That night we did nothing more then curse the day our mothers gave birth to us!
Joel was put in the top bunk, He was a bit shorter then I, so easier to lift. Bad mistake! We should both been put on the floor close to the buckets! As the sea rolled on, in what turned out to be a medium sized hurricane, we found out that our stomachs didn't know that we didn't have anything left to offer and kept calling for more presentations to "The Floor GAWD!"
Joel hadn't realised that he was in the top bunk when he reached to the bucket and fell out to the floor!! He lay where he landed! This was not a time for me to laugh! ( but I gotta admit. I tried!). I rolled outta my bunk to the floor and LITERALLY crawled over to him to make sure he was ok! Nothing broken!, just more vomit!
The next morning, we had to admit, we were both disgusting in our appearance and smell!! and our cabin looked like a toilet that hadn't been flushed for a week of use! As we started to staggered out of our cabins one helping the other, one of the petty officers happened to be coming down to check on us and stopped due to, not only our appearance but the smell emanating from us a short distance away. (He was trying to hide a smile.), and directed us to the crew showers for a, ( clean-up-go-about), and asked if we would join the officers in the mess for breakfast? He had to turn away to keep from showing us his laughter when he saw the looks on our faces at the last remark! But we were game and said,
" Yeah, sure, great, you fucking bet!". He went off laughing to tell the other officers about the 2 landlubber kids!
After we showered we felt it necessary to clean up our cabins and did just that! we mopped first and cleaned up all our mess and then opened up the port holes and aired the cabin, even if the sea was still a little rough. (a little my ass! it was still 15degrees list!), so the salt water wouldn't hurt.(MUCH!).
We made our way to the crews Mess first FOR COFFEE NOW!!! As it being Sunday, there was only a skeleton crew on duty and the rest were in the Mess. We walked into a room of smiles and good cheer, and were asked,
"Want a cup of warm grease, mate?" or,
"How bout some hot greasy bacon and fried eggs, bud?", or,
"What about some steamed okra?".
Try as we might? and seeing the looks in their faces? We started laughing about the same time they did! We all laughed for bit, and said that we were asked to join the officers for breakfast and had to go. Immediately a look of apprehension came to their faces, but went over our heads for the moment.We said we'd come back, and left.
We made our way to the Officers' Mess, with at least Coffee under our belts and REALLY Hungry! As we entered, we saw looks of subdued mirth on the Officers and Captain. faces. You could just tell that they wanted to know if what they had heard in the night was true?
The Captain asked me, with a slight smile, if the seamen had forced Greasy food on us for a joke? (As He was asking this question I could see out of the corner of my eye that the Galley Mess Steward was nonchalantly listening to the conversations. Like a fly on the wall.).
As Joel was about to answer, I could see that He was a bit pissed off, I taped His foot under the table to shut Him up! (Joel and I had developed a good repore during our travels and understood.). I then piped up and said that it was our idea to ask for FOOD! That we were starving! "bring it on, please!', AND HOW WE DIDN'T KNOW OF THE CONSEQUENCES! At which point the Captain and Officers laughed uproariously! The crew was cleared of perfidy! hahaha. At which point pancakes were brought on. ( stable in the stomach.) and toast and coffee. Even seamen can be affected with sea sickness it seems.
As we ate, the Captain and Officers started asking us of what had happened upon arrival at the dock and how we got here? As we drank our coffee and shared our adventures to the gathered assembly, I saw the Galley Steward leave with a smile on his face and go below.
Apparently, we showed ourselves to be ok lads and seemed to be accepted by the Captain and Officers as ADVENTUROUS kids with a goal in life.(go figure!). Pertty much after the meal, the Captain told Joel and I that it would be about a 3 week voyage to SOUTH HAMPTON, ENGLAND and a, SEA of WORTH, and we had the run of the ship as long as we kept out of the Officers and Crews way. Apparently , WE were accepted by the Captain and the Officers.(WHAT A HOOT!)
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