To Catch a Crab
It had been along cold winter in DC. Special Agent Gibbs need away. Away from Vance, the team, the constant moaning, of his dad. He did love his father but it was always the same.
"When you gonna visit? Is it too much trouble to help your old father? I could get an assistant but then the conversation might be a bit slow."
"Dad I spent Christmas with you. I did spend quality time with you." Jethro answered.
"I know but could we not go fishing or something?" Jack had replied.
"Dad maybe the summer, but right now I have something I need to do in Mexico." Gibbs had replied back.
"Yeh, there you go again, running off to Mike's. Bet you're fishing too?" Jackson had retorted.
"No dad I'm going to teach Amira to row." Gibbs said quietly and patiently.
"Amira, she, not a bit young? I mean how old is she now?" His father asked.
"Five, and you are never too old to learn how to row, sail or swim. In fact fish and catch crabs, look in rock pools. Just be fascinated by the creatures you live with." As Gibbs thought back to the last holiday with Kelly and Shannon.
"Ok son, I know you mean well, just be careful."
-oOo-
And so it was that Gibbs made his way to Mike's, it would be good to feel the sand between the toes. And Mike had bought a boat. A clinker built dingy.
"Hell Probie, how you think a child could have sailed that boat of yours…..no offence Probie, but you got to start small."
So this was what Gibbs was going to do, teach Amira to row, maybe once he saw the boat, he could maybe upgrade to a sailing dingy. But you had to start at the bottom.
-ooOo-
The morning saw the sun shining through the windows of the cabin. He listened to the sound of the sea lapping gentle on the shore. A childish laugh, in the distance. He thought of Kelly. Even after almost twenty years his heart ached. It ached, for the memory of them building the 1st Kelly. How he had held her small hands, guiding the plane….his thought broken and interrupted by Amira, "Gibbs are you awake?" she whispered through the window.
"Yes. Are you ready to learn to row?"
"Grand-dad says you are the best." Amira replied.
Gibbs rose and dressed, well cut offs and t-shirt, opened the door and headed for the kitchenette for coffee, grabbing a mug he made his way out onto the porch. He watched as Amira and her grandfather were running round the boat, well she was running, Mike was pretending to chase.
"I hope you know what you have let yourself in for." Leyla said from one of the rocking chairs, "Mike has told me about your own child. I feel for you."
"In what way?" Jethro enquired, now looking at the woman.
"You don't have too, you know, but then Mike may have been a Marine, he doesn't have the patience. She can swim you know. I did teach her that." Leyla answered.
"Leyla, I'm not doing this for me. I am not fulfilling a lost void. I'm doing because I want to. Hey maybe I should teach you too." Now smiling at her and then out to sea.
"Jethro, I trust you with my daughter, as if she was yours." Leyla replied rising and walking to the beach.
Gibbs watched as Amira ran to her mother. He saw she had water wings on. Yes better than the old life rings.
"Jethro, are you ready?" as she grabbed his hand and started to pull him to the boat.
"Amira, take care…..and behave." Her mother shouted.
As they approached the boat, Gibbs lifted the little girl over the edge, "Now sit in the middle, hold on the seat and I'll push us in." as he pushed the dingy into the water, it floated, Gibbs gave it another shove and climbed in. Amira instinctively moved to one side, and the boat rocked.
"No Amira just sit in the middle, any quick movement will rock the boat." He quietly said so as not to frighten the child. As Amira sat rigid in the middle Jethro maneuvered himself onto the seat and placed his legs round the girl, resting them on the seat in front. The oars had been placed in the rowlocks, pulled up into the back of the boat, only the blades resting on the locks.
"Ready?" he asked, the child nodded.
Gibbs slid the oars down the locks and into the water. He gently took the little girls hands and held them round the oars.
"Now just move with me," as he kissed, the top of Amira's head. With gentle sweeping movements he glided the oars through the water. The paddles lifting up and then back down into the calm blue water, cupping the flow and pushing the boat backwards. Amira gasped and then laughed at the motion.
Gibbs guided her hands in the movement. The boat was light enough for a child to handle, but in this case the child was too young, but she was a fast learner and gradually Gibbs loosened his grasp and let her try. He could feel her body language tensing. She moved the oars back and glided them into the water and pulled back, the boat moved, Amira giggled and tried again, and again, she was rowing. But like everyone who gets a little to sure of themselves, she fell foul to the dreaded CRAB.
The oar sliced the water and caught the surface, Amira instinctively let go the oars and screamed. Gibbs was waiting and he skilfully caught the oar as it almost disappeared into the water.
"Sorry…..sorry," the girl cried, as she tried to stand.
"No Amira, stay seated," he heard himself shout, before placing the oars into the boat and putting his arms round the now frightened child, "There, there," he whispered, "don't worry, this happens sometimes. It's called catching a crab."
"I…I…..don't want to do anymore today," Amira sobbed.
"We won't, but hey you sit facing me and I'll take you round the bay OK? Now stay low and go to the stern, turn gently and sit down."
"The stern?" she asked quizzically.
"The blunt end, or the back." Gibbs smiled.
Amira did as she was asked and crouched to the back, turned and sat down. Gibbs smiled, took the oars and began to row. As they moved round the bay, Jethro spotted the plastic bucket under the seat, he wondered….he remembered how he and Kelly used to go looking in rock pools, maybe Amira would be interested.
"See you have a pail under the seat, fancy going looking for crabs?" he smiled.
The girl nodded and then laughed. Gibbs knew it was going to be alright, as he manoeuvred the boat for the rocky headland.
The End