New Homeport Island (44 page)

sea spray, all from the vantage point of a wind sheltered harbor
 of wet sand beaches with a fresh water mist in the air. He
 chuckled and laughed at having survived that storm, the end of
 the storm they had experienced had only been a temporary break
 in the weather, likely one of the swirling arms of a typhoon fifty
 to one hundred miles off. They had been spared a fatal encounter
 with a severe storm, made land fall, and had a safe vantage point
 to the fury of the sea all under the stewardship and command of
Captain Dave Artimus. He felt he had brought them the greatest
 gift anyone could imagine and in their repayment they would
 find great reward. Work is its own reward, it gives purpose and
 meaning, social station, fulfillment and when properly applied it
 yields a fruit; but for Dave it was a cliché he had held others to
 regardless of its meaning, it was just the American way.
As cabin boy built the lean-too, Dave went out looking for a
 straight stick, for a navigational circle, he would do it himself
 and this time there would be no mistake.  
Smity saw the stick the captain the captain was putting up and
 he looked back at the sails, then he tore off one of his sleeves
 and handed it to the captain saying, “Here sir.” Artimus asked
“What’s this?” Smity responded, “Well it may be tattered sir,
 but it’s not an off white color like sails. It’s the best I can do.”
Artimus replied, “Hmmm…” and nodded while looking at the
 dungaree shirt sleeve then turned back to Smity and said
 sincerely, “Thanks” and then he wiped his forehead with it and
 put it in his pocket. Then he traced as clean a circle around the
 stick as he could. Mike woke up in the boat and headed out.
Atrisia asked as he passed, “How the hell did you sleep through
 that.” Mike responded, “The rocking always makes me sleepy.”      
Mike saw the captain trying to make a navigational circle and
 walked up to him. Artimus asked, “How’d you make it before?”

Mike replied, “We’ll need some twine.” Smity overheard that
 while forging nearby and spoke over his shoulder, “I already
 gave him a flag asshole.” Artimus looked up at the stick then
 pulled his new handkerchief from his pocket and looked at it and
 chuckled, “Well, just call me flag Dave.”  
Eric walked up at a brisk pace and said, “Sir, it’s a tiny island no
 water, some leeches, some coconuts, and something I think is
 tomato. Artimus looked over and said, “Tomato? If there’s
 tomato then there’s water. Let me see one of the tomatoes.”
Smity brought up some coconuts and added, “Well, I hate to be
 the hillbilly here but that over there is wheat.”  
Wildly added, “Well, the island is smaller and has tomato and
 wheat. Almost as though this would have been a better island to
 end up on the first time but so few trees we wouldn’t have a
 ship.” Artimus added, “Were just staying the night.” George
 interjected, “That new sail will take longer than overnight.”
Atrisia walking back with arms full reached the group and
 tossed down some sticks and a few coconuts said, “I think the
 water here is bad, how much do we have left in our still?” Mike
 replied, “The still has been making fresh water not storing it and
 we need more charcoal.” Artimus said, “Just use the wood.”
Mike interjected, “The charcoal burns hotter and cleaner they
 built that one smaller, the cleaner helped because it was in the
 ship, but I pretty sure the hotter part is necessary.” Artimus
 looked at him and said, “Then please handle that.” Mike replied,
“Yes sir.” and went to collect more sticks.
The island was a spit of land that looked like it might be the only
 portion of an atoll to still be above sea level. Artimus noticed
 that while strolling down the beach and returned to his stick in
 the sand and he looked down at the circle. If they had been
 blown into an atoll then there were things to be considered. A

reef with poisonous reef fish was the first thing Dave
 considered; Atrisia had apparently found water but thought it to
 be bad, so it was at least stagnant. There was no sign of any wild
 life, though the absence of birds could be the storm.
Wildly’s work on the lean-tos wasn’t going well, there wasn’t
 much building material and the wind occasionally gusted.
Blowing over what he had built. The more the Captain was able
 to focus on the island rather than the storm the more he
 considered it to be not much more than a sand bar, but it did
 have some plants.
Dave stood in deep contemplation over his sense of impending
 doom, he shifted his stance scratched at his balls then folded his
 arms. He said, “We just need to fix the sail, and get more wood
 for the still, collect some food….and, there’s something else.”
He looked around and realized he was talking to himself.
Everyone else was working on food or shelter.
George Johann had been in the navy for fourteen years and had
 always sucked up to the right people, stolen credit where he
 could get away with it, but there was something else…there was
 his ability to take credit for something that appeared to be a
 positive earning him brownie points but when it was revealed to
 be a lie or a negative development the blame was deflected onto
 someone else. Win or lose George steals the prize.
Atrisia took Smity to the water she had found. Smity said, “I
 hope you don’t expect me to let you suck my dick.” Atrisia
 looked at him and said, “Thought you would have figured it out
 by now, you not my type because of that dick.” Smity laughed
 and ask, “Too big for ya?” Atrisia replied, “Ya...ya… cause
 there’s no lips, no opening, and it’s huge compared to what I’m
 into. And you think like a man, which is so…” Smity turned
 pale having just realized what she meant. Smity said, “Ya this

