by Philip Roy
Melissa invited Ziegfried and Sheba to stay at her house and they happily accepted. We climbed into the Jaguar together and squeezed the luggage into the boot and turned onto the road. The car dragged close to the ground and Melissa drove slowly. Seaweed sat on the roof. I heard him stepping around up there. Ziegfried and Sheba sat arm in arm in the backseat. Radji squeezed into the front with me. It was strange to think that Ziegfried and Sheba were married now but it made perfect sense. He had been hopelessly in love with her ever since he first set eyes upon her and could barely speak. Seeing them married now made me think that good things happen to people even if they have to wait a long time. Sheba and Ziegfried both waited a very long time to find each other, but they did. I couldn’t stop watching them now and smiling. They looked like the happiest people in the whole world.
Melissa was happy to have so much company in her home. She served a pot of tea with cookies, then immediately set about creating a meal. Sheba joined her in the kitchen and the sound of their conversation took on the tone of women’s talk, which was almost like a different language to me. I wasn’t used to seeing women together much.
Ziegfried wanted to examine the sub. But first he accepted the challenge of a game of chess with Radji. I was about to warn Radji but then I thought, why bother? He’ll see for himself soon enough. In fact, I was curious to see how hard Ziegfried would play with him. Would he take it easy on him because he was only ten years old and a beginner? Would he give him quarter, at least a little, or beat him ruthlessly?
He beat him ruthlessly. He never gave him the slightest hint of quarter. They played five games and Radji never lasted more than seven moves. The whole thing didn’t take longer than twenty-five minutes. I watched Radji’s eyes grow wider at every move. Ziegfried played as he did anything else— with complete attention. At each checkmate it was as if he had reached out with an iron hand and crushed Radji’s king. Radji never had a chance. I knew that feeling well.
Was Radji going to be upset? I was worried he might be. I watched him when Ziegfried stood up to go out to the sub. Radji stared with awe. Then he turned to me and whispered with a little smile: “He’s an expert.”
“Yes,” I said. “He is.”
Radji followed us out to the boathouse. Ziegfried stood and stared at the little river. “How on earth did you get the sub up the river, Al? Did you pull it up with elephants?”
“We came at night, on the surface.”
He bent down and scanned the river closely. “It can’t be ten feet!”
“It’s about that.”
He shook his head. “Okay, I’ve got to see the sub, Al. You said you were depth-charged. Lord Almighty! You never saw a leak? Not even a drop?”
I was nervous to show Ziegfried the sub now. He was so obsessed with safety. I knew it was important but he always went overboard with it. If he felt the sub wasn’t safe enough to sail, he could ground me right here and now. It was an agreement we had right from the beginning. I was the captain of the sub, but he was the one who decided whether or not it was fit for sea. If he said it wasn’t, it wasn’t going anywhere.
“Let me see it, Al.”
Chapter Twenty-six
I UNLOCKED THE BOATHOUSE door and opened it up. Ziegfried bent his head and entered. I followed him in, and Radji and Hollie followed me. Seaweed flew up to the roof. Ziegfried rested his hands on his hips and stared. “There she is.”
“Yup.”
“She’s still afloat.”
“Yup.”
“How long has she been sitting here?”
“Umm . . . about a week, I guess.”
“And how long since you put the run on the Indian navy?”
“Uhh . . . about a month, I guess.”
“A month?”
“Yes.”
“And what’s the deepest you’ve gone since then?”
“Umm . . . three hundred and twenty feet or so.”
“Well, that’s good. Can’t be any leak. Let’s have a look inside.”
Ziegfried barely fit inside the sub. He had a really hard time getting in, and then he had to bend over like an old witch. He climbed in and went straight into the stern to see the engine. “Start her up, Al.”
I started the engine.
“Good. Rev her up!”
I cranked up the power.
“Higher!”
I turned it all the way up. The engine roared. I loved the sound of it. I was suddenly anxious to get to sea. I wasn’t anxious to leave Ziegfried and Sheba though. “Should I turn it down?”
