Chapter 17
Claira was having lunch with Mary and they started talking about their dinner the previous evening.
"Your dad was not happy with the Captain last night."
"In what way not happy? Uncle Buck will be giving dad his job back soon."
"Claira, we're stuck in here because our parents did something wrong out there in the real world. The way your dad talked to the Captain last night, there will be no way your dad is getting out of here and no way will you be back on a cruise ship of any kind, let alone with the Captain."
"But, dad has to work with the Captain because grandpa set it all up for us. We wouldn't survive if it wasn't for Uncle Buck."
"Well, the way your dad was talking last night, he doesn't want his help anymore."
"Dad just can't turn down an offer that was set in stone before I was born."
"I think he can, because he's not the original Philip Walters."
Darren was checking dinner that evening when Claira walked in banging the door behind her. He looked around the corner at Claira standing by the door with her arms folded.
"Hey..." He said wiping his hands and walking out to her.
"I saw Mary today and she told me that you turned down grandpa's agreement with Uncle Buck."
They looked at one another.
"You know, for once I would like to tell my own child what I have decided instead of you hearing it from Mary."
"She's my best friend."
"And I'm your father."
"My father?" She said stepping forward. "My father wouldn't turn down an offer from Uncle Buck that grandpa setup years before I was born."
Darren walked back into the kitchen.
"Whatever agreement your grandfather set up, it was terminated when Philip Walters died and I don't intend to just pitch up and carry on where he left off."
"Why not? You're my dad."
"Correct, I am your dad, but I am not about to go on my hands and knees begging for my job back to good old Uncle Buck."
"Why, because you killed my dad or you are still mad at grandpa dying?"
"Claira, I am not mad that your grandfather died or that I never met him. I have to deal with what I did to Philip Walters's every time I look in the mirror." He said watching Claira move up to the chair and sit down. "You and I have something in common."
"Yeah, what's that?"
"We were both not privy to Peter Walters and Captain Mullen's agreement all those years ago, but we both know only too well what that agreement entailed. You and I working on cruise ships taking endless photos of the rich and well off, of which we are not."
"But we were sufficient with money there, though, dad."
"And we will be sufficient again, I am sure of that but, not at the moment." He said watching Claira play with the patterns in the worktop. "Sweetheart, we don't need Uncle Buck's agreement he made with grandpa. We can make our own agreement, right here and now if you want to."
"We have no money here, dad. Grandpa's agreement is money guaranteed."
"Yeah, outside in the real world. He did not expect a complete stranger with his son's face to end up here after I killed his son and fall in love with his granddaughter."
"But, you are his son dad, because you are exactly the same as him."
"Claira, Claira." He stopped and looked at her. "As I said before, you are easily confused because of my resemblance to the original Philip Walters, but in the real world, your grandpa is not my father and I cannot accept an offer that was not made for me, in here or out there in the real world."
"Even when you and I both know that you have changed? You're a professional photographer and you, you said it yourself dad, that I changed you."
"Yes, you changed me, not Peter Walters and certainly not Uncle Buck."
Claira took his hand.
"Dad please, talk to Uncle Buck. You can't talk to grandpa, but you can talk to him."
He looked at her then pulled his hand away.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I will not be speaking to the Captain anymore."
She now jumped off the seat and ran upstairs.
The next day in school Claira stopped Mary as they were walking to class.
"I need your help in getting out of here."
Mary laughed.
"You're joking, right?"
"No. I want to help my dad and if he can't see what's right in front of him then I'll have to make him see it."
"How are you going to do that living here?"
"By getting out into the real world and going to see Uncle Buck."
"Claira, that's impossible."
"No it's not. Look, we have trucks coming in here day and night replenishing the supermarket and many other shops on this estate. All we have to do is climb aboard one of those trucks and head for the docks. Uncle Buck has a boat in the private harbour by the docks."
"Your dad will ground you forever if he finds out."
"He won't because you are going to help me fix the cameras and tags."
"How?"
"Well, you did it before when you wanted me to leave the estate."
"Yes, because my dad helped me. If he found out that I…"
"Can you do it or not? We're not the criminals here, so one night away from this place will not put our parent's convictions back any further."
Mary looked at her.
