This is a side story about the three young adults who work at the bike store. It's my last background story before we return to Asch, Mary, and Octavia and their adventures. This is background, so the story is closer to R than X. I'll tell about them getting into the sack later. It takes place during the same time frame as the dive shop chapters.
*****
Charlie heaved a sad sigh. The movie had ended on a bittersweet note. He had fallen in love with the cute blond, and resolved never to get aids. His parents had explained her illness in general terms, and listening to the guys in the locker room had given him enough information about sex that he understood that her illness was sexually transmitted. He wasn't sure why not being able to have sex with her was such a tragedy, but he still felt sorry for the retarded guy who loved her in the movie. Charlie wasn't retarded by any means, but he was young, still in puberty. And he admired the guy's fantastic luck and success in everything else in his life. Perhaps he identified most with the part where the guy rode out a hurricane on his partner's shrimp boat. He resolved, perhaps less wisely than his resolution about aids, that if he ever got the chance, he would ride out a storm like that.
His dad heaved himself out of the overstuffed chair that was his living room throne. "Makes you happy and sad at the same time, doesn't it? Sign of a good movie. Well, we all better hit the sack; morning comes early around here." Mom, Dad, and Charlie all headed for bed. He hated having to get up so early, but his dad paid him a decent wage for helping out in the bakery, and it was fun having spending money, even though he kind of had to put a large share into savings. He liked the idea of learning a trade, and he knew his dad hoped he'd take over the bakery some day, but he was really more interested in mechanical things, and he had the unusual insight for a kid his age that if he had the money, he could pay trade school tuition himself, even over his parents' objections, if it came to that. Truth be told, he kind of liked waiting on customers after school, especially his classmates. Especially the cheerleaders. They seemed to be completely unaware of the show they gave him every time they came in and leaned over while they picked out their pastries. Charlie always made sure there were plenty of fancy ones in the bottom of the display. After his resolve about riding out a storm, on his free day he started to hang around the north terminal, where most of the private boats were, and he cultivated a few friendships by running errands and helping with menial chores. He was a quick study, and before long he could have quit the bakery and earned a fair amount on the waterfront doing odd jobs, but his dad was adamant that he help with the family business, so he had to be satisfied with one day a week.
That fall a man came in who was completely covered with tattoos! Charlie couldn't help staring. He had seen tattoos plenty of times before, but nothing like this. The guy's entire face and scalp had them, and his arms and the backs of his hands, and his legs. Suddenly the guy made a face at him that was simultaneously funny and scary, tongue hanging down and eyes bugging out.
Charlie jumped, and the man burst into laughter. "That's what we New Zealanders do to frighten our enemies. I don't think you're an enemy, but I guess it works, eh?"
Charlie smiled, embarrassed. "Yeah, it sure does." Then he got his nerve back. "I'll have to try that face sometime!"
The man laughed, "I'll bet you'd be good at it, too. Practice in front of a mirror. That's how I learned it, when I was about your age. The trick is to think aggressive thoughts, which I didn't do just now, so that's why you were only startled, but not frightened."
Charlie liked the guy. He was interesting. He cleared his throat to change the subject. "Um, how may I help you, sir?"
"Okay, here's the deal. There's a new dive shop opening up, and their grand opening is tomorrow and the day after. Can you deliver them a big plate of cookies and some coffee first thing in the morning both days?"
"Sure!" Charlie turned on his professional voice. "We have several assortments to choose from." He opened a large photo album of their party assortments, and the man picked out the largest one, plus coffee and accoutrements, to be delivered.
They filled out the order form, and Charlie learned that the man's name was Rick Kahurangi. Mr. Kahurangi paid for the order and gave Charlie a nice tip, "in advance, because I know you're gonna do a good job."
The next day, Friday, Charlie was at the dive shop door the moment it opened and was delighted to get another tip from Karen, who was not only beautiful for someone her age, but seemed to be very nice. And he got another tip the next day!
That evening he learned about a tropical storm to the east, and he began to fantasize again about riding out this storm on a boat like that guy in the movie. He got out his fins and snorkel and thought about which boat would be the best one. No one would need to know until he came home a hero!
