"A much needed tow."
[KIRK ATTWOOD.]
I woke the next morning with a severe headache. Last night had been a resounding success and I was able to find out that not only was I in the company of four very able crew members, I was also on a ship that had three previous owners.
It was twenty-one years of age. It had two main cargo holds, an engine that had been rebuilt numerous times and one operational radar.
Apart from that, she was in relatively good health; if you ignored the grime that is.
Jimmy and Michael had been on board about eight months; Tony and Mr Yip had been with the Jupiter for three. All employed through the "Athens Crew Management Agency."
Tony was already in the mess room with Mr Yip when I arrived drinking his second cup of tea. He greeted me cheerfully enough.
'Morning Captain.'
I listened to his report.
'The biggest problem we are going to have,' he said looking at me, 'is that we are running low on fresh water. We need to get it from somewhere within the next day or two and we have a timber ship coming in at the end of the week that needs this berth. I've already had the Dock Master visit asking how much longer we expect to stay here and we also have a problem with money; Michael is asking if we are going to get paid at the end of the month.'
I was swamped by the sheer size of the task at hand. I said I would deal with each problem in turn and to clear my head I opted for a stroll along the main-deck.
The weather was pleasant, the sun shone through a thin veil of light cloud and I could see birds in flight. It brought a smile to my face and I could even taste the salt taking in long deep breaths of satisfying sea air.
I found myself an hour later standing on the bridge wondering about my next move which primarily centred on phoning Patrick only I just didn't know what I was going to say; after all, someone had made a conscientious decision to buy this ship and someone had brought me to her. I just didn't know why.
Pat picked up the phone immediately.
'Curtis my boy. How are you?'
I narrowed down my list of questions to just a few key points.
'Fine Patrick. How was the golf?'
'Tragic my boy, tragic. Lost by six points.'
I said I was sorry to hear it and started with question one.
'So is Adam the titled owner?'
He cut me short. 'Oh heaven forbid. No. He is not allowed near a chequebook these days. No. It's Mr Stamford himself. Well umm, no; that's not true either. Why do you ask?'
I hedged my bets.
'Because some of the notices on board will need to have the owners name on them, documents will need to be correlated and I will need to make copies. I'm just trying to get a head start that's all.'
All lies of course and I was still gambling on the 'It's a brand new ship.' routine but the line went ominously quiet for what seemed an age.
'Look Curtis my boy.' Patrick had lost all his vigour. 'It seems that in talking to my secretary I may have been a little hasty in sending you out too early. Let the yard worry about all that and I'll tell you what. Do you like the West End? Frank Abbot, our Director of Acquisitions is throwing a party within the next few days. It's in celebration of a deal he's just made. Bring Cheryl along. I know you mean well but it's not all as straight forward as I have lead you to believe. Nothing cagey mind but I suppose if you are the Captain you probably need to know, but not over the phone. Does Cheryl like Opera? I'm sure she must. My secretary will make all the arrangements and your wife will have the tickets by the time you get back. Don't worry about the flight; she'll sort that out as well. It's a black tie event so don't forget to bring your tux. You're right of course. Anymore problems give me a call.'
I found Tony by the number one hatch and by the expression on my face he knew it wasn't good news. He frowned.
'Apparently I'm needed back in the office,' I said unconvincingly. 'They want to discuss a few things face to face and I can use the time to tell them what we've got.'
I promised I would be back within a couple of days but that was met with a shrug.
'The fresh water won't last.'
Damn. I had forgotten about that. It would mean moving across to a lay-by berth.
'That's if the engine starts,' remarked Tony gloomily. 'We've got a problem with the electrics. It wouldn't be the first time we haven't gone anywhere.'
A full twenty minute later and I was on the phone to the harbour master enquiring about the use of a tug but unless we could secure a bond of five hundred Euros we were going no where.
I found myself back in my cabin where I sat facing my phone.
I had my facts. I knew what I had to say.
Only I just didn't know how to say it.
