SS Pacifica

by Coleinger, Ronnie

  She stopped walking and pulled me back close to her. She looked into my eyes and said, “Is there anything else bothering you, or things that we need to discuss?” I kissed her hard on the lips and said, “Everything else in my life is perfect. I am married and in love with my best friend. However, now that the Pacifica is about to be sold, I am anxious to return home and begin dreaming of and creating another vessel. These last few months at sea have changed my life and I want nothing more than to live on the sea for my remaining days. It would take me a week to make a list of the places I would like to visit from the deck of our next creation.” Becky hugged me and said, “I was concerned back at the pool that you might have changed your mind about this life you have become part. I would be devastated if this marriage was to end for some reason. I am in love with you, Stanley, and your presence in my life is what makes my work and my life complete.”

  I realized that Becky was crying on my shoulder and I hugged her hard. I said, “Becky, I will not leave you. I fell in love with you for the first time back in college and I have loved you ever since. I thought the chances of us ever becoming husband and wife were non-existent, so I moved on and married June. Hindsight tells me that I should have asked you to marry me the day after you graduated from college. Now that you and I have joined, I will never let you get away from me again without fighting for your love.” When Becky calmed her emotions, I wiped the tears from her cheeks with my fingers and said, “How about a beer beside the pool before we retire to our bed?” Becky asked, “Let me have your wallet for a moment.” I took it from my pocket and handed it to her. She looked inside and found what she wanted, put the item into the front pocket of her pants and handed my wallet back to me. I chuckled over her actions and then took her hand in mine as we headed to the pool area.

  As we stepped up to our bedroom door, I heard Jill open her door. She walked up to us and asked, “Are you two okay? Back at the pool, I was afraid you two were having a major conflict in your lives and I was worried. I see you have been in the pool. I hope you have settled whatever the problem was.” Becky stepped up to Jill, hugged her hard and said, “Everything is very okay. We just needed to talk and make certain that our goals and desires were the same. I am very in love with this man and he is in love with me. We expressed our love in your pool.” I chuckled and said, “Becky that is too much information for our host to hear.” Jill giggled and said, “That wonderful warm pool had solved many issues in its time, and I am certain it will resolve many more during its existence. I am pleased to hear that you two are still madly in love.” Jill stepped around Becky and hugged me, then stepped back and said, “Stanley, you are still very wet. There are more large towels in the cupboards behind you.” I opened the door, removed two towels, and wrapped one around Becky’s shoulders.

  As we stripped and dried our bodies in our room, I opened all the windows and doors and allowed the warm ocean breeze to flow through the room. Becky walked up to me and snuggled up close. When she pressed her body to mine, I laughed and asked, “Are you cold?” She giggled and said, “If you hug me for a few moments, the two goose bumps you feel will soon warm.” After a few minutes, we crawled into bed and talked for a few minutes before falling asleep.

  When my eyes popped open, Becky had snuggled up close to me and her arm was lying across my back. I could feel her breathing on my shoulder and it felt wonderful, but my arm was under her and had fallen asleep. I gently tried to slide my arm out from under her, but she woke. I moved over in the bed a few inches and rolled over to face her. I rubbed my arm until it quit tingling. Becky snuggled up against me again and said, “I have got to pee, and then I will go down and make coffee.” When she returned, I also got up and we went down into the kitchen together. As we walked to the bottom of the stairs, we could smell the coffee perking and something wonderful cooking. We walked into the kitchen and a woman smiled and said, “Good morning sleepy heads, my name is Chris. The coffee is almost ready and I will cook whatever you like for your breakfast.” Becky and I introduced ourselves to Chris, and then sat down at the breakfast bar and talked with her.

  As we sipped our coffee, we heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Jill walked into the kitchen. She walked up behind Becky and me and put her hands on our shoulders. She said, “I see you two have met Chris. She is the glue that keeps this place from falling apart around us. Without her, I would be lost. If she ever leaves me, or retires, I will be forced to sell this place and move into an assisted living apartment somewhere.” I saw Chris blush a little and return to cooking our eggs. When Jill had a cup of coffee poured, she sat down beside me and we began discussing the itinerary for the day, and our plans to fly back to California on Saturday. I explained that we had found a flight home, but it departed at five o’clock in the morning. Jill said, “Are there any flights on Sunday? Maybe you could stay one extra day and take me on a shakedown cruise in the Pacifica.” I saw Becky’s eyes light up and she looked at me for approval. I laughed and said, “My love, you don’t need my approval to remain on Oahu, I love this place. I think Jill’s suggestion is a splendid idea.”

  Chapter 19 - The Final Voyage

  Jill led the way to the garage, and I chuckled as we loaded into her club cab GMC pickup. As we turned onto a small access road, I said, “My friend, you are a very practical woman.” I watched a smile cross her face and she said to Becky, “If you ever mess up the relationship with this man you have married, I will abandon our friendship and pursue him for my own.” I saw a look of anger pass across Becky’s face and then she punched Jill hard on the shoulder. I heard Jill say, “Ouch, that really hurt girl.” Becky said, “Any woman who attempts to steal my man will pay a very steep price.”

