15 Chapter 15: Barry lake, part 2

Now, soaking in the mid-afternoon rays of the sun, Barry lay on his favorite lounge chair, sunglasses on and head back against the blue and white striped towel.The book he had been reading, The Old Man and the Sea, a favorite of his ever since he once met Ernest Hemingway in a bar in Idaho, had dropped to his lap.His fingers tangled in the pages as though too exhausted to bear the weight of the book any longer.The sea breeze rolled in from deck 9 above and it gently and playfully danced throughout his thin, wispy white hair.

The Heaven on the Seas set sail four days ago for a 22-day voyage around South America, scheduled to stop in various ports in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Columbia with a mid-stop on the northernmost tip of Antarctica- a trip Barry had taken over and over this season.He had been looking forward to this voyage as it was the last of the season.Soon, the ship would set sail for a new destination around Indonesia.He was energized with the opportunity to see a new place and even more energized that this particular set of cruise guests would not be on his next one.Typically, a ship that attracted senior citizens to it just as much as the early-bird buffet at China Kingdom or Southern Jones' BBQ All-You-Can-Eat, the crowd this go round was filled with families- mothers, fathers and worst of all, small children.

Unfortunately for Barry, these children weren't the ones raised in military school or far away upscale boarding schools where manners were just as important as grades.No, these children, raised by hand-held electronics and absent parents.They were untamed tiny creatures with an insatiable appetite for cannon bombs in the pool, french fries, ketchup, french fries and even more ketchup, only to be outdone by mounds of chocolate and vanilla ice cream that were always abandoned, left to melt away in the tropical sun.Indoor voices a thing of the past and apparently ignored during the last bit of summer vacation, the high-pitch squeal of little girls rattled Barry's ears as intensely as a whistle training a dog.

The lengthy list of hot tub rules were ignored by the toddlers and elementary-aged kids splashing about like lobsters boiling in a pot on the stove.Amongst the waves, a sea of tiny arms strangled by inflated images of cartoon fish and beloved animated characters.

Barry lay back on his lounge chair, out cold and zoned out from the rest of the world moving and shaking around him, despite the constant chatter, disarray of deck games from ping pong to corn hole to screams of "cannon ball" and "no (small child's name inserted here) don't splash me, I'm telling mommy!"Barry seemed to be in a world of his own.

Like a mother hawk circling her prey, Chloe honed in on Barry and set a fresh Chocolate Monkey and glass of iced water on the side table next to him."Enjoy Mr. Lake," she said as she removed an empty water glass.

Adalai Richards cruised often with her husband Earl and she found herself next to Barry.Only a small round cocktail table separated their chairs but it could have been miles away.Adalai was in deep chatter with her husband about their port excursions, specifically about the service they received, or absence of any sort of service, a topic more of value to her than the excursion itself.I'd say that they were conversing but a conversation between two people requires dialogue between two willing parties and Earl, married to Adalai for forty-five years, smiled in the direction of his wife, eyes closed behind his reflective sunglasses she purchased during the dog days of summer sale at the Beall's department store.

Adalai clamored on about how the air-conditioning in the taxi cab was no match for the heat.What would have helped, of course, is if she had closed the windows but the deodorant choice, or lack thereof, of the driver, forced the couple to endure the heat and humidity, as well as the dirt-filled air as they toured the small village just beyond the port.

As Adalai continued her tirade, the only movement from Barry's chair was the slight flapping of the pages of his book.He hadn't lathered himself in sunblock since eight that morning and the sun was taking its toll on his skin.The sun spots and freckles seemed to appear darker against the contrast of his reddening leather skin.Like tiny islands in a sea of molten lava, Barry was clearly due for another dose of his coconut-scented sun protection, SPF 45.

Ranting more and more about the cost of their lunch, Adalai, who failed to notice the burst of gas Barry released into the air thanks to an extra helping of sausage at breakfast, every so often glanced away from her husband, whose snores were drowned out by the happy carefree screams calling out "Marco" and "Polo."Adalai fired warning stares at the plethora of children cannon-bombing their bodies into the pool, splashing everyone from the newlyweds who dipped their toes in at the corner of the pool to the twin boys engrossed in a tug-of-war match over neon green goggles.The boys' parents didn't have the forethought to purchase a second pair from Walgreens prior to boarding and now refused to spend just under ten dollars for a pair from the ship's gift shop.Sunblock and aloe lotion sold for the price of gold onboard and the parents who did pack an ample supply of lotion, lathered their children ferociously.Fogs of lotion clouds filled the air and encrusted the whipped cream from Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris while gobs of white goo coated tiny bodies like fresh paint on a time-worn wooden fence.

"Be nice to your brother," the twins' mom shouted from her lounge chair, lifting her head out from her romance novel enough to parent her children.