Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I would never get used to her saying, “he's good people,” when describing someone she
liked. “They're good people.” “She's good people.”
I told her briefly of our encounter with him. He seemed quite fine now with a hot breakfast
in him and a change of clothing. His hair was wet as though he'd just come out of a shower;
in fact he was most presentable. It was hard to imagine him being the passed out drunk ly-
ing in his own excrement just a few nights ago. I was definitely seeing another side of life
here. I smiled at Liz; she was like a flower in the desert. “Liz, you remind me of Florence
Nightingale. Have you ever considered being a nurse?”
“God no! I would make the worst nurse in the world. I just don't have the patience for it,”
she exclaimed. But I wasn't so sure.
With breakfast over, we chatted for a while to her friends and then took off and went back
to the boats. I had work to do; Liz was off shopping, and Gavin was doing something on
his yellow car.
As the weather was so nice and dry, I decided to remove a few of the bronze ports to reset
them in silicone sealer. I had noticed a greenish trickle of salt water verdigris from inside
the cabin and decided to redo those first then the rest of them afterward. Ideally it's a two
man job, but I didn't want to impose on Gavin's free time and rigged up an adjustable
wrench on the outside with a line attached to it. I have lost so many tools and things over-
board that now I tie on that which I can.
I had removed one port and was busy on the next when I saw the familiar armchair dinghy
contraption making its way across to Déjà vu. I was inside, and I felt my heart-beat start
racing, “Oh Christ! Here we go; he's found out that I played the prank on him.”
I put down the wrench and went out into the cockpit just as he was pulling alongside. He
had a scowl on his unpleasant face which was white with anger or whatever was going
through his thuggish mind.
“Morning,” I said to him indifferently.
He ignored my curt greeting but said in a gruff voice that made the hair on my neck stand
up, “Some fuck took my dinghy to that whore Mary's boat last night. If it was you, I will
find out. I will fucking kill you, you little asshole, you hear me?”
“What makes you think I would do that?” I asked, obviously white in the face with fear and
adrenaline.
“'Cause of the other night is why!” He spat, “I will break your neck, fucker.”
