Shipmates

"I love you too, Kira."

The next day we got up early and drove up to her place. I instantly saw what she meant. The place was a mess. Her father was weak. He came out to greet us, I had known this man most of my life. Okay, I hadn't seen him much lately, like two years. He was frail, his features drawn and deep anxious lines etched his deep brown skin. He walked hunched over, unable to stand tall.

He greeted me with a handshake. "Nice to see you, Tim, it's been a while." It wasn't an actual accusation, but I felt the sting in the tail.

"Yes, I took over Granddad's boat. Spend most days out at sea."

"Yes, Kira told me. Seems like you've done all right for yourself."

"I get by sir. Not wealthy, but not on welfare."

Kira interrupted. "Dad, Tim's here to help me try and get the process plant finished. I finished my job for fisheries, and I now have the money to get it working."

He nodded, obviously in a lot of pain. "I will come and help."

I grabbed him gently by the shoulders. "No sir, you go and get a chair. I'll do all the heavy stuff."

It had to be the clean up first. The part of the big old barn she wanted to use was full of shit. I backed the Ute up and started loading all the steel on board. We would get some money from the recyclers for the steel. It took three trips before I could start on the general rubbish.

Kira worked like mad. Even on the boat, it was one of the things that stood out. She was a worker, she never shied away from the physical stuff. It was about four-thirty in the afternoon when my mobile rang.

"Hi, Tim, what are you doing?"

"Hey, Mum, I'm up at Kira's. I'm helping her clean the place up."

"Kira's... What?" I could almost smell the burnt wiring as she processed that bit of information.

"I'm giving her a hand to tidy the place up. She has some plans to improve her process and I'm giving her a hand."

I detected the warm sound in Mum's, "Ahhhh." There had always been a maternal connection between the two of them. I think mum had always harboured hope of a connection between us. She had encouraged me many times when we were younger to ask Kira out on a date.

There was a moments silence before she stated rather firmly, "Then you better come up here for dinner. I don't want you pigging out on takeaways."

"Sorry, Mum, but I think Kira will probably want to spend the time with her Dad."

"Well, bring him too. If I know Francis, he could probably use a decent meal, as well."

I muted my phone as I put it to Kira. She agreed immediately, and even her dad seemed happy. Once the clean up was completed, we jumped in my Ute, Kira squashed in the middle, and headed up to my folks' place for dinner.

Mum rushed out and gave Kira a warm hug, Dad wandered out to shake Francis's hand, although he gave me a quizzical glance. Not exactly a miffed expression, it was more, a 'What the fuck are you thinking?' kind of look. I had received plenty of those over the years. I knew it well.

Unlike Mum, Dad was not a Kira fan, not since her reputation for being the town bike blossomed.

As always, Mum outdid herself with dinner. It was a feast fit for kings, and she allowed for Kira's vegetarian status. Although I noticed Kira pinching some of the roast lamb.

As dinner progressed, Mum and Kira fell into a deep conversation. Once Kira started going on about her new fishmeal plant, even Dad got on board. She spoke so passionately about it. Her dad just smiled with a knowing look. He understood her passion.

Kira and Dad began the two and fro, not arguing, but the discussion was deep. At the end, I think Dad had accepted she knew what she was talking about. There was a growing respect in his eyes.

Afterwards, we dropped Francis off back at his place. He seemed happy, and never questioned that Kira came home with me.

The next couple of days flew by as we prepared the barn for the new equipment. I dusted off my concreting skills as I laid down a pad for her new vats and the crushing, mixing plant.

There was a never-ending stream of contractors: electricians, plumbers, agents from the pump suppliers. A couple of them I knew, around my age. I remembered them from my school days. I noted Carl the sparky, had a connection with Kira, and she looked embarrassed around him. I guess her history made life uncomfortable for her.

By the middle of the week, I needed to get back to sea. The season was almost half finished. I needed to try and complete my quota.

There was still so much left to do at Kira's. She wasn't going to get through it on her bicycle. "Kira, I'll leave you my Ute, so you can keep going."

I saw the embarrassed expression. "Tim, I can't drive. Thanks for the offer, but I can't drive."

""What, can't drive? Shit everybody can drive."

She sniggered, "Yeah, well I cant."

I nodded. "Then, it's time you learned."

