Rene gripped the strap of his new sea-bag as he gazed up at the ship. It was bigger than any building he’d seen, a towering wall of riveted steel.
Uncle Juní came up behind and put his hand on his shoulder. “You excited?”
“Sure.”
“Scared?”
Rene shook his head.
His uncle laughed. “You’re a better man than I, then. My first voyage I was terrified.”
“What were you most scared of?”
“Everything. Seasickness, falling overboard, hurricanes. You name it.” He looked down at his nephew. “But none of it happened. Well, the seasickness, but that’s quite common. Even some old salts get woozy the first few days. Other than that, though, no problems.”
The ship’s whistle blew. Rene hoisted his seabag.
“One other thing,” his uncle said. “Keep your mouth shut. The other sailors will rib you. Let it roll off. Six weeks at sea is a long time.”
Rene
Dear Josh,
Some good advice I’m sure. It puts me in mind of my first time seeing and being on an aircraft carrier when my husband came into San Diego from his last tour. The size is staggering. You’ve captured that feeling and put me right back there.
Shalom,
Rochelle
That ship really is bigger than almost any building, I can see why young Rene might be intimidated, even if he claims to be fine. Would that we all could benefit from the support and good advice of someone more experienced and caring when setting off a new venture.
I like the way you tell us that Rene actually is scared, by having him ask his uncle what he had been most scared of. Clever writing, that! I’m sure Uncle Juni’s advice will be helpful.
That first trip must be terrifying, a young person thrust into the world of older, experienced men. I can just imagine the teasing Rene will get, but his uncle’s advice is sound – rise to the bait this time and they’ll never let him live it down.