© 2024 Duleigh Lawrence-Townshend. All rights reserved. The author asserts the right to be identified as the author of this story for all portions. All characters are original. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This story or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review or commentary.
All Aboard Andi's Dream
Chapter 4
Nightmares at Nisi Arcadia
Lucy and Gus emerged from their cabin glowing like a pair of honeymooners, and actually, so did John and Macy. They gathered around the table on the Mezzanine and Andi sat with them as Paul and Yi served breakfast. Yi was terrified of what 'cackleberries' and SOS was going to turn out to be. It was two eggs sunny side up on a bed of corned beef hash with biscuits and sausage gravy on the side. Yi was horrified to find out that it was CANNED corn beef hash, but Paul seasoned the canned hash to taste almost exactly like St. Patrick's Day leftovers (which is what it's
supposed
to taste like). He even showed her how to get a sunny side up egg perfect every time. His eggs were not overcooked and not undercooked. Yi liked his trick of putting a lid on the frying pan and adding a little water for steam to cook the whites of the eggs yet leave the yolk creamy.
As they purred through the early morning calm seas, Paul and Yi served breakfast. Lucy looked at the breakfast and said, "I never have sunny side up eggs."
"You weren't given a choice," said Paul. "
Mangiare!
" (eat!)
"I guess he told you!" whispered Gus, which earned him a playful elbow.
Paul stood at the end of the table and said, "yesterday evening we were made aware of a media circus over our rescue operation. Some stations actually blamed us for the accident. Instead of heading to Jupiter, we are now heading to Nisi Arcadia, where we're going to lay up for a couple of days until we can calm this media firestorm. Is there any problem with that?"
"I actually think it's a good idea," said Gus. "Let those vultures find their carrion somewhere else. Where is Nisi Arcadia?"
"I don't know. The only persons who seem to know are Justice Atherton and her employees. She gave directions to Stan and Sunny last night. We'll hold up on her island, enjoy the beaches, and Andi and I will make a Zoom call to a few media outlets, and hopefully, it will be over. Is anyone in a rush to go home? We can charter a flight off the island."
"We'll see how long it takes and how nice the beaches are," grinned Gus.
"You work too hard," said Andi. "You deserve some quality time off."
"I second that motion," said Lucy.
After breakfast, Paul helped Yi clean up the galley, then he and Andi went up to the flybridge to watch the docking process. Soon they were in the channel that leads through a reef and to the leeward pier on Nisi Arcadia. Andi's Dream moved up the channel like a warm knife through butter. Sixty tons cannot move through the water without leaving a wake, but Andi's Dream left a tiny shallow wake that many smaller boats couldn't match.
There was a fellow on the end of the pier showing them which side of the pier they should dock. As the bow grew even with the end of the pier, Captain Stan started a slow 180 degree rotation with thrusters and let momentum carry them. Paul and John watched carefully as Stan handled the behemoth with ease. Soon, a little forward throttle brought the yacht to a stop about 14 feet starboard of the dock.
Andi was watching too, when a motion caught her eye and she looked down to see that the twins had lined up at the rail along with Bitty, Yi, and Sunny. "Hi babies!" she called and waved. The twins turned and waved to their mother, then returned to facing the dock, just as Bitty started hanging fenders on the port side.
Stan turned the helm hard to starboard and said, "This is how we did it before thrusters became common. When I open the throttle on the starboard engine, the force of propulsion against the rudder will push the stern to the port. I put the port engine in reverse, and this will pull the bow to the port, watch..." He opened up the throttles gently and Andi's Dream slipped sideways to port and lightly pressed up to the dock. "And that, gentlemen, is called boatsmanship."
Yi and Sunny tied off the bow and stern while the twins in their adorable sailor dresses stood at the port transom, ready to salute anyone who came near. When Yi and Sunny stepped back on the yacht after tying off the lines, the twins stood by holding their salutes, Sandy with her left hand, Madeline with her right. Yi noticed and returned their salute, but Sunny didn't notice. The twins turned to Sunny like sunflowers following the sun and held their salutes until Yi said "Uh, mom?" and pointed at the girls.
"Sorry," Sunny returned their salutes. The twins snapped to and marched back to the transom, awaiting the next person to salute. Yi stepped up to the galley to get a drink, then to follow her father into the engine room for the post cruise inspection. She met Andi as the young doctor came down the stairs from the flying bridge.
