Lake Effect

Lake Effect

By Jeff Brandt

Out past the breakwater I saw a man in a leather jacket on water skis attempting to jump over something. I haven't slept in days usually the movement of the sea provides some kind of consolation. The voices of people on the pier now occupy my senses. I looked to my left and had seen a horseshoe crab upside down on the railing moving in their unnerving fashion as I watched a young man put his hand on the crabs legs all the while filming it for the internet. He turned to me and said " I don't think most people know they can do this." I nodded and smiled as the crab continued to hug the fingers of his hand. Its been quite a long time since we had any business I guess recent fear amidst the public over shark sightings at the local beach will do that to people. I myself have a touch and go relationship with the creatures. I'll be fine if I see them from above the surface, but you'll never catch me in the cage submerged near them. I see it each day at work. My boss has a 46 foot boat he rigged up with the necessary safety requirements and is up to spec with the coast guard and what have you. I'm pretty sure he rents this thing out for swingers parties after hours. I've found numerous articles of women's and men's undergarments' as well cell phones abandoned here. I guess the thrill of sharks open water and infidelity is the way to go, that is if your thing is getting off where most people vomit from the sea sickness. My title if you can call it that is either deck hand or glorified pool boy, there is little that I don't do and seeing my boss has me on call I'm here for reasons unbeknownst to me, yet I never had witnessed any of these parties only seen the people boarding the ship. He knows he can trust me. I'm not into that kind of thing anyway. I took this job as a way to pay for school so I wouldn't have to do shit like this for too long. I got a call from him saying to meet him down here by the dock like and hour ago; his text read "Be down by boat around 7:45 thanks." its going on quarter to eight now. I decided to head to the boat and do some maintenance on it in efforts to not look like a bum. The fuel levels were good the straps all secure, cages all set all in all I ran a routine check and waited for him to show up. It was now almost nine o'clock and in the distance I saw them. My boss lead the way not far behind him was a man and a woman who looked to be a little older then me, more mature looking erudite something about the way they dressed and walked. It was clear when they came into sight.

" Hey Fonzie I want you to meet Mr. Jacobson and his lovely lady Ms. Emily they are here for lets just say business."

"Nice to meet you two."

"Hey Fonz... I'm gonna show Mr. Jacobson here the boat how about you and Ms. Emily make acquaintance"

I waved with a playful smirk as the two of them proceed to stern.

"Hey why does he call you that, Fonzie?"

" Oh its a long story, but here's the short version I have bad eyesight and my father abandoned me."

" Oh wow that's um dark."

" Yeah his sense of humor is somewhere between sympathy and ball breaking, by the way my names Geoff."

" So Geoff what is it you do for your 'boss' here on this boat?"

" I'm a deck hand, just a side hustle to put my self through school."

" Ahh good for you do you like to partake in the activities he does after hours?"

" After hours?"

" Oh sweetheart I knew you were too nice."

" Ouch I haven't heard sweet heart well since I bought a pack of cigarettes last night at the gas station, but 'After hours'?"

"Hey fonz! get over here I got ask you something."

" See ya Fonzie!" Ms. Emily said slightly endearing yet sternly.

" So tell Mr. Jacobson who much money we rake in a day"

" well its around 5 grand when shark fever is running and, upwards of 10 if we run 7 days a week."

" Alright Kid you did good, Ill text you tomorrow."

Things with work usually go like that a lack any transparency and terse communication that what's best left unsaid will greatly improve your life. The next morning I got another message saying that" I was needed to clean the vessel." By the time I got to the docks I paused and looked out passed the break water again this time no leather jacket, just skis being jostled around the brisk waves, I need a better job. I took a few more moments letting the fresh air take a hold of my sinuses and took the the boat. Already from a distance the thing look visually in shambles. Don't ask, Don't tell was in essence the unspoken rule of our working dynamic. So without much hesitation I began to clean, making sure there was no serious mechanical impairments to the engine or any of the peripherals I then decided to clean the deck. It was there where I found something peculiar a cell phone. Out of curiosity is grabbed it and hit the lock button. "shit" this is Ms. Emily's phone. Damnit I hope he wasn't... nope don't ask. just then I felt a man grab me by the shoulder he spun me around and punched me square in the face and said." So your the one seeping with my girl!"

" No! Na you got it all wrong."

" Oh so is that why you were looking through her phone and is that why her dress in on the bow?"

I looked over to the front of the boat and saw the exact dress she had on the night prior managed up into a ball on next to the storage locker.

" It's all a misunderstanding!"

Before he said a word I was tossed into a shark viewing cage and locked inside, I began to panic. He then jumped up and started the boat. "Were heading out for a dive!"

" So Geoff do you know who I am?"

" No!"

There was nothing between us after that I stood in that cage tossed back and forth until we hit a dive spot my stomach dropped further then I could imagine he has done this before. The boat came to a stop and idled for what felt like a few minutes. I heard him come around the opposite side of the cage and say.

" I'm your bosses son and you were screwing my girl"

" Hey man! I'm just here on call for your dad I'm the lackey here, cheating isn't my game."

He looked me over taking a through inventory up, down, straight into my eyes and over to the winch that raises and lowers the cage into the water. The time of day is right for sharks. In shrill panic I felt the cage lower as if I had jumped up in an elevator as it was descending.

" This will teach you a lesson."

Still in my plain clothes I plunged into the water and held my breath, only to see a majestic shark swimming around me. The water was clear blue and ethereal I saw it come close to me and sniff the cage my mind went grey and all I saw was a life jacket just above the surface.