“No! Keep her there!”
If I were to put the sub in gear right now, in reverse, it would pull this little boathouse right off the bank and we’d run into the other side.
“Okay. Let her down now. Turn the batteries on full!”
I did as I was told. Radji stood beside me and waited for Ziegfried to give him orders too, but he never did.
We stayed a couple of hours inside the sub. Ziegfried spent most of that time either on his knees or sitting down while he examined everything. I was nervous the whole time. Radji sat with Hollie by his blanket in the bow and patted his fur. I was thinking how nice it would be to have Radji on the sub with us. He was good company and had already proved himself a valuable mate. But I knew it wasn’t a good idea for a number of reasons, not least of all that I couldn’t guarantee his safety, and he was too young to be taking the sorts of risks I was taking. I didn’t know what I was going to do with him.
“Okay, Al. I’m done for now.”
“And?”
“Well . . . that depends.”
“Depends? What do you mean? What does it depend on?”
“Where are you planning to go next?”
“Africa.”
“That’s what I thought. The east coast, right?”
“Yah. Why?”
“I am sorry, Al. I’m going to have to ground the sub.”
I froze. “Gggg . . . gggg . . . ground it? Www . . . what do you mean? Why? Why do you have to ground it? It’s working perfectly, honest!”
“Al.” Ziegfried sighed deeply. “Look.” He reached over and took my arm and turned it over. “Look, Al. This is a gunshot wound.”
I dropped my eyes. “I know.”
“And you know that whoever shot you was trying to kill you, right?”
“Yes.”
“And how’s your hearing?”
“It’s getting better all the time. It’s almost back to normal.”
“But you got depth-charged by the Indian navy, Al.”
“I know.”
“You were maybe one or two charges away from a watery grave. And Hollie too.”
I nodded. I was really worried now.
“And you know what’s on the east coast of Africa, right?”
I knew he meant Somalia, and all the pirates there. I nodded.
He shook his head and frowned. “I’m sorry, Al. I really am. But she’s grounded.”
I felt like bursting out crying but reminded myself that I was sixteen. I was too old to cry over disappointment. Besides, I didn’t want Radji to see me. But Ziegfried couldn’t ground the sub, he just couldn’t. There was so much more I needed to see, so many places I needed to go. Besides, I wasn’t just exploring any more, I was learning about the health of the sea and preparing for a career as an environmentalist. The sea was in trouble and needed people to help clean it up and make it safer for all of its creatures. It needed us to protect them. Maybe I would have to go to school for that, and maybe not, I didn’t know exactly, but for now I needed to learn as much about it as I could by myself. He couldn’t ground the sub when I was only getting started, he just couldn’t. I felt panic. I was starting to breathe hard, just like Radji.
“Unless . . .”
“Unless? Unless what?”
He took a deep breath and stared intensely into my eyes. “Unless you make me a solemn promise that you won’t sail within five hundred miles of Somalia from any direction.”
<
br /> I quickly tried to see the east coast of Africa in my mind. I knew that Kenya was next to Somalia, and there was Mozambique and Tanzania and South Africa, but I was so distracted with worry that I couldn’t remember exactly which country was next to Kenya except that it wasn’t South Africa. That was on the bottom. If I made the promise I would almost certainly never get to see Kenya but I wasn’t sure about the other countries. I didn’t have much choice. “I promise.”
“You solemnly promise?”
He stared at me with a look that would have frightened any man in the world out of his boots.
“I solemnly promise.”
“Will you also promise to stop taking dangerous risks?”
“I don’t try to.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes. I promise.”
“We built the sub for exploration, Al. It won’t hold up to what you’re doing with it. It’s not made for that. We want to see you make it home in one piece.”
“I know.”
He smiled and dropped his hand on my shoulder. “Okay, then. Let’s go in and talk to the girls.” He meant Sheba and Melissa.
“Okay.” I let out a deep breath. Whew! Radji, Hollie and I followed Ziegfried up the ladder and out of the sub. What a tough inspection.
