Hello Readers, Its been a while I know... I just finished up 14 here... I appreciate the reviews its nice to hear folks thoughts. Feel free to keep them coming... Its really been a good time so far writing this story, I'm going to try to get you all an additional chapter this month...Here is hoping this next chapter is up to par... I'll do what I can to keep it interesting... -DjTenki
How about that chapter 13 eh? Well looks like the secrets out...Its going to be interesting to see how long Kirino decides to keep her now found history to herself...and what about all the people around her? What will they think? How is she going to keep acting normally knowing the truth? ...well you'll just have to wait and see...I also wonder how Akagi is going to survive this wave as well...Should be fun...Speaking of waves...
legal jargon:
I do not own Oriemo or any characters related to light novels, manga, or anime...but I love the story so here we are...
Chapter 14: The Deckhand, The Greenhorn and The Change...
Kyousuke:
"Damn it Greenhorn watch that line!" RRRRRINNNNG! "Wave, Wave, Wave! Starboard side Watch out!" came captain Cliffs voice over the speaker as huge wave crashed upon the deck sending me sliding across it losing my footing and falling hard... but I knew the number one rule.. you don't ever let go of that line... as I grit my teeth and got back to my feet with the rope wrapped around my right hand tight...I was losing the feeling in my hand.. I stared sliding again as another wave crashed on the deck sending me sliding back the other direction as the deck pitched hard in the storm...What the hell! I looked back over my shoulder to see Salty standing tall legs and feet rolling with the deck as it pitched back forth. I shook my head I had no idea how the hell he continued to stay on his feet while I continued to take fall after fall. I was starting to get pissed...
"Greenhorn! Keep your feet and hang on to that line!" Salty yell at the top of his lungs as the storm rage around us.. I had lost all track of time I only felt two things at this moment adrenaline...and pain.. "Keep that tension up! Carl are those damn chains locked yet? What are you waiting on Christmas!" Carl the boats engineer had come screaming onto the deck as the emergency alarms sounded... when all hell had broken loose along with the main tow lines.. "Almost... another minute and it'll be in!" Carl yelled as the wind continued to howled around us.. "Wave! Port side hang on!" again captain Cliff yelled across the loud speaker...
I had just enough time to look over my shoulder as a one story wall of water hit us all from behind crashing the deck and sending Carl and Salty off thier feet.. Hang on to the line...Gotta hang onto the line... damn this is terrible... My hands arms and shoulders burned all I really wanted to do was run back down to my bunk and hide, I had never felt so tired before. I knew though that what was going on here was life or death for not only us but the distressed ship we were trying to rescue from the storm. "Carl! Get up and finish it!" Once again for what seemed like the tenth time Carl scrambled back to the rigging and got to it... It seemed like forever and we were all hit by two more huge waves as the wind howled and lightning showed huge waves and an angry sea all around us in the darkness... "Got it!" Carl yelled as turned on the crank motor and the chain line snapped from my had taught then he ran along the deck to help reattach the main chain to the lock post..
I was finally able to let off the line as I stagger across the pitching deck to where Salty was to try and help secure more lines but as I closed... "WAVE! BOW! WATCH YOUR ASS!" I didn't even get to turn as I was thrown to the deck hard by a huge wave of water that carried me twenty feet and had me water sliding hard into the bulkhead at Salty's feet, he roughly hulled me to my feet as I was seeing stars from hitting my head. "You got a little blood on that forehead Greenhorn it won't kill ya! Good Job on that line! Now get your ass up front and secure the secondary and third safety chains, fun's just starting!" The old deck boss gave me a wild eyed grin... What am I doing here...This guy is crazy as hell .. I thought as I turned to make my way once again to the front of the deck.. That's when I saw it in the night sky.. a flare from the container ship Kursk...shit looks like that other engine went out after all...just great...
"Kyousuke, Carl! Get those lines secure! She lost the other one! Salty get that tow engine started NOW! Give it Hell boys! She an angry mistress tonight and she wants her due and we ain't giving it to her! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Captain Cliff yelled through the loud speaker like a man possessed by demons... Yeah that's right I joined a crew of lunatics.. I never would have thought that it would be like this..but really I didn't have time to worry about it...peoples lives were on the line and I had a job to do...I lowered my head and gritted my teeth..it had started out so good this morning...but like the past few it was not to be and god only knew how long this nightmare storm would last but hey that's what I signed up for I guess... as I once again staggered to the front...man I'm tired...