The storm kept its unspoken promise and headed straight for the island. The evening the storm was due to hit, Charlie sneaked out of the house, gear in hand, and headed for the waterfront. The whole town was buttoned up, and the waterfront was deserted. He put on his gear and slipped into the water. He had picked a sailboat about in the middle of the fleet, figuring the boats around the edges would get the worst of it. The wind was picking up, but it was from the north, and the bay faced west, so the waves were pretty manageable. When he got to the boat, he realized that it had been buttoned up fairly well, including not having a ladder over the transom! He waited, then timed a leap to match a dip of the boat, and managed to grab the railing on his first try. The bucking boat nearly tossed him onboard.
He looked around. Everything was covered, rigging secured, hatch battened down. He had figured on using some line lying about to tie himself to the mast, but everything was out of sight or in use. Reluctantly, he unfastened the cover over the entry to the cabin and went down the stairs to look for something. It was almost pitch black. Feeling around, he found some cushions on a bench, and underneath them was a locker. It had pots and pans and other galley implements, but no rope. "Well, maybe I could use one of the cushions as a flotation device in an emergency," he decided.
Suddenly the first serious gust of the storm hit, and the boat pitched unexpectedly, throwing him against the counter in the galley. He was unhurt but surprised, and he threw an arm over the counter for support to help him reach the stairs. A wave blew over the deck sending water crashing down the stairs and knocking him toward the bow end of the cabin. Still unhurt, he began to worry about water getting into the boat and getting him into trouble. Then another wave poured in and he began to worry about the boat sinking. He wondered how the boat in the movie stayed afloat, and decided all its openings were battened down. He had to get to the top of the stairs and close up the cabin! He was knee deep in water, and two more waves splashed in by the time he got to the stairs again. The boat was starting to sway in a strange manner as the water inside surged from one side to the other. The stairs were tilting sideways, impossible to get up! Now he started to worry about himself. The boat took on more water, and then the sideways surging started to synchronize with the waves outside, tilting the boat almost completely sideways. Then it went over, and he was trapped! Charlie panicked and screamed with all his might, floundering in the overturned cabin. To no avail, of course, and the boat tossed less now that it was upside down and presently he calmed down. He was unhurt except for a few bumps, there was air, and the boat didn't seem to be sinking; maybe he could wait it out.
It would be a long wait. He began to get chilled, and doing exercises didn't seem to do anything but get him out of breath. He managed to collect the cushions, and figured out a way to pile them on the underside of the galley counter so he could get out of the water. After a while he curled up and fell asleep, exhausted.
He awoke to find some light leaking down the channels that held the running boards, and the boat seemed to be rocking instead of tossing. He was too chilled to want to dive for the stairs, and besides, he'd have nothing to hang onto if he got out. He pushed on the running board to see if he could make it stick out farther, maybe attract some attention somehow. He didn't have the strength or leverage to force the pin in place to hold it up, and he got tired just holding it. He contented himself with pushing on it whenever he got the energy.
Suddenly he heard banging on the hull! He started to cry in relief, and rapped on the floor in return. About five seconds later, a tattooed head came up out of the water. Charlie had never been happier to see anything in his life and he dove for Rick and wrapped his arms around him, sobbing.
Rick patted him down and the kid seemed basically okay. In his most matter-of-fact voice, Rick said, "Okay here's what we're gonna do. You can swim, right? Hold your breath? Okay, wrap your arms around my neck from behind, and I'll swim you out, okay? We have a nice dry boat out there waiting for you." He reached up and shoved on the running board four times, then turned his back to Charlie, who grabbed on. "Okay take a deep breath," Rick did so too, and down they went. They moved quickly, Rick pulling himself along by grasping parts of the boat, making sure to keep his front low so he didn't clonk the boy's head on anything, and they were at the surface well before Charlie ran out of breath.
They lifted him onto the boat where he lay on the bottom sobbing with relief. Rick pulled himself in and they headed for shore.
"So young man," Rick asked, "How did you happen to be on that boat? Say! Aren't you the kid from the bakery?"
Still sobbing, Charlie nodded. "I-I saw that movie where the-that guy rode out a-a hurricane on his shrimp boat an-and I thought I'd try it."
Rick rolled his eyes. "I hate to tell you this, but that was a hollywood movie. Do your parents know where you are?"
"N-no, and please don't tell them. I'll really get into trouble."
"I think they'll find out whether or not I tell them, and yes, you're going to get into a whole boatload of trouble. They'll probably kill you after they finish hugging and kissing you."
