Tom and Katherine rode in a taxi, heading from the airport to their cruise ship. The young couple sat in the back seat, a little confused by the cab driver’s accent. It was a relief to see the cruise ships docked in the harbor, their beautiful white hulls gleaming in the sun. Tom leaned over Katherine to get a better look out her window. He looked up at the ships’ funnels, which towered above the cargo ships and stacks of containers. Katherine was irritated that Tom was crowding her, but she didn’t say anything.
The taxi exited the expressway, and Mike finally sat back down in his seat. Katherine checked her watch. “We’re going to be late,” she said.
“All the guide books say not to be the first ones on ship,” said Tom. “They won’t leave without us.”
Katherine looked anxious. “We still have to check in,” she muttered.
Tom looked out the window on his side. The taxi was heading away from the sea and the larger ships. It turned onto a side street and approached their ship, the Enchantment, an awkward looking ship with a squat hull and a rounded bow. It was painted white with a wide navy blue band and a navy blue stack.
The cab pulled up in front of the cruise line’s terminal building, which looked something like an airport. Behind the building, the Enchantment was moored to the dock, and it was close enough to notice the chalky white streaks running down through the wide stripe.
As soon as the cab stopped, Tom dashed around to the trunk to get the bags, and the cab driver followed him, afraid that his passengers would flee without paying. Tom paid the fare, and the driver half attempted to help Tom unload the trunk. One of the dockhands placed a bag on his cart.
“I got it,” Tom snapped, pulling his suitcase back off the cart.
“Sir, you gotta check your bags here,” explained the porter with a smile. “Your bags will be waiting for you in your cabin when you board the ship.”
Tom reluctantly allowed the men to take their four suitcases. He slowly opened his wallet, pulled out several dollar bills, rubbed each one between his thumb and forefinger, and gave a couple dollars to each porter. The porters wheeled the bags into the terminal, and Tom and Katherine waited in line for check-in. Two elderly people were ahead of them.
“This trip is getting expensive already,” Katherine whispered. “Between the airport shuttle, lunch, the cab ride, and the baggage guys, we probably spent $50.”
“I didn’t want to have to pay them. I can carry our bags,” Tom apologized.
“It’s okay,” sighed Katherine. “We’re on vacation.”
Check-in went smoothly, except that the elderly passengers moved at a snail’s pace. The terminal was empty, and the dockhands were loading the last pallets of food and other freight. The dock area was otherwise empty, and the ship was preparing to depart.
Tom and Katherine crossed the passenger walkway from the terminal to the ship. Onboard, the entrance area and concourse were decorated with gaudy neon lights, mirrors, and carpet with a loud red, orange, and blue pattern.
Walking through the corridors, the young couple was passing through crowds of elderly people—elderly women, elderly couples, and an elderly man sleeping in a chair. There were several families with older children, and no more than three younger couples, probably newly weds.
Three tones rang out over the ship’s speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice boomed smoothly, “guests joining us at the first dinner seating will meet at the Starlight Dining Room at 6 p.m. Enjoy your evening on board the Enchantment.”
“That’s why we should have got here early,” Katherine told Tom. “I have to get ready.”
Tom was still looking around at all the areas he wanted to explore. “Fine, let’s go get ready.”
They began their search for cabin M1013. They wandered down a corridor of guestrooms, heading for the front of the ship. They were clearly on the wrong floor and heading in the wrong direction, but the layout of the ship was disorienting. They descended down four flights of stairs to M deck, then walked toward the ship’s stern. At last, they found room M1013. Tom inserted the keycard and opened the door to reveal a room with two small beds with orange bedspreads and red carpet. A closet was near the door to the left, and the tiny bathroom was on the opposite wall. Their suitcases were set on luggage racks.
“Romantic, isn’t it?” giggled Katherine.
Tom winked. “It looked different on the Internet.”
Katherine opened a suitcase and began rummaging around inside. She muttered something, then unzipped another suitcase. She began throwing clothes onto the bed. “Tom, I don’t see my dress!”
“What? Isn’t it in the suitcase?” Tom helped her search. No dress.
“We paid all that money for a dress, and I must have left I at home,” Katherine sobbed. “I’m sorry. I'm sorry. I planned on wearing that dress to dinner.”
“Well,” said Tom, “would you like to look around at the shops?”
Katherine reluctantly agreed, and the couple returned to the concourse. One boutique shop sold dresses and gowns. Katherine hurried inside, and flipped through the dresses that were hanging on the racks.
“We can’t afford any of these dresses,” said Katherine. “We don’t have this kind of money.”
Tom looked at a price tag. It was more than he made in two weeks.
“I have some black pants and a blouse. That will have to do,” she said, stroking a scarf with a tropical print. She looked at the price tag. “Even this is too expensive.”
“Just get it,” insisted Tom.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll make do,” she said.
“No, just get it. It looks tropical. We’re on vacation. If you like it, get it.”