"Alright, I'll talk to some of the lorry drivers to see if anyone wants to help us, but don't count on it."
"No, because I am counting on you."
Claira returned home that evening to see Allison's car on the driveway. She walked into the house and heard giggling coming from the den. She slowly moved into the room as they noticed her.
"Hey, how are you?" Darren said moving over to her and giving her a kiss.
"I'm okay."
"Allison is just helping me with getting some people shots."
"Yeah, I understand. Dinner is going to be late, yeah?"
"Well, not too late because we're eating out tonight?"
She looked at him.
"Out? Out, where?"
"Out of the main gate, out." He said looking at her.
She stepped forward.
"You talked to Uncle Buck.., we're going to be on a cruise ship any day now?"
Darren looked at her. He then turned to Allison.
"Allison, would you mind..."
"Sure." She said then went out.
Darren turned off the flashes and ejected the SD card from the camera.
"I thought we talked about this last night." He said looking at her.
"I thought you would had come to your senses."
"My senses? Claira, we do not need my father's agreement to keep us solvent anymore."
"Yes we do, dad. Especially now because of where we are."
"I caused us to be where we are, not your grandfather, not Philip Walters and certainly not Uncle Buck."
"You think that Uncle Buck doesn't care that the agreement grandfather made ended when we came here..."
"No, I'll tell you when it ended. It ended the minute I killed Philip Walters. He got out of the deal, whatever that deal was. The deal is over, finished just like this conversation. You're grounded, no dinner tonight, you're going straight to bed."
"Good, suits me fine. Grandpa wouldn't eat his dinner with you and neither would I."
"For your information your grandfather was dead before you were born."
"Maybe you should have been as well, then we'd never have met!" She said then ran out of the den and up the stairs to her bedroom.
Allison watched her go then moved into the den and looked at Darren.
"Phil, she didn't mean that. She's doesn't understand."
"Yeah? Maybe it's me who doesn't understand." He said then went out.
Claira kept the status quo for a few more weeks until Mary had got back to her about a driver willing to transport them to the LA docks.
She returned home from school one evening and noticed Darren and Allison in the den. She quickly moved upstairs and went into Darren's bedroom and searched for his address book.
She soon found it and went through the many addresses and numbers until she found the right one and quickly wrote it down and put the address book back where she had found it.
Claira played with her food that evening as Allison and Darren talked.
"Dad, can I have a mobile phone."
They immediately stopped talking.
"Ha?" He said looking at her.
"A mobile phone. Can I have one, please?"
"Claira you live on an estate, why would want a mobile phone?" Allison asked.
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to my dad."
"Claira!"
"Sorry, but, I just want a mobile phone."
"For what reason?"
"Because everyone has one."
"Yes, they do, in the real world, but not here." Darren said looking at her. "Plus the fact that they cost a bomb in here and I am skint at the moment."
"Well, we all know why that is, don't we?" She said looking at him. "Can I be excused as I'm not really that hungry?"
Allison looked at Darren as he nodded.
Claira now jumped off her chair and ran upstairs.
Darren collected the plates and moved into the kitchen.
"I don't know what the matter with her is. These last few weeks, I feel that that I've lost her. That she's a total stranger to me again. My own kid, a stranger."
"Phil, she's only ever known you working on the cruise ships. That has been her life so far and now you're both here… I know it's hard for both of you, but it's like clothes, one day you like something and maybe the next day you don't."
"My kid is not a pair of throw away socks."
"I'm not saying that, but you're a new parent, Claira has to realise that too…"
"It's like we've given up even talking to each other. If we carry on like this we'll just end up talking about the weather." He turned away. "She's my life, my night and day…"
Allison moved up to him and they hugged and started to kiss.
Claira checked in with Mary at school the next day to find out how far she had come with getting to the docks.
"The driver who will take us is coming back on Thursday night."
"Thursday, I can do that. Early or late?"
"He will be making his delivery at midnight, so if you want to go, I have to affect the tags just before then."
"Can you do it?"
"I'll have to take my dad's laptop and if he notices it missing then we'll never get past the gate."
"Well, do you want to postpone for a better day or not?"
"The driver will only do this once, so we have to go Thursday night."
"Right. You get your end ready and I'll sort my end out."
"Claira, if your dad finds out, you'll never sit down for a month."
