Melina

I like boats. 

From my childhood I like them. May be because boat journey resembles and reminds the sweet memories of cradling babyhood. So this man got my attention, moreover his boat. About 6m long 1.5m wide and brown colored, with cabin painted in a faded red color adding it a special beauty. There were a dozen other boats present in the dock, still my eyes got stuck on this one.

There he stands, a six feet tall guy in his late fifties, on the deck of this boat, with a glass of his favorite single malt whiskey in his left hand, feeling a silent breeze which exhilarated the silence and calmness of the light dark water in the canal. It was a fine evening in early September. The sprinkling rain has stopped now and he was ready to go back home. He was in the outfits for an evening drive, a Khaki pants, a cream white shirt with blue stripes tucked in and a dark colored jacket left unbuttoned.

I was heading to the city center for shopping, but my intentions changed suddenly once I saw the boat and decided to talk to him if I can get a ride on her for sometime.

"Hello, is there any boats in here for a ride please? "

He didn’t hear my question. He was untying the tail end of the boat. I shouted the question again loudly. I got a response.

"A hire ? I own this boat"
He said with a prideful smile on his face. However it was an unexpected reply. It was clearly evident from his tone and facial expression, that the boat is something to him, probably everything and hence it wont be good to serve my purpose.

Still his face expression held me there and it unveiled a flashback then.

I could see him in his twenties, the university where he met his first love. A Mexican girl, with an unknown fright in her eyes. She was a new joinee. Her family flee from their country during one of the internal wars. They met, became close and started life together after 5 years. She was mad about red color; dancing, driving and diving were her fantasies. Later they became his 3D's as well. And they had 30 years of never ending love but he didn’t say how he lost her. I didn’t think of asking him how. But I could see her still with him.

For the sake of a conversation, I asked him,

"Sir, What do you do ?"

He replied quickly "I'm Retired". And he steered back. I saw a drop of tear in his cheeks.

While the boat was moving away, on the rear side of it, a name was carved on the wooden body and painted Red with a white border on the brown background. And I couldn't guess it wrong.

     Melina

For me its his second love. And for him both are the same.