"Can we talk?" asked Yi.
"Of course, anything for you," said Andi.
That shot straight to Yi's heart, 'How can I tell her of the sea - my first and best love?' she thought. Yi led Andi down to her cabin. Yi sat down on her bunk and patted the bunk next to her, and Andi sat down. She looked at Andi's innocent, expectant smile, and those eyes, those deep, deep brown eyes. She thought of everything that had happened just in the past two days, and she thought again of her first and best love.
"Damnit," she breathed.
"What?" said Andi, while putting her small hand on Yi's shoulder. "You can tell me. I'm a doctor. What's said is kept in confidence."
"Just regrets bubbling up to the surface," said Yi. She didn't look Andi in the eye, she didn't dare. "You'll think it's silly."
Andi scooted closer and took Yi's hand in both of hers. "It's ok, tell me."
Yi put her head on Andi's shoulder and Andi rested her cheek on Yi's head. "Topless sunbathing."
Andi paused for a moment. "What about it?"
"Well, I thought it would be a cool thing to do... you and Lucy, and Macy, and me, and even maybe my mom. Just soaking up rays, and talking trash, and drinking up all that wine you have stashed, and just letting our tits hang out..."
"It sounds like a good time, and we have plenty of time left and plenty of wine to drink. Let's do it."
"You sure? Are you ok with doing this kind of thing with your employees? You don't mind your governess behaving like that?"
Andi sighed and chuckled. She lifted Yi's hand and kissed it. "I encourage it."
"You'd let your nurses do that? Why are you laughing at me? What's so funny?"
"One week ago, Macy and I were relaxing in the hot tup naked with my nurse, Kat." She sighed, "it was a magical night, the Christmas lights all over the village, the gentle snow, a house FULL of people just yards away..."
Yi grinned at her. "You kinky thing... you know you're stuck with me now; I can get pretty weird."
"I encourage that too. You're going to love the room I have for you. All I ask is that we don't want a stream of men in and out of the house. A steady is one thing, a steady line-up is another." Andi was thinking of putting her in the other main bedroom... and the cabin! She can keep the kids upstairs while she and Paul recreate their wedding night by the fire over and over and over... then she remembered the twins and the mess they made with their spaghetti! "How are you with group showers?"
<><><><><>
The man on the dock was Nathanial Atherton, Miss Nicoletta's son. Nate smiled and shook hands, and saluted the twins, then led everyone to the main villa where Miss Nicoletta would meet them shortly. He led them via soft sand paths through the tropical foliage. Birds of startling colors flitted through the trees and the twins were sure there were monkeys on the island. "It's paradise!" gasped Andi, as she looked around her. Sunny nodded in agreement. She and her husband Stan have been around the world and nowhere has been more beautiful.
Surrounded by beautiful topiary and hedges, the patio outside of Atherton villa was covered by a pergola made of wood which blended in with the surrounding plants and offered a refreshing half shade. Flowers bloomed and citrus fruit hung on the trees surrounding the villa: orange, lime, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit. Far off in the distance, the surf could be heard crashing on the beach. Andi and Paul stood in the middle of the patio close. They were talking and holding fruit drinks, but they could have been dancing so close where they stood. Around them sat their friends, all sipping the drinks made from the fresh fruit of the island, all the while the twins and Bitty walked about them in a false wobble. They were so used to the boat's rocking that walking on firm ground was an interesting experience. They had small plastic bowls in their hands filled with orange slices and other fruit.
Finally, Miss Nicoletta swept onto the patio. She was wearing a simple flowered sarong and matching halter top. Her nipples were clearly visible through the halter, but her bearing and poise made her simple dress look elegant. "Adrianna darling!" she hugged Andi and Paul, as the twins lined up and snapped a salute. This time, both girls were saluting with their right hand.
"You remember our love bugs Sandy and Madeline," said Andi.
"Bug bug."
"Bug bug."
But they held their salutes. Miss Nicoletta looked at the girls, then looked at Paul, who mouthed the words, 'They're waiting for you.'
"Oh, yes. By all means," she returned their salute, and they snapped to and dashed off to hide behind Macy and Yi. "Adorable! And the sailor's suits are so cute!"
"I made them myself," said Andi, which brought raised eyebrows from Nicoletta and Yi.
"I hear they wanted to join your crew."
