MORE MEMORIES FROM THE SEA
I have just looked at it again (Memories from the Sea) and if was sitting here thinking back to that trip. How much I learned of the sea on that voyage and how much I learned of daddy as well.
I remembered him telling me of rivers that run under the sea in directions counter to each other and of how to spot those places ahead of me where they all meet and form a maelstrom for the unwary sailor. He taught me of waves and winds and of stars and moon and of the sun.
I used to watch him from "my little nest", a place he made just for me in the ratlines on the portside of the forward mast. It was kinda like a little tree house, but made of rope and netting that I could crawl into and never ever worry about falling out. It had a wooden floor and one of the crew gave me a beautiful pillow to use so it wouldn't be so hard.
It was about 10 feet or so above the deck (a long ways up to me) and I could just sit in there and watch the world go by and watch the daily life aboard this small ship.
I would watch as he went about his duties as Master of the ship and I can still hear his voice "Hey Boats, got some rigging here needs to attention" "Second, you're straying off course, keep your mind on the seas and off my daughter" "Hey Mate, good job you're doing" "hey cookie, what's for chow tonight, better not be liver and onions man or I'll feed you to the sharks" "Becca, be careful you don't hurt yourself up there, your momma skin me alive anything happens to you."
I watched as he taught the officers how to handle the little ship, as he gave the young officers tips on seamanship and how to use the sextant. I remember each port we put into for stores and provisions and I remember how the authorities would come onboard for the required formalities and how may daddy talked to them in Brazilian (Portuguese) or Spanish in Uruguay. I remember sailing up the river going into Montevideo in Uruguay as passing over where the German pocket battleship Graf Spee had been scuttled. As we docked and put the gangway out, I remember this long white car that pulled up this so very distinguished couple coming onboard. He was so distinguished and she was just beautiful, I was wearing shorts and sneakers and was kinda dirty from playing up in the foc'sle with the ships cat and dog.
They were old friends of Daddy's. I never did find out where he knew them from, but they were so nice and they invited us to their house for dinner, not just me and daddy, but the whole crew was invited.
While he and daddy talked of other days, Victoria (her name) came on deck to find me, she made me feel so welcome and she sat down on a barrel next to me and talked to me. She held my kitty and petted the dog. She was so nice, when she told me that we were coming to dinner, I told her that I really didn't have anything to wear for off the ship. She took me to Daddy's cabin and told him and her husband that we were going shopping, Eduardo and daddy just looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders and daddy told me to be good.
Anyway, we went shopping and we had tea in a fantastic restaurant and she talked of Daddy and Momma and of my mother. She knew my mother and she knew my father and had seen me when I was only 4 years old. She talked of things and of Momma and Daddy and how Momma had brought daddy back from the dark side with her love. We talked for hours.
She took me to her home so I could "freshen up", I got a bubble bath with lilac scented water; it was heaven. Dinner was superb, right out of a fairy tale, crystal glasses and plates, Silver servings, beautiful women and beautiful men serving. We stayed for 2 days and I could write for hours and hours on the things that we did.
When we sailed, they came to see us off and it was like losing old friends. I asked daddy who they were and he just said "very old and very dear friends" I then asked him what they did for a living, their house was a mansion and they had servants and guards and everything.
I'll never forget the look on his face, a look of total sunrise and then the smile, and then he started to chuckle as he said "Becca, Eduardo is the President of Uruguay!!!" I was stunned. That was the first of many times that I say my daddy in the company of Kings and Presidents; a long way from the half-breed trash from Arizona.
Yes, thank you Ruth and Eileen, thank you for letting me remember a special time with my Daddy. I needed to do this tonight, I really needed to remember this and everything else that happened on this one trip for I think now that this was the first time that I saw not only my Daddy but also GreyEagle the man, the sailor and friend, my whole life was changed during this voyage and I never realized it until tonight. Thank you so much and Daddy Tony, thank you for bringing this back. I love you so much.
Love Becky