Let's Sail Away

This was the moment they had been waiting for. Nina and George had worked countless hours prepping and planning for the moment they would set sail and cruise the deep blue sea. For two years they had spent sleepless nights and every penny to upgrade their classic monohull sailboat into the beautiful vessel she had become. They worried about their futures, as they knew they were leaving behind everyone they loved and eliminating the minimal income they earned. Nonetheless, they believed it was now or never. Today was not a day to fear, but a day to live!

They topped off their tank and pulled away from the dock. “What direction shall we head, George?”

“Let’s head to the west, Nina. We should spend our first night watching the glorious sunset among the blue horizon before us”.

She smiled and kissed him. The moment was surreal and neither one of them could contain the excitement they felt in their chests. As they left the world behind them, they worked diligently setting the sails to head west. They felt the wind catch and awed at the wonder of sailing. They settled in and closed their eyes as the sun beat warm on their faces. Dreams can come true, Nina thought, and she laid back to soak in the glory of her dream.

She woke hours later to the violent rocking of the boat and stared into a dark, gloomy sky. George maintained the helm and told her to put her life jacket on as they headed into a looming squall. Soon, large drops of rain were pouring out of the sky and the wind was whipping them to and fro. Nina panicked. She had studied and practiced in storms before, but to be in the middle of the deep blue with no land in sight and a ferocious storm upon you was completely different than she had anticipated. The storm-battered them side to side, ripping the mainsail and filling the cockpit with cold ocean waters. Nina felt the fierce pull of a panic attack upon her and tried as she could to breathe herself down. She failed and slipped into a black sleep as she felt a hard bludgeon on the back of her head.

“Nina! Nina! Wake up! Can you hear me? Nina!” George frantically prodded and screamed her name, as she lay there unconscious. The boat rocked sharply and he went down, flooded by salty water and vicious waves. He pulled himself up and grabbed the helm, steering their strong boat through the finale until the skies lightened and the sea went smooth. “Nina! Please wake up! Please don’t leave me!”

He touched her cheek and she twitched. He stroked her head again and she opened her eyes. “George?” “Nina! Thank God! We made it through our first squall! Don’t shake darling! Everything will be okay!” But fear had set in. Nina checked the chart plotter and located a small island southwest of their location. “I’m sorry, George. I need land. Please…we need to go to this island.”

Reluctantly, George changed course and they slowly sailed toward the unknown island. He looked longingly at Nina and hoped this new fear was short-lived. They had dreamt of this moment, he thought, and he shook his head with how short-lived that dream was. The sun slowly set, and they watched the rays beam out of the dark blue sea. “We should make landfall by sunrise, my dear”.

The land was in sight. It was a small island, and there were no signs of civilization. They dropped anchor and took the dinghy to shore. Nina stepped out and dug her toes deep into the cool white sand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just breath, she told herself. In through her nose and out through your mouth. She took another deep breath and opened her eyes as she exhaled. We will be okay.

Nina and George walked hand in hand and strolled along the beach. They picked up coconuts and cracked them open for a sip of Mother Nature’s sweet nectar. They gathered nearby twigs and built a fire, as they cooked hot dogs and watched the waves lap the sandy beach. George walked off, and Nina sat back and gave herself a pep talk. “Shake it off, Nina. You have wanted this for so long. Can’t you taste the freedom? Death is inevitable! Do you want to die living, or die hiding?!”

“Nina! Come here!” George yelled. She jumped to her feet and followed his voice to the inner island. Upon approach, she saw him on the ground rubbing his foot. “Look!”

His hand extended to the tip of a dark brown lump emerging from the sand. “That doesn’t look like a rock to me”, said Nina.

She walked over and slowly started pulling the sand away from the object. She soon saw a corroded handle and grabbed it, pulling with all her strength. She felt a slight nudge and put her foot against a rock for more leverage. As she grunted, she yanked the box right out of the sand and they both went flying. George was on his feet and helping her up, as they looked up to see the chest had popped open. Their jaws dropped. Scattered amongst the ground were bands of money. They slowly walked up and saw a little black book and additional cash inside. Nina grabbed the book and pulled back the worn black leather cover. It was a diary.

“Day 1: What does it mean to live? Is living sitting in the confines of one space and limiting yourself to the monotonous drum of maintaining a job and home? Or is living to explore? Is it to see new worlds and try new things? Is it to abandon all you know, only to embrace the unexpected (good and bad)? I know I don’t have the answers, but I hope to find out”.

This is incredible, thought Nina. “George, let’s gather all this and take it back. We should try to locate the owner. I’m sure they need this cash. I mean…there is probably over $20,000.00 here”.

George nodded in agreement, and they put the book and money back in the box. Together they carried it to the beach and sat down by the fire. George reached into the box and pulled out the diary again. “Perhaps the owner’s name is in here”. He flipped page after page, sharing brief clips of the written words of a stranger. As he came across the final page, he froze. “What’s wrong, George?” Nina asked.

There’s no way, he thought. He looked up at Nina, watching the fire dance across her rosy cheeks. “George…Tell me! Is something wrong?” His eyes went from hers to the book, and back. He swallowed hard, and shared “I think the owner wants us to keep the money”.

“Are you out of your mind, George!? We can’t keep the money!” Nina said exasperated.

He handed her the book and pointed to the very last entry. She looked down, and tears came to her eyes. "Be not afraid. Though you shall let fear inspire you, you cannot let it control you. Life is full of good and bad, and it is often out of our control what happens. You found this chest for a reason. I left it for you. Please take these belongings and call them your own. With this gift, I hope I can help you truly live. Godspeed!"

This is unbelievable, she thought. She looked up at George and they smiled. They were going to be alright. The tension that had settled in her neck and shoulders slowly lifted. “You shall let fear inspire you, but you cannot let it control you! Oh, George…Let’s do this! Come rain or shine, I am ready to cruise the world with you. To live is to face your fear and to experience life is to be free!”