  I saw the two girls look deep into each other’s eyes, and then Becky reached over and gently rubbed Jill’s shoulder where she had punched her. Jill said, “I should drag you out of this truck and kick your ass.” I heard Becky say, “All you have to do is shut off the engine and step out into the yard. I will give you an ass whooping you will not soon forget.” As the girls stared into each other eyes, I saw smiles form on their faces. Both women were still sizing up their opponent, but I realized that the adrenaline flow in their veins had subsided. I was not certain who would win a battle between these two strong willed women, but I knew there was a major battle brewing if these two did not settle the matter right here and know. I saw Jill’s lips move and she said, “Stanley is your husband. There is no need for us to beat each other senseless over a man whom you have already mated and ruined.” I saw Becky’s shoulders tense and knew she was about to punch again. I put my hand on Becky’s shoulder and said, “This battle is not one you should enter into. Jill is goading you into a fight over something that is already yours.” Jill turned her head to speak, but Becky said, “Woman, think your words over carefully before opening your mouth.” I saw Jill roll her eyes, but she did not take her hands off the steering wheel, or speak.

  When we entered the lawyer’s office, the receptionist took us to a beautiful conference room; I pulled out a chair for Becky to sit in, and then took hold of Jill’s arm and sat her on the opposite side of the table. When the lawyer entered the room, he looked at the two women still glaring at each other across the table and said, “Has someone been naughty, or are you two fighting?” I told the man that the girls were arguing over a man, and that I did not trust them to sit beside each other. He laughed and said, “Who could this man be that they were fighting over?” I heard Becky say, “My man!” A smile came across Jill’s face and she said, “Becky, I am sorry that I offended you. I will not tease you any longer, I can tell by the growing lump on my shoulder that my words have angered you. If Stanley was single instead of married, I would continue this battle to the end, but that is not the case.” I saw Becky slide her hand across the table, palm down. Jill followed suit and slid her hand to the center of the table. As I watched, they touched fingertips and seemed to mend their differences; I hoped they could remain friends.r />
  Once we had all signed the papers, the attorney said, “We can take my car to the bank to get the money transfer complete, and then this deal will be final. Can you two girls ride together in the same vehicle without fighting?” I began to laugh and realized that my wife was about to punch me on the shoulder. I said, “Don’t do it. I cry easily.”

  When we arrived at the bank, the money transfer took a little longer than expected. Becky’s bank in California did not have one of the accounts correctly set up and the transfer would not complete. Jill’s banker finally told the bank manager in California to forget the transfer. He said he would create an account at his bank and transfer the money there, and then the transfer to California could happen in a day or two after the bank had fixed their errors. Once Becky and I had all the money in our accounts, I watched Becky hand over the padlock keys for the Pacifica to Jill and then hug her. The attorney took us back to his office and Jill paid for his work.

  As we drove back to Jill’s beach house, she called home. Chris told her that there was food prepared for us if we wanted to eat. When we walked into the kitchen, I smelled garlic. I walked up to where Chris was stirring something in a pan on the stove and she said, “I hope you lovers from the across the ocean like spaghetti and garlic bread.” I patted her on the shoulder and said, “You could not have prepared anything I like better. This smells wonderful.” She said, “Good, you can set the table and uncork the wine I have cooling in the refrigerator.” As we worked and talked about the sale of the Pacifica, Chris said, “So how long have you and Becky been married?” I laughed and said, “We were married just before we left California on this trip. That was just a little over five months ago.” Chris giggled and said, “You do realize that Jill thinks you are hot stuff don’t you.” I laughed at her choice of words and said, “I discovered that today. I thought I might have to break up a fist fight earlier.” I heard Chris begin to laugh and she said, “Jill is an incredible woman. She is very intelligent, but when a thought passes through her head, it comes out her mouth. Sometimes, her mouth gets her in trouble. Jill’s Father hired me many years ago and Jill kept me on after he passed away. I could never find a better friend than Jill; she is like a Daughter to me. If you can deal with her constant teasing, you will find her to be a great person.”

  As I finished setting the table, I heard two giggling girls coming down the stairs towards the kitchen. When Becky stepped around the corner where I could see her, she was wearing a white halter-top and white short shorts. She walked towards me and said, “Do you like my new outfit?” I whistled a catcall at her and said, “You look stunning, absolutely stunning.” She walked up and kissed me hard on the lips. I said, “I love you too.” She took my hand and gently pulled me, wanting me to follow her. I walked into the living room with her and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I knew something was up, but had no idea what these two women had been discussing. She said, “Husband, Jill is going to drive us to the Men’s Health Clinic so you can be tested to see if your vasectomy was successful. Would you humor me and do this for me. It is important that I know if it is safe to love you the way I wish.” I laughed and said, “So you and Jill have been discussing my vasectomy.” I watched Becky blush and she said, “I am sorry, but the subject just came up and Jill made the offer.” I hugged my wife and said, “I will do this for you, but please be careful how many intimate details you tell our friend. She is in love with me, you certainly must know that.” I saw Becky’s eyes light up and she sputtered some words that I hoped no one else heard. She finally said, “Jill thinks you are wonderful, but I doubt that she is in love with you. She has a boyfriend, but she prefers girls....” Becky put her hand over her mouth and began backtracking over the words she had just spoken. I realized that Becky had just divulged information that she should not have told me. I said, “Wife, the things you tell me are private and will never go any farther. Don’t worry about the words you just spoke, they will remain a secret.”