Katherine conceded, and they returned to their cabin to get dressed. Tom wore a wrinkled brown suit, and Katherine wore her black slacks, a blouse, and the tropical scarf. She was trying to feel good about her outfit, but most of the other women were wearing dresses.
Tom and Katherine walked down the hall, shuffling toward the garish dining room with all the other passengers. Standing side-by-side, they inched their way to the front of the queue.
“Good evening, sir,” said the maitre de. “Are you waiting for your wife?”
“Right here,” Katherine said, waving her hand in offense.
“Please forgive me, sir, madam. Right this way. Please follow Eduardo to your table.”
Eduardo made up for his poor English with a confused smile. Eduardo, Katherine, and then Tom proceeded through the dining room.
“You are to be sitting here, please,” he said, gesturing at the table, and then pulling out a chair for Katherine. Katherine sat down, and Eduardo gracefully shoved her toward the table. Tom sat down in the remaining seat. Eduardo snapped the napkins open and placed them in the newcomers' laps.
“Oh, hello, you two!” said a young lady said already seated at their table. “Kiss, kiss. I hope you don’t mind sitting with us.”
“My, this is nice,” Katherine remarked politely. She sat quickly to hide her outfit under the table.
“Well, I’m Rosanna, and this is my Mike.” Rosanna wore a glittery evening gown that reflected the dining room’s red neon lights. Mike wore a tuxedo. Her huge hair was stacked and sprayed above her head. Mike sat coolly in his chair, and Rosanna rested her elbows on the white tablecloth, rubbing her hands together like a preying mantis. They sat adjacent to each other, almost leaning away from their shared corner.
“Hey,” said Mike, nodding at Tom.
“Good to meet you,” said Tom.
“To drink?” the waiter asked.
“We’ll both just have water,” Tom answered. Katherine looked down.
“Big drinkers, huh?” teased Rosanna, sipping her wine slowly. “Mike and I love a great wine with dinner. We couldn’t even taste the food without it. Isn’t that right, love?”
Mike muttered something into his menu.
“So what do you do for a living?” Tom asked, eager to change the subject.
“Well, I’m a graduate student at NYU, and my Mike is an attorney. He works for a huge firm inManhattan. They work him like a dog. It's just a good thing their clients have deep wallets,
“Well, I’m a graduate student at NYU, and my Mike is an attorney. He works for a huge firm in
“I do construction—home remodeling, stuff like that.”
“Oh, how fun,” Rosanna remarked. “And what about you? Katherine, is it?”
“I stay at home. We’re going to have kids —”
“Stay home? Seriously! Stay at home? I don’t know how you do it!” Rosanna roared. She turned to Mike. “I would be so bored! I have to be taking classes all the time just to be marginally sane.”
Katherine looked down.
“Stay home? Seriously! Stay at home? I don’t know how you do it!” Rosanna roared. She turned to Mike. “I would be so bored! I have to be taking classes all the time just to be marginally sane.”
Katherine looked down.
After a short eternity, dinner was served, and the foursome ate almost entirely in silence. Tom reached over and touched Katherine’s hand, and she smiled back.
After dinner, Tom and Katherine walked through the atrium and outside onto the deck. They were the only people outside, and it was getting dark. The cool ocean breeze whipped around them.
“I’m sorry, Katherine,” said Tom. “I wanted everything to be really nice.”
Katherine was choked up. “That’s okay. We’re doing our best.”
They turned the corner to walk down the length of the ship toward the stern, and the wind blew Katherine’s thin scarf over her head. It billowed in the air for a moment, then fell into a wad on the deck and slid along the wall. Tom chased after it, trying to step on a loose corner of fabric. At the back of the ship, the scarf wrapped itself around the railing and flapped violently above the wake. Tom ran faster, bending to grab the fabric, and bashed his head on the railing. He grabbed his head, and the scarf flew off the railing, flapping down in to the churning ocean.
Katherine caught up to Tom and examined his head. She saw that he was going to have a nasty bruise near his left temple. They sat down on the deck.
“What do you want to do?” asked Tom. He winced in pain.
“What? What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, do you want to go back to school or something like that?” Tom thought for a moment. “You know, I’ve never been book smart. That’s no secret. But you are.” He sighed. "I know how much you regret not finishing your degree."
Katherine looked at Tom. “You are so sweet. And smart. I think you are smart for understanding me so well. But school costs money. I can make do. Maybe I can pick up a job.”
“Well, if you want a job, why not get an education and get the job you want. There's a pair of blue scrubs calling your name.”
Tears flowed down Katherines cheeks. “But don’t you want kids soon?”
“Sure, but it can wait. I want you to be happy.” Tom was quiet. He looked down at his hands. “I just don’t make much. It’s hard for us to survive on my income. What would we do if we had a baby to feed?”
“I know. We’d make do.”
“You know what? You can do better,” said Tom. Tom stood up and helped Katherine to her feet. “This is the start of something great for you, something great for both of us. Agreed?”
Katherine hugged Tom. So much was suddenly perfect to her. She looked forward to the rest of her journey.