(Five Hours Later)
The sun was high in the sky as we cleared out of the storm clouds, they could still be seen flashing lightning and rolling thunder could still be heard in the distance, but as I looked behind our ship, sure enough the Kursk had survived.. I stood there aching and tired all I wanted to do was go below and sleep forever but after ten days on this crazy boat I knew our work wasn't finished. We weren't the only ones though as a horn off the port side revealed our fellow Tug boat assistant had made it as well. Both the Lucky bulldog and the Fox Hound as she was called had worked in tandem to get the crippled ship through the storm.
It was sometime yesterday that the emergency horn had sounded and we went to help. We had met up with the Fox Hound about an hour before the storm had started and that when it all went crazy.. I was broken from my thoughts via the Loud speaker "OK Crew The Fox is going to unhitch and were going to take this one in to Oahu and break for a few days" what Oahu...Hawaii? I looked over across the way and sure enough the Fox Hound had started to reverse on itself releasing its towlines which the crew on the Kursk were busily pulling back aboard. Once that was done it blew its horn three times signaling that it was headed out I waved over at the crew whose names I didn't know but they waved back...it was then that Salty spoke up. "Ah relax Greenhorn ya look confused we got a few docks worldwide and every so often the Captain is required to put us into port... now lets make sure those chains are secured and then we can sleep" Salty said as he spit over the boats edge and gave me his wild eye grin...lunatic I swear..
Ah..sleep I just couldn't wait to finish up this shift I wasn't used to all this manual labor and I was already dead on my feet.. I nodded and followed Salty back to the rear of the ship twenty minutes later he and I had finished checking the chains and went back around front to head down below to our bunks but before that Captain Cliff came over the speaker "Hey Kyousuke can you come up to the wheel house please."
I nodded and waved not knowing what this was about all I wanted to do was go downstairs and lay down, but when the captain calls you go..period. I went inside the small hallway and up the two flights of stairs and walked into the wheel house. "Hey Captain what do you need?" I said with a concerned face... Did I screw up or something? I had been on this boat for ten days so far and pretty much found out that everything from bow to stern could kill you according to Salty... I was apprehensive to say the least but as time went on I started to get used to the long hours and pitching deck... but last night had been the first real chance I had at getting hurt or worse out there on the deck.. I was just thankful I didn't get myself killed out there really..
"Ah Kyousuke my boy, that was a hell of a night wasn't it?" I nodded. "You did good those waves were big but I figured when I hired you that you could make it out there." He said with that easy going smile of his plastered on his face...Well that makes one of us I guess...I thought. "Ah yeah I guess I am still just trying to get used to all of this.. I mean ten days and I still feel like I don't know anything at all.." Cliff laughed at me and slapped his knee "Oh your doing fine out there Kyousuke, besides Rome wasn't built in a day, just keep on listening to Salt and you'll be fine... Just make sure you get a bit of first aid for that scratch alright?" I had forgotten about it or maybe I was just so tired I couldn't feel it, I reached up and winced at the now swollen cut on my head...yeah better clean that out and bandage it...
I was pulled from that thought by the captain yet again, "Anyway man, when we get to Oahu I want you to stay at my place, well be resting up a few days and then head out for the mainland U. S. Make sure you keep doing your physical conditioning while we travel.. alright?" I nodded...It was about a day into working on this boat that Captain Cliff had come down to the deck and told me that my arms and chest were to scrawny, that I need to do sets of sit-ups push-ups and pull-ups every morning before I started work.. He said every new guy did this for the duration of their trip however long that was...some rite of passage.. I wasn't really opposed to it I figured I would need to build up my strength if I was going to be doing this work. A lot of the tools were heavy so I could see the value of it so I didn't complain...
