The Epiphany of Bryan Whiting

Jenny came home after study group and made herself some dinner. She dumped the stale beer down the drain and fixed herself a tuna salad sandwich. She turned on the small radio; her favorite station was playing an old AC/DC tune. Flashing the devil horns, she danced back into the kitchen to get something to drink. Jenny's cell phone rang and her sister Jill's picture flashed up on the screen.

"Hey Sis," Jenny said, with a mouthful of tuna.

"Where have you been, Jen?" Jill demanded. "I've been trying to call you all weekend."

Jill was Jenny's older sister, by three years, and lived back in their home town. Jill hadn't gone off to college. Instead, she married a local boy, John Porter, after graduating from high school. At the time, this pairing made Jenny laugh because she could introduce them as "Jack and Jill", much to their chagrin. It still made her smile and she often teased her sister about finding that elusive pail of water. Jill was calling Jenny with important news.

"I'm pregnant!" Jill exclaimed.

Both women shrieked with excitement. Jill and John had been trying to have children over the last year, so this was a real milestone.

"When, when?" Jenny wanted a date.

"March 25th" Jill replied.

Jenny did the math and guessed the circumstances.

"That vacation you took last June?" Jenny asked.

Jill confirmed her suspicions. She had just finished the first trimester and was glad the sickness was subsiding. Jenny and Jill talked for almost an hour. Jenny also had some news to share.

"I've met someone," Jenny said. "His name is Bryan. He's a graduate engineering student."

"Trading up from a creep to a geek?" Jill poked fun at Jenny's love life.

"Tony was not a creep," Jenny protested. "Jerk, yes, but creep, no."

Jenny shared the details of their meeting and the movie date on Saturday night. She left out the submarine races. Jill could tell from the tone of her voice that this new guy had made an impact on her.

"You didn't, did you?" Jill avoided using the four letter word.

"Nope," Jenny said. She didn't tell Jill that she had done everything but that.

"But you intend to, don't you," Jill asked the leading question.

"Yes," Jenny said truthfully.

Their conversation continued for a while until Jenny's cell phone battery began to die. They promised to talk again when Jenny had more news to share.

~ Life Of Bryan ~

Bryan left the library at about 9 p.m. and headed home. He had spent his evening grading laboratory papers and completing his own studies. He knew graduate school would be hard work and tonight was a good example. He was the eldest of five children and the first in his extended family to attend college. His father was a tool and die maker and his mother had given up a promising art career to raise a family. Bryan had excelled academically in high school and entered the University Engineering program with a scholarship. Not a full ride, but enough to cover the major expenses. He worked various summer jobs to earn living expenses for the school year. Bryan's parents were very proud of his academic accomplishments.

As Bryan packed up his books and papers, he wondered what made him decide to pursue a doctoral degree. He had completed his baccalaureate with a high GPA and could have landed a good engineering job. Then he remembered attending a colloquia with Professor Emeritus Thomas Higgins. Professor Higgins, even at his advanced age, spoke eloquently and with humor. Bryan remembered coming away with a glimmer of insight about how all of his seemingly unrelated studies were really connected to each other. It was this realization, an epiphany of sorts, that steered him towards graduate school.

Bryan left the library and called Jenny. The call was immediately routed to her voice mailbox, a sign that her cell phone was turned off. Bryan left a short voice message:

"Hey Jen, how was your day with Shirley?"

Jenny and Bryan managed to find time for lunch later in the week. She shared the news about her sister's expected baby. Bryan was genuinely happy for Jill; and Jack. At first, he didn't quite believe her story about their ironic names. Jenny was sincere, however, and obviously close to her older sister. Neither Bryan nor Jenny mentioned their own love for children.

"Are you busy on Saturday?" Bryan asked after a while. "I was thinking about sailing out to Picnic Point. The weather is supposed to be really nice."

"You have a sail boat?" Jenny blinked in amazement.

"I don't own one, but I have a membership at the Hoofer Club," Bryan explained. "I teach sailing in the summer time and I bought a lifetime membership."

"That sounds like fun," Jenny said. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

Bryan looked up at Jenny's face; he wasn't sure if her question was rhetorical. Jenny was wearing a little smirk and her eyes betrayed her facetiousness.

"Nope," Bryan said. "I'm good at everything."

"Call me," Jenny laughed as she headed off to class.