"And, if your dad finds out both us will end up in solitary."
Claira looked at the number that she had got from her father's address book as she made sure Darren and Allison were not around and pulled the phone into her lap one evening and started to dial the number.
The phone started to ring as Claira went through the people to get to the Captain at the docks.
"This is Captain Mullen…"
"Uncle Buck, its Claira…"
"Claira?" He said pausing for a second. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad that I can still use dad's address book to get in contact with you."
"Is that the reason why you've called me?"
"Yes, just that and that I just wanted to check that you haven't left on another cruise yet."
"No, I haven't. Goodnight Claira."
"Goodnight Uncle Buck." She said replacing the receiver onto the phone and pushing it back onto the table in front of her.
Darren and Allison soon came out of the den and noticed Claira was happy.
"Hey, where's my camera, I want to get a picture of this."
"Of what?" Claira asked.
"Of my daughter happy and smiling." He said looking at her.
Claira now jumped up from her seat and hugged him.
"I love you daddy."
"Oh, I love you too." He said kissing her. "We are going to be okay." He said looking at her.
She slowly nodded.
"I know we are." She said looking at him.
Late Thursday night Claira met up with Mary by the back of the supermarket as they noticed the truck pulling into the car park.
"Have you got the laptop?"
"Yeah. Give me your tag." She said as Claira pulled her tag towards her to reveal the numbers.
"Right, this tag recirculates in five hours. This laptop will resend the signal then, but it will only do that as long as the battery lasts and that nobody doesn't see us leave."
"They won't." Mary said setting up the laptop.
They climbed into the back of the truck and waited for the driver to leave the estate and held out towards the docks.
The sun had already started to rise when they arrived at the docks. They left the truck and looked around the area.
"Claira, do you know where we are?" Mary asked looking around.
"Yeah, this is the main road down to the docks. Uncle Buck's cruiser is moored in one of the private boating yards. Come on." She said walking on.
They walked towards the boat yard area and searched the boats moored up.
"Claira, what are we looking for?"
"My Uncle's boat, well, my dad's boat really..." She said carrying on.
"Well, if you don't find it soon then we are going to be in big trouble. Those tags back on the estate ran out two hours ago."
"I'll find it. You can't miss it, it has our name on it." She said walking past the boats.
Eventually, Claira found it and slowly walked up the gangplank.
"Uncle Buck, its Claira." She said entering the living room area.
"Claira, are you sure he's here?"
"Look, it might be my dad's boat now, but when Uncle is in port, he stays on it. It was my grandfather's boat but, Uncle Buck looks after it for us."
"Claira? Claira, what are you doing here?" The Captain said coming out from a bedroom.
"I wanted to talk to you and discuss the agreement without dad around us."
"He doesn't know you're here." He said looking at her then looked at Mary. "Did you help her come here?"
"Yes, but..."
"I'm calling your father."
"He won't talk to you. He is not interested in you or the agreement, Uncle Buck and that's why I'm here, so that we can talk about the agreement instead."
"An agreement that was made before you were born, right here on this boat with your grandfather, your father and I about your father's profession?" He said looking at her.
She nodded.
The captain looked at the two girls in front of them.
"You both look like you didn't sleep much last night."
"We left home before midnight." Mary said rubbing her eyes.
"Then you are lucky that Philip's boat has more beds than just one." He said walking them further back into the boat.
"Wait a minute, what about talking about the agreement?"
"We will talk about the agreement, after you've had some sleep. It's the least I can do for my family. I will call you later, I promise." He said pushing them into a bedroom and closed the door.
Darren stirred as the home phone started to ring. Allison now sat up and leant over him to pick it up.
"Morning John, what…?" She stopped and looked at John. "How did she? Allison now handed the phone to Darren. "Claira is off the estate."
"She's what?" Darren said grabbing the phone and sat up. "John, what's going on?"
"Claira and Mary fixed their tags last night and went off the radar at midnight and get this, I just received a call from Captain Mullen saying that Claira and my daughter are now at the LA boating arena trying to negotiate a new agreement with him because Philip Walters refuses to talk to him."
"I did not say that. I just…, I don't want to be ruled by a god damn agreement that was not made for me."