Cliff then smiled wickedly at me and I raised and eyebrow..."Plus all those Hawaiian girlies will be looking at you like a side of beef.. that Japanese pretty boy face and that longer hair heh, I don't want you getting into any trouble HA!" I shook my head and made a loud snorting noise.. "Yeah sure I bet... I'll be beating them off with a stick.." I said with a deadpanned face...and yeah maybe my hair had grown out a bit, but it looked good I thought...could use a shave maybe.. This time it was Cliff that snorted at me.. "Yeah yeah whats your girls name back home Kyousuke?" he said questioningly... He knew where to jab me at... "Geez Cliff you would go there.." I frowned and shook my head at him and like usual he waved me off with a hearty laugh and my audience with the boss was once again unceremoniously over...Kirino...siiiigh
I made my way down to the lower deck with my frown plastered to my face, all I really wanted to do was lay down...but I had to go take care of this cut on my head. I went into the galley and Art the Cook was there and got right to patching up my injury. All I could do was sit there and winced as he put alcohol on it and a patch, I continued to think about what Cliff had asked... Kirino... GEEEZ now I had Kirino on my mind..thanks to what Cliff had started I couldn't get her out of my thoughts... Art raised and eyebrow as he could tell I was lost in thought with the frown on my face. "Eh Kyousuke something on your mind? Tell old Art here I'm more than happy to give ya some advice!" He said with grin and slight chuckle. "Nah Art I'm good just worn out from that work on the deck today. We all good?" He smiled and nodded at me so I got up to leave, "Hey Kyousuke seriously if you got something on your mind don't hold it in here on the boat it could get ya hurt alright?" His face was real serious but his smile was still in place. "Sure Art...Let me think on it a bit alright?" He gave me a further nod and went back to making our food.
It was funny as the days of work and activity wore on I thought a little less about her and the events that had happened back home. I was sure that I had made the right decision to take a break from all that madness.. Then again if I really slowed down it began to creep back into my thoughts. I shook my head I had to sideline those thought for a while and try to get some sleep...Yep glorious rest that's what I was really thinking about at the moment and my body agreed with those thoughts.
We each had a small but nice individual bunk room. I couldn't believe how tired I felt. I knew I probably needed something to eat and drink to re-hydrate my muscles but I was just to damn tired to care. I went into my room and shut the door and sat down on my cramped bunk, every muscle in my body finally decided it was time to protest and man did I ache...I hadn't ached like this since the night of the tournament aftermath I thought... I threw off my shirt and boots and laid down and covered up... siiiiigh. I rolled over on my side and closed my eyes but sleep just wouldn't come.. I knew in my head and my heart it wanted the crutch.. I really was trying to force myself to give it up but my body just wouldn't let it.. I reached under my bunk and dragged my bag out and unzipped it.
There inside was the one thing that would help to ease my aching body, Kirino's pink nighty shirt... I pulled it free and set it down in front of me zipped up my bag and returned it back to its spot under my bunk. I laid back down and put the shirt on my chest near my face.. instantly I could smell the mix of the strawberry shampoo and a few other scents that could belong to no other than my sister Kirino..and my aches and pains started to subside.. It was crazy to me to think a small piece of cloth could bring that much relief to my body.. geez it makes no sense that I only feel better like this... I'm so whipped... It hurt my pride a bit as a guy but the heart wants what it wants I guess...
It was obvious to me that even after ten days out here at sea with storms, work injuries and madness that Kirino still had a hold of me firmly. I mean shes my sister...I tried to rationalize...well that was another thing I was going to have to come to terms with.. I guess in my mind it wouldn't give up the sister idea I mean my whole life that's all I had known.. but really shes not.. she's more to me than that...a girl? a young woman for sure... my fiancee?... That thought in itself seemed so alien to me to even think, but that was the fact...and I'd just have to come to terms with it..somehow.. I gently picked up the delicate shirt and breathed it in deeply.. How did it all become like this really? I could feel relaxation coming over me and a sense of peace I hadn't felt in the last twenty hours.. My mind was tricking me ..lulling me into the memories of her face, her smile, her hands on me ..her skin on mine.. her giggles and soft voice putting me to sleep.. I knew then that no matter how hard I would try to forget and take a break Kirino's essence itself had become part of every part of mine and that I would just have to come to terms with it. But I wasn't going to let it rule me... heh I guess in the end I'll just have to try and become stronger...better...someone she can rely on...siiiigh good night Kirino... I didn't even remember my breathing slowing down because with the crutch resting on my chest I was totally relaxed and at that point I was gone...
(Twelve Hours Later...)
"Hey...Hey Greenhorn wake up man... Time to eat we got work to do..come on" I was startled awake by the gravelly voice of Salty the deck boss. I rolled over on my side and looked up at the man and he had a raised eye brow.. "What? I'm getting up man just a give me a minute alright?" he laughed as I started to sit up and my sister shirt fell onto my lap. My eyes went wide as I snatched it up from from my lap and stuffed it under my blanket.. Great... I looked up to see a chiding grin from the old man.
