Caged

The jeep shook with enthusiasm when Kae and her two brothers piled in. Kae normally didn’t drive because she was the youngest, but today it was her responsibility - August didn’t feel like it, choosing instead to nap in the backseat, and Ace couldn’t. Clouds floated overhead as the jeep full of siblings made their way across the bay. Ace stared above him, watching the clouds pass, taking in the cool breeze and appreciating it for all it symbolized: freedom. He was only on month six of life after prison, and week two of no house arrest. Kae wanted to celebrate her brother’s milestone, and nothing said celebrating freedom like voluntarily sharing a cell submerged underwater (and being scared for your life). She looked over at Ace, his head tilted watching the sky with a smile on his face. Ace’s soft countenance contrasted against the tattoos that covered his body, and the scar across his lip. He had been in and out of trouble since he was young, but the only side Kae ever saw was her kind and loving big brother. She smiled and turned the music up.

They pulled into the parking lot of a small pink building with “CAGE DIVING” sprawled in big letters across the front. August began questioning the legitimacy of the business immediately.

“Uh… Where did you find this place again?”

“Google,” Kae kept it short. She loved making Ace nervous, saying it was good for his anxiety revolving around the free world.

“They don’t even have a company name, how did you find them on google,” August was the most scholarly of the three, with a masters in biochemistry and some other scientific stuff. Kae was a two-years-in-college-wasted political science drop out, and Ace got his GED in prison.

“When was the last time you heard of a cage dive gone wrong? I personally haven’t seen anything in the news, so.” Kae jumped out of the jeep before anyone could respond, and the brothers followed suit silently.

The inside of the business looked much nicer than its outside, but it somehow smelled more of seawater. The waiting area had a few couches and a young girl sat at a front desk that looked like it belonged in a dentist’s office. The walls were decorated with high definition pictures of miscellaneous sea life, along with framed photos of people in wetsuits sprinkled around the posters. As August made their reservations, Kae decided to mess around.

“Oh look, Ace,” Kae stared at a piece of paper pinned to a bulletin board, using all of her inner strength to keep a straight face, “People swim from these islands to the Golden Gate Bridge… You wanna try that next!?” A smile creeped slowly across her face as she stared at the ex-con.

“Absolutely not.” Ace was trying to keep composure and show no fear. Kae’s coy smile stretched into a shit eating grin.

“Dude. It would be invigorating! And liberating!” Kae prodded Ace. He put his hands on his hips, then raised a hand to scratch his nose, then shifted his weight from one foot to the other, all in a matter of seconds. “You okay?” Kae tilted her head, still smiling.

“It’s hot in here,” Ace looked around the room as he blotted beads of sweat forming on his bald head. He carried a handkerchief just for anxious moments such as these. Kae erupted with laughter.

“Kae.” August gave his sister that big brother look, and her mouth shrunk back into a coy smile. Although he was the middle child, he was the most grounded (and bossy),”It would take months to train for a swim like that anyway.” August rejoining the group meant the reservations were made and the deal was sealed: they were going cage diving.

“I’m hungry,” Kae puffed from the backseat as they drove away from the diving shop and towards an In-and-Out. August got the clue and pulled into the burger spot. As per usual, the place was pretty packed, but right upon entry Kae saw a family standing up to leave. She walked over to their table, seeking what could be her only chance to get a decent spot for the siblings to grub. “I can clean this up for y’all,” Kae smiled, using her displaced Texan accent in hopes the family would appreciate her “hospitality”. The family smiled back and thanked her before walking toward the exit. Kae slid into the booth, giving her brothers two thumbs up, very obviously pleased with herself scoring a nice table in the sea of people at In-and-Out.

August and Ace stood in line with 3 groups ahead of them, and a handful of people behind. Moments like these caused Ace great anxiety. Surrounded by people, some who stared, some who made sure to keep their distance, and the majority of them passing judgement. He was grateful to have a brother like August. August was the smartest guy Ace had ever known, he had a high paying job at an energy company, and had a lot of things going for him in life. However, just like Ace, August was covered in tattoos (albeit August’s were professionally done and Ace’s were all from his many stays in prison). August’s most admirable trait was that he didn’t give a damn what other people thought about his tattoos or him in general.

Being around Ace’s family soothed him; they accepted him and lived loudly, making it easier for him to accept himself. Just as Ace was beginning to feel better, a middle-aged woman walked up to him and lifted the leg of his cargo shorts. Ace jerked back, shocked at the woman’s audacity, but remained silent.

“What’s wrong with you, lady?” August spoke loud enough for the people around the two brothers to turn toward them, curious to see what was going on.

