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Constellations
Constellations
It was evening; the ship was rocking slightly back and forth to the rhythm of the ocean. We had been at sea for a couple weeks now. It was just me, my brother Daniel and of course, the captain. The captain was a mystery to me. He kept to himself, and only spoke when it was absolutely necessary. He was that kind of person; the kind that could make the whole room silent with just a whisper.
It was dark out, so Daniel decided he was going to go to the shore and just lay on the sand and just watch the stars. That was the beauty of life at sea, you could always see the stars at night. The pitch-black sky, illuminated only by the brightest constellations; they guided us and we were thankful.
As Daniel got the dinghy ready, I grabbed a six-pack of beers, a pack of cigarettes, some towels and a large flashlight. Just as we were getting in the small boat we heard the voice of the captain. “It’s a beautiful night to star-gaze, don’t you think?” he said.
I looked at him, slightly taken aback.
“Yes, I reckon it is” I responded.
In the two months that we had been at sea, the captain had hardly spoken to us. So much so, that I did not recognize his voice when I heard it. He grabbed a bag and threw it in the dinghy. I assumed this meant he was coming with us, so I got everything ready and started the boat. The ride was dark and peaceful. The ocean, which was normally so transparent you could see the very bottom, was a dark opaque blue.
We docked by the island of San Franscisquito and walked across the water to the shore. I grabbed my towel, placed it on the sand and laid on top of it. Taking it all in; the night, the water, the smell and the calm and undisturbed present.
“You got a cigarette?” said the captain.
I handed him the pack and lighter. He thanked me.
Daniel decided to take a walk across the shore, so it was just the captain and me. We watched him walk away and saw the way the sand molded to fit his feet over and over again. It was a hypnotizing thing to watch. Step, heel, toes, lift, repeat. Step, heel, toes, lift, repeat. The sand always changing, always compliant.
I grabbed a cigarette and lit it. I looked to the captain.
“Why did you come with us anyhow?” I asked. He looked a tad bewildered.
“Just felt like changing the stars, I suppose.” He looked at me. “It has been a while since I came to the shore at night. Funny right? How something so unimportant and trivial like an evening star-gazing can stir up a whirlpool of curiosity.” I didn’t respond. He kept on talking.
“My father used to come up here all the time when I was a boy. It was his escape from the world. We would sail up here and put up a tent right over there, by that big crooked palm tree. We fished and cooked and sailed. He became someone different when he was here. He was loose and laughing and free. Of course, I was a just a boy. I didn’t know anything. But it didn’t matter. Not then, it didn’t matter. I sat listening and soaked in all his stories. I took them all in. My father talked of the changing stars, and how they hold in them the keys to our future. He said the constellations were made up of paths one could follow. And while he talked, I was like the rain. I fell hard, but I did no damage. In a sea of ignorance, I was but a mere drop.”
I took a drag from my cigarette, entranced in the captain’s words. He spoke with such wisdom and pain. And it was like his melancholic tone enveloped me.
“You know”, he said. “I haven’t been up here since he was taken by the stars. I can see it in the sky though. The constellations are moving and transforming, and with them our futures. I think he’s up there, and he knows I see the change.” He grabbed a beer and took a sip.
No one spoke anymore, there was no need. We sat on the sand and watched the stars reflected on the calm sea. They were moving, changing.
