Just as they decided to weigh anchor and motor over to the other side, the old man appeared rowing, the Key Clipper their way. “Ahoy there Holly Lynn,” he yelled when he saw them all look his way. “It’s time you fellers come on into my canal. You ain’t got time to beat that storm back to Big Pine. She’s a comin’ in super fast. We’ve weathered many a storm in that sheltering canal.”
“I don’t see no storm clouds,” Bill protested.
“I’ll turn the weather radio on again. I’ve just been saving battery and figured Jr.’s cone report would come through if a storm was close. Forgot about the towers being out.” Dennis turned it on and immediately it was giving an extreme warning of a super cell moving unexpectedly fast toward the Keys.
“See!” the old man said. “And besides that, they’s pirates out in the waters just beyond my claim.”
“Pirates,” Dennis half laughed but half looked serious as he thought about the drug smugglers that had visited them.
Wesley and Jr. looked at each other but said nothing, just listened.
Bill asked, “And what do you mean, just beyond your claim.”
“This is international waters and these four keys are registered and recognized as belonging to Titus Bartholomew, in the US, Cuba, Spain, France, and England, and yes even Ireland and a few more places. I’m inviting you into safe harbor if you want. It’s up to you. Safe from the storm and from pirates.”
“Pirates?” Dennis asked again.
“Yes Sir Captain. Pirates. Even the cruise ships have had trouble with them at times. Just last night they blew up a drug smugglers boat. Them pirates don’t care who it is they attack if they think they have cause. They take what they want. It’s kinda odd though, those pirates blew up that boat last night but most times they don’t do that. That boat of drug runners must have really made them mad. They hate drug runners but rum is entirely a different story,” he laughed.
“Well, I certainly understand that,” Bill said. “You got to have rum to keep your water pure out on the high seas.”
Wesley snapped his fingers, “That’s what I heard last night. That boom was the drug runners boat being blown up.”
“But are they really pirates?” Dennis asked.
“Well,” the old man started in. “I’ve heard them called pirates and by one definition they are. I’ve also heard them be called high seas vigilantes. They’s all kinds of rumors about where they come from. Seem to pick their prey pretty strictly. Don’t bother everyone only certain kinds. It gets rather rough sometimes like last night. If you see something floating out around here for the next few days, I’d steer clear of it.”
Junior looked up from his notepad and asked, “What kind of boat do they have?”
“Oh, they got all different kinds. Can’t tell them by the look of their boats. Well, fellers, I’ve got to be on my way now. Things to do. Get ready for another big blow. You men are welcome to come into my canal for safe harbor if you will. It will hit here about 1400 hours or 2 pm. Fair ye well.” With that the old man rode away from them and was far away in the Key Clipper before anyone onboard the Holly Lynne said a word. It was the weather radio that caught their attention away from the Key Clipper.
“Tropical storm Horatio became the seventh named storm of this season just yesterday with amazing speed. It is one of those rare storms that seem to appear and form out of the blue. Sixty mile an hour winds yesterday. At midnight it had built to ninety mile an hour winds. This morning it is up to one hundred fifty and still increasing out over the warm waters of the Caribbean. It is projected to pass over Cuba and be near the Keys very soon. The Keys are definitely in the cone of concern.”
“Turn on the FM and let’s hear what they are saying out of Miami,” Bill said.
Dennis turned the weather radio down and turned the FM on. It was tuned to a Miami station already.
“Yes, Shirley. We have had a large increase in reports of pirates in the last few months. I wonder where they go when a storm like Horatio comes along so fast?”
“A good question, Thomas. Perhaps the Coast Guard will get a lead on them because of it. Well back to some music Miami.” A song started playing and Dennis turned it off and turned up the weather radio again.
“Still no cell phone signal,” Bill said as he checked his out. “I need to call Marcie. I need to call Zack. We may be in trouble boys.”
“I wouldn’t call home now and tell where we are and what is going on even if I could,” Jr. said.
Wesley half grinned, “They would be mad, worried, scared and then mad again at us.”
“Yea, they would,” Jr. agreed.
Dennis was looking toward the east-southeast when he said, “There it is. I can see the top of the storm.”
The sound of a motorboat came to their consciencness from behind them. “Dad gum!” Bill exclaimed. “That’s Marcie in the Tight Schedule!”
In no time she was pulling up on the starboard side of the Holly Lynne. She got her question in first, “Haven’t you had your radios on? There’s a massive hurricane coming dead at us. I secured the house with help from Zack, and then I slipped off out here to warn you. The cell phones are all down because of a couple of light planes crashed into two of the towers. Of all times for that to happen and two of them.”
“Guess you missed Larry and his boys because they headed straight toward Marathon and you were coming straight from Big Pine,” Bill said. “I’ll tell you about that later.”