~ Sailing Away ~

Bryan called Jenny Saturday morning and arranged to meet her at 11:00 down by the piers. He advised her to dress in layers and to be prepared to get a little wet. The weather forecast was for fair skies and light winds, but an afternoon storm was possible. Bryan knew that September weather could be unpredictable, so he couldn't get too distracted.

Jenny was sitting on a bench at the outing club entrance when Bryan rode up. She greeted him with a publicly acceptable hug after he parked his bicycle.

"There are lockers inside where we can store our valuables," Bryan said, leading Jenny inside. "Don't take anything that can't get wet."

Bryan locked up their things and put the key in his pocket. He walked over to the desk and greeted Andy.

"Hey Andy," Bryan said. "Can I take an Interlake out today?"

"Hi Bryan! Where have you been, man?" Andy hadn't seen Bryan since the semester started.

"Been around," Bryan replied. "Studying hard."

"Hardly studying, more likely," Andy glanced over at Jenny.

"Andy, this is Jenny," Bryan introduced her informally.

"Hi Jenny," Andy greeted her. "Don't worry, Bryan's a fine sailor. He hasn't lost anybody yet."

Jenny knew that Andy was kidding, but she gave Bryan a nervous glance, anyway.

"Ok then," Andy continued, "I've got you down for Grumpy. We have green flag currently, but expect blue flag later today."

Bryan went to the sail locker and selected the day sail bag. No spinnaker today, he thought, not by myself. He left his club card in the reservation slot and grabbed two life jackets on the way out.

"Bryan, who is Grumpy?" Jenny asked.

"Grumpy is the name of the sail boat we are taking," Bryan explained. "The club owns seven Interlake sail boats and they were named after the seven dwarfs."

"Maybe we should take Happy, instead," Jenny mused.

"Happy is out already and Grumpy is better than Sneezy," Bryan tried to sound serious.

Jenny wasn't too sure about the comparison, but was in no position to judge sail boats. They walked out to the pier past the enormous flag pole flying a green flag.

"What do the flag colors signify," Jenny asked.

"Green is for fair weather, blue is for high winds, and red is for storms," Bryan explained. "They're not official nautical flags," he continued, "they use simple colors to keep it easy for the day sailors."

Grumpy was moored at a short pier at the far end of the yard. It was bigger than the other small boats Jenny saw on the lake. Bryan tossed the sail bag into the boat.

"I'll rig Grumpy and then help you aboard," Bryan said.

Bryan stepped aboard the 18 foot sail boat and unpacked the sails. He first rigged the mainsail foot into the boom and then started threading the luff into the mast. He then attached the headsail to the forestay and connected its tack and halyard. These boats had simple rigging and were very stable on the water. Bryan reached out to take Jenny's hand.

"Don't jump," Bryan said. "Step with one foot and then the other."

Jenny took his hand and stepped aboard. She sat down on one of the built-in gunwale benches near the front. Bryan stepped back onto the pier and untied the painter. He led the boat to the end of the pier and pushed off, straight back, while stepping onto the foredeck. As the boat glided silently backwards, Bryan raised the mainsail. The light breeze began to flap the mainsail back and forth and the boom began to move freely.

"Watch your head, Jen," Bryan cautioned.

Bryan raised the jib and moved astern to attach the rudder and tiller. With the light breeze pushing the boat slowly in reverse, he pointed the bow out towards the lake and started hauling in the mainsail sheet. As the Interlake began to slide forwards and sideways, Bryan released the centerboard line. With the keel now in place, the side slipping stopped and the sail boat glided silently forward through the water. He steered his way through the moorings to open water. Bryan picked up the jib sheet and handed it to Jenny.

"Pull this line in until the yarn pieces lay flat against the sail," Bryan instructed.

As Jenny trimmed the jib into position, Bryan adjusted the mainsail. The boat accelerated forward and the apparent wind blew in their faces. Bryan headed the boat towards Picnic Point on port tack. Jenny was thrilled with the feeling of sailing. The boat was powerful and fast moving, but the only sound was the rushing of the wind in her ears. Picnic point was about one mile away, as the crow flies. Bryan had to tack twice, first to starboard and then back to port, making their zigzag course a little longer.

"How did you learn to sail?" Jenny asked.

"I grew up near the lake," Bryan said. "We raced sail boats all the time."

