Roby halfway
paid attention to the short spiel given by one of the crew, at which
time they were shown where the life jackets were “just in case.” She
was more interested in sitting near the bow and watching the waves
roll by. It was fine by her that Vianda milked her “I’ve been
injured” story to everyone. After all, this was the bride’s moment.
It was her time to be the center of attention these next couple of
days.
As if she doesn’t do that already,
Roby mused with a
smile. Other than her long friendship with
the woman, the only reason she’d accepted Vianda’s request to be the
Maid of Honor was because of the chance to go to Hawaii. She’d never
been to the state, and she jumped at the chance to finally get to go
there. But the best perk of all was that
everything was free. Her airfare, hotel, and all her meals were
being paid for by Vianda’s stepfather. Frankly, Roby felt the man
had made the better deal. Vianda had originally wanted a huge
wedding with nearly six hundred guests, but the woman had been
bribed with this exotic location for a smaller, more intimate
ceremony and an all-expenses paid honeymoon to the Azores. By this time
tomorrow night, Vee and Bee would be leaving one chain of islands
for another, and Roby wouldn’t have to worry about catching her own
flight back to the states until the following afternoon.
Not enough time to do a whole lot of
sight-seeing, but it’ll be interesting to see how much I can cram
into that morning. The sailboat made its way out into
open water before turning to start its journey around the island. A
tropical breeze stiffened the sails to where the onboard engine
wasn’t needed. The sound of music and laughter floated over to her,
but for the moment she was content to remain where she was, lazing
in a deck chair underneath a billowing canopy. She’d never been a
party girl. She was more of a homebody. Someone who was content with
a quiet evening after work, a glass of wine, and a good book or
movie to occupy her thoughts. At the moment, she was unattached, and
that was okay by her. Of course, Vianda and her other friends felt
her solo status was totally unacceptable, and were constantly trying
to hook her up with some guy or another. Or inviting her over to a
party or dinner get-together with a potential blind date in tow.
Thank you, but no thanks. I’m fine right now. I’m not
looking for anyone. I’m not needing anyone. Just let me chill. When
I’m ready to start looking for a That Certain Someone, it’ll be on
my own terms and at my own time. She took a sip of wine. The sailboat
jiggled slightly as they entered slightly choppy waters. The
resulting bump knocked her glass against her teeth, and some of her
drink splashed on her blouse. Alarmed, Roby sat up and began to dab
at the reddish stain with her napkin. “This isn’t going to do,” she mumbled
to herself. She needed to get to a lavatory ASAP before it set. She got to
her feet. At the same time, the sailboat lurched again. Waves
crashed over the bow, sending water across the wooden planking, and
Roby felt her feet go out from under her. The glass of wine went
flying into the air as she tried to grab for a handhold or anything
that would stop her from being accidentally swept overboard as the
ship lurched again. She managed to snag one of the poles that made
up part of an overhanging canopy. Wrapping her arms around it, she
stared out at the sight of more waves rolling toward them. Big
waves. Huge
waves. Waves that champion surfers went
after. This wasn’t the Pacific Ocean she
knew. This was as if they’d suddenly been swept up in the middle of
a storm, except… She glanced upward. There wasn’t a cloud in the
sky. So what was causing the water to churn like this? The sound of music continued to blare
from the stern, but this time the laughter was replaced with
screams. She didn’t dare release her hold on the pole for fear of
losing her footing. More waves, even bigger waves, thrust
against the sailboat, and she started to feel the vessel beginning
to tip sideways. With cold dread, she realized they were going to
capsize, and there was nothing she or anybody could do about it.
The boat
continued its slow, inexorable roll, its port side rising high into
the air, to where Roby could see the ocean almost directly below
her. For several seconds she wondered if she’d have a better chance
of survival by holding on, or if she should let go and jump clear of
the boat. Cold water poured over her, soaking her to the skin and
burning her eyes with its saltiness. Gasping, she wiped her face
with a hand, when her eyes caught sight of one of the boat’s life
preservers. The ring kind, hanging on the side of the cabin. The one
with the name of the ship on it:
Maidenly Voyager II – Honolulu, HI. Without thinking about it, Roby let
go of the pole and launched herself at the life ring. She barely
managed to slip an arm through its center and clutch it against her
when the biggest wave she’d ever seen umbrellaed over the sailboat,
engulfing and swallowing it and everyone on board. Taking a deep breath, she held onto
the life ring with every ounce of strength she had and prayed. |