She started to say something, but I pushed her towards the Ute. "Get in the drivers side." I ordered.

She climbed in hesitantly. "Tim..."

"Shut up, you're learning."

I climbed in the passenger side and gave her a quick run down on the controls. Explained the brakes, gear shift, hand brake. She sat nodding tentatively. "Okay Kira, turn the ignition on."

She did as I said and we sat there with the engine idling. She blipped the throttle, pressed the clutch in a few times, before I said. "Okay, put it into gear."

She put it into first and then cautiously let the clutch out. We pig jumped up the long drive way as she screamed. "Oh my god, we're moving."

I got her to press the brake, push in the clutch as she got used to the feel. Then for the next two hours we went up and down the road. Up past my place, then back and turn around and back we went again.

By the end of the day she was doing pretty good. When her dad saw she was driving us up too Mum and Dad's place for dinner he did a double take. That changed as we powered up the road.

At mum and dads Kira jumped out and ran inside screaming out to mum, to tell her.

When I got in mum was smiling broadly and dad was shaking his head, as if to say. "What the fuck are you doing."

The next day I let her drive everywhere as we went on a mission to pick up equipment. The next day Kira drove me down to the wharf. We shared a long slow kiss before I left. She waved goodbye with. "Hurry home baby."

It was with a heavy heart I motored out over the bar. Usually I loved this part of the day, but on this occasion, my heart wasn't in it. I already missed Kira, and I wasn't even out of the harbour. It got easier as I got busy, although she was never far from my thoughts.

We spoke like ten times a day. She rang at every opportunity. She didn't care what I was doing, she just wanted to share with me her day. The progress with her processing plant was going great. All the new equipment was in, and she was almost ready to give it a run.

In the middle of a good couple of days fishing, the Joanna B's freezer almost full, I steamed back to port, happy to get a few days back home. As I tied up, I heard Kira's voice. "Thank god, I thought you might have sailed away."

Staring up at her, I chuckled. "I thought about it, but I know Mum would kill me if I did."

She helped me unload. It was nearly midnight and all I wanted was bed. I felt completely shattered. The fishing was good, but the weather had been atrocious. It's always more physically demanding when the weather's bad.

With all Kira's hard work she was almost ready to roll. I gave her a hand for a day, but I had work to do on the boat, some nets to mend and an oil change for the old Gardener. As I worked on the boat, I heard that familiar voice. "Hey, Tim, can I come down for a chat?"

With a resigned wave, I signalled him down. In his official capacity I couldn't refuse. "Yeah, come on, Jackson, what's on your mind?"

He wandered around the deck, lifting up things and poking around. He had something he wanted to say, but obviously didn't want to say it. "Come on, Jackson, spit it out."

"All right, look mate. I'm worried about you. This thing with Kira, it's not serious is it? Christ, mate, the whole town is talking about it."

"Let them talk. Yes, it is serious actually. She is my girlfriend."

"You're making a mistake, Tim. She's bad news. She can't keep her damn legs together. She's as nutty as a fruit cake."

"Jackson, we've been friends a long time, so I am going to overlook those comments. I will say this, though, if I hear you bad mouthing my girlfriend again, we will be having a very different conversation."

"Tim, I'm only looking out for you, mate. Steve and Alex both fucked her, you know. She gave it up for both of them."

My anger had been bubbling, but now it overflowed in a spiteful explosion. "Like fuck she did. Those two lying bastards better keep their mouths shut. They're bloody lucky we didn't go to the cops. Sexual harassment is a very serious crime."

"You're being a fool, Tim. There's plenty of girls around town. Find one that will keep her legs shut."

"Fuck off Jackson. Get off my boat. I was trying to be nice, but that's apparently beyond you. So fuck off."

"Tim, I'm trying to tell you. She's not right for you."

"As I said, get off my boat, and don't come back unless you're on official business."

God I was angry. My blood boiled; I expected better from him. We had been friends for a long time.

Over the next few days things really moved along. Kira and I found new ways to connect. Sexually, she was like a forest fire, hot and passionate, constantly introducing me to new things. She certainly had a lot more experience than I did. There was a lot more to it than sex, though. There was no hiding from it, I was falling over an abyss that there was no escaping. Love, I was in love, and it was the single craziest thing I had ever experienced. My heart raced at the mere sight of her. Her voice made me shiver with anticipation.