“We don’t have time to get home,” Dennis said, “Even if we had the fuel. We better all get in the safe harbor the old man has encouraged us to take with him.”
Bill got in the tight schedule with Marcie and the two boats started toward the key the old man had pointed out as being the one with the safe canal in it. They hunted for what felt like a long time. The storm seemed to be bearing down on them. Finally the east opening was found. But as they started to enter Zack appeared coming in at a high speed in the Two Nickels. “I’ll follow you in,” he yelled as he came close enough to be heard.
The three boats entered the canal. Mangroves grew thick on each side but the bottom was deep and as the old man had said, the current was fast flowing against them. The canal curved to the left first, then it curved back to the right. The mangrove trees were getting very large as they traveled deeper into the canal. Other trees appeared as did sand on the banks in places.
Bill was looking all around. No one could hear what he was saying except for Marcie. “Nothing but Mangroves at first, but now I bet there’s at least six different kinds of palms growing on this key and no telling how many types of vines and trees.” Marcie nodded in agreement and looked around and saw the same things.
As they looked ahead the canal curved left again. The three boats were out of sight of the ocean now. The key appeared to be as thickly covered with plants as a jungle. Another curve right. Marcie noticed the mast of a sailboat first as the canal curved toward the left once more. She pointed it out to Bill, but everyone saw her motion and saw it at about the same time. As each came to the point where they could see the rest of the sailboat, they also saw a long dock where three boats were secured. The Key Clipper was there. The large sailboat, a thirty footer, bore the name Dolphin Moon (Miami) and a deep sea fishing boat named Aunt Martha (Key Largo) was there next to her. The dock had plenty of room for their three boats. The three captains skillfully eased their boats into docking positions and all were soon secured. They all spotted a small cabin on high pylons that appeared to be secured on the land at that end of the dock. The old man walked out of it onto the front porch, waved and said, “Soon as you have everything secured properly and the way you want to leave it, come on up. I’ve got coffee and tea makin’s ready for ya.”
“Who is that,” Marcie ask?
“That’s,” Zack paused. “What’s an old man doing out here?”
“That’s Titus Bartholomew,” Dennis answered Marcie’s question. “He has legally recognized claim to these keys way out here.”
“That cabin should be high enough to ride out a hurricane in,” Bill observed.
“But is it sturdy enough,” Marcie questioned?
“I’m betting it is,” Zack smiled as he said it.
“The dock appears old but sound,” Wesley stated.
With everything secured, they started toward the cabin.
With everything secured, they started toward the cabin.
Junior was at the steps leading the way up and added, “These steps are sound but they look old as all get out and worn deep by use.”
“It’s all made out of Cyprus,” Dennis stated.
A fish jumped out in the wide part of the canal. They all jumped, turned and looked where the splash had occurred except for Zack. He laughed at them and said, “You’re all a little jumpy, aren’t you?”
“Guess so,” Wesley admitted for them all.
The cabin looked like a cross between one you would find in the Arkansas hills and one found on the seacoast in the 1930’s. The old man opened the screened in porch door and greeted them into his cabin. As he opened the cabens heavy looking door the interer was revilled. To the right was an old wood and propane cook stove, a thick wood table and four chairs. Hanging from a large beam was a cedar porch swing much like the one on the front porch, and an old oak rocking chair near the fireplace. On the left was another table and four chairs that seem to near match the other ones. A deep-sea reel lay in pieces on it, obviously being cleaned up and repaired. Rods and reels hang on the walls around many pictures of huge fish that had been caught. The walls on the right side had pictures of mountains, rivers, bluffs, pastures and hayfields on them. Junior and Wesley thought they recognized some of them as places in Arkansas they knew.
As they all sat down with hot coffee or tea to drink, the front door opened again. A woman walked in and said, “I see we have company for the storm. Introduce us Titus.”
“Beth, I found them out exploring the four keys. Dennis is the captain of the Holly Lynne. Captain please introduce your crew to Beth and I.”
Dennis introduced them all. Just as the formalities were coming to an end a tiny squeak was heard. A model of an old square masted ship turned its direction. It was hung high overhead in the center of the left end of the cabin ceiling which was cathedral or open beam on that end.
“Wind has changed,” Titus said as he looked up at the ship. “She always sails before the wind. Ya see, my guest, she is held up by a steel rod that goes up through the roof to my weather vane, which is on top. When the arrow turns with the wind it turns the ship in here. Handy way to see which way the wind blows.”
“As neat a way as I’ve ever seen,” Wesley marveled at the minutely detailed model of a ship.
The wind could be heard picking up speed outside. “We better get the food up here off the Dolphin Moon,” Beth said.
