Chapter Seven
We are all wanderers on this earth, especially at sea.
‘Good morning, everyone!’ Simon’s sing-song voice boomed through the ship’s public address system the following morning as the Emerald Dream docked at her first port of call.
Joy, who’d been restless throughout the night, was jolted from her sleep.
Lifting her arm from beneath the cosy duvet, she glanced at her watch and considered seven o’clock rather early for Simon to address the passengers, especially as many would be weary, having had little sleep.
The sea had been unforgiving as they sailed north.
It churned violently in the night with waves crashing with relentless regularity as the wind howled, and every gust felt like a vicious assault.
Many guests were confined to their cabins, unable to move around, too nervous to venture out for fear of falling.
The decks had been closed as the sea surged, battering the ship’s sides and making the hull shudder.
When it came, sleep was uneasy, and even the most seasoned travellers found themselves lying still, some unwell, waiting for the storm to pass.
But it did pass, and as dawn rose, calm waters came, and the Emerald Dream sailed on towards Norway.
Now, Joy sat up as Simon continued.
‘Today’s port is the lovely town of Molde,’ he said, ‘and it is pronounced “Mohl-duh.” When you disembark, if you want to greet the local folk, you can say, “Hei” and to thank them it’s “tusen takk”.’
Joy thought it unlikely that she’d be lapsing into Norwegian. It was common knowledge that at least ninety-five per cent of the population of Norway spoke English, having been taught from an early age in school.
‘Don’t forget, if you’re staying onboard today, you can ease those aches and pains with our Atlantis Spa Specials, and if all that salt air is too much for your hair, come and have a deep conditioning treatment with our salon staff.’ Simon chuckled. ‘Love is in the hair!’ he added.
Simon then explained the procedures for disembarking and reminded the guests that the temperature outside was below zero, with snow predicted, and to wrap up warmly.
He concluded by wishing those heading out on trips a wonderful day.
‘Don’t forget,’ Simon added, ‘with so many new experiences today, you can store them in your memory bank for the days when you no longer can.’
The cruise director also informed guests that a raffle ticket would be left in their cabin later that day along with the Daily News. ‘Keep hold of your ticket because it is your free entry for the captain’s Gala Raffle and the winner will be announced on the last night of the cruise.’
When Simon had finished, Joy swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Her immediate concern was to dig out her thermals and ensure she was prepared for the excursion to the Atlantic Ocean Road.
As she stepped into the shower and let hot water pound against her skin, Joy thought about the previous evening.
The sea swell that they’d been experiencing all day had built into a storm by early evening, and the dining room that would normally be bustling had thinned to less than half its usual occupancy.
With each sway of the ship, stewards moved carefully, balancing dishes on laden trays with the poise of tightrope walkers as they battled to serve the guests.
Leticia and Jim were already seated when Joy arrived.
‘You made it!’ Leticia grinned. ‘Well done.’
Joy grabbed her seat and carefully sat down. ‘It is a bit choppy,’ she said. ‘Are you both coping?’
‘Nothing will keep Jim and me away from a plate of fine food,’ Leticia laughed.
‘Oh, and of course, with a little bit of help too.’ She pushed up the cuff of her silky blouse to display acupressure bands on both wrists, and dipping her head, she pointed behind each ear. ‘These motion patches are lifesavers.’
‘I’m so lucky that I don’t suffer from seasickness,’ Joy said as Jhamille greeted everyone and placed a napkin on Joy’s knee. Turning, she thanked him.
‘Your friends won’t be joining you,’ Jhamille said as he held a glass pitcher. ‘Mr and Mrs Montgomery Jones have ordered a light meal in their suite.’
Joy’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ she said. Her relief felt as soothing as warm sunlight on cold skin, and the thought of dining without Kenneth’s smug remarks loosened muscles in Joy’s body that she hadn’t realised were tense.
Jhamille leaned in. ‘Seasick, like many,’ he whispered and poured iced water into Joy’s glass.
Before she had time to turn to Leticia to comment on Kenneth and Barbara’s ailment, Henry teetered to the table. Clutching his photography book, he still wore his reindeer jumper, and thanked Jhamille, who assisted Henry to his seat.
‘Sorry, I haven’t changed,’ Henry said. ‘I decided that finding my cabin involved too much motion, so I stayed put in the Bookmark Café, which is within staggering distance of the dining room.’
‘You look a little pale, if you don’t mind me mentioning it,’ Leticia said. She dug into her bag to produce a supply of bands and patches, urging Henry to put them on. ‘Here, these will help. In the meantime, sip some water and nibble on bread.’ She pushed a basket of warm rolls towards him.
Leticia’s sickness aids helped and Henry soon rallied to tuck into a delicious dinner while explaining his admiration for the Vikings, who sailed these waters centuries ago.
‘My Year Nine students once staged a mock raid on the school,’ Henry said and was animated as he described how they’d made sackcloth clothing and horned helmets from papier maché, terrifying everyone in the vicinity.
‘I taught them to understand that despite being generally perceived as outlaws, the Norse warriors were hunters and fishermen who embarked on their voyages to help them survive harsh winters at home.’
Jim poured wine for everyone. ‘How satisfying to bring history to life, your students must have enjoyed your lessons,’ he said.
‘Re-enactment helped get the facts across,’ Henry admitted. ‘They loved being plunderers, and I dressed up as a Viking chieftain in faux-fur cloak, plastic axe, and a fake beard. It itched like mad, as I remember.’
‘Do you still have it?’ Jim laughed.
‘No, those days are gone, but I think Audrey kept hold of the cloak and occasionally wears it.’
As Joy listened to Henry explain how students had absorbed his teachings, she wondered what Audrey, Henry’s friend, was like.
