Short Story: Danger on the high seas – South Coast Herald

Amanda had been sitting on the hard, cold, rocky outcrop adjacent to the entrance to the harbour for hours.

Jan had sailed at dawn and she had expected his trawler to have returned ages ago, heavily laden with freshly caught snoek. Where could he be?

The weather report had been favourable and his crew, made up of highly skilled fishermen, had seemed in high spirits, anticipating a good catch as the Amanda Mia headed out to sea.

Amanda had fully expected to marry a fisherman. She had grown up in Langebaan on the West Coast of Africa and she knew only too well that these salty, fearless, rough and sometimes uncouth men of the sea lacked all of the social graces so highly prized by her mother, but were loyal to a fault and good providers for their families.

Amanda had attended the local school with most of them, but it had been the curly headed, tanned, bombastic, rugby playing, cheeky, kiss stealing Jan who had laid claim to her heart in grade five and the two had been inseparable ever since, until that is, Amandas parents had shooed her off to the university in Cape Town to study Marine Biology.

During her time at the university, Amanda had made frequent trips home, and in turn, Jan had visited her in Cape Town at every opportunity. The couple had carefully nurtured their romance, until, one moonlit night; Jan had set out a romantic picnic on the deck of his beloved fishing trawler, the Amanda Mia and had asked Amanda to be his wife. The happy couple had married the day after Amanda had graduated.

The pair had bought a tiny two bedroomed whitewashed thatched fishermans cottage a few metres from the beach in Hout Bay. They blissfully pottered around the neat little garden over weekends when Jan came home from the sea and Amanda was off duty from the nearby fish canning factory where she headed up the quality control division. She was extremely proud of her herb garden and the fragrant plants added flavour to the fish which Jan brought home from the days catch.

Amanda began to shiver uncontrollably in the light mist which was beginning to seep in from the ocean. The sun fled behind a veil of clouds and the waves took on a steely hue. Amanda reluctantly had to admit that something could be seriously wrong out at sea to have delayed her husbands return and she rose, hastily, making for the Harbour Masters office.

A welcoming smile split his leathery tanned face, causing his luxurious red beard to bristle above the collar of his navy and gold uniform. Good afternoon Amanda, I have been expecting you.

A yacht overturned out at sea and young Jan and his crew are rescuing the stranded sailors. When last we had radio contact, the Amanda Mia had the stricken vessel in tow and her occupants are safely aboard Jans boat. They should arrive in an hour or so.

Amanda breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully accepted the hot sweet tea which was offered to her. The hands on the large clock hanging on the office wall crept slowly around the face, marking off the moments to the anticipated arrival of her husbands boat.

Mayday, mayday! The radio standing on the Harbour Masters desk sprang to life. Mayday! Mayday! This is the Amanda Mia, we have run into bad weather and the stricken yacht is becoming water logged, threatening to sink us all, what are your orders, over?

The harbour master took up the microphone of his two way radio Amanda Mia, Amanda Mia, come in, we are receiving you loud and clear, what is your exact position over?

Amanda could not stop the tears of relief from sliding down her flushed face at the tinny sound of her husbands voice over the radio. Her heart swelled with pride. Her man would never shy away from imminent danger, if it meant saving the life of another.

Amanda heard her husband calling out coordinates as the Harbour Master activated the public address system. Mayday, Mayday! Will the crew of the Tiffany please report to the harbour masters office at once?

Six burly men dressed in bright yellow oil skins burst through the door. The Harbour Master barked out brisk orders and the men ran to where the tug boat Tiffany was tugging at her moorings like a race horse eager for a run!

Amanda heard the deep thump, thump, thump, of her diesel engines as the captain started her up, pointing her bow towards the opening to the harbour. As she met the increasingly ferocious waves head on, a cheer went up from the watching crowd which had gathered as the news of the unfolding drama had spread through the village like wildfire.

Time passed when a voice shouted above the noise of the waves, There, I can see them, here they come!

Amanda strained her eyes trying to pierce the mist enshrouded air. At last, she caught a glimpse of the salt encrusted bow of the Tiffany cleaving the waves like a determined bulldog, towing the blue and white Amanda Mia, followed by a battered yacht riding low in the water.

Amanda had eyes for just one person. Her husband Jan stood in the bow of the Amanda Mia waving his shirt, (which she had ironed just that morning), above his head in greeting. He had returned safely to fill her waiting arms.

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Short Story: Danger on the high seas - South Coast Herald