"Well, you better get your negotiating skills out. Captain Mullen has broken our protocols and has requested that you come over to the boating arena and collect her personally."
"Well, I hope you informed him that it's illegal for me to leave the correctional centre."
"I did, but he went over my head to the governor and I am now fielding calls left right and centre. I swear my next phone call will be from the President."
Darren sighed and looked away.
"I'm so sorry John, you don't deserve this. The agreement was made before Claira was born and I have my rights not to accept an agreement that was not made for me."
"You are Philip Walters though…"
"Yeah, in here, but not out there where Claira is now.
"So, you don't want to be Phil out in the real world?"
"When I am good and ready, yes but, at the moment..." He looked at Allison. "I'm kind of liking it in here better."
"I know, but we've still got to collect the children."
"Well, how are we going to get them? My tag is live?"
"Just get dressed and meet me at the main gate."
"Alright, give me half an hour."
He replaced the receiver and looked at Allison.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be okay." He said then kissed her.
Darren was soon at the main gate where he noticed a set of handcuffs.
"What's the handcuffs for?"
"For you."
"Excuse me?"
"Phil, you're a criminal and it's the law."
"Then you should be handcuffed too, because you are also a criminal, just like me."
"Some considerable years before, Phil." He said putting the cuffs on him.
John now led him out of the building and into an awaiting police car and was driven to the docks.
When they arrived John talked with another officer then walked back to Darren and slowly took off the cuffs.
"Just so you know, we are being watched..."
"John, we're here to get our kids. I have no intention to run away."
They walked down the ramp and checked the boats. Darren walked past a few boats then stopped and looked at one of them.
"Something tells me that this is the boat where Claira is." He said pointing to the name on the side of the boat.
"Whistling Walters."
"Yeah, spelt like my surname."
"I noticed." He said then looked at him.
They slowly walked up the gangplank as the Captain appeared.
"John, Phil, please come on up." He said letting them on board. "I'll go and wake the children now that you're here."
"No, I'll go and wake them. Where is..?"
"In your old bedroom, of course." He said looking at him. "I'll sort out some breakfast for you."
Darren looked at him then moved further into the boat and noticed a door and opened it. He soon recognised Claira asleep and moved into the room. Mary was asleep next to her so he slowly stepped up to Claira and lightly touched her as she stirred.
"Hey sweetheart." He said kissing her.
She smiled and looked at him.
"Daddy, you're here..." She said sitting up.
"I'm here on this boat with you, yes."
"Hi Mr Walters." Mary said next to her.
"Mary, you can call me Phil, that is my name, you know. Your dad is outside if you want to go and see him."
Mary now jumped up off the bed and went out.
Claira now got up and adjusted herself as Darren looked at the tag.
"John was telling me that Mary fixed the tags again."
"Err, yeah, I guess. I don't know much about it."
"Hmm, if this becomes a habit there is no point for us to wear them anymore."
She shyly looked at him.
"Phil, breakfast is ready, if you're hungry..." The Captain said behind them.
"I'm hungry..." Claira said jumping up past Darren.
He shook his head and slowly moved out of the room towards the living area watching Claira grab what she could get onto her plate.
"You are not out of the woods yet, young lady. We've got to talk about why you came here." Darren said making sure she looked at him as she loaded her plate.
Darren now joined her getting some breakfast.
"Phil, you know why she came here, because you will not accept the offer that you're father made with me. Working as a full time photographer on the cruise ships that I helm." The Captain said watching him sit down across from Claira.
"Just because he accepted the offer, it does not necessarily mean that I will just carry on like him. I am locked into the programme at the correctional centre until a time that the government feel that I am ready to be released back into the community. I am a crook, after all."
"This opportunity reached you at an important stage in your life. To be a father is an inherent gift and the same options that were offered to you then are still open to you now. Along with this boat, if you would accept it.
Darren looked at the Captain.
"Was this his ship or Claira's grandfather's?"
Claira now looked at Darren then the Captain.
"It was bought by Peter months before he died. Philip was far too busy to worry about something like this."
"So he gave it to you in the hope that he would eventually accept it, ha?"
"On the contrary, it was to be used in the off season whatever and whenever Phil requested it. I was not stationed in LA then so it just laid empty."
