Anthology of Sailing - Story 6: Sailing with Samantha
I would never have been in this weather if it hadn't been for my brother, Bob. There was a big age difference between us but we always got along, even as children and now as adults. He was a bit unusual but a really nice guy. He waited until later in life to get married and his wife Maryland, was gorgeous. She had 3 daughters from a previous marriage and Bob became an instant husband and father. The girls: Amy 14, Molly 16 and Samantha was 19.
It had been a long sail from Chicago and the forecast was for light showers but not something that Sapphire couldn't handle. I had purchased Sapphire 2 years ago. I had a fair amount of sailing with it in the past 2 years but it was all mostly fair weather, picking the days I would sail fairly carefully. I would occasionally go out in a mild thunderstorm, just to get some heavy weather sailing experience but I always leaned toward caution and never put myself or the boat in harms way.
I spent the summers sailing the boat around the great lakes. As a university assistant professor, I get a lot of time off during the summer and decided the best way to relax is out on a boat all by myself, catch up on the latest technical literature, shoot some photos, listen to some music and write research papers. Living on the great lakes gives me fairly easy access to Chicago, Detroit and hundreds of small towns along the shores of Lake Michigan, Huron and Superior.
I had sailed into Milwaukee to visit my brother, at his request. I really didn't know Maryland and her daughters very well, other than meeting everyone at the wedding and what Bob had been texting me, so this was a chance to get to know everyone.
"Hey bro, how are you doing? How's married life?" I asked giving him a giant bear hug. "Give your younger brother the good and the bad."
"Well, after the wedding Maryland became an animal. Whenever the kids are away or when they go to bed Maryland wants to fuck. She has the same sex drive I do - always on. Even when she's feeling un-sexy, she'll just grab me, get on her knees and blow me. My cock has never been happier," Bob replied.
"So what is the good," I smiled at Bob.
"Funny, you asshole," Bob glared at me. "The bad is really bad. Maryland and Sam fight all the time. They can't be in the same room together. Life in the house when Sam is there is a holy hell. Worse, I've turned into the referee. I swear someday someone is going to get hurt. Sam is so angry with the world, she lashes out at Maryland because she married me and her friends went off to college, her real dad treats her like crap - she is a mess. I have to separate the two."
Bob paused for a minute. "So, you are headed north for a few weeks and then back to Chicago?" he asked.
"Yup, that is the plan," I replied.
"Would you do me a huge favor and take a passenger? Look, I've got to separate those two." I could see desperation in Bob's eyes.
I thought for a second. "Hell yes, I'll take Maryland. It is damn decent of you to finally think about your brother for a change," I smiled at him.
"Fuck you! I'm talking about Samantha you moron." He shook his head.
"No! No fucking way. She's a bitch, She's toxic. She should be in a mental ward getting help, not on my boat," I swore at Bob.
"She's really cute," Bob replied.
"So is a puma but I wouldn't put one on my boat with me for 3 weeks," I shot back.
Bob looked down and I thought he might cry. "Bro, I really need this. I don't know who to turn to. I'm desperate - it's going to destroy my marriage. I've got to have help with this and you're family. I've never asked you for anything - please help me," he begged.
I put my arm around him. "Okay, okay, I'm there for you. I'll do it but I've got a couple of rules, No drugs, no alcohol and no cigarettes. Maryland needs to strip search her before she gets on my boat. I don't need to be dealing with chemically induced behavior along with her normal behavior.
Bob grabbed me and gave me a hug. "You are the worlds best brother. I love you bro."
"Well you owe me big time for this," I hugged him back.
"We don't really know about the drugs but fairly certain she hasn't been doing alcohol or cigarettes," Bob commented.
There was a lot of screaming at Bob's house that evening despite the fact I was there. Maryland came up to me and gave me several hugs and even kissed me on the cheek once, for being the best brother-in-law.
The departure in the morning was carefully choreographed. I arrived at the boat with Bob about 20 minutes before Maryland and the girls. Bob helped me get the boat ready and then waited for Maryland to arrive at the parking lot. Bob grabbed Sam's luggage and they all walked to the boat.
I helped her on board and then closed the lifeline so she could not easily leave. I moved the boat about 10 feet out of the slip and stopped. It was at this point Sam realized her luggage was still on the dock. She started screaming when she saw her mother zip open the bag and start removing the contents.
Out came bras, panties, shorts, tops, shoes, cigarettes, pint of whiskey and a zip lock bag full of pills. Maryland calmly put the clothes and shoes back in the bag and zipped it back up leaving the remaining contents on the dock. Sam want ape-shit, screaming every swear word she knew at her mother at the top of her voice. We were attracting a lot of onlookers as boaters poked their head out to see what all the commotion was about.
Bob grabbed the bag with just the clothes and shoes and ran it down to the end of the dock. I put the boat in reverse and Bob gave the bag a huge heave and it landed in the cockpit. I shoved the boat into forward and we headed out of the harbor.
Sam went berserk. She continued to scream and swear at her mother and Bob. She stomped her feet and made hand gestures at them as we motored away. She finally broke down and began to cry.
"Why did they have to take the only things in life that I really enjoy?" she sobbed.
I waited a minute. "Because I asked them to," I replied to her question.
She sat up. "You! You mother fucking son-of-a-bitch. God damn fucker! Why do you hate me?"
I paused, "I don't. I actually like you. I want you to grow up and be smart, caring and a contributing member of society."
She gave me a scored look. "Well that is not what I want. I'm an adult. I should get what I want."
"Life has so much to offer. Yes, there is pain but dulling the pain with drugs and alcohol also dulls the joy in life. The joy overwhelms any pain we have in life. The joy of falling in love, accomplishment, creating something, watching new life and yes even sailing a boat," I smiled at her.
"Fuck you! Sailing is bullshit. This whole thing you are doing to me is bullshit," she lashed back at me.
There was about 5 minutes of silence. Then I asked, "how badly are you addicted to the booze, cigarettes and pills?"
"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not addicted, you fucking moron," she lashed back.
"Good," I smiled back at her. "Tomorrow should be a good day then. There are 2 empty cabins at the stern of boat. Go ahead and pick which ever one you want. There is also a head, back there. That one is all yours, I have another one in the master cabin."
She gave me a look and then grabbed her bag and went below.