving back to San Diego to be close to you wasn’t the best decision I ever made either,” Helen said. “What are we going to do when this whole thing is over and we’re back in San Diego?”
He reached for a piece of her hair dangling on the side of her face and tucked it behind her ear. It was soft on his fingertips. He had dreamt of the day when they would finally be reunited. She stared at him with her sparkling blue-grey eyes. Guided by his longing to make up for all the lost time, Danny moved toward her, kissing her pink lips. They were sweeter than any tree-ripened fruit on a hot summer day. The woman that he had always loved was back in his arms again.
“I’ve always loved you and I don’t want to waste my days without you.”
“Oh Danny,” Helen responded, tears running down her cheeks.
Danny gently laid Helen on the soft sand. He slowly kissed the side of her neck up to the back of her ears, taking his time and savoring each kiss. Helen tensed her leg muscles and let out a soft moan. Reaching behind her, Danny unsnapped her bra, tenderly pushing her blouse above her head and exposing her breasts. She pressed the palms of her hands on his tight abs, ran them all the way up to his shoulders, and pulled his shirt off. They stared at each other full of longing and desire to let their hands freely explore each other’s naked bodies. Helen wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tight. Her breasts were soft as they pressed against his chest, tremors of ecstasy arcing across his spine.
They had waited for so long to be in each other’s arms—there was no reason to rush. The moonlight painted their naked bodies.
Pressing his lips against hers, their tongues danced inside their mouths. A sense of lightness formed at the base of his stomach, electrified by his longing for her, and delighted his manhood. He pressed his face into her hair, inhaling her pure love. Elated with the medley of his touches, she spread her legs and pressed her hands into his shoulder blades.
“Oh Danny, I want you,” Helen beseeched.
He slowly guided his being into her femininity.
Helen moaned with pleasure and Danny droned in ecstasy with each of his gentle thrusts. The rustling of the leaves and the rolling waves on the shore joined the echoes of their lovemaking.
Helen looked into the black sky as she climaxed. As Danny peaked, the jewel of stars reflecting in her eyes grabbed his consciousness. Within that vision, he knew he was finally home.
* * *
Danny sat in the shade, tying a pointed metal tip to the end of the pole he would devise into a harpoon. He couldn’t believe that such a paradise could exist in the middle of the Sulu Sea while turmoil and lawlessness swirled around him. He looked up and saw Helen walking toward him with a handful of seashells she’d picked from the beach. A part of him wished that no one had heard yesterday’s SOS transmission and that he and Helen would never be rescued. He could spend the rest of his life alone with her and never to return to the chaos of modern life. It was sad that it had taken the tragedy of Blake’s abduction to realize that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
“I gathered something to decorate our little house.”
“You know in the old days, when a man wanted a woman to be his wife, the courtship tradition was to help with her family’s household chores, fetching water from the well or chopping fire wood. It showed her family that he was capable of providing for her and to prove that his intentions to marry were serious.”
Helen looked him straight in the eye and said, “Maybe you can start by catching some fish for brunch?” A sly smile broke out at the corners of her mouth.
“I guess I better get to work before the rush hour traffic,” Danny said.
Anchoring the long rope to a tree, he pushed the speedboat further out into the sea. He sat on the edge of the boat and closed his eyes for a moment to determine how he would catch a fish. The light from the bright sky created a red dome against the back of his eyelids. He opened his eyes and donned a pair of flippers and a diving mask. He looked down at the transparent evergreen water and then jumped into the shallow reef.
He held his breath as he dove deeper into the water. Floating over the coral reef, he marveled at the miracle of nature. He felt one with the sea. Stacks of flat, disk-like fans competed for the sunlight penetrating the water. Pink, purple and lime-green fingers seemed to be reaching toward the surface, mocha-brown cauliflower formations surrounding him.
Seeing some spiny lobsters crawling on the seabed, he grabbed them by their backs. He surfaced, throwing the lobsters onto the boat, and then dove back down. He harpooned a silver fish with transparent fins and yellow and blue stripes along its sides. Satisfied with his catch, he rowed the boat back to the beach.
Danny couldn’t believe his eyes when he got back to their makeshift tent. Helen was waiting for him with the fire already going in the shallow pit and a rice pot over the flame. Next to her was a low table covered with banana leaves. Danny was impressed with her domesticity.
“The table was delivered overnight after all,” Helen said.
“I’m impressed with your handiwork, Ms. Glass,” Danny said, placing his catch on the table. “On the menu today, we have grilled lobster, barbecued fish and squid.”