They all followed her out of the door. The front screened in porch faced the west and the wind was from the east-southeast. No rain yet, but you could sense it was close. Clouds were almost over them. Quickly the food was carried up to the cabin. Titus cleared his reel work off the table. He placed a tablecloth on it as Beth put one on the other table.
“Would you call this a hurricane party,” Junior asked?
Titus smiled and answered, “I guess I would be calling this a hurricane party.” He filled up eight glasses with something clear and cool but it had no ice in it. Gave each of them one and proposed a toast as he held up his glass. “Here’s to new found friends. May we all grow to be old friends. Say Aye Aye if ya agrees.”
They all said, “Aye aye.”
He tipped Beth’s glass, she was standing on his right, turned to Zack on his left and tipped his. As each tipped glasses with each other he and Beth smiled. They truly seemed to be glad to have company. They shared the look of aging yet their eyes sparkled with youth. Their hair was full, soft looking. Tan was their skin and their movements sure without a sign of doubt or weakness. They all drank together.
Junior grinned, “That’s the best drink of water I’ve had in a while. No bottled water I’ve found taste near to that. Where did you come by it? And it’s so cool.”
“Ah, a man out at sea must have his secret sources and ways,” Titus gleefully answered. “Thanks for the compliment.”
Beth started setting the tables. Titus and Marcie started to help. She made them sit by saying, “You two sit also, this is my part of the party. But, thank you.” She proceeded to uncover the bowels. Revealed to the now suddenly very hungry partiers was a feast of unique seafood letting their aromas fill the air. Huge scallops with a white sauce, no one knew what was, but all loved its smell that was revealed first. Shrimp boiled in spice water was next. Bowls of melted butter were passed to each of them for dipping. Lobster tails and crabs and some unique biscuits in two baskets were placed on the table. A bowl full of all kinds of fresh fruit was placed on the table next. There was even corn on the cob.
“Just like home,” Junior and Wesley said together when the lid came off the corn.
“How did you fix all this,” Marcie wondered? “Why would you have fixed all this? You couldn’t have known we were going to come in here unexpected.”
Beth smiled, “I always cook up a lot of food before a storm. Titus accuses me of cooking up a storm. He knows I’m to be depended upon.”
“She’s always been right on the money since I’ve known her,” Titus confirmed. “We have plenty out here. We have friends and family that bring us out some things we need from the main land,” he smiled at Zack. “We have friends that bring us gifts from the sea also. So we just naturally like to share when the opportunity arises.”
The wind could plainly be heard gaining speed outside. “Just listen to it whistle out there,” Titus laughed.
Marcie looked at Bill and said, “They are predicting it will be a category three around here.”
“It will be,” Beth stated. “But don’t any of you worry. This is in truth a safe harbor for you and your boats.”
“Aye aye to that,” Titus sang out. They all relaxed for some reason then. They believed her and Titus.
Titus said a blessing over the food. The food part of the party lasted for an hour. At that point Titus gave thanks for the food that had just been consumed and new friends on The Deep Blue Sea.
“Now,” he said, “let us see if we can stand out on the porch for a while before the hardest wind comes along.”
He refilled all their glasses with that great fresh water, picked up a box off of a shelf near the door and led the way out onto the screened in porch. He opened the box and Wesley and Junior looked at each other and whispered, “Cigars.”
The frowns on the palms all around were whipping in the wind. It was a warm wind with sprinkles of rain in it already. Fast moving clouds completely covered them now. Zack, Marcie and Beth sat on the northwest end of the porch. The rest sat on the southwest side. Titus passed out the cigars to them. The view of the canal with the dock and boats secured to it was a picture out of a tropical adventure book. Lush green tropical plants were whipping around everywhere. Clear water with all those different types of boats floating on it as the ripples rolled across its surface, was a post card. It was a riveting scene to watch unfolding before their eyes. Wesley and Junior were enjoying it more than the rest because the others had set through hurricanes before in the Keys.
An hour passed. Suddenly the frowns on the palm trees were not just blowing around, they were being laid flat from the wind. Some were being torn off and flying down into the water.
“Time to go in and have another cup of tea or coffee,” Titus said as he got up. All followed him into the cabin. The cabin’s shutters had long been secured shut in preparation for the storm. The light from the oil lamps was as bright as Wesley or Junior had ever seen. They started studying all the things that hung on the walls more closely now.
Hot tea and coffee were served. Time passed as the wind howled outside and the story telling filled the cabin inside. A hush would come only when an extra violent blast of wind would come and occasionally a tree of some kind could be heard breaking off or being torn up by the roots. The cabin held firm and for the two most new to the Keys, it all was thrilling.
