Sea Dog (4 page)

At last
Lady Tia
was sparkly clean and ready to sail. I had her hauled back to the harbor.

I stepped onto
Lady Tia's
deck. Otter jumped aboard. “It feels good to be Cap'n Bill again,” I said. Otter wagged her tail.

I picked up Otter's life jacket. I tried to put it on her, but it was too small. “Maybe you don't need a life jacket anymore,” I said. “You swim like an otter, and you never fall overboard.”

Otter wagged her tail.

We sailed on brisk spring winds.
Lady Tia
heeled over and danced across the waves. Her rigging creaked and groaned. Otter sat on the seat beside me. Cool sea spray washed over our faces.

The summer winds were light and warm. On hot days I anchored
Lady Tia
in a bay. I climbed into my dinghy and rowed to shore.

Otter jumped from
Lady Tia's
deck. She landed with a splash in the water. She swam to shore with
strong sure strokes. “You're a real sea dog,” I said. “You love to swim so much.”

Sometimes we slept all night on the boat
.
I lay on the forward berth. Otter curled up beside me. I left my pipe in an ashtray outside. Otter left her stick on the seat beside it.

That long summer came to an end. The days grew shorter. It was almost time to have
Lady Tia
hauled from the water.

One morning I woke up and looked out the window. Sun shone from a bright blue sky. Cedar trees swayed on a gentle breeze. “Let's go for one last sail before winter,” I said.

Otter barked and wagged her tail.

I packed sandwiches and coffee for myself. I packed dog biscuits for Otter. And off we went.

The west wind blew steadily.
Lady Tia
pranced into the wind. At noon I ate my sandwiches and
drank my coffee. Otter gobbled her dog biscuits. She drank water from her dish.

By late afternoon the wind blew stronger. It switched to the southeast. Dark clouds rose over the islands. “It's time to head home,” I said.

I turned
Lady Tia
around. A strong wind billowed her sails.
Lady Tia
heeled over. She picked up speed. Water gurgled around her hull. Wind snapped at her sails.

“I don't like the look of this,” I said. I reefed in the mainsail to make it smaller. “That's better,” I told Otter. “We need less sail in this strong wind.”

Soon the wind blew even stronger.
Lady Tia
heeled farther over. Her bow dipped into the waves. Seawater poured onto her deck.

I fixed the tiller in place.

Otter sat on the seat. She clutched her special stick. I patted her head. “You sit tight,” I told her. “I need to change the jib.”

I made my way along the deck.
Lady Tia
bucked and rolled beneath my feet. Water sloshed around my sea boots. If I didn't hang on tight I would fall overboard. I lowered the jib sail. I put up a small storm jib. “That's better,” I said.

I made my way back to the seat.
Lady Tia
bucked and rolled.
Crash!
The boom swung over my head.

When I got back the seat was empty.

“Otter!” I called. There was no answer.

I looked inside the cabin. Otter wasn't there.

“Oh, no!” I cried. I looked across the sea. Green and white waves tumbled and rolled. Clumps of seaweed rose and fell. Chunks of driftwood bobbed on rolling waves. Then I spotted a dark head. My heart lightened. “Otter!” I called.

The head turned. Two round eyes blinked at me. The head was round and smooth. It had no ears. “Where's Otter?” I yelled. The seal sank beneath the waves.

I turned
Lady Tia
around. I searched until the
sun sank behind the islands. I searched until the sea turned black as ink. Tears stung my eyes. “I should have bought her a new life jacket.”

At last I turned
Lady Tia's
bow toward home.

My heart ached.

“So, that's my story,” Bill sighed “That's how I lost Otter. I thought she had drowned.”

He sipped his coffee and stared at his hands.

Kyle got up from the kitchen floor. He sat on a chair beside his mom. There was something wet on Bill's cheek.

Bill wiped it away. “I put a For Sale sign on
Lady Tia
,” he said. “It's time I sold her. First I sailed with Tia, but she moved away. Then I sailed with Otter, but she fell overboard. I don't feel like sailing any more.”

Bill smiled, but his smile went all wobbly. “I am very happy you found her, Kyle. You saved Otter's
life. And now I see that you love her too. I will not take her away. That would be wrong.”

Kyle tried to feel happy. He tried to smile, but his smile went wobbly too. He felt so sad he wanted to cry. But the sadness was not for himself. It was for Bill.

Bill lived all alone. Kyle lived with his mom.

Bill's daughter moved far away. Kyle's dad lived close by.

Bill didn't see Tia very often. Kyle saw his dad every week.

Kyle looked at his mom. She smiled at him. She didn't say a word.

Kyle looked at Treasure. The dog put her nose on his knee. He patted her head.

Bill stood up. “Thank you for the coffee,” he said. He bent to pat the dog. “Good-bye, Treasure,” he said. He walked slowly to the door.

“You take her!” Kyle called. “You take Otter. You need her more than me!”

Bill turned around. “Oh!” he said.

He smiled a real smile this time. The dog ran to him. He bent to scratch behind her ear. “Thank you, Kyle.”

Kyle tried to feel happy. But his eyes stung. His heart ached.

Bill looked at Kyle. “I have a better idea,” he said. “You love this dog as much as I do. Why don't we share her? I'll take her sailing when you're at school. You can pick her up on your way home.”

Kyle ran over. He scratched behind the dog's other ear. “Okay.” He smiled at Bill, a huge happy smile.

“Well,” Bill said. “I must go now. I want to take the For Sale sign down.” He walked to the door again. “I feel like sailing after all.”

Kyle grinned. “I'm seven, but I've never ever been sailing!”

Bill turned around. He looked at Mom. She smiled and nodded.

“Then some days the three of us will sail together. You, me and Treasure.”

“But, you said her name is Otter!”

“On the boat I am no longer Bill. I am Cap'n Bill. When we are sailing the dog will be Otter. The rest of the time we'll call her Treasure. That's a better name anyway, don't you think?”

Kyle looked at Bill. He nodded. “She's the best treasure anyone ever found!”

Dayle Campbell Gaetz
is the author of several books for children and teens. She lives in Campbell River, British Columbia.