Ocean of Feathers

30 - HMS Dreadnought 1906

The short story that will be posted here will be dedicated to Shanaya Ramos. Thank you for helping me during the muting days!  

Chapter 30

I stared at her as the wind embraced her whole presence. She's been up there, staring at her compass while her other hand's busy with the ship's wheel.

We've been travelling the ocean for almost three months. She told us about the story of an island filled with maidens who were under an abusive slavery. She wanted to help, she wanted to find them and of course, she wanted to give them freedom.

But how is that possible if we couldn't find the said island?

There is no map or any other exact location of the island. Is that even possible to sail and discover an island by merely an instinct?

Instead of continuing my stares, I started climbing at the upper deck to join our captain.

"I think you should rest Captain, should I ask the presence of the first mate?" she didn't reply.

"Kindly hold this for a moment." She gave me the compass before she used the binoculars.

We stayed quite for a moment with our eyes focused on the broad sea covered with heavy fog.

"Can I ask captain?"

"What is it Shanaya?"

"How and from where did you get the idea of the women and the island? What if everything was just a bluff?"

This time I got her full attention. Her eyes were now locked on mine.

I couldn't help but to admire her deep and mysterious black pair of eyes. Buong akala ko noon ay karagatan na ang pinakamatinding misteryong maaari kong makasalubong sa aking talambuhay.

Pero ang mga mata niyang punong-puno ng kahulugan ay higit pa sa lalim ng karagatang kailanman ay hindi pa natatahak na kahit anong klase ng sasakyang pandagat.

"A woman's whisper will never tell bluff, well in this century. But I doubt about the women in future." I chuckled.

"Are you telling me that women from the future will give bluff, then?"

"As time goes by, the hunger of dissatisfaction will eat people's right mind. And soon they'll definitely feed this kind of hunger with lies. Tragically, women will start to thread this kind of norm."

"You talked like you've been in the future, Captain." Natatawang sabi ko.

Minsan ay nag-iisip na rin ako, saan ba siya nagmula? Isang araw ay bigla na lamang itong nagpakita sa aming isla at nagpakilalang isang babaeng nagmamay-ari ng magandang klase ng barko.

Her beautiful words encouraged me to join her crew. Pero ang malaking tanong, sino itong babaeng sinasabi niya na nagbigay sa kanya ng kaalamang may grupo ng mga babaeng kasalukuyang nakakaranas ng pang-aabuso?

Sa huli huminga na lamang ako ng malalim at nagsimula akong mag-inat. I should stop asking her questions.

Because I already vowed to myself that I'll join her journey no matter how the big waves are, as long as I knew her goal. A goal with light.

"It's my turn to ask, Shanaya. Do you regret leaving your love for someone who sailed without a visible track?"

Bahagya akong ngumiti at pinasalikop ko ang mga kamay ko sa aking likuran.

"You maybe no track right now, Captain. But the thing here is, you have a goal. You don't need to follow a track, because you're a type of person who can make her own track not just for you, but for those people behind you. I'll sail with you Cap, I'll help you to free them. No matter what."

She smiled, for the very first time in front of my eyes.

"Don't worry Shanaya, I promise to bring you back to him. Maybe not in this century, but in my second, third or in even my fourth life."