The Passion of the Sea

Derek awoke his passion for the sea every time he looked off a boat’s deck and into the rolling blue waves. Then he would proceed to vomit. After that, Derek would meander below deck to recover until the excursion was over. He had no logical reason to love the sea. He couldn’t explain his feelings for it. In his mind, this was what it meant to have a genuine passion.

People, mostly his exes and shrinks, would relate his love of the sea back to his father. Derek’s father was an avid sailor and had won many awards. He sailed his entire adult life, up until the day he traveled through the Strait of Sanmir. Derek’s family never learned the details of the sailor’s death, but the Coast Guard found shrapnel of the man’s beloved boat.

More than anything else Derek wanted to be a sailor. He continuously signed up for sailing classes. He lived in a condo next to a pier so that he heard the ocean at night. It was a method to get over his seasickness, but it just made him nauseous in bed. No matter what Derek did, he couldn’t get over his seasickness.

Derek had tried everything. Including, but not limited to, Dramamine, Hypnotherapy, Patches of every color shape and size, and bracelets with dirt from twelve different islands. Absolutely nothing worked for him.

Meeting the Magic Woman

While Derek sat on the beach one morning, meditating on the sea and trying to keep his breakfast down, an old woman approached him.

Without waiting for him to acknowledge her, she said, “Young man, I will cure your sickness for you.”

She had peaked his interest, but he was dubious as most people should be when offered a cure from strange woman. “How do you know I am sick?” he asked.

“I can see it in your eyes, boy.”

Sarcastically he said, “Of course you can see it in my eyes. I’m looking at the ocean.”

“NO!” She said smacking him on the head. “I see the sickness, the longing to love something that your soul is not compatible with. It is common among men,” she paused, “and women. I see it for pets, lovers, jobs, and occasionally the sea. However, I have not seen a sickness like yours for many years.”

“I’m not sick,” he claimed adamantly. It was an impulse response from the dozens of times he had been asked and embarrassed by seamen. “I just get sick every time I look at the sea from an object that isn’t dry land.”

“That sounds like a sickness to me boy.”

He shook his head in protest.

She ignored him, “I’ll fix it for you. And you won’t even be that cursed afterward.”

“What do you mean not even that cursed?”

The old woman shrugged, “I’m a witch I can’t give away my cures for free.”

“Can I buy you a churro instead?”

“I’m more in the mood for falafels and a gyro,” She answered. There’s a man, three piers south who makes them just like the old country.” She said this with what would be a toothy smile if she had possessed many teeth.

“I’ll go get it!” He agreed as he jumped up.

Who knew falafels and a sandwich could solve my problem, he thought as he ran to the restaurant. And even if it didn’t work, I could at least say I’ve tried everything. He rushed to the restaurant a few piers down and bought the woman a meal. To ensure the falafels were fried fresh he paid extra.

He eagerly came back to where he had left her, but there was no woman in sight. All morning he searched, continually tempted by the smell of the fresh food. Slowly the hot lunch got cold but it still tempted him. Lunchtime turned into happy hour then happy hour turned into dinner. His stomach growled, and he wanted to eat the sandwich he had carried all day. Dinner turned to after dinner drinks, and he had given up hope. Derek sat in the spot where he had started the morning. He had no cure, only box of cold falafels and a soggy sandwich.

The lunch had been taunting him all day. Finally, he slammed down on the gyro and the fried chickpea balls thinking to himself, if this is what the food in the old country tasted like I don’t blame the lady for coming here.

The Next Day

He woke up early for a sailing class. He had, begrudgingly, scheduled it weeks before with the knowledge that he would never have the stomach to sign up on the day of the class. As he headed down to the dock, he pondered what kind of boat he would be on and how rough the weather would be that day.

He got to the dock and saw that it was a small sailboat. Of course it’s a small boat, he thought. Small boats were the worst for him because the wind and waves easily manipulated them. As he waited for others to arrive, he worked to hold his breakfast down despite still being tied to the dock. Once all the other students were there, they set off into open waters.

As they got further and further away from the docks, Derek became more and more worried. However, he did not become any sicker. He was genuinely able to focus on the teacher and not spend his time fighting off early symptoms of puke-you-stomach-up-itis.

As the morning passed the class got to the point where things were hands on. Derek took to the ropes as a natural. He had learned something from all his classes after all, despite spending most of them below deck. Excited about his new ability Derek took the next course and the one after that. He blew through his certifications and became a genuine sailor.

Years Later

After years of practice and training, he became a renowned sailor. He won multiple regattas and was often hired to do challenging voyages that most sailors wouldn’t dare take on. He experienced strong storms that could only be caused by Neptune’s sons bringing home bad test grades three months in a row. All the challenges fueled him and relit the fiery passion for the sea. Not once did Derek become sick.

Over time he got married and had a son named Jacob. He loved his boy more than anything in the world and wanted to share the passion with the kid as soon as he could walk. The problem was that Jacob had seasickness worse than Derek ever had.

In an attempt to help his son with the illness Derek began to set out falafels and gyros every week. He placed them in the spot where he had first met the old woman. Alas, she never showed. Derek consistently returned to the dock to the sight of seagulls eating away at the meal. Not once did it mysteriously disappear as he had hoped.

A Fateful Storm

His son grew and continued to be sick. Still, the boy had as much interest in the sea as his old man. Derek set off on a trip to sail through the Strait of Sanmir for a lucrative but risky voyage. The area was historically fraught with storms.

One night a storm picked up and Derek, alone on his boat, had to navigate it. He drew in the sails and manipulated his anchor to a position that would help him. As he reached off the side to fanagle the anchor on to the ship, he heard a crack of thunder from behind him.

The thunder’s crack sounded like a cackle, and it got his attention. He turned, not sure if he should expect someone behind him. Instead, he saw a low mast swing towards him. The wind had caught it, and it was accelerating towards him. Derek jumped out of the way, and the mast swooped over his body. If he hadn’t ducked, he would have been thrown from the boat and into the raging waters.

He weathered the storm and spent the rest of the trip in solemn contemplation. Once he returned he tied up his boat to its dock, cleaned out his valuables, and listed the ship for sale.

D&J’s Falafels

With the money, he made the trip and proceeds from the boat he opened a small food stand. It was located near the pier he lived. Derek and his son Jacob fried falafels and cooked gyros. Their homemade pita was the most popular around. Jacob learned to cook gyros better than his old man could ever hope.

The shop expanded and the family was able to get a seating area and waitstaff. It funded Jacob’s college and the two men were always near the sea they loved so much. Jacob went to school and left his father to work alone during the spring and fall.

One cool spring morning Derek saw a woman that looked familiar. He brought her fresh falafels and a warm gyro sandwich before she could order.

He sat down across from her as she snacked on her chickpea snack. A question had been on his mind ever since he survived the Strait of Sanmir. Now, he was finally able to ask her. Derek said, “Why did you let me survive?”

After finishing a slow bite, the woman had somehow lost more teeth in the time since their last meeting, she answered, “Of all your ancestors, you waited the longest time to eat the lunch.”

Photo Credit: jmbaud74, avlxyz, silas216, Lee Edwin Coursey