Departure

A knife…I’ll need a good knife, Ethan thought. In a flurry of excitement, Ethan quickly scribbled down the word “knife” on the first page of his little black notebook. There were knives in the galley, but none of those would do. No, Ethan needed a very particular type of knife. Ethan ran his left hand through his greying brown hair as if it would generate more ideas for things he would need.

Ethan needed a way to attach the knife to himself. A sheath for my belt maybe? Ethan thought. Ethan’s pencil rapidly tapped the hardwood table leaving dozens of little smudges as it did. Then, a thought popped into his head. Ethan crossed out the word “knife” and wrote next to it “diving knife with a leg strap.”

Rope, I’ll need rope as well, Ethan thought. Ethan jotted down “rope” below “knife” and looked over the other items on the list. Ethan’s phone chirped and vibrated the table, interrupting his vigorous pencil drumming and “thought-provoking” hair stroking. The sender’s name made Ethan’s blood pressure spike without even reading the content of the message. Ethan typed a hasty response and hit send.

Only a few more days, Ethan thought. If this were a normal Thursday afternoon Ethan would be crashing and only caffeine or speed could stop his plummeting energy level. All Ethan’s friends joked saying forty is the new thirty, but he felt like he was fifty. Fifteen years of treading water as a sales manager in a fast-paced industrial construction equipment manufacturer had taken a toll on him mentally and physically.

Ethan could have been the “before” picture in a hair dye commercial ten years ago. Ethan didn’t need stimulants to power through today, he was too full of anxiety and excitement to sleep now. In just a few short days Ethan would be far from here and the incessant texting would end. Then, another idea occurred to him, no doubt a product of his persistent head massaging and pencil pounding. I should get chains too, Ethan thought, the rope won’t weigh enough.

In his best imitation of a doctor’s handwriting, Ethan scribbled “and chains” beside “rope” on his list. The weight of the chains jogged another idea. Beneath “ropes and chains” Ethan wrote “diving belt weights.” Ethan’s cellphone ring split the silence and derailed his train of thought.

The thinning hair on Ethan’s head stood on end at the thought of who was likely calling. Without looking at the caller ID, Ethan answered with gritted teeth. Ethan’s anger and frustration quickly melted away upon hearing her voice on the other end. A smile broke out from ear to ear.

“You couldn’t have called at a better time. I really needed to hear your voice. How’s your day?” Ethan said.

“Great now that I’m talking to you. I can’t wait to see you later…” she said.

“I know…you’re coming here, right? To the boat? Usual time?”

“Yes!”

Ethan’s heart rate spiked. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Just hearing her on the other end made Ethan feel boyish and giddy. She took away all the stress and anxiety of planning. Ethan fiddled with the gold band on his left hand as they talked.

“I’ll see you after you get done with your errands then. I love you…” Ethan said.

“I love you too…” She said.

Hearing the words “You just won $20,000” was incredible but hearing her say “I love you” was priceless. Once Ethan finished this, they were finally going to do what they had always wanted, all thanks to one spin on a roulette table.

* * *

“That’s just not going to cut it Ron I needed – they needed those samples yesterday,” Melina said.

Melina massaged her temples while awaiting Ron’s response. Or was his name Don or Bob? Melina didn’t know and didn’t care. She didn’t bother to learn the names of incompetent people. The heavy rain pattering on her truck forced Melina to switch the call to the truck’s audio to be able to better hear Ron evade responsibility.

“It’s John…and I’m sorry ma’am, it’s just highly corrosive stuff…we’ve never shipped hydrofluoric acid to the office…usually they want it over at the lab or plant. And are you sure they didn’t want hydrogen fluoride?” John said.

“Bob, like I said I don’t know why they want the samples at the main office I’m just doing what I’m told. When is the earliest you can have it here? They’ve got a new antidepressant drug in the works and our current supplier just isn’t cutting it. We could meet your next quarter sales Bob, you just gotta work with me here.” Melina said.

“I’ll have it there first thing tomorrow. What’s the earliest we can drop it off?”

“The office doesn’t open till – well actually…how about six-thirty?”

“Perfect! That’s fifty gallons of hydrofluoric acid tomorrow morning at six-thirty.”

“I said thirty gallons…thirty individual one-gallon containers Ron...”

“I’m sorry, thirty gallons. Can I get your name and your position for the order form?”

“Don, our current supplier can’t find out about this. This is off the books.”

“Right, my mistake. And I’m sure you already know this, but do not get this on you, it is very deadly and very corrosive and, do not keep it in anything but a plastic container. It will eat straight through anything else.”

“Good deal, thanks Bob,”

Melina hung up the phone before Bob could respond. Melina sighed as she watched the torrential downpour through her windshield. It always seemed to rain on the day she forgot her umbrella. Then, Melina’s cellphone buzzed and vibrated the console. It was a new text message.