“And for dessert, we’ll have chocolate lava cake,” Helen replied, placing a chocolate bar on the makeshift table.
* * *
With stomachs full and satisfied souls, the newly-reunited couple walked along the beach. The sun was hot against their skin, but the blowing wind cool on their faces. It felt good walking together holding hands. The sand felt like stepping on pure sugar.
“This place is so beautiful. It’s like our own private island,” Helen said, wrapping her arms above his waist.
“Maybe this whole tragedy happened so that you and I can be together again,” Danny said, pulling her closer.
“What are you planning to do to get us out of here?”
Danny contemplated what to tell her. He had a couple of options: to keep sending mayday messages in hope that the Coast Guard would detect their distress calls or, if things got desperate, load the boat with food and water and set out in the open sea and pray that a passing ship might discover them. Not knowing what to tell her, he looked down and watched tiny crabs with periscope eyes dashing sideways toward a hole in the sand.
“Danny! What’s that floating on the horizon?” Helen asked, tugging his arm excitedly.
He squinted his eyes against the glare reflecting off the water. He saw what looked like a shark’s dorsal fin jutting across the surface. Then he realized it was a fishing boat’s tall mast with lines running down from the top. The answer to his dilemma had just been found.
“Quick! We need to signal the boat to come get us,” Danny said, running to their makeshift tent. “Get your compact mirror!”
She opened her handbag, pulled out her compact mirror, and aimed it at the fishing boat hoping to signal for help. Not wanting to waste another precious second, Danny lit the dried leaves, branches and twigs he had prepared earlier in anticipation of a passing boat. White smoke billowed against the blue sky. Danny ran into the water. Ankle deep, he waved his arms and shouted, “Over here! Help!”
* * *
As if King Neptune himself heard their cries for help, the fishing boat began turning toward them, bobbing with the waves.
“We’re finally being rescued!” Helen shouted elatedly, hugging Danny.
It was the most beautiful thing Danny had ever seen. The large fishing boat’s outrigger arms stretched out to embrace them.
As soon as the boat’s bow scraped the sand, its fishermen dropped the ramp to dismount. A dark-skinned man in a faded orange shirt and denim shorts with tattered ends stepped down, introducing himself as Captain Roger.
He was a thin man, but looked strong from his stance. As soon as he smiled, a set of yellow teeth showed through his stretched lips. Bewilderment painted on his face, he studied
the two strange-looking characters—an American woman wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt and a muscular Filipino man who seemed to be out of place.
“How did you get here? By that boat?”
“We were going to the Turtle Islands to research its creatures, but we got stranded here,” Helen quickly lied.
“That’s far from here,” Roger said.
“Sir, can you take us back to Tawi-Tawi?” Danny asked.
“That’s about a hundred fifty miles away. Besides, we’re going the opposite direction. We’re on our way to go fishing tonight, and after that we’re heading straight to Palawan to sell our catch. I could radio the Coast Guard for help when we get to Palawan and tell them to get you. Maybe they’ll come tomorrow.”
Danny thought about the risk of calling out on unsecured radio frequencies. He was confident that Dr. Klein was already aware of what had happened yesterday and could already be listening to all radio chatter.
“We need to get off the island now. Can you help us, please?” Helen said.
“Even if I’d like to take you with us, we can’t handle the added weight.”
“Take this is for your troubles,” Danny pleaded, showing Roger a fistful of hundred dollar bills. “Please take us with you. This should cover the fish weight you’ll lose from tonight’s catch.”
* * *
The murmur of waves splashing on the shore kept Danny and Helen calm throughout their solitary stay on the tiny island, but the pinging sounds of an eight-cylinder motor back at work was music to their ears. They sat in the middle of the boat and watched the atoll they had called home for the last two days fade in the distance. The last time Danny saw the atoll from the same perspective, his pulse had been going at hundred miles per hour as he wondered if they’d live another day.
The fishermen balanced themselves on the beams as they walked back and forth fixing the lines and preparing the nets. White foam formed at the tips of the sea. Suddenly, a group of dolphins appeared.
“Look, over there!” Helen said excitedly, pointing several yards away.
The dolphins arched their backs and jumped out the surface of the water. More agile than the fishing boat, they playfully swam next to it while keeping speed with the boat. Looking at them, Danny remembered that they were one of the major reasons why he fell in love with the ocean. They moved closer to the side of the fishing boat. The dolphins’ shapes were visible just a few inches below the surface. Then with one fluid move, they jumped up toward the bow as if daring the boat to run them over.
Somewhere in the Shallow Sea: A Novel of Suspense Page 9