I saw it in her, too: the shimmering eyes that smiled invitingly, the way her whole being came to life when we were together. It was a new and wondrous person who clambered out from beneath all the nasty gossip. She didn't care, it seemed to go right over her head.

She said to me one day, "I don't care, Tim. They can say what ever they want about me. While I'm in your arms, it doesn't matter. All I think about is you. I love you, Tim, never lose sight of that fact. You are my life now."

My father had been hanging around at home. He had the demeanour of somebody who had something on his mind. It came out eventually. He caught me as I loaded some supplies on my Ute. "Son, can we talk, man to man?"

"Dad, you don't have to ask. If you have something on your mind, just say it."

"Son, I have been biting my tongue for a while now. It's Kira, do you really think she's the right girl for you?"

"Dad, please don't say any more. If you've been listening to all that malicious crap circling around town, then forget it."

"Tim, you know there has always been lots of stories about Kira. I mean, I like her. I just worry for you. This talk won't go away. It's always going to be there."

"I don't care, Dad. Yes, she had a wild youth, but she's changed. That crap about Steve and Alex is bloody lies, and If I catch up with them, there'll be hell to pay."

He nodded, his pouty frown was deep, but he sucked in a deep breath and replied. "All right, son. It's your life. I didn't want to meddle. Sorry if I offended you."

"It's okay, Dad. I'm glad you were honest. I know it's going to be tough, but I don't care. Call me stupid if you like, but I love her."

He gave me a pat on the back. "Then that's all that matters. I'll stand beside you, son. We'll face the bastards head on."

"Thanks, Dad."

Mum was the opposite: it was like Kira was at our home, or Mum was up looking after Francis. Their connection was cosmically strong.

Kira, went into production of her new and improved fertiliser, and it won a new band of followers. The fact it was all organic attracted a lot of attention. The Bay had taken on a new identity over the last ten years. Now it was filled with lifestylers, greenies. Kira's organic fertilizer was just what they wanted. She was soon in the happy position of selling more than she could make. She got great reviews in the local paper, that was in turn picked up by mainstream media and it was suddenly getting lots of publicity.

On one of my days off, I was at Kira's place helping her move some stuff. Francis, who was struggling more and more these days, caught me while Kira was off doing something. "Tim, can we talk?"

"Yes sir, how can I help?" I tried to keep calm, it seemed everybody just wanted to talk these days.

He glanced up at me from his crouched position. "First, stop calling me sir. To hell with that. I wanted to say thank you. I know a lot of people have no time for Kira. A lot said she'd turn out just like her mother. I have to say, son, you have made a huge change in my daughter and I just wanted to say thank you. It makes my heart swell seeing you two together."

"Wow, thank you, sir. I have the upmost respect for Kira. I would never hurt her."

He tried to stand tall. I reached down, my arm around his waist and lifted him. We stood together, he nodded his head and stared into my eyes. "Tim, I don't have much time left on this world. It makes me feel better knowing she will be safe and well cared for. Make me that promise, Tim. Promise me you will stand beside her, regardless."

I pulled him into a hug. I felt his hand pat me on the back as I stated firmly. "I promise you sir, that I will never ever let your daughter down. I will give up my life before I let anything bad happen to her."

"Thank you, Tim. Welcome to the family. You're a good lad."

"No, thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

He nodded. "I believe you, You know, I always knew you were the one, I damn well knew it."

Kira walked out and saw her dad in my arms. I saw her expression of horror as she started running towards us. "Dad, are you okay?"

I smiled at her. "He's all right. Just giving me a hand."

She pulled up slowly, giving me a confused glare. "Dad, are you okay."

"Damn it, girl, stop fussing. I'm not in the ground yet," he growled.

The fishing was going well, everything seemed to be going well. The only blight on our otherwise happy life was the continuous stream of hateful gossip. Every week there was a new rumour, another nasty slight on Kira. None of it was founded.

Things can quickly go downhill, though. Old Francis had been very ill for a long time, and his passing came as no surprise. However, it was still a sad occasion and it happened while I was out fishing. Kira's tearful call to tell me was a heartbreaking one. It doesn't matter how well you prepare for these things, when the final bell tolls, it is still a shock."