"Sure yeah you got a few minutes there just get dressed and come eat... and ah Don't worry that girly ass pink looks good on ya Greenhorn real stylish hehehehehehe" He cut loose with a hearty laugh as he left down the hall toward the mess on the ship to start eating. I hate that old man.. I snorted as I got up and tried to stretch against the protest of aching muscles. I exhaled slowly with my eyes closed. Yep I was sore no doubt about it. That work last night had taken my eighteen year old body to its limit. It probably didn't help that I hadn't ate or drank anything in the last twelve hours. I stuffed the shirt back into my bag under my bed, got dressed and pulled the cover back up my bed and made my way down the hall into the ships mess.
I walked in to find the whole crew sitting at the table eating all kinds of meat and fresh fruit. The smell alone made my stomach protest loudly as I walked over and took my seat at the end of the table. I had Art the ships cook and Carl the ships engineer on my right and Salty the deck boss was seated by himself on my left. All three of them were talking and laughing with Captain Cliff who sat at the head of the table nursing what I assumed was a cup of coffee his plate finished in front of him.
"Ah Kyousuke glad to see your still alive heh, have some food you need it after yesterday." Cliff said with a grin plastered to his face. I nodded and started filling my plate. "Hey Kyousuke how are you getting along on deck there? Hope your putting up with Saltys shit well enough. heh" Art said as he stuffed a fork full of food in his mouth. At home this kind of thing would have started an all out war at our table but as I had found after a few days at sea that this was just normal conversation though it took some getting used to. I snorted and laughed, "Yeah Art I'm getting by I might of lost my head last night if Salty had grabbed me up off the deck after I hit my head... those waves were hell." Salty raised an eyebrow.
"Ah your doing better than the last greenhorn I guess, but you got plenty of room for improvement." Salty said while chewing his food, Carl laughed at that.." Oh he's just shittin ya Kyousuke he was singing your praises before you came in the room" Salty narrowed his eyes and pointed his now empty fork at Carl.. "You sir can go to hell." as he then took another bite Carl just smiled and sipped his cup of coffee. I looked over at Salty who was engrossed in his food ignoring me pretty much...yep there all lunatics...I thought as I took a bite of my own.
"Simmer down ya ingrates simmer down, Wanted to tell you all something." Everyone at the table looked over to Cliff including myself having now dug in deeply to the warm food and it tasted so good it was hard to pay attention to the captain. "We did good last night were splitting an emergency bonus with the Fox but I'll be passing it along to you when we hit port for your hard work last night. The Container ship lost no cargo and the their company is paying extra for the safe passage of their boat." That made everyone at the table smile except me..I wasn't sure what that meant for a bonus. "That will be an extra thousand at the end of the trip for all of you." I dropped my fork.. Everyone looked over at me..
"A thousand? Like a Thousand dollars?" Cliff smiled and laughed.. "Well hell yeah it is dollars..what did you think it be yen?" Everyone at the table started laughing at Cliffs comment I snorted and shook my head.. I'd never made a thousand dollars in my life..well I hadn't ever really had a job yet so... Here was guy telling me that after just one night I had earned more money than I had ever made in my whole life.. I guess work could be good. "Yeah Kyousuke you were out there risking your life just as any other man and you didn't belly ache so yeah you earned your share well enough. Keep listening to Salt there and you'll do alright." I smiled and nodded.
"Alright I need to get back up to the wheelhouse you all relax for another hour and well get back to it. We should be pulling into Oahu around five tonight." Cliff got up from the table dropped his plate and cup in the sink and left the room. It wasn't more than a few minutes before the questions started.. Carl looked over at me, "Hey Kyousuke why the hell did you sign up for this pleasure tour.. I mean you been on the boat ten days now and haven't said to much were just curious.." Ah I knew sooner or later this would come up. "Well I sorta had a falling out with my parents and needed a break from all of it." Carl raised an eyebrow.. "Your telling me you just up and left home for parts unknown?" Art said with quite a bit of surprise in his voice.
