Safe Harbor

Solomon finished wiping down the counters of the kitchen and then joined other staff in the breakfast area of the new luxury cruise ship, worrying if he’d be good enough to last as a server. There was a jovial mood among the staff of men and women, which had a mix of nationalities. Solomon was one of the tallest in the group, but he had lower than average self-esteem.

The elite Compass Cruise Line was particular as to whom it hired. The compact ship, with only 1,500 passengers, was beginning its third Mediterranean trip. Solomon forced himself to relax into the chair, filling it with his large frame. He knew it would be better if he lost thirty pounds, but he was never much for exercise.

Captain Giovanni DiBari, in his bright white, tailored uniform, addressed the assembled kitchen crew as he had the first two voyages. His English was quite good. “Good day, everyone. So glad we could meet today, but of course, I ordered you to be here.” The huge smile lit his heavyset face with a short, perfectly trimmed beard and mustache. The obligatory laughter followed.

The captain pointed. “I see Mr. Solomon Gold is in attendance. He has broken the record this last cruise for praise from passengers commending him for excellent service.” The captain led the applause.

Solomon’s heart swelled in pride. Deep down, he knew he was a good man, but he regretted many of his errors and faults.

A door burst open, and a young man wearing a tense face rushed to a seat. He was shorter than average, slender, wearing gold wire-rimmed glasses, and his short haircut made him look younger than he was. The captain glared. So did Solomon.

The young man whimpered. “I’m sorry, Captain.”

The captain wagged a finger, like a parent or rabbi, and barked, “See me after.”

“Yes, Captain.” The young man slipped deeper into the seat.

Solomon clenched his jaw. He could have gone the rest of his life without seeing that shmuck Mikhail. What the hell was he doing in Europe and on the same ship?

The captain turned his charm back on, and a smile lit his face. “The ocean is made of drops of water, each one critical.” He scanned the room, making eye contact with many. “We are all a team and should be proud to be hand-picked for this ship, myself included. You will notice a few crew members have been replaced. They failed to hold to the standards they swore to, and I threw them overboard.” A few chuckled.

Solomon’s stomach rumbled with stress. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Mikhail.

“Please make the replacements welcome. Remember, if you screw with one member of this crew, you screw with me. Your execution will be swift.”

The captain’s wife, sitting next to him, touched his elbow. She easily mingled with passengers and crew, making her likable from the first moment she spoke. She wore a light pink evening gown with a diamond necklace and matching earrings. Her hair and makeup were perfectly done. Her smile was disarming and warm.

The captain turned his ear to her and then spoke to the group again. “I’m sorry, my English is still improving. I meant your discipline will be swift. There will be no sabotage of other crew members to bring down their ratings. I’ll find out. I do not want you to be stressed, just professional. We are in the happiness business, yes? English classes will continue. Since we are primarily marketing this ship to the United States, Canada, and England, it is a requirement that all crew members speak English more gooderly.” The room was silent for a moment before he burst into laughter. “I said that on purpose. It’s a joke, laugh, laugh, everyone laugh!” He held his throat with both hands and stuck his tongue out. His wife rolled her eyes.

Solomon did, too. Good thing he has a day job. He couldn’t live by being a comedy act.Everyone laughed.

The captain continued. “Good, good. We must all have a sense of humor. It gets us through life, but remember: the two worst things that can happen to a ship are torpedoes and fire. I’m confident we’re safe from torpedoes, but we must always be safe about fire. This is a new ship, and the fire safety system is superb. I hope we never put it to the test.” His smile ran away from his face, just for a moment, as his wife and he gazed to the other, obviously sharing a secret. “We will train for evacuation of the ship and firefighting.”

The captain went on, and Solomon tried his best to listen properly, but he caught himself glaring at the putz Mikhail. A tension headache began, and Solomon’s stomach cramped tighter.