Funny, I always thought Kira was a bit ambivalent towards her Dad, but there was real sorrow and grief. She cried non-stop. The funeral was a tear jerker. It wasn't large, but his friends came out in force.

His passing did bring a few surprises, his life insurance being one. Okay, it wasn't large, one hundred thousand dollars. It left Kira in a nice position financially. The property was hers, all the machinery, everything.

Mum spent a lot of time with Kira, and she held her hand leading her through the minefield of emotions.

Another couple of months slipped by. Kira worked tirelessly on her plant. With the fishing season coming to an end, I was busy myself.

Getting home late after a week away, I was greeted at the dock by Kira, as always. It might have been late on a Thursday night, and she would have had a long physical day herself. It didn't stop her. I saw her standing under the fluorescent lights as I steamed in up the channel. She waved frantically as I neared and she jumped down onto the boat to give me a welcome home kiss that made the trip worthwhile.

She helped me unload, as always, and we locked up and headed for home. Once in the Ute, she exploded in a gush of information. "Tim, I've received an offer for the fertiliser plant, and the house. Six hundred thousand bucks."

"Wow, that's a lot of loot. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know what to do. It is a lot of money, and I don't stay at the house anymore. I live at your place. It doesn't seem right to have a house that's empty."

"You could rent it out."

"Yes, I thought of that, but the plant's so close to the house. I work odd hours, it would hardly be fair on whoever rented it."

So what do you want to do?"

I watched in the dark as she chewed on her lip. "I do have an idea, but I don't want you to get upset with me."

"It's okay, Kira. I'm not going to get upset."

"All right then. Here it is. I have seen how unhappy all the nasty gossip about me makes you feel. I know you try to hide it from me, but I see it. That makes me sad. I love you, and I want to share this wonderful life together. I fear that you will never be able to let the past go, it will eat away at you, and eventually, you will hate me."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. I could never hate you."

"I know you don't want to, but it will eat away at you from the inside. Every time you hear one of those horrible shitty rumours, you will wonder. I don't want that. What if I accepted the offer and we went away somewhere else? Lived a wonderful life where nobody knows us?"

"But, I have the Joanna B."

"We can take her with us. Does it matter where you work?"

Her words settled over us both. It made sense. I could fish from anywhere. The only thing holding me there was the folks.

Over the next few days, we took the time to talk to my parents. Mum, although not happy, stood firm. She wanted us to be happy. The decision shifted, not to if we should, but where we'd go.

The sign came in the form of a magazine article. I was sitting at the testing station waiting for my Ute to get a warrant of fitness. I picked up a magazine to read. It was one of those national geographic style things. In it was and article that really tickled my fancy. The author was a Kiwi, living in Tahiti, French Caledonia. He had moved there several years before, and talked in glowing terms of the opportunities in the fishing industry there.

Kira and I talked and talked. It went back and forth all night, the pro's, the cons. We talked until we were hoarse. We looked at real estate prices, what we would need, and hundreds of photos and videos. The place looked amazing. Slowly, as dawn approached, we looked at each other, small grins, through tired eyes.

"We're doing it then?" she asked in a hushed syrupy tone, her voice like melting syrup.

I nodded, "Yes, I think we are. You have to be sure though, Kira."

She sighed. "Will the Joanna B make it? Can we cross an ocean in her?"

My thoughts turned to the logistics, it is a long crossing. My ticket as an inshore skipper didn't allow me to go outside our commercial limits, but I had total confidence in the Joanna B.

As the sun filtered in through the window, Kira made a list of all the things we needed to do. By the time she had to scamper off to work, the list was already three pages long.

I checked; it was just over four thousands KM to Tahiti. It was three thousand KM, or about sixteen hundred and twenty nautical miles, to the Cook Islands. That was all there was between Auckland and Tahiti apart from the Kermadecs, but they were uninhabited except for Department of Conservation workers on Raoul Island.

The Joanna B burned fuel at about five litres of fuel per nautical mile at ten knots. In short, I was going to need a bigger tank, or to buy big oars.

I wasted the day online looking at fuel tanks and applying for a course to obtain my offshore skipper's ticket.

Kira came bounding in with a huge smile on her face. "I think I've done it."