I nodded and took another bite of eggs and bacon.. let me tell you... I don't think I have ever had anything so good as bacon.. It by far has been the best thing about this trip so far.. totally new to me. "Wow kid that's a hell of a thing to do, I have to say I respect ya for it and you seem to be holding up out there..you might have been a sailor in a past life." Carl said with a chuckle. "Well I don't know about that but I will say that I am trying my best out there and I'll keep trying to get better.. My dad says everyone in life should pull their own weight."
Salty looked over at me, "That's a smart man your dad, hope you picked up a few more good habits as well." I snorted and shook my head at the crusty old man... "I'm off to check the lines, make sure to get your physical conditioning in greenhorn before you start today as usual." I nodded but as Salty got up he just had to get one more jab in to start the day off right, "You know greenhorn I was kinda hoping you were gonna wear your girly pink ass shirt today...Oh well maybe tomorrow HEHEHEHEHEEE" I just sat there and shook my head as he got up dropped his plate off and headed out.
He was still laughing as both Carl and Art raised an eye brow at me, "Ah whats this ah girly pink shirt of yours hes talking about?" They both said with mild amusement. "What sheesh ah that old man is senile and color blind... I don't know what hes talking about." I said with obvious embarrassment in my voice. "Oh Carl stop giving him shit about it, beside its probably a little something that belong to his girl back home HAHAHA" Art started openly laughing at me as I tried to continue denying it.
"Oh hell Kyousuke its nothing to be embarrassed about looky here I got a picture of my girl right here." Carl sighed and shook his head as Art had pulled his wallet out and handed me a picture. To say this woman was gorgeous would be an understatement long straight blonde hair with green eyes and very curvy with ah big... "Look at the tits on her! Great eh Kyousuke.. I love my Lucy, shes the apple of my eye.." Art said excitedly as I handed the picture back. "Great Kyousuke you got him started now he'll never shut up.." as Carl sighed. "Oh shut it Carl I know you can't wait till we get back to San Fransisco so you can see your wife." Carl shook his head and smiled. "Guilty I guess, yeah can't wait to get home and hold my Anna." he said with longing in his voice. This made Art laugh even harder at him so Carl decide to give Art the finger...ah communication at its finest...crazy.. I thought.
The way these two guys talked you could really tell they loved their girls deeply and made me feel kind of foolish for denying it about Kirino. I decided that I had to come to terms with all of it I guess and maybe just maybe I would feel better if I talked about it... "You know guys yeah that pink shirt it sort of belongs to the girl I care about.. It helps some at night when I think about her.. just a bit." Art smiled and reached over and clapped me hard on the shoulder, I grinned a bit. "See bet you feel a little better now talking about it..Hell its good to know you have someone back home.. Don't worry it gets better out here after a while." I smiled and nodded at Art he did seem like a good guy. "So ah she a hottie Kyousuke your girl back home?" Carl chided.
damn...I did open that can of worms myself... "Well she the model type of girl who get her pictures taken for magazines." As I also pulled a picture of Kirino from my own wallet and handed it to Art so he and Carl could look at it.. Both guys started to laugh as Art whistled.. "Whoaaa that's a high maintenance girl you got yourself there. I wonder though Kyousuke is she good to you?" I cocked my head surprised at the question. I nodded in the affirmative, "That's good to hear, I always say no matter how good she looks if her personality is garbage then shes no good." Carl said with a serious tone. "No no shes not like that she can be kind of demanding and all but really she a good girl." This made both of them smile and start chuckling again as Art handed me the picture back and I carefully placed it back in my wallet.
"Looks like this young mans got it bad Carl, Eh that's a good thing though, Ah to be young and in love heheheheh" I snorted at Arts comment. "Yeah yeah well looks like we need to get our asses back to work. Thanks for sharing Kyousuke, you better get out on deck and get that conditioning done before Salty rips ya a new one." With that we all got up and headed out for another twelve plus hour day.. Yep its time to work these sore muscles out I guess..
I came out onto the decks and it was a clear blue sky and the sea was pretty calm. The sun had risen a little way into the sky but the orange and yellows of late dawn still lingered. I took a deep breath of the salty air and started my stretches. There was no way I was going to do my training sets before that. I could see Salty up front on the bow winding some rope. I looked over my shoulder at the wheelhouse and I was pretty sure those feet meant Cliff was asleep...again in the drivers seat.. were probably lost...again... It never seemed to matter much that we would drift a bit off course all the captain ever seem to say is we will get there when we get there.