"How did you know the Walters? I mean, you're so keen to get me to follow in Phil's footsteps, maybe because of my close physical appearance to him, but you could have just written this off and told me to do one, but you didn't, so I want to know, how you know my family." Darren said leaning forward.
"Maybe we could talk after breakfast, if that is alright with John." The captain said looking at John sipping his cup of coffee.
"By all means." He said putting his cup down. "I mean, you are funding this little project after all."
Chapter 18
John kept Claira and Mary busy as the captain moved into the vast living space at the rear of the boat with Darren behind almost watching his every move.
"Please, sit down."
Darren cautiously complied with his gesture and sat down on a comfy sofa chair facing him but, within easy view of Claira on the gangway below them.
"Back at the centre we didn't really get on and that's understandable, so I hope that you will find this setting a more comfortable solution, where I can put my case towards you in a more favourable light."
Darren carried on watching him.
"I'll listen to what you have to say, but personally, I think your just wasting your time. I'm going to be at the correctional centre for many years to come and at this present time, I am happy with that arrangement for my daughter's sake."
"And if I could persuade the centre to release you so that you can at least have some money coming into Phil's bank account…"
"I'm old fashioned…" He said standing up and moving to the window to watch Claira. "I'm a crook, I make my own money and I've survived so far."
"Meaning?"
Darren turned back to him.
"Meaning I don't want blood money because I killed someone, because I killed your son."
The Captain took a deep breath and looked at him.
"Excuse me?"
"It took some time to figure it all out, but I think I understand now." He said stepping back to the sofa and sitting down. "You're Claira's grandfather, aren't you?"
"I don't know what you mean." The Captain said standing up and moving away from the window.
"It's true isn't it? You saw your granddaughter in that children's home after the cruise and you couldn't take the shame of knowing that whatever agreement that had been made for her future hung in the balance again." Darren said standing up and moving over to him. "That's why we're where we are today. Trying to sort out the mess that I had forced onto you because you couldn't find a simple solution to the original mess when Phil threatened to take his granddaughter away from you."
"I don't know where you've got your information from Mr Hick's, but…"
"You wrote that folder I've been told to read at the centre, because you couldn't bring yourself to face the truth for a second time in your life."
"You're clutching at straws…"
"Am I? Well why not let's go and put this to John and the children and see what they make of it right now, ha?"
The Captain now grabbed him and pushed him into the walkway.
"You god damn son of a bitch…"
"What, so now you want to hit me? Well go ahead, if it will make you feel better. I can just imagine that you've had this conversation before with your son when Claira was a baby. You wasted your money on this boat because you couldn't face the fact that you were losing your family."
"You'll end up on the street, just like him."
"Better than hanging on your pay check every month. Why don't you sell the boat dad and face the truth for once in your life."
The captain now hit him and Darren fell backwards into the door.
John heard the commotion and ran onto the boat and noticed Darren on the floor.
"Phil…?" He said moving up to him.
"I'm alright." He said standing up.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing." Darren said moving to the bathroom and grabbing a towel.
"Some nothing. I'll check the bar for some ice."
"Yeah, good idea, I could do with a drink."
"That's not what I meant."
"No?"
John noticed the Captain then stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
"What were you talking about?" John said grabbing the towel and pushed it into his chin.
"The fact that he's been lying to us, to you, to me." He looked at John and stopped him. "He's Peter Walters, my kid's grandfather."
"I wondered if he would ever tell you."
"You, you knew?"
"Not at first. The more he pushed, the more I enquired about him."
"How much has he invested in this?"
"Phil that's not…"
"No, you tell me, right now."
John looked at him and handed back the towel.
"A quarter of a million." He said sitting down on the side of the bath tub.
Darren turned away.
"He's running away from his responsibilities."
"Kind of like his son."
"No! Don't you wrap me up in this one John, Claira brought me here because she has been fed on their lies." He said looking at the towel. "This ends now."
"What are you going to do? Tell Claira and you'll end up back on death row and she'll go straight back to the home."
"Claira deserves better than this."
"She has better at the centre."
"With his money still hanging over us. I won't accept that John, he never."
John grabbed him and took out his wallet and pushed him into the mirror.
"You are Philip Walter's." He said showing him the picture in the wallet. "Don't be an ass all your life. Go out there and negotiate a better deal. Something that he couldn't do."