We sat at Melissa’s table and shared a meal filled with lots of excited talk. Melissa was so happy she was beaming red. With tears in her eyes she shared something personal with us. “When I poured my brother’s ashes into the river four days ago, I said a prayer. I was losing the last member of my family and I was feeling so alone, so terribly alone, and so I said a prayer. I asked if somehow I could be part of another family. I knew it was a lot to ask, especially at my age. But they say that’s what prayers are for, asking for things that seem out of reach. And so I did. And here now, just four days later, we are all together. And I really feel that you are my new family.” She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. Sheba leaned over and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “We are your family indeed, my love.”
Radji sat next to Ziegfried and fidgeted with his chess set. The difference in their sizes made me smile. Radji ate slowly and listened to the conversation with great interest, answering questions when he was asked. But he only asked one question all evening. It didn’t surprise me. It probably took him awhile to get up the nerve to ask.
He looked up at Ziegfried and said, “How do you become an expert?” Ziegfried looked down at him the way he would have looked at a mechanic who had asked him how to replace the valves on a twelve-stroke engine. “Well, you have to play thousands of games, of course. That’s the first thing. But it is also a very good idea to pick up a few good books on strategy and study them. Read them over and over. Maybe we can find a shop tomorrow somewhere and buy you some.”
Radji nodded but I saw the light dim in his eyes. I would have to tell the others later that he couldn’t read or write. But he could learn.
At the end of the meal, Ziegfried and Sheba said that they had presents. Ziegfried handed me a small box. When I opened it I found his watch inside, his beautiful, golden round watch that had been his grandfather’s. I always loved it. I couldn’t believe he was giving it to me. “No,” I said. “I can’t take it.” “Yes,” he said. “I want you to have it. My grandfather would have approved of you having it. Trust me, Al.” My eyes clouded as I stared at the watch. It had large black numbers and little crystals inside it. It was attached to a gold chain. I felt so honoured that he would give it to me. “I love it.” Radji stared at the watch with wonder, as I had done when I first saw it.
Then Ziegfried gave a small present to Radji. It was wrapped in paper. Radji’s eyes opened wide. I knew it had probably been intended for me, but that’s how caring Ziegfried was— he wouldn’t neglect someone, and he knew I would understand. Radji opened the paper and discovered a lovely golden pen. Radji’s eyes were all over it, then he looked at me to see if it was okay to accept it. I smiled at him.
Sheba gave us each a wrapped present. Radji received a brand new journal with a beautiful cover and the nicest paper inside. It was for writing. When I opened my present I discovered a book with a picture of a riverboat on it. It looked like Africa. The story was by Joseph Conrad, and was called Heart of Darkness. “Read it on your next journey,” Sheba said, and winked at me.
“Thank you both so much,” I said. “It’s really me who should be giving you presents because you just got married.”
“Oh, you have,” Sheba said.
“How?”
She looked towards Radji, who was completely absorbed with his book and pen. “You have taken another soul under your wing. Nothing could possibly be a more wonderful gift to me, Alfred.”
Then Sheba took the necklace from around her own neck and placed it on Melissa’s neck and kissed her.
“Oh, my darling girl,” said Melissa, “You have a golden heart.”
She sure did.
We started to stock the sub the next day for the trip to Africa. It was roughly a three-thousand-mile sail southwest. There were islands along the way, such as the Maldives and the Seychelles. I was particularly interested in visiting Madagascar, one of those places in the world famous for all its unusual creatures. As much as I missed home, and as much as I hated to leave Ziegfried and Sheba right now, the lure of visiting Madagascar and Africa was too great for me to resist. I was an explorer after all.
Ziegfried, Radji, Hollie and I took the Jaguar and drove in to Panjim to buy fresh food and supplies while Melissa and Sheba spent the day baking and talking. I knew how lucky I was to have so much support from such loving people and I hoped I would find a way to pay them back someday.