Jenny really enjoyed the boat trip; smiling and waving to all the other boaters they encountered. Seeing the joy in her face made Bryan feel great too. He noticed she had tied her sweatshirt around her waist revealing a peach-colored polo shirt. A pair of khaki pants and sandals completed the casual outfit. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail showing off a pair of dolphin post earrings. He also noticed that she wasn't wearing any makeup, at least not that he could tell. Bryan watched her move with the wind and water as she waved her greetings. There is that motion again, he thought.

As they approached the pier at Picnic Point, Bryan released the sails and coasted in.

"Jenny, would you drive?" Bryan motioned for her to take the tiller.

Jenny took the tiller and steered the coasting boat, following Bryan's instructions. He moved to the foredeck and stepped off onto the pier. After tying the boat to a post, he lowered the sails and retrieved his knapsack from under the foredeck. They stepped off the boat and headed down the tree lined path out to Picnic Point.

~ Picnic Point ~

It was September and the birch, maple, and oak trees were putting on a spectacular fall color show. The path began to rise in elevation as they continued walking, hand in hand. They discovered an apple orchard on top of the hill with a great view of the surrounding forest and the lake. After finding a spot to sit down, Bryan opened his knapsack and pulled out a bottle of wine.

"I suppose you brought cheese as well," Jenny's eyes lit up.

"But of course, mademoiselle," Bryan used a phony French accent.

"Plus le vin et faire l'amour avec moi," Jenny cooed in a lusty voice.

Bryan had no idea what she said, but understood her anyway. He retrieved a cork screw and two plastic cups and poured the German Riesling. He handed a cup of wine and a stick of string cheese to Jenny.

"C'est la vie," Bryan shrugged, repeating the only French phrase he knew.

As they lay in the grass under the apple trees, sipping wine and eating cheese, they talked about their hopes and dreams. Jenny told Bryan that she wanted to be a high school French teacher. Bryan wanted to build something big. They talked about music, weird friends, and harrowing experiences that they'd had. Soon, the wine and cheese were gone.

Bryan rolled over to Jenny and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes and returned a long lingering kiss and embrace. They exchanged probing wine-flavored tongues and moved closer together. She again guided his hand to her breasts and he massaged her with gentle rolls and squeezes as their kissing became more urgent. Jenny's moans were muffled by the lip lock Bryan had her in. As he slid his hand down to her belly and then to her crotch, she parted her legs slightly and pushed up against his hand. Bryan brought his hand back up to her belly and opened her snap and zipper. He slid his hand back down, this time inside of her khakis. Her underwear was silky smooth and a little moist. Jenny pushed her pubic bone into Bryan's palm as his fingers curled over her clitoris. Again, he brought his hand back to her belly and slid his fingers under the waistband of her panties. This time, he slowly pushed his hand through her furry garden and over the mound. Jenny hummed as he inserted the tip of his middle finger between her pussy lips. Bryan repeated his slow massage and soon, his finger was well inside her.

Jenny was feeling the effects of the wine and the massage. She removed Bryan's hand from her pants and pulled him on top of her. Holding him close, she pushed up against his growing bulge, spreading her legs and hooking her ankles behind him to gain more leverage. Bryan pushed forward and buried his head into her polo-clad cleavage. Slowly they rocked back and forth, synchronized in time and space. Bryan could feel the beating of her heart and the warmth of her breath. He also felt a cold breeze on his neck.

~ Stormy Weather ~

Bryan raised his head to look around. To the northwest, the sky had changed from blue to black as the storm clouds gathered. The wind signaled the arrival of the predicted cold front.

"Oh crap!" Bryan exclaimed. "We'd better get back."

Jenny sat up to see what the problem was and saw the dark clouds. Jenny did not like storms at all.

"Oh no," Jenny said, genuine fear in her voice. "Let's get out of here."

They quickly packed up their stuff and trotted back down the path to the pier. Bryan looked out at the lake to try and gauge the wind conditions. They would have a following wind and it didn't seem too strong yet. He decided that they could make it back before it got too bad. Jenny stepped into the boat and took her position as Bryan cast off the bow line and pushed away. He raised the mainsail and jib and began to steer back towards the campus piers. He calculated that a broad reach would be the best point of sail for the conditions and the crew. It meant he would have to jibe the sails at some point, but that was less risky than running before the wind. The Interlake was stable enough, but it did have a tendency to dutch roll when on a dead run.