"And you think because I'm a bragger that it will be different this time around?"
"Claira is hanging off your shirt tails now, not a baby's bottle." He said handing him back his wallet and leaving him to the bathroom.
Darren looked at himself in the mirror and slowly put the wallet back in his pocket and made himself look more presentable before going out onto the deck to see Claira cleaning the boat's sign with brasso.
He slowly moved up to her and looked at the sign.
"I guess you're here because we have to leave soon, yeah?"
He looked at her.
"Ha? Oh err, soon I guess. I err, I've got to talk to the captain in a minute."
She looked down.
"Figures." She said dropping the cloth.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, you want me to come with you, don't you? I mean…"
"No, no. I'm going to do this on my own."
"But, you don't know him…"
He put his hand to her mouth.
"I know him only too well and someday I'll explain that to you." He said kissing her. "Wish me luck."
She watched him head back up the gangplank.
"Good luck." She said as he disappeared inside.
Darren walked back into the living area and saw John talking to the captain.
"Claira's still cleaning the sign." He said which made them both look over to him.
"Phil, do you want me to…?" John said stepping up to him and handing him a drink.
"You're my friend…" He looked at him. "If we are going to get anywhere today I would appreciate your input."
John nodded and they all took their respective seats.
The captain supped at his drink sitting uneasy as he watched Darren staring into his glass.
"I'm sorry for…"
"Are you, really?"
"Of course I am."
"I guess it was a long time coming. Seeing your son standing in front of you again, dictating his terms once more."
"Phil, remember where you are." John said breaking his concentration.
"You've read the folder. You know what a son of a bitch my son was. Saying that I was dead to him…
"So you make up an agreement where Claira's grandfather is dead and her father is just carrying on ha, under his father's own cruise company as a dime a dozen photographer. Keeps him happy, keeps his grandchild where he can see her. Good old Uncle Buck, when all she really asked for was to see her grandfather before he died."
"The Walter's are not big on the whole family idea."
"No, I can see that." He said gulping down the drink and standing up.
"Phil…" John said standing up.
"I need a refill."
"I'll get you one." He said taking the glass from him.
Darren slowly sat back down and looked towards the harbour entrance.
"You are nothing special Mr Hick's. You have a very impressive record…" The captain said watching him.
"We both have skeletons in the cupboard that we don't want to spread about, especially to our children."
John moved back to Darren and handed him the glass.
"Oh, keep these coming John, after all it's my kid's inheritance we're drinking to here, right dad." He added.
John now grabbed him and pulled him up out of his seat.
"Hick's if you want to go back on death row then just say so and we can go there tonight. Claira can be found at the children's home where Uncle Buck will gladly pay for her board and rent with no negotiating whatsoever."
Darren looked at John then pulled himself away and sat back down and put his glass onto the table.
"Claira stays with me."
"Then talk, instead of hurling abuse at one another." John said sitting down.
"Yeah, like he wants it all to change. Why do you think I am here? If I looked like anybody else then I would be in the chair already."
"Do you think that this is easy for me? Burying my son, seeing my grandchild in that children's home…"
"So you thought that the guy with your son's face could just fill in like nothing had ever happened ha?"
"When I called you to the medical room on the ship and Claira was watching us from the door when you pulled the sheet back. When you caught up with her in the hallway and held her, calming her down, you were more like my son than you could imagine."
"So, I must have broken your heart when it was confirmed that I had killed your son and not vice versa."
"What broke my heart was the fact that I was helpless towards my own grandchild."
"Only because of the agreement with you had with your son." Darren said looking at him he said grabbing the glass again. "I guess you want to change that somehow, ha?" He added swallowing the drink.
"How can I, he's dead."
"No thanks to me for that one ha, because I'm here today with Claira no more than yards way."
"I can't talk to him like this?" The captain said standing up and moving towards the door.
Darren now jumped up and stopped him.
"Well how do you want me then, sir? Be like a doormat? Walk all over me like you tried to do with your son?
"Hick's…"
Darren spun around.
"My name is Phil Walters…"
"Then give the man a chance to explain his position…" John said standing up.
"I already know his position. At the wheel with his son on the floor just looking for that great shot." He said bringing his hands up to his face like a camera.
