Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
My ‘things’ a blue clothes peg, two British Paint swatches: ‘Whitsunday Passage’ 261 (pale blue) & ‘High Alert’ 50 (yellow)
Prompt statements: originally, the Japanese have a saying, next minute, I couldn’t make it out, I couldn’t find the switch, it was brilliant.
Originally, he was meant to have been on a beach in Thailand by now, soaking up the warm sunshiny rays. He could picture it vividly, yellow sun, yellow sand, blue surf and gradually pinkening skin.
But now he here was, on high alert, navigating the yacht through the Whitsunday passage whilst an angry swell raged all around, tossing them to and fro like a toddler having a tantrum. He looked over at his co-Captain who was currently sporting a clothes peg on each ear – a rumored ‘cure’ for sea-sickness – which judging by his pallid complexion and sweaty brow, didn’t seem to be working one iota.
The boat hull cut cut through the waves like a jagged knife, his hands on the wheel were white-knuckle. He wished for a moment that he actually believed in a God – because if he did he’d have had someone to curse, pray to and beg forgiveness for whatever he had done to get himself into this dire predicament.
The storm had come out of left field, blown in by an ill wind determined to ruin everything and teach humankind once again who was really the boss of this show. The Japanese have a saying that basically translates to this: Nature never gives a man more than he can handle. But right now, he wasn’t so bloody sure about that… Next minute he was interrupted from his musings over obscure Japanese sayings by a loud crack and startling shudder – undoubtedly, they had hit a reef.
I couldn’t make it out in the raging swell, but the reef beneath had most certainly grabbed on and wasn’t letting go without a fight. It was the stuff nightmares were made of for any sea Captain worth his salt.
Damnit! I couldn’t find the switch to lower the tender boat off the side. This was the first time The Lady 261 had been chartered this season, and some upgrades had taken place since the last time he had Captained her – including on the main console. It was brilliant. Of all the infernal times to have cut some corners during his safety checks! If he survived this he was going to have to do some serious soul searching… Maybe he just wasn’t cut out for this life anymore. Well anyway, if they went down on this bloody reef it was a decision he wasn’t going to have to make…