As the boat moved out into the lake and past shielding effect of the peninsula, the northwesterly winds increased. Bryan could now see white caps beginning to froth out in the main part of the lake. Jenny looked back at Bryan, who had struck a pose against the backdrop of black clouds. With the wind in his hair, jaw set, and eyes focused ahead, she found the scene reminiscent of a Harlequin novel. Thunder now cracked over their heads. If Jenny wasn't so scared, she might have laughed out loud. Bryan was getting concerned; downdrafts from thunder storms can generate devastating winds.

"Jen, let's get the life jackets out," Bryan said. "It might get a bit rough out here."

Jenny was frightened and put on her sweatshirt. She retrieved the life jackets from under the foredeck and put one on, handing the other to Bryan. After putting on his life jacket, Bryan took an elastic band from his pocket and pulled his hair back so that he could see. He figured he would sail easterly for about a mile and then turn south towards the campus shore line. They were pelted by rain and spray as the boat accelerated across the lake. The sound was deafening: howling winds, creaking rigging, and a groaning hull. Bryan had the speeding boat under control and was feeling confident about making the turn for home. His confidence was shattered when the boom vang broke.

Without the downward force from the vang, the boom flew up and spilled all the air from the mainsail. That, in turn, upset the balance Bryan and Jenny had established by sitting up on the windward gunwale. The boat rolled back to port faster than Bryan could react and they both fell into the water as the Interlake capsized on top of them.

This was not the first time Bryan had capsized a sail boat. As the boat went over, he grabbed hold of the stern and climbed up onto the turtled hull. He knew the boat would not sink because it had water tight compartments built into the hull. Jenny, who had been sitting farther forward, was no where to be seen. After she fell into the water, the mainsail crashed down on top of her and swept her underneath the boat. The life jacket was pulling her up towards the surface, but one of the lines was wrapped around her ankle. Fortunately, Jenny knew how to swim and did not panic. Still submerged, she reached down to free her ankle and floated up underneath the capsized boat. Bryan looked around frantically and shouted out her name.

"Jenny!" Bryan screamed.

Barely audible over the howling winds, he heard a thumping sound beneath him. Jenny had found an air pocket underneath the capsized boat and was pounding her fist on the floor. Bryan jumped into the water and dove down to try and find her. He found her near the mast step in a two foot air pocket.

"Are you ok?" Bryan grabbed her and held her up.

"Yes," Jenny gasped. Realizing she was not going to drown, normal breathing returned. "What the hell happened?"

"We broke part of the boom," Bryan dispensed with proper sailing terminology. "And we tipped over."

"How do we get home?" Jenny's concern was increasing. "It's too far to swim."

"Don't worry," Bryan said. "Harvey will rescue us."

~ Harvey To The Rescue ~

Harvey was the name of a water rescue craft operated by the University Lifesaving Station. Located near campus, the facility had a small watch tower that was manned by water safety specialists. Many years ago, 2 students had drown under very similar circumstances. The tragedy resulted in the establishment of the rescue station. By the time Bryan had found Jenny, the call from the tower had gone out and Harvey was pulling away from the pier.

Bryan and Jenny took a breath and swam out from under their capsized boat. They moved to the stern and held onto the rudder which now rose up like a shark fin.

"We should stay in the water," Bryan said. "The water temperature is warmer than the air right now."

After about ten minutes they heard the rumble of a large motor boat approaching. As Harvey circled their disabled sail boat, Bryan and Jenny waved to its crew. One crew member tossed a tethered life ring to them as the skipper put the engine into reverse. Bryan placed the ring over Jenny's head and arms and the rescue crew reeled her in. With the crew's assistance, Jenny climbed up the ladder and was safely aboard. Bryan swam over to Harvey and followed her up the ladder.

"Grumpy giving you trouble?" The crew member asked.

"Too much wind," Bryan said. "It broke the boom vang."

Bryan realized that he was mostly at fault for the mishap, not the wind. He had put themselves in danger by misjudging the weather and taking an inexperienced crew. What remained now was to right Grumpy and tow it back home.

It was a short ride back to campus aboard Harvey after they righted and bailed the water from the sail boat. Grumpy would need some minor repairs, something Bryan knew he was responsible for completing. The rescue crew had wrapped Jenny in a blanket to keep her warm. With the lake water temperature around sixty degrees and the high winds, hyperthermia was a danger. Bryan sat next to her, wrapped in another blanket, as they approached the shore. As Harvey pulled along side the pier, the water logged sailors thanked their rescuers. Andy was there to greet them as they disembarked.