*****
Pounding on the cabin door awakened Maura. A glance out the window told her it was dawn yet no visible sight of land. They were still at sea. The pounding intensified. She was alarmed. Quickly walking to the door, she saw the letters on the floor. Instantly she knew and panic seized her.
Maura stood stunned as the door flew open and Sam burst into her cabin. “It was my last act. Just as I planned. Now, everything’s changed. You rewrote the script. I couldn’t do it. Sat on the railing and all I could see was your face lighting the darkness in the wild sea. You. I knew that I wanted to live. And you. You, dear Maura. Will you be a part of my life?” Sam didn’t wait for an answer. Words erupted with a newfound vitality.
“I sat on the floor outside your cabin door all night. Thought it all out. Everything’s clear to me. The sea gives me peace. You give me life. I want you both to be a part of me. I’m selling everything—my house, my car, everything. North to Alaska. After the cancer treatment. Didn’t tell you anything about that…but…I’ll face it and get through it. My chances are actually very good. It’s just that I figured this was my destiny. Didn’t see a reason to fight it. I was finished as a writer. Thought I was finished as a person.”
Sam continued in a quieter voice, “I don’t expect you to give up your life, to suddenly move to Alaska. I understand and accept that. But I’d like it if you came often. Anytime. Summers—spend summers with me. We’ll fish, watch whales, walk along the beach. I’m going to buy a house on the beach, for sure. Maybe my own island. And a boat. We’ll need a boat and I’ll learn to be a captain. To share life’s mysteries in this curious place with you is like living in an unknown and precious world for me. Reciprocity. Life is about reciprocity. To try to return what you have given to me. I’m going to produce documentaries. Something I’ve always wanted to do. And your story of helping people through disasters will be the first. I want the world to know about you and the others helping humanity. You matter. To me and to the world.”
Maura collapsed on the end of her bed and wept. “Oh, Sam. I’m… I’m so grateful you’re here. I knew you faced a crisis. I knew what you were thinking but somehow didn’t believe you would actually...”
Tears overwhelmed her and it took at few minutes before she could continue. “When I saw the letters on the floor…and I do believe you have every right to choose when and how to end your life, but…”
Maura stood up and put her arms around Sam and whispered in his ear, “I promised I’d visit you in Alaska. And I will. Often. Very often.”
Maura gently pulled away and looked directly into Sam’s eyes, “This trip—meeting you, well, what we feel is special. I’m not interested in a shipboard romance any more than you are. Sam, I don’t want to lose you. There’s a lot more life left to live and I’d like to live a big part of it with you.”
Sam cradled her head in his hands and tenderly kissed Maura. He held her in his arms and whispered, “You won’t lose me. After all, you’re the star of my first film.”
“Look,” Sam took Maura’s hand and walked over to the window. They watched as Vancouver Island and the Strait of Juan de Fuca came into view.
“You’ll like my friends,” said Maura. “We’ll have a great time here. Let’s leave the ship and stay in Victoria for a few days.”
Sam smiled, “Sounds great to me.”
###
*****
About the Author:
Elsan lived, worked and played in Alaska for 24 years. Though never intending to stay, Alaska captured her soul with its breathtaking scenery, extraordinary light and weather, vast and remote wild lands, solitude and most especially its spirit.
“Alaska is superbly inspiring. One cannot escape nor ignore its strong sense of place. I’d never felt at home in a place until coming to Alaska.”
She and her husband explored the waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia in a sailboat and later a trawler and they lived aboard for years. Their experiences along with images and information gathered on these adventures provided ample inspiration and material for the numerous articles she published in several boating magazines.
Red Skies in Morning
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Connect with Me Online:
elsanphotos.webs.com
[email protected]
Passage to Alaska Page 6