Obviously I was in for a longer trip to my destination that I had originally thought. I finished the last of my stretching and started with my push up... It got me thinking though, just how long does it take to get to main land America from Japan by ship? I hadn't really thought about it. It had been ten days so far and we were getting close to the Hawaiian Islands but there had been multiple stops to help with at sea repairs for ships, none of which I had done. Any real repair work was mostly Carl's job since he is the ships mechanic. Those things though had slowed us down quite a bit, but it looked like now with the Kursk in tow we definitely would be going ashore for a short time. Man these push up are harder today..whew...
I started my sit-ups as Salty walked past me and then sat down on a bench leaning back against the bulkhead. He pulled his pipe out and lit it watching me do my work out. I tried to ignore him because he always seemed to be able to get under my skin a bit. "Damn Greenhorn your starting to shape up in the physical conditioning department. You keep to it another month or so and you'll have your sea legs under ya." He said as he took a puff of his pipe and blew it out in small circles. I just grunted in response and kept after my sit-ups. I didn't want to get anything started, it would just mean more work for me later...
I had done my third set when I popped up surprising the old man and walked over to the make shift bar he had set up for my pull ups. I hadn't really done many pull ups back in high school. Hell when I started out I couldn't even do five. The whole crew laughed at me. I got kind of mad about it but I kept quiet and nearly lost my mind when Salty stepped up to the bar and did around thirty of them! After that I had no complaints, if I was going to do this job I had to really get after it. I had done thirty myself when Salty spoke up, "Aye that enough Greenhorn, your coming along." I dropped down from the bar bent over because I felt totally winded. "Whew well that was a good workout.. Where do I start today Salty?" I said with curiosity. It was first time in ten days he stopped me from wearing myself out...maybe I'm growing on em?
"Right I want you to spend the day back at the stern were not gonna have a damn repeat of those broken ass chains in calm seas. You settle in and watch them and apply lubricant to anything you hear grinding should be an easy day." I nodded and started to head to the back around the wheel house. "Hey Greenhorn when we get close to the island come on up front you wont want to miss the view its right pretty at about sundown." I smiled and shook my head I could tell that something between me and that old guy had changed. It only took ten day but I guess its a start..
When I got to the stern of the Lucky bulldog I grabbed the apply named grease bucket and took a seat in the observation chair. I picked up the walkie talkie and clipped it to my shirt. if there was a problem you called it out first and then went to work greasing any grinding chains. I think its Arts job during the storm to keep and eye on it but hes not really a deck hand sort and that when all that madness happened but somehow we had gotten it under control which to me seemed like a miracle but I guess its an everyday hazard hard as that is for me to believe...
I sat down a took a quick look at the chains and they looked secure so I sat back and watched the spray and wake trail we were leaving as we steamed toward our destination. I took a moment to just take in the massive container ship that we were towing as well. The Kursk was some twenty stories tall and had like five stories more of containers stacked on its deck and to me looked to be five football fields long! In all of my life I hadn't seen a ship this large. I could see some of their crew checking the chains on their end from time to time and they waved down to me and I did the same.
After a few hours of just sitting around I decided to get Kirinos picture out I didn't know why but for some reason I was really missing her today. I think it might of had something to do with the crew and the captain asking about it and all and while I had been trying to choke it down and not think about her it wasn't really working.
I sat there looking at the picture of Kirino in some of her modeling clothes at one of her shoots. Such a happy a lively smile and that figure...ridiculous... My high school hormones playing games with me today, but that day she dragged me along to the park they were shooting at so I decided to ask the photographer for a picture of her when she went to get changed. Sure enough a few days later and envelope arrived at the house and this had been my treasure from then on. Yeah I think early on I started to fall into her pace.. I'm pretty much hopeless...sighhhh
I was so focused on my thoughts I didn't hear Salty come up behind me, "Hmmm She looks nice Greenhorn, she your girl?" he startled the hell out of me and I jumped up from my seat. He just stood there grinning at me while I gave him a sour face and shook my head. Once I calmed down I sat back down and handed him the picture. "Who is she Greenhorn? I'm just curious." Salty said as he took a seat on a stack of chains next to the chair I had been sitting on and pulled out his pipe and lit it.