water smells like a dirty twat and it just rained.” Atrisia replied,
“ya, it’s mouthwatering but being that it’s water I’m pretty sure
 it’s bad.”
Smity replied with a calming gesture of the hand saying, “Okay,
I get it. I was actually joking but saying that doesn’t make it
 better.” Atrisia smiled like a fifteen year old boy sniffing glue
 and said, “I’ve forgotten already.”
Cabin boy had the hormonal fever and there weren’t really
 any bushes around to conceal himself in, and if the captain
 caught him he’d just join in. So he hid behind a rock and starting
 stroking his cock until the captain’s flock noticed him away. He
 spanked it while afraid someday he’d be made for the wanker at
 play he was. Mike came around the corner and saw him there
 and asked, “I think the captain is looking for you again.” Wildly
 let out a piercing shrill as an once of semen was spilled and his
 hand finally came still.
Mike said, “never mind dude.” Mike was looking for some
 clay to start building with just in case and he could find any.
Mike thought, “No clay, no water, no boar…we’d have died
 here.” Mike realized the sail being fixed and the coconuts being
 gathered was about all they’d get here with the exception of
 more charcoal.
The swirl of the storm seemed to be closing in on the
 island. Atrisia looked at the cloud wall rushing by and said,
“Ahh…captain?” Artimus replied, “I’m standing right behind
 you, I see it.” Milson saw the storms approach and realized like
 everyone else it was going to hit the island in all of five minutes.
The captain asked, “What kind of shelter do we have?” Mike
 replied as the others looked around, “There’s a rock with Wildly
 behind it.” Atrisia guessed out loud, “Behind a tree?” Eric made
 a fist and held it up in the air and headed back to the boat as he

did a torrential down pour hit directly over them everyone ran
 back to Wildly’s rock except for Eric. Eric got to the boat and
 climbed in and prepared to start bailing. Eric was surprised that
 while in the storm at sea water seemed to pour in but in that
 down pour nearly none got in the cabin. He decided it must have
 been much worse than he realized. Artimus climbed in just
 seconds later he had gotten to the rock and cabin boy was
 hysterical. He cried out, “Chief Johann was right! We make
Jesus cry!” It was then that Artimus decided to head for the boat,
 for some reason that hysterical statement conjured the image of
 a flood in Dave’s mind.  
The down pour lasted all day and night; fresh water was
 now abundantly available. The Captain and Eric Milson
 managed to stay relatively dry and warm.
The next morning it was still raining but it had lightened up
 somewhat. Atrisia flew into the cabin completely nude holding
 pieces of the tattered sail; once she got in she started making a
 two piece bikini out of it right away. The captain said, “It’s
 dryer all the way forward.” Eric smiled at her and said, “Warmer
 too.” Atrisia glared at Eric as she climbed over the captain to get
 to the forward end of the cabin. As Atrisia finished her knots to
 make the sail tatters wearable she said to the captain, “I think
 you need to go get your bitch sir, he’s terrified.”
Artimus said, “Ya, well I love him like a son.” and Artimus
 dashed out to go get his crew. In that moment Artimus became
 the man he had ceased to be because of the corrupt conspiracies
 of extortion, and political rivalries he thought would get him
 promoted. He ran through blinding rain toward that rock without
 doubt or hesitation and renewed manhood resulted in him
 finding his way with haste.