"You're drunk." The captain said looking at him.
"So sue me, it's my boat, my scotch." He said turning back to grab the glass. "It's the first time I've been drunk in months and in style as well." He said looking around. "I own all this and your grandchild." He said moving up to the captain. "I could even tell my own father where he gets off if I wanted to."
The captain was about to hit him again as John stepped between them.
"Look, that is enough. I didn't expect to spend the night here but, if this is the only way to get you two to talk then it has to be done."
"We're going back to the centre tonight. I'm not spending a night here…"
"Put him in his cabin. I'll go and make his excuses to Claira."
"You don't touch her. She's mine."
John now pulled him into the first cabin he found and pushed Darren onto the bed.
Darren awoke hours later and looked around the dingy lit cabin and moved as he realised someone was next to him, which made him look down. He was about to speak when he realised the scotch had made his mouth very dry. He did his best to move off the bed without waking Claira but, failed miserably.
"Dad?"
He now tried to focus in on her as his hangover took full effect. He quickly rose to his feet and promptly knocked everything in his path to the floor as he focused in for the awaiting bathroom.
"Dad?" She repeated now following him into the bathroom.
He shyly looked at her as he noticed his reflection in the mirror and looked away.
"Not just now, Claira please…" He said then was physically sick into the sink as he fell to his knees.
The door to the cabin now opened and John walked in and noticed him.
"John, just take her, please." He said moving to the toilet and holding it.
"A perfect role model for your off spring." He said pulling Claira away. "Come on, kid, your father is indisposed."
"No, I want to…" She said trying to resist.
"Claira, just go!" He said shouting.
She stopped struggling and looked at him then ran out of the room.
"She doesn't deserve, that!" He said pointing at him.
"I've already told her this fact on many occasions." He said watching John leave.
By the time Darren was sober enough to face the day, he cautiously walked out onto the deck and noticed Claira alone staring into the horizon. He looked around for something to break her concentration instead of just walking up to her and making her jump but she had already heard him and looked around.
He smiled at her but got no reaction from her which spoke volumes to him. He quickly stepped forward and touched her hand.
"Claira…"
She pulled her hand away.
"Uncle Buck said that you were drunk last night."
"For most of yesterday, you could say." He said trying to get her to laugh.
"I don't see what's so funny. Dad, you've never been drunk before."
"You're right, I haven't but, I felt it as a great release."
"A release from what? The centre, me?"
"No, not you and not the centre." He said turning away.
She followed him around.
"Then, what?"
He now noticed the captain keeping an eye on them, which started the rage inside him again.
"I err, it's getting cold out here, why don't we go talk about this in the living room, ha?" He said pulling her towards the stern of the boat.
"I'm not cold." She said moving away.
He looked at her and took a deep breath.
"Claira, I can't talk about this here. Not while he's…" He said looking up to the captain looking down.
"What?" She now noticed the captain. "You can't talk because of Uncle Buck watching us? Well, why not? This was the whole reason why I came here, that you two could talk…"
"Don't you think I know that?" He said snapping at her.
She stepped back and then ran off towards the cabin area.
"Claira." He said, but he knew it was too late. He now looked up and watched the captain move away from the window.
Darren headed for the cabin area as John stepped onto the deck and stopped him.
"What is going on with you two?"
"Nothing. I just…" He took a deep breath and stepped around him. "I just want to talk to my kid without him watching me, watching me with Claira."
"It's a boat and you are confined here…"
"Maybe that's the problem then. Maybe if we went back to the centre, we could talk without…"
"Not possible at this time…"
"Not possible? On whose say so, him or you?"
"Phil I can't and you know why."
"Yeah, I know only too well. Just, just keep him away from me for the next hour while I try and win back my kids confidence."
John watched him move back towards the cabin area.
Darren stepped up to the cabin he had occupied earlier and lightly knocked on the door.
"Claira, I know that you're in there. This is my old cabin, remember."
The door now opened as Claira stood in front of him.
"So, let me get this straight. One minute you say you are not my father, then you say you are. When we were on the ship you said you wasn't. Back at the centre we are a family. I'm just starting to get a little confused here…" She said folding her arms.
"Then let me be more succinct." He said stepping into the cabin and closing the door behind him.