Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is our contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise, guided by the simplest of rules: use the prompt word and tell a story in exactly six sentenceseses.
Story note: as we learned in last week’s Six, Rue is a stage name, not her real name,
Prompt word:
STRAIN
“Now, keep a strain on that bowline and I’ll kick the stern around ’til we’re clear of our bunkmate.”
Her father’s voice, although church-quiet as he prepared to free their boat from another that had tied up to them in the night, had a way of gently brushing her hair over her ear; it always made her feel like she could do anything.
The harbor was a mirror full of pleasure boats, the 5:00 am sun still behind the salt-scented gauze of fog preparing for the day ahead; standing on the bow, her hands on the line wrapped around the small-t of the bollard, Kasia felt the boat shift and then rotate stern-first outwards; her father jumped from their boat, the Elysium, to the dock to secure the boat that had blocked their departure.
“Good job,” the girl fought the urge to laugh, her oft-misunderstood way of reacting to a compliment was acceptable in grade school but that was now a month behind her; stepping down into the cockpit, breakwater approaching like a good-natured crocodile, she laughed anyway.
“You have the helm, Number One,” her father backed down through the hatchway and into the galley, the sounds of cups and coffee temporarily competing with the private burbling of the small auxiliary engine as the boat found it’s way out into the still mirror-flat sea, the uniform overcast-sky erased the horizon as her father returned topside.
“Your life is as this ocean, at this moment, limitless and accepting any course you chose to chart,” Kasia smiled and let her fingers trace flowing runes in the water as the boat headed East.
About clarkscottroger
Nice story and an excellent song choice, a beautiful musical mural of the act and experience of sailing. I was with you all the way!
Thank you, N.
Sometimes the parts (of a Six) are closer to the top* than others.
* of that box of stuff we insist on keeping, contrary to the advice of parents and others claiming wisdom.
I like this phrase: “breakwater approaching like a good-natured crocodile”. Your description of this boating adventure sounds like you have a lot of experience on the water. It gives us a more complete view of Kasia. Nice six!
Thanks, Frank.
Sometimes our stories move too quickly, I figured if I could get to it now, if the serial Six of Rue DeNite continues it will be that much more enjoyable.
Great story, I felt like I was with my dad.
Thank you
The magic of 5am at sea, getting ready to sail to “what is out there?”…
“…smiled and let her fingers trace flowing runes in the water as the boat headed East.” 👏
It sounds like she does have some beautiful memories of her father and parts of her childhood. We all need some good memories from then to hang onto.
I agree wholeheartedly*.
* yeah, I know what a surprise lol
ikr?
Can’t think of a part of any day more powerful than that. Makes me miss being out there…. but, then there is the 80% of the day working on deck.
Might need to get to the gym (or time machine) before-hand.
Lol
“…the 5:00 am sun still behind the salt-scented gauze of fog preparing for the day ahead;…” How that resonated!
I imagine Kasia’s strength a culmination of experiences such as this one, with her father.
(I can feel that gentle rocking when casting off from the dock…)
A beautiful (and perfect) name for a boat.
I read this whilst listening to Sailing and the scene played out in my mind. ‘Your life is an ocean’ … how true is that?
really couldn’t live in, say, Nebraska. ya know?
‘Sailing’, brilliant! A blast from the past…
thank you, Chris
you’d be surprised, no wait, being a Proprietor, you probably wouldn’t, at how often a Six starts with a song as opposed to ends with