The Boating Accident

Grounders

I searched the storage area. A blanket was draped over the mess, like an afterthought thrown on the boat in case Luis had to spend the night. Despite the hideous shaking of the cabin, my artist eyes focused to work out a form under the careless folds. A hip and soon a shoulder took shape. The small frame was bird-like.

I leaned closer and heard moaning. "Grounders, so soddy, too many grounders."

"Hector!"

"Too many, too many grounders."

"Hector, we thought you'd gone overboard." I squatted for leverage and reached for his arm as the boat jerked us around. He opened his eyes but they took a while to focus. I helped him sit up.

He hurled all over my Converse. "Soddy."

"No worries, wouldn't be the first time today. Let's get you upstairs in the fresh air." But I couldn't lift him. "Dad!" I called. "Daaad?!"

"Star?!" Dad opened the hatch and peered into the rocking mess of a cabin.

"Dad - I found Hector. Call off the search."

"I'm coming." He shouted the good news to the crew and then wobbled down the steps.

Dad took my place and hoisted Hector up on a bench. Hector squeaked. "I - I tried to slow thee acceedent, but there were too many grounders, so soddy."

"Grounders. You said you're from Veracruz?" Dad asked.

"Jes, een Orizaba."

"Orizaba - near the highest mountain in Mexico?" Dad showed him his watch, the one passed down from Paps that he always wore. It had been in our family from the Blue Ridge Mountains for generations before that.

Hector looked at it and his tiny eyes got big. "Jes."

"Orizaba's in a fertile valley where the confluence of rivers runs to the sea. Then you understand the power of water." Whatever that watch and Dad's obsession with geography had to do with anything I hadn't a clue but it seemed to mean something to Hector. I'd never heard Dad talk like this before. I scanned the tilting cabin and spied a towel, then sopped up the barf to look busy.

"Jes. Water time. Ju have thees in Atlanta?"

"No. I'm from Crystal Rock, North Carolina. It's surrounded by ancient mountains with lots of waterfalls."

"And water time ees here too."

"Most people call it the Bermuda Triangle. Tremendous water power. Now, let's get you on deck."

After Dad hoisted Hector up the ladder, Justin and Carley helped guide him to his perch so they could check vitals.

"Dude, we were so worried. What the hell?!"

"Soddy, I had to go and I deedn't want to deesturb anyone. I must have heet my head."

"Of course. That's why you didn't answer when Justin searched the cabin." Carley massaged his arm.

From the helm, Luis looked like he would cry with relief. "I'm so glad you're okay, Hector. I'm really, really glad."

Meanwhile, Justin helped Dad get an icepack and tend to my forehead. Luis was plotting with Carley at the helm. Now that a live body had been found, their focus shifted to dealing with Royal Flush. "I think I know that boat." Luis took off his hat and raked a hand through what little hair he had. "We'll go find it at the other marina and see what we can do. Sorry about this folks."

"Man, what an idiot captain," Carley said. "That was clearly the most stupid mistake I've ever seen. Hasn't he read the rule book?"

"Well, we were in a collision so the thing to do is resolve the conflict," Luis said.

"Absolutely," Carley agreed. "And while we're checking on him, why don't we tell that jerk what a stupid idiot he was to deflect the fucking blow!"

"Stupeed meestake," Hector squeaked. He sipped water and held his own ice pack to his head.

"Happens all the time," Justin said. "Forget about it. But what doesn't happen all the time is -"

We chanted the war cry, "Some complete idiot deflecting the blow!"

When we made it back to the bay, the ride smoothed out enough for us to lounge like lazy tourists. Justin crouched next to me on the cushions. He took off his Ray Bans to peer at my sore wound. He touched my shoulder gently while applying pressure with the ice. "I'll do that," Dad said, taking the icepack from him.

"Star, you okay?" Dad asked.

"Yeah." I actually felt better; nothing like a good purge. "What was that about with Hector? The grounders and all?"

"That was - it had to do with the thing you saw in the water," he whispered. "You weren't crazy. I just need to explain it to you. Well, you'll see, this summer in Colorado." He hugged me sideways. "You'll see."

My prison sentence had been confirmed. I was returning to the small town where Mom grew up, for some kind of community art job and a babysitting gig, all because I trashed my laptop the night I'd seen Liam post pics of his shiny prom date. But how could something strange I'd seen in the Atlantic Ocean have anything to do with the goings on in a mountain town?

"What? What will I see?" I asked Dad. But he was handing Justin the icepack again and I wasn't complaining about the trade-off.

"So, you were telling me about art school. You know we have some good ones in Toronto."