After he reached the rock he slid on the mud around it like
 an expert ice skater and despite his age of forty two he swept up
 his beloved cabin boy in a fireman’s carry and called out to the
 other crew members in a thunderous voice, “Follow me!”
They ran together through the rain and trees being blown
 down, crashing with a splash. Jumping over obstacles, dodging
 debris of palms, brush, and even occasional chunks of mud in
 the gale force wind gusts the rushed gallantly toward their ship;
 the Woodenpeg.
Once aboard Smity pulled the foresail and as a tarp covered
 the ship steering pit and access to the cabin. The ship having
 been smoked and sealed with glue derived from tree sap made it
 more sturdy and stout than they would have hoped for.
Atrisia was dressed like jungle Jane and said, give me a few
 minutes and I’ll get the coconuts. The Captain said, “No I’ll do
 it.” Dave warmed himself and his cabin boy with warm embrace
 and calming the shivers was a circulation stimulating massage.
Then once again he braved the storm without benefit of rain
 gear or any help. In the Woodenpeg the garments made for the
 journey had only been sampled, now they were being passed out
 and the stocking caps were dry, other articles had been burned in
 the fire box of the ships still and what was left had been passed
 around. Atrisia's jungle Jane appearance had only a stocking cap
 and shirt vest added. There was on shirt that Eric took and a sash
Smity wore as a scarf.
Dave started throwing coconuts into the steering pit, and
 the came all manner of sticks and twigs as well as leaves. As
Dave came back into the cabin he asked, “Mike how’d they
 water proof the sails?” Mike replied, “I didn’t think it meant
 much but rubbing certain leaves on them left a waxy residue

behind.” Dave said, “That may even be giving more flexibility
 to the cloth.”  
They stayed in the cabin waiting for the rain to subside in
 near total darkness crammed together, which helped them stay
 warm, waiting. Normally at least three had to be topside or they
 just wouldn’t fit. The ship rocked again with fury like the small
 boat it was. And they waited for days.
Once the rain subsided the winds did not recede. The
 captain went out to check on the weather and empty the chamber
 pot they had stowed in the steerage pit. Lifting the tarp relieved
 them of the smell they had slowly become accustom to. A
 breathe of fresh air flooded the cabin. And there individual
 odors became pronounced. Atrisia emerge from the cabin and
Dave said, “Don’t lose you cap the winds are high, we’ve been
 blown away from the island.” Atrisia took a position near the
 keel and braced herself with her leg. As Eric emerged from the
 cabin the first thing he saw was Atrisia’s spread legs and the
 hairy mound between. He uttered, “Oh god, now I know what
 bumping ugly’s means” Atrisia just looked away over her right
 shoulder and pointed when Eric looked she kicked him in the
 face with her bare foot.
Artimus said to them, “I think that island was a part of a
 large atoll, or island chain; we need to put the sail up as soon as
 the winds recede to what we think it can handle.”
After the winds subsided the next day, Smity brought out
 what appeared to be a roll of cloth but once in the light of day it
 appeared to be just some extra material. He said, “Captain I
 don’t think they finished the extra sail.” Mike said, “That’s a
 fishing net.” Smity in his frustration threw it at mike and yelled
“Then use it!” Mike looked at him with a homicidal look on his
 face and then smirked and said, “I’ll tell you what…” The

jumped up and lunged at him and knocked him down and beat
 him, and kept beating him.
Atrisia jumped back pulling her thin legs to her; due to
 being emaciated she had a definite hour glass appearance. They
 look on her face was of terror. She had been maintaining such a
 butch demeanor they had forgotten she was a woman.  
Artimus snatched the net and said, “I’ll do it.” Smity
 struggled in the small steerage pit and was continuously struck
 in the face by mike’s fist. As Atrisia and the Captain unfolded
 and unrolled the net, Smity broke away; and crawled up to the
 bow and with his nose bleeding and his lip split. Mike stood
 there in the steerage pit, with a small amount of blood coming
 from the corner of his mouth. Starring at Smity like a hungry
 wolf.  
Dave deployed the fishing net and told Smity to tend the
 sail as they hoisted it. Mike struck below and searched the
 crevasses of the deck and bilge for any scrap of food.
The Captain said, “As we tow the net we should catch
 something!” More the once the net tugged so hard it pulled the
 boat off course. Eric said, “That has to have torn then net. That’s
 the third time.” Dave said, “Haul it in as though you expect fish
 in it.” and he gestured to Mike and Smity. They hauled in the net
 and had caught about twenty pounds of fish. It was sushi time.
Dave said, “Don’t eat anything that looks like a clown fish…too
 many colors could mean it’s poisonous.”
Dave said to his cabin boy, “Hey, see if you can find a way
 to cook this” Wildly took about ten pounds of fish below. He
 returned about ten minutes later and handed some to Dave with
 a smile. Dave said, “You couldn’t scale it?” Wildly replied,
“Pull the fish from the skin honey.” Dave laughed and said, “Ya,
I’ll do that then.” the look in Robert Wildly’s eyes when he