  As we ate supper, we discussed our plans for sailing the Pacifica in the morning. Jill said she would like to bring a friend that loved to sail with us for the day, if we did not mind. I laughed and said, “Even if we do mind, you can bring your friend. Remember who now owns the Pacifica.” I saw a smile cross Jill’s face, and then she looked me in the eyes and said, “You will have to promise to keep your hands off Shelley, she is drop dead gorgeous, but she is spoken for.” I continued to stare into Jill’s eyes. She got nervous, and finally could not contain herself any longer. She said to me, “She is my lover.” I nodded and said, “I guessed that by your words, but you are an adult and can love whomever you choose.” She smiled at me and then looked at Becky for support, but Becky continued to look down at her plate and had nothing to say on the matter. I think Becky was embarrassed after divulging Jill’s private information to me earlier. When the conversation turned back to the Pacifica, I heard Becky take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Jill put her hand on Becky’s and said, “I am sorry if my bisexual lifestyle troubles you, Becky.” Becky looked up into Jill’s eyes and said, “I guess I agree with Stanley. You can love whomever you choose, it matters little what I or anyone else thinks, as long as you and your lover are happy.”

  ***

  We all got up before daylight the following morning. There were four of us for breakfast and I soon discovered that Shelley had her Ph.D. in chemistry. When she told me that tidbit of information, I turned around to her and said, “Holy crap girl, chemistry is incredibly hard to comprehend; I almost flunked out in high school, I am impressed.” She looked me in the eyes and said, “Chemistry is easy for me, but I actually flunked out of English and had to take it over.” I chuckled and said, “I am an author, so English is easy for me, but chemistry is just beyond my abilities. It always amazes me how smart some of the people I meet really are; and you Shelley, you impress me with your Ph.D. in chemistry.”

  Shelly turned her attentions back to her breakfast. Jill said, “Shall I make a pot of coffee to drink on the Pacifica?” Becky said, “There is coffee on board and we can perk a pot or two on the camp stove once the sails are set and we are underway.” I saw a smile form on Jill’s face and she said, “A real percolator? Do you mean that you two actually perk coffee? I have not had real perked coffee since before Father died. Let’s all use the potty and get underway.” Shelley stepped up to me and asked, “Is there a bathroom on the Pacifica?” I turned around so no one else could hear and said, “There are two chamber pots and a small enclosure where a person can sit to do their business, but privacy is not something easily obtainable. Becky and I usually go up onto the deck and do our business over the side in the ocean.” I saw Shelley thinking and then she said, “How do you wipe?” I smiled and said, “You wash with ocean water until you are clean, then wash with a bar of soap that you will soon remember to take with you each time you must potty.” Shelley thought a little more and said, “Oh this is going to be exciting the first couple times. I fear I am the shy one in the crowd.” I laughed and said, “I was the shy one the first day out to sea, but when you have to go really bad and have no choice, you learn to cope.” Becky grabbed me by the arm and said, “We need to go. You two can discuss potty training while we sail.”

  We made a stop at the Men’s Health Clinic. I filled the little container and carried it out to the nurse. She labeled the sample and said, “The laboratory will send up a report later today. We will call your cell phone when they send the results to us.”

  When we arrived at the Pacifica, we let Jill unlock the padlocks and raise the bow hatch. She stood up on top and said, “Where will I find the light switch?” I said, “I will go first and turn on the lights so you know where they are.”

  When the lights were on, I realized that the running lights had drained the batteries quite a bit. I stuck my head back up on deck and said, “Becky, the batteries are very low. We need to bring one of the generators up on deck and give them a thirty-minute charge before we set sail. Jill and Shelle
y need to know how to do this, so they might just as well come down here and help.” When the three women were in the cabin, Becky used the lift table to hoist one of the generators up to me. I showed the girls how to plug in the power cable so the generator could charge the batteries. When I started the generator, the cabin lights got brighter as the batteries began taking a charge. While the batteries charged, Becky took the girls on a tour. She opened every cabinet, every drawer, and every cupboard.

  We would need a few more minutes before the batteries were fully charged, so Becky began passing up the sails and rigging. When everything was up on deck, Becky began assembling the foremast. She set it up for opposing sails, but explained that both sails were not necessarily required, and that it took more work to keep them from luffing. When the rigging was in place, we passed up the rigging for the mainsail. When we had hung the sailcloth, we hoisted the anchors and set the sails. Becky talked the entire time while she set a port tack and watched the sails fill with air. I adjusted the rudder and we were off sailing. The Pacifica was heavy with four of us on board and did not run as high in the water as normal, so I showed the girls how to blow some water out of the ballast tanks. When I had removed a hundred gallons or so of water, the Pacifica came alive and rode the waves perfectly.