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I decided to come straight to the point. 'The Jupiter did not arrive.'
I received a curt reply. 'So what are you on at the moment?'
"A" Jupiter,' I said, 'but not "your" Jupiter. It has the same name but it is not the one you said I would be joining when I was down in London.'
I told him that I was on a much older ship that was moored in exactly the same place that the new one was supposed to be and that I had needed time to understand what was going on. The silence told me that this was just as much of a shock to Patrick as it had been to me.
'I am confused.' Strain evident in his voice. 'You told me everything was alright.'
'You sent me out here on the promise of joining a new ship.' I said trying hard not to raise my voice. 'All I knew about you and the company was what I saw at my interview. For all I knew this could have been one huge joke.'
I was cut short on anything I was about to say next.
'Stamford Enterprises Captain Attwood is no joke I can assure you.'
We had reverted back to last name terms indicating at the very least that I had hit a raw nerve. It was followed by a prolonged moment of silence ending in a deep sigh.
'Okay - so tell me everything.'
I spared no punches. I told him right down to the age and condition of the ship along with the nationality of the crew and when I had finished I was subjected to yet another long pause.
'This is not your fault,' he said finally. 'Rest assured we operate a highly respectable company and I am sure there will be a perfectly rational explanation for all this. I don't know what it is just yet but now is not the time for any recriminations. I need to make a few phone calls. Can I call you back in say half an hour?'
I left the matter of needing a tow until last, which he took surprisingly well. I was still on the bridge with another cup of coffee in my hand when he called a few minutes later.
'Curtis my boy.'
I was back in favour.
'Get yourself back to England and meet me at the party. Make sure you bring Cheryl. It won't all be business and we shall try to make it up to you. I'll be honest; you have put me in a bit of a spin at the moment. I have not told Mr Stamford, he doesn't need to be involved at this stage so between you and me its hush hush for the time being ... Nasty business ... and you need some money?'
'Five hundred Euros'
'Quite. Leave it with me. We don't always choose the right person for the job but in this case, I am in no doubt that we have. Someone else would have probably gone home and left us high and dry and that, Curtis my boy, shows commitment which we won't forget I can assure you. I knew from the start you were our man. Have a good flight home and see you back in England and remember... anything you need just call me.'
I left the bridge in a much better mood, relieved that it was now all out in the open.
'We're getting a tow across the harbour,' I told Tony. 'Let's just get over there in one piece and let the company sort this all out later.'
We moved at eight that evening without any more problems. A while later Cheryl and I had been booked into a hotel near Harrods where two opera tickets would be waiting for us at the reception when we got there.
It all felt very surreal.
I phoned home.
'Do you know what your youngest daughter has just done? I will ring her bloody neck.'
My wife was not in the best of moods.
'She went to bed nearly two hours ago and now has the whole house awake because she doesn't feel tired. She left her tea, refused a bath and now she's hungry.'
She didn't take my news very well at all.
'Well don't think I'm going because I'm not. Danielle has a sleep over remember, Elizabeth has piano and who is going to pick them up from school? It is your job and your mess. I have enough to think of as it is.'
She was right of course. We couldn't put our children's lives on hold just for my job no matter how appealing a trip to London might be.
Now it was my turn to sigh.
'What about my mum and dad?' I asked quickly, 'you know how they love having them and we've been invited to an Opera and you know how much you have always wanted to go to one of those.'
'Your mum and dad are away.'
But I wasn't going to be put off that easily.
'So if we can find a babysitter is that a 'yes' then?'
I was met with a stony silence and then. 'Maybe. But we'll see.'
I found Tony downstairs.
The next few days was going to tell me a lot. For one thing it was going to tell me whether I was staying or not and after a few beers and more high spirits I took to my bed in a relatively good mood.
At the very least I had never been to an Opera and that, I thought to myself as I stared up at the ceiling, was as good a reason as any to change jobs for.
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So ... at least he is getting somewhere. But what exactly is he not being told?
Thanks again for the read and votes and I love your comments so keep them coming. JU x