by Jay Howard
~~~
Over breakfast the conversation was almost entirely led by Christopher. He seemed fascinated by Aiden and it dawned on Meredith that her son had experienced very little in the way of male company.
“How many books have you written?” Christopher asked around a mouthful of cornflakes.
“Five so far,” Aiden said, “every single one written with the swell of ocean waves beneath me.”
“On a raft?” Christopher asked. “Like Kon-Tiki? I made a raft with Mum and we tried it on our river back home but it all came apart and we had to swim back to the bank!”
Aiden laughed. “Your knot-tying hasn’t improved then,” he said to Meredith.
Meredith could swear she saw the cogs in Christopher’s brain clicking and rotating as he evaluated that statement. “You’ve seen the yacht,” she said to Christopher. “Why would you write on a raft when you have a lovely boat like that?”
“Because it’s more fun?”
Meredith paled. Her son’s attitude to life was so like Aiden’s: look for the fun, look for the adventure, never accept the easy or mundane.
“You know, Christopher,” Aiden said, “I don’t think it would make any difference what type of craft I was on, just so long as I could feel the waves.”
“And keep your laptop dry.” Christopher looked guiltily at his mother. “They don’t work very well when they’re wet.”
Despite herself, Meredith felt her lips twitch as she remembered that particular episode. She could see the funny side it now, but she certainly hadn’t at the time, not when his prank included borrowing her laptop to Skype his friend and then promptly spilling cola all over it.
Aiden reached across for more juice and another slice of toast. “I started off working on other people’s boats and that’s when I found I wrote my best work at sea.” He finished slathering on marmalade and licked some off his thumb. “So when I sold lots of copies of my first book I bought a small yacht so I could write my second one. And you know what?”
Christopher shook his head, totally engrossed in everything Aiden had to say.
“I found out it is awfully hard work, crewing a yacht all by yourself. Then they made a film of the first book, and lots of money started rolling in, so I bought the Edith Moon and now I have a crew to help me. I can write when I want, crew when I want, and when we call into port I can go and do lots of fun things on land. Perfect!”
“Mum, can we get a boat, huh? You could paint the sea and sunsets and boats and ports, and I’d crew the yacht.”
Meredith stood up and started gathering the dirty crockery. “I think you’re a tad too young for that yet, Christopher.” She put the plates and dishes on the drainer. “Now, it’s a lovely day so why don’t you go back out while I clear up here? Then we can go swimming together.”
“Will you come swimming too, Aiden?”
“You bet!” He paused and looked at Meredith. “If your mother’s agreeable, that is.”
“Mum?”
“OK, OK. Go on, out with you.” Meredith turned and held tightly to the edge of the sink, her shoulders tense. It was all too sudden, all happening too fast. She didn’t feel ready for a full day of Aiden’s company, which would entail watching every word she said, every minute monitoring what Aiden said.
Aiden held her upper arms and guided her back to a chair. He started running the water to wash the dishes and spoke with his back to her. “I’m not trying to force you into anything,” he said, “but please think carefully about what I’m offering. At sea you can paint, I can write, we can both teach Christopher. And think of all the experiences he’ll have.” He looked over his shoulder at her, a plate in one hand, the dishcloth in the other. “It’s an amazing world, Meredith; let him experience it for himself, not just see pictures in dry text books. When we tie up for shore leave he can meet children and learn how they live, learn their languages, just by playing with them. It will stretch his mind, teach him to appreciate what it really means to be a human being living on this incredible blue planet. It will colour the rest of his life, help him achieve his potential. It will -”
“Stop! Stop! I can’t think straight right now.” She held her hands over her ears and went out to join Christopher.