Melina saw the sender’s name and rolled her eyes. Just a few more days. Melina thought. Only a few more days and Melina would be far, far away from all of this. Ignoring the new message, Melina flipped down the sun visor to examine her hair and makeup in the mirror. Each day she seemed less and less able to recognize the face staring back at her.

Melina’s blue eyes were the same, she could still catch that spark every now and again, even if everything around them seemed to have changed. Melina brushed her wavey black hair out of her face to better examine her mocha complexion. Melina flashed a test smile and ran through a practice introduction.

“Doctor Peters! So good to finally meet you!” Melina said to herself, “Nope, too much.”

Melina was a competent saleswoman, not a cheerleader selling cookies at a bake sale. Melina knew Alacris was the only antidepressant on the market that could help his patients regain their old selves and he needed to know that too. A slow smile spread across her face just barely showing off her pearly white upper teeth.

“Doctor Peters, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Melina said to herself.

Melina nodded to herself.

“Much better,” Melina said.

Just as Melina was about to make a run in the rain for the medical clinic’s doors, she remembered she had to make a call. Melina’s heart fluttered as she scrolled through her recent messages for his name. The ringing reverberated over the truck’s speakers for what felt like an eternity before he finally picked up.

“Hey you,” He said.

“Hey, sweetie,” Melina replied.

His voice rang out loud and clear across the truck speakers. Melina’s heart pounded as they spoke.

“I’ve got just one more sales pitch and then I have to run some errands before I come over later,” Melina said.

In just a few days it would be just the two of them, no more phones between them. No more stolen moments between hectic busy lives. They would be long gone. This life would be a distant memory.

“Maybe you could bring a few Alacris samples? You need a patient’s perspective after all right?” He asked.

Melina laughed and played with the rings on her left hand.

“Nice try. How about an Alacris sticky note pad?”

He laughed.

“Usual time?” He asked.

“Yes! I’ll be there at seven.” Melina said.

“I love you…”

“I love you too…”

Even after hanging up Melina just couldn’t seem to stop smiling. So much for not sounding too peppy during her pitch.

* * *

Ethan felt the Excessus rock beneath him as he got up from the booth in the main cabin. The boat seemed like it moved more underneath him than it used to. Fifteen years of long lunches and weekend beers on weeknights to cope with work showed. Ethan stepped up from below deck into the cockpit of their sailboat to look over the boat and see if there were any more items they would need for their trip. The remnants of an afternoon rain dripped from the sail covers and rigging.

Ethan’s inspection was cut short as Melina pulled up in the parking spot in front of the pier the Excessus was tied alongside. Melina hopped out of the truck in a black blouse with white jeans and black heels that clacked as she walked down the concrete pier. The two exchanged soft smiles from a distance as they locked eyes.

“Hey, babe,” Ethan said.

“Hey sweetie, ready to go?” Melina replied.

“Yeah, one sec.”

Ethan went back below and grabbed his little black notebook and took one more glance around the boat before walking up on deck. As Ethan was locking the hatch, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

“Did you make a list of what we’ll need? I can’t spend two hours in the store. I have to get back to the office tonight at seven. A supplier messed up delivery, so I have to be back to sign off on it.” Melina said.

Ethan pulled a list from his back pants pocket and handed it to Melina as he stepped off the boat onto the pier. While Melina scrutinized the list, Ethan pulled out his phone to check it.

Without looking up from the list Melina said, “Ethan didn’t you get my text? We need new rope for the anchor line. It’s not on here. And why did you the list write on a fast-food receipt?”

When Ethan didn’t respond Melina looked up to see his eyes glued to his phone screen with a closed lip smile on his face.

“Who are you texting?” Melina asked.

Ethan snapped out of his trance and looked up.

“Hmm? Oh…no one – I mean nothing. I wasn’t texting. News alert.” Ethan said.

Ethan flashed a reassuring smile as he slid his phone back into his pocket. Melina forced a smile. Without prying into the matter more Melina forced a smile and turned around to walk back to the truck.

“Come on, I need to get back to work by seven tonight.” Melina called back over her shoulder.

Ethan followed with his small black notebook tucked beneath his left arm. As Ethan walked around to the passenger side, he noticed a fifty-five-gallon blue plastic barrel in the bed of the truck. The empty barrel was on its side with the lid on the opposite side of the bed of the truck. There were no labels or markings on the barrel. A silly thought crossed Ethan’s mind.

I bet I could fit in that. Ethan thought.

“What’s the barrel for?” Ethan said as he got into the passenger seat.

They could probably store extra water in it for the trip if it is clean. Ethan thought.

“Huh?” Melina asked.

“The barrel. In the back of the truck.” Ethan said.

“Oh…nothing. Work stuff.”

“Okay…”

“Did you hear me earlier?”

“Hmm?”

“I asked why you wrote the list on the back of a receipt. Why didn’t you use a page from that notebook?”

“Oh…right…”

Ethan looked down at the small black notebook held tightly shut with both hands.

“What’s it for? What’s in it?”

“Nothing.”