“Well, I just wanted to see what that tattoo on his thigh was!”

August looked at Ace and Ace looked back, the two men unsure how to handle the woman’s invasion of boundaries in a packed burger joint. The In-N-Out had grown silent when Kae’s voice echoed through the room.

“Ace!” Kae was half stood up in the booth waving her arm, “Bro, come here!” She smiled as the silent strangers at the restaurant redirected their attention from the two tattooed men to the girl across the room. Ace quickly accepted his way out of the situation, the middle-aged woman shrugged ignorantly, and August began placing the siblings’ order. Slowly everyone else went back to focusing on their phones and friends.

“What the hell was that,” Kae laughed softly, but was unable to fully hide her worried expression behind a chuckle.

“Nothing sissy, people just being people,” Ace assured her.

“Ah. I hate when they do that,” Kae said as August carried a tray overflowing with burgers, fries, milkshakes and condiments toward the booth.

“Oh helllllll yeaaaahhh,” Kae attempted to lift her brothers’ spirits, “Let’s grub down.”

Early the next morning, the three siblings pulled into the parking lot by the dock, empty except for two other cars parked a few slots from the jeep. Their tour guides stood by the boat, talking amongst each other while they waited for everyone to change before boarding. Thick clouds covered the sky, leaking drops of rain, a normal Fall day at the Bay. The siblings quickly changed out of their joggers and pajamas into the provided wetsuits, Kae replaced her sweatshirt, and they began walking toward the boat.

As the boat moved into position, Ace was on the verge of panicking. Raindrops were still falling slowly, but Ace’s bald head looked more like there was a heavy downpour. Kae nudged him with her elbow, “Everything’s gonna be fine, A. I read that it’s more likely we get hurt getting in and out of the cage, or swallowing water.”

“The sharks are more interested in the change in the electro-magnetic field the cage itself causes, some experts say sharks don’t decipher between the actual cage and the humans inside it,” August gave more reason.

Kae was only slightly disappointed that her big brother’s facts were cooler than her own, “Yeah, well, sharks have really good hearing so, um, don’t scream.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” August rebutted.

Damn it, Kae thought to herself, keeping silent. Her disappointment grew and she was ready to throw herself overboard.

A few minutes of silence amongst the siblings went by and the boat had reached its destination. One tour guide began giving instructions and tips while the other anchored the boat, and Kae’s disappointment washed away, replaced with pure excitement.

The cage sat level with the surface of the water. August climbed in first, and Ace motioned for Kae to go before himself. Kae obliged, sinking into the water slowly. She had already put her snorkel in position which inhibited her smile from reflecting her excitement. Ace made the sign of the cross and mumbled a prayer before dropping into the caged water to join his little siblings.

“You good?” August asked.

“I’m good,” Ace replied. Ace had no doubtedly been in more terrifying and less controlled situations before, and was repeating this to himself in his mind for comfort. Kae’s smile, and excitement, never wavered as she looked back and forth at both her brothers. She gave two thumbs up the same way she had in the In-N-Out, and ducked her head underwater. August and Ace put their snorkels in place and the siblings were submerged.

It didn’t take more than 15 minutes of looking around the water before a great white shark appeared. It was probably around 17 feet long, but no number was of importance - the shark dwarfed the siblings in comparison. It was almost dream-like, the way Kae floated in front of the massive sea creature curiously inspecting the cage. Ace looked in awe at the shark, then to his sister, then his brother, and finally back to the shark. It had many smaller scars placed randomly around its muzzle, with one deep scar along its bottom jaw. The ocean surrounding him fell silent, and Ace took his time inspecting every detail of the shark. Its teeth were jagged and sparse, and its gums were deep red. It was otherworldly to the man who spent most of his life locked away.

Of course the shark had every capability to harm, kill, and cause destruction. So did humans; so did Ace. However, this animal was simply living. It swam all over the ocean, and went where its curiosity directed it. It existed freely, while millions of people who knew nothing about it judged, condemned, and feared it. August took pictures while Kae tried to see every part of the shark, and Ace floated in a peace he wasn’t quite sure he had felt prior. Before they knew it, the tour guides were instructing them to come back to the surface.

“That was amazing,” Ace exclaimed while half inside the boat, “That shark was huge!” Ace’s brother and sister laughed at his child-like glee.

“She was beautiful, I miss her already.”

“I knew great white sharks got pretty big, but that thing was incredible,” August ignored his sister as usual.

“After everyone on the boat has had a turn, you all can dive again,” the guide said to the siblings.