"Well honestly Salty shes kinda the reason I'm out here, that whole falling out with my parents was because of her" His eyebrows raised so high when I said this I thought they might come off his face all together so I smiled and he chuckled at me. "Hmm she looks very beautiful its hard for me to believe that your parents didn't approve of her, what do they have rocks for brains?" I really hadn't explained anything to anyone so I wasn't all that surprised at his reaction. I shook my head no and spoke up. "No Salty it wasn't like that, That girl in the pictures name is Kirino and up until about a month ago I had thought she was my sister, but my parents had been keeping secrets ya see.."
I had Saltys undivided attention now as he lightly puffed on his pipe nodding, "Hmmm yeah that sounds bad continue..." I sighed, "Yeah so I'd say honestly I started having feelings for Kirino around the time that picture in your hands was taken, around a year ago and that freaked the hell out of me because I thought she was my sister! Sick as hell you know!" Saltys face never changed he just nodded and took a drag and blew out his smoke. "Well anyways my parents tell me twenty days ago that no she was never my sister at all, sadly both her parents had passed away when I was like 2 and she was a baby so they brought her home... Then they tell me shes my fiancee and if I have feelings for her then according to her father he wanted me to marry her... Honestly I pretty much lost my mind there because of that."
I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms, I could feel all that anger trying to bubble to the surface so I sat and waited to see just how messed up Salty thought I was and he sat there a while quietly looking at my picture. "Hmmm That's messed up as hell boy, I kinda see where your coming from you don't lie to family, but then again you always protect family. I think maybe they were trying to protect ya Greenhorn. Its a little funny that in the end thing seemed to have worked themselves out though eh?"
Did he just say things had worked themselves out? Really because I don't see how they have worked themselves out, I'm still pissed, I still can't get past the whole sister to fiancee and I'm feeling a bit scared that I can't be enough for a girl who is such an over achiever in life...so no no I don't think anything has figured itself out...
"Look I can tell by your face that there's a damn hamster on a wheel in that rock you call a head so let me ask you one question alright?" I narrowed my eyes apprehensively because who knew what this guy might ask but I layed it all out there so I just nodded. "Do you love the girl in this picture? I don't mean a little bit or some crush I mean like you would step in front of a bullet for her kind of love?" What the heck, of course I care for Kirino, I mean I've known her for my whole life, I know there was a bit of time where we wouldn't talk but we sorted those feelings out...so yes I think..no I know I love her in my heart like that.
I had sat there a few minutes but I have to say that Salty was a patient old man for as crazy as he seemed, "Yeah Salty I do love her like that when I took a moment to think about that question I can say that and I'm not ashamed to admit it." He handed me the picture back and genuinely smiled at me, "Well shit son there's your answer, why do you young people always over think things? Life is easy Greenhorn you look it in the eye fearlessly and you make choices..then you stick by them. To hell with what other people think especially when it comes to a woman. If you love her then that's all that matters just make sure you tell her."
With that Salty stood up walked over to the edge of the boat emptied his pipe over the side. "Well I'll be back in a few hours to check on ya Greenhorn, I'm looking forward to port tonight. I'll come get ya when we get close Like I said you wont want to miss the islands at sunset. Also I cant wait to stop by the last resort and eat! Its been to damn long since I got to have a good meal like that!" Last Resort? That didn't sound to good at all.
Salty saw my revolted face and just started laughing, "No Greenhorn its good really you'll see, I'll be back in a bit." I nodded and turned back around to watch the steel football field behind us lazily drift along. I felt a lot better after what Salty had said, maybe I was over thinking it, maybe I need to do what he said...stop being afraid and make choices, but that still didn't stop the nerves every time I thought about me and Kirino without restrictions...I mean I wasn't sure I could trust myself and I do love her but I just want to be good to her really... I shook my head, I had plenty of time ahead of me to sort all this out and I was looking forward to seeing Hawaii and for the first time in ten damn days I wasn't so sore...but I started to notice something I sure was getting tan...and for a Japanese guy that a bit different..but oh well I guess it just comes with the job. Who knows maybe she will like it?
Yeah for the first time in a while I felt at peace. Who knew such an old crazy could give such good advice..maybe hes not that bad after all? I thought as I looked out over the sea which had started turned gold as the late afternoon sun got closer to touching the horizon, Soon it would be sunset and with it maybe my fear would finally set as well. Yeah I could tell things were changing inside of me, but that just made me ache that much more for Kirino.. I don't know what your up to back home Kirino, but I want you to know that no matter where this journey takes me I'll be thinking about you..