Titus was telling suspense filled adventure stories full of highly intense thrills caused by his expertly chosen words. He described minutely all the places, seas, islands, ships, boats and lagoons his stories took place in. The smells seemed to come floating to your senses. The colors were extraordinary as was the food he described. He made you feel like you were with him on the adventures he told about. You were tense, exhausted, hungry, full, thirsty, satisfied, on a raging sea, in a calm, peaceful, sweet smelling lagoon sleeping in the shade of palm trees as birds sing all around you. He took you here, there, everywhere. Beth sat and beamed with delight and admiring approval of her husband and his entertaining skills.
She politely announced as Titus ended a great story perfectly, that the calm of the hurricane’s eye was on them now.
“Lead us out onto the porch my lady love,” Titus requested. They all followed her out onto the porch.
It was calm. No wind blew at all. The palms along with all the plants were battered, whipped, torn and scattered everywhere. All the boats looked to be in perfect order though. Leaves and frowns lay on and around the boats in the water, but no damage could be seen from the cabin.
“Men, let’s go down to the dock and inspect the vessels. Ladies, we’ll return momentarily.”
Junior and Wesley looked up and saw blue sky over them, framed by a round wall of clouds that stretched from thousands of feet high down, seemingly unbroken, all the way to the seas surface around them moving violently just beyond the calm still air that now, temporarily dared them to relax too soon.
All lines were checked as well as each boat inspected and all was pronounced stable and secured. There had obviously been a great surge in the water’s level. The canal had protected the dock and vessels because of it’s twist and turns. The vegetation covering the key masks its true height above sea level from the uninqusitive and even trained eye.
Soon all were gathered up on the cabin’s porch again drinking tea and coffee and cake was now offered. After a time the wind could be heard hitting the trees on the distant shoreline.
“Let’s go on in my friends,” Titus encouraged. “It will be a hard wind fast as the other wall hits us.”
The evening passed with the rest of the hurricane. Calm came at about 1800 hours. A few lingering clouds sailed by letting sheets of rainfall under their small bodies.
“I’ve got a few things to go see about,” Titus announced at the end of a great story.
“Need any help?” all the men asked They would have all loved to go with this man who knew so much about the sea and these Keys.
“Naw, no help needed. Just get your sleeping arrangements taken care of. You can’t follow that hurricane into Big Pine Key. Power lines will be down and no telling what else would be in your way. Be back soon.” And he left in the Key Clipper. As twilight came upon the Key, about an hour later, he came back to the dock. The crew of the Holly Lynne slept aboard her. The ladies slept in the cabin. Titus slept on the Dolphin Moon and invited Zack onboard also since he had no cot on the Holly Lynne.
Rain came and went through the night as the trailing outer bands swirled around for one last slap from Horatio. Birds sang late into the night. Much later here than on the mainland. This Key had many more birds on it than any other.
Back on Big Pine Key the ants had climbed up out of the ground for higher places to ride out the impending storm. Their instincts had served them well for now the water was surging in from the sea and coming down from the sky like a deluge. The iguana was huddled up against the foundation of Marcie and Bill’s house where plants covered it from direct rain. That green gecko was buried deep as it could get into the center of a palm tree’s frowns where the new ones start to come out. Water stood an inch deep all across the lawn and the brown corn snake gave up on catching a rat, for now, and slivered across the cement walkway from south to north toward thick vegetation and its secret hole in the neighbors house it hoped would be a little drier. The cicadas were quite and so were the frogs. All were hunkered down for the duration of this phenomenon called, a hurricane.
In Arkansas the bullfrogs were croaking in their deep-throated way down on the Buffalo River. The bass were lurking under logs and rocks. Perch were in the roots that grew out of the banks into the water. Minnows were in the weeds and moss and shallow places where the big fish could not swim. Catfish prowled searching for food. A crawdad suddenly became a meal for an eleven pound yellow catfish. The water was warm and low. No rain had fallen onto the Ozark Hills for a long time. Farmers wondered if the hurricane coming across the Keys would make its path onto the mainland in such a way that some of its much-needed moisture might possibly fall on their parched fields. Some ladies were wondering where their sons, brothers, and husbands were. Worried, concerned, angry and down right mad were accurate words to describe their feelings and state of minds. The moon was full and lit up the hills magnificently as it rose into the star filled sky.
The moon was rising over Memphis and over its barbequed ribs near and on Beale Street as the blues was being played on this hot sultry delta night. The china dolls in Memphis were serving hot tea to people as stir-fry was being cooked at high speed over hot fires.
A politician lied in Washington D.C. about FEMA being ready to spring into action wherever Horatio hit the US in the gulf states.
The Holly Lynne rested gently in the water close to the Dolphin Moon. A shooting star blazed across the tropical sky over the cabin and canal. The storm had passed but there was always something happening in these waters. Someone snored. All seemed to be right to those sleeping out on The Deep Blue Sea.
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