Obviously intelligent, she’d have the same interests as Henry and was a woman who wore faux fur.
Joy pictured Audrey wrapped in a cloud of confidence, the decadent faux-fur the colour of chocolate, and her hair perfectly coiffed, not a strand out of place.
‘What’s the Althing?’ Leticia asked.
‘It was the world’s first parliamentary system.’ Henry became animated again. ‘Created by the Vikings, who had their own laws, despite being a brutal race.’
‘Sounds like the IT team I worked with.’ Jim smiled dryly.
‘Even without any written law, there was a system of government,’ Henry continued as Jhamille cleared away the main course.
Henry looked out at the darkened windows when the ship lurched yet again.
‘If we were living in the ninth century, this sea would be teaming with longships,’ he said, a whimsical smile on his lips.
‘Well, perhaps not so many in this weather. But enough of me, what about everyone else’s career? ’
Leticia spooned gelato and licked her lips. She told them that she’d been a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, where she’d met Jim. ‘I was working on a children’s ward and Jim was a frequent visitor,’ she explained.
Leticia turned, sidelining her own story to ask Joy about her working life.
Joy sensed Leticia wanted to steer away from her own career.
But not wishing to disclose too much about herself, Joy reluctantly picked up the conversation.
‘I loved teaching,’ she slowly began, ‘there’s something so rewarding about watching a child kneading dough, their eyes wide as they watch it rise, then the magic of baking and tasting it.
Especially when they thought it came ready-made and pre-packed. ’
‘Didn’t domestic science, as it was, include other subjects?’ Jim asked.
‘Yes, I taught sewing too.’
As Joy thought about her life in the classroom, her shoulders relaxed and for a moment she was at ease. She could almost hear the grind of sewing machines as her pupils, heads down in concentration, stitched items that included aprons and tea towels.
‘My job title evolved to home economics teacher.’ Joy smiled. ‘The head insisted that it wasn’t just about cooking and cleaning, but life skills and independence too. Tom used to laugh and say I knew little about either.’
She paused and placed her dessert spoon on her plate, and the clink was louder than expected in the sudden hush. There it was. She’d mentioned Tom. Now, everyone would change the subject and glance away, pretending not to have heard.
‘How powerful.’ Jim nodded earnestly. ‘You taught the next generation confidence and how to take care of themselves.’
Leticia leaned in. ‘But I’m sure that Tom was very proud of you,’ she said softly. There was warmth in her deep, dark eyes. ‘Why don’t you tell us about him?’
‘Yes, do,’ Henry urged, resting his elbows on the table, his dessert forgotten.
Joy reached out to fiddle with the stem of her wine glass. ‘Well,’ she began, ‘Tom was the manager of a box-making company. Their main products were boxes for cakes, especially wedding cakes, and he sold to all the major manufacturers.’
‘Did he design the boxes?’ Jim asked.
‘Oh, yes, he was head of design and sales, as well as managing the company.’
‘He must have been very skilled.’
‘He was. There wasn’t a thing you could teach him about the machinery on the factory floor or design and the demands of the customer.’ Joy paused. ‘It was a very stressful job, and he worked terribly long hours.’
‘Did you manage to take holidays?’ Henry asked.
‘Yes, Tom made sure that we had at least two weeks away, every year, while our daughter enjoyed visiting Tom’s sister, who lived in London. Susan loves the city and bright lights.’
‘Did you visit anywhere in particular?’ Leticia asked. She nodded as Jhamille hovered, a bottle of wine in his hand.
‘We went on cruises; it was Tom’s passion.’
‘How wonderful.’ Leticia raised her glass.
‘Yes, even in the days when cruising was quite elitist, we saved hard to take the trips.’
‘Isn’t it great that cruising is accessible for everyone now?’ Leticia commented.
Henry was staring at Joy. ‘And you’re still cruising,’ he said.
Joy took a sip of wine, then carefully placed her glass down and moved her hands to her lap. ‘This cruise,’ she began, her voice edged with fragility, ‘was meant to be for our fortieth wedding anniversary.’
The table fell still.
‘Tom wanted to see the fjords at Christmas. We were married on Christmas Eve you see, and he said it would be the perfect celebration.’
‘What happened?’ Leticia asked, her tone soft.
‘We were cruising in the Greek Islands. It had been a lazy day at sea, and after dinner, Tom said he was tired and would have an early night.’ Joy paused.
‘I stayed up a little longer, and he was already asleep when I came to the cabin. He looked so relaxed, like he always did after a day beside the pool and a glass of wine or two.’ She swallowed, then continued.
‘I got into bed and fell asleep, but when I got up in the morning …’
A silence followed, but no one rushed in to fill it.
‘The doctor said it was his heart. He described it as a catastrophic cardiac arrest. It was very quick.’
Leticia reached out to squeeze Joy’s hand. ‘If there is any kindness in death,’ she said, ‘I suppose that was it. How brave you are to talk about it.’
‘I think you’re very brave to come on this cruise,’ Henry added.
Jim reached for his wine. ‘To Tom,’ he said.
As Joy fiddled with the stem of her glass, she watched Henry and Leticia raise their glasses, ‘To Tom,’ they said and toasted the absent passenger too.
The silence after the toast seemed heavy, as though weighted by the missing presence of Tom, while the sea outside shifted darkly, reminding the guests that life moved forward.
Joy’s smile flickered, ‘I suppose we’re both on this journey after all, only Tom’s took him further than mine. To the journeys we never finish …’ she whispered.
Letting the toast hang, unfinished, the others nodded.
Leticia raised her glass and, catching Joy’s eye, said, ‘To the journey you’re about to begin.’