We found a shop that sold chess sets and books about chess. Ziegfried bought a new set for Radji and a couple of books. Radji examined every set in the store, then concluded that the one that Ziegfried bought was the smartest choice. I was starting to notice similarities in the way that Radji and Ziegfried thought, and it crossed my mind that Radji could learn so much from him. I even wondered if it were a possibility, too, that Radji return to Newfoundland with Ziegfried and Sheba, and live with them there, but, as it turned out, that was not what was in the cards.
When we returned to Melissa’s, and Ziegfried and I began to load up the sub, Melissa and Sheba came outside. I could tell by the look on their faces that they had been discussing something and had reached a decision. When Sheba reached a decision, going against it was like going against the tide. If Ziegfried depended on the logic of science and mathematics, Sheba used the logic of the universe. Melissa came to Radji and asked him to take a walk with her. Radji looked at me with that worried look on his face; I could tell that somehow he knew what Melissa was going to ask him. And yet he went with her. They walked away from the house and slowly towards the road. I stood with a bunch of bananas in my arms and watched them go. Melissa was doing the talking and Radji was listening. I wished I could hear, though I knew it was none of my business.
I saw them come back half an hour later. This time, Radji was doing the talking and Melissa was listening. Then Melissa hugged him and went into the house. Radji came over to me and he was wearing a smile. “This is my home now,” he said proudly. He pointed to the house and the garage and the river. “This is where I live now. I am going to learn how to read and write, and I am going to study and go to school. I will fix things when they are broken and will keep the yard clean and will become an expert at chess. I will learn other things too.”
He handed me back the little magnetic chess set. “You should keep this on your submarine, Alfred.”
I looked Radji in the eye and put my hand down on his shoulder just as Ziegfried had done to me. “I am so happy for you, Radji. Do you think you will be happy here?”
“Yes. Yes, I will be happy here. And I will work hard, like you, and like Ziegfried.”
And I knew that he would.
Epilogue
THE DESTROYER LOOMED ahead like a giant troll on a bridge
. She scared me. She pointed in our direction and her bow was sharp and her missiles glistening. The barge in front of me was slapping clumsily through the water like a pond turtle. We were so close behind I could see hairline cracks in her rusty stern. When she turned to port and aimed for the barge terminal I tucked in on the port side of her. And when she reached the terminal I went under her and waited there until dark. When I knew that darkness had fallen, I pedalled out of the harbour as quietly as a bat. I slipped underneath the first ship I saw, after checking that it wasn’t a navy ship, and followed it for a few miles out before surfacing. I cranked up the engine full blast, opened the hatch and climbed the portal with Hollie and Seaweed. Beneath a shining crescent moon and two beautiful stars, we headed southwest towards Africa.
Ziegfried and Sheba were on their way to Delhi and Agra. It was their honeymoon, an exciting new beginning for them. That made me happy. Radji was studying the alphabet with Melissa, a new beginning for each of them. I knew that Radji would grow up to become someone important in India, someone who would bring changes to his country, maybe even like Gandhi. In some ways he and Melissa were an unlikely pair. And yet, there was a certain logic to their arrangement.
Melissa would look after Radji to the best of her ability. She would teach him to read and write and give him the chance to go to school. She would feed him well and he would grow healthy and strong. This I knew. And Radji would become like a son to her and give her the sense of family that she longed for so much. And she would be happy. He was young, and she was old, but he already had so much maturity and integrity. When he was older I knew that he would return to his own family and make things right. He was a wise old man in a young boy’s body, he really was.
As we ploughed through the darkness of the Indian Ocean and I contemplated these things, I felt that all was right with the world. And yet I left India with a small sadness. I would miss it. I had fallen in love with it. That seemed strange to me in a way. There were certain things about it I didn’t like— how some people treated other people. But that didn’t stop me from loving it. And perhaps it was changing. I kept thinking of the rich man in Varanasi: the sight of him standing in the Ganges, smiling, laughing, holding hands with Radji. It was such a wonderful memory now. I remembered the nurses and the girl performing a traditional dance on the train. I remembered the smell of the ground, the heat, the fresh spices of India. I felt a little ache inside because I would miss all of this.
