Citywide seems to have decided that I cannot be trusted to convalesce on my own and need someone to protect me from myself. They contacted Philip and suggested he watch over me during my forced vacation… something about protecting company assets.
There has been some debate as to whether a 12 hour flight would be too strenuous or if perhaps a cruise would be better.
It's funny, my first cruise was my honeymoon with Case and if anything it was pretty symbolic of our relationship. We spent most of our time locked in our cabin going over maps, predictions… astral charts and the scavenger hunt my brothers had left for me.
Now I'm boarding a ship with Bri, Philip, Trina, the twins, Jonathan and Michael. I can say one thing about Case and my relationship, it's never boring and it's never what anyone would expect.
It works for us.
You know, a slow boat to Tahiti would be a lot more enjoyable if I was actually allowed to do… well...anything.
I'm in a specially designed stateroom that suppresses the ambient magical energies around us, which is really good for Jr, but let's face it, really boring for me. Bri has been playing checkers with me, but I finally had to kick her out and tell her to have a good time.
From the sound of her reports, she did have a good time-mostly watching Uncle Philip and trying to fix him up with pretty much every available woman she meets.
Two days out from port and I'm already getting into trouble with my entourage. It's not my fault that someone experiencing alcohol poisoning decided to collapse on my door step.
I did put in a call to the ship's medical staff but … I'm a medic… there is only one time in my life I didn't help someone collapsed at my feet, and he had tried to kill me. I'm not going to not help them, besides Jr. seems to have calmed down some.
In fact, he's been a lot calmer than some of my comrades who made me go to the doctor's office so they could check me out and make their point.
On the bright side, since I was already out of the suite, I got to sit in the shade on deck for a little while and pretend to sleep while I watched my darling daughter try and fix her uncles up. I'm still trying to figure out her selection criteria, because she is putting some thought into it.
She worked on introducing Michael to her pottery instructor and Philip to her hula instructor… it kinda makes sense since pottery needs to be fired, and Michael is kinda fiery, at least when gaming and hula is very physical and graceful.
Thinking about it the woman does moves with a certain… awareness, the same awareness Philip's shown at times.
I'm probably going to need to talk to her about this at some point. But for now it's kinda amusing.
Well… that was almost fun.
This evening I got to spend a half an hour on deck breathing in the ocean air and having the nice hula instructor thinking that 'Uncle Philip' was a euphemism for 'mommy's new boyfriend.'
But then why would 'darling niece Bri' be trying to pawn him off on someone else? Unless of course, she didn't like 'Uncle Philip.' But one look at her doing Tai Chi with him and that theory would go out the window.
As we sat there watching them, I explained to her that Uncle Philip was not a blood relation but we were siblings through adoption.
We would, and have risked our lives for one another and both of us want the other to be happy. He's more of a brother than the boys have been and given the choice I'd have 12 more just like him… I pretty much do.
I think I cleared up the air, but there's no telling. It did help that as soon as they finished, Bri immediately launched into introducing Michael to her pottery instructor.
As Philip walked over I gave him an apologetic look. Bri has a great future as a perpetual motion machine.
We made our first port of call, and again I was relegated to staying in the suite. I was starting to feel a bit disappointed and sorry for myself until I met one of the new passengers who'll be traveling with us to Tahiti.
The powers that be flew Case to Hilo so he could spend Christmas with his family. Of course he came with a security detail. I'm not entirely sure if the detail is supposed to protect him or keep him from running away.
If it's the latter, they really don't know my husband. (If he were the type to run, he'd never have married me)
We had a very joyous reunion with the munchkin before she dragged him off to go practice Tai Chi with her and her uncles.
I'm not sure where she gets all that energy but it was relaxing to watch them practicing together, along with a few passengers who thought it was a class and a certain hula instructor who claimed she didn't know the form, but judging by her form… she catches on quickly.
Christmas Eve at sea: instead of fighting cold weather and traffic we've got starry skies and clear oceans.
Our stockings are hung by the plasma trid, and we've pigged out on seafood and good cheer. There's an extra stocking for each of Case's protection detail and two, very pretty ones that Bri made herself, one for Erica her pottery instructor and one for Tehani, her hula instructor.
She's enough to make my cynical heart beat just a little faster, and my hope for the future shine just a little brighter.
There is still good in the world, something that is much easier to remember when you're basking in the glory of nature and away from the throngs of people fighting over the last 'big thing' in a store at Christmastime, or worse, picking up after them.
I could get used to this.
Bri is in second heaven. Not only has she gotten to spend her Christmas with most of her family, but she got to celebrate Christmas twice. We crossed the International Date Line this evening… and then crossed back. So… we got to step briefly into the 26th followed by a trip back to the 25th… and then it was tomorrow again.
I don't know, but I'm pretty sure if I were more awake it would be a lot more magical and a lot less confusing for me.
We were a bit short on gifts but very strong on presence. Mom Walker set up a conference data-link joining us with folks on Council Island and Tahiti. She promised she'd visit us before Jr. makes his grand appearance, which should be about four months and three weeks from now.
Talk about an extended vacation.
I am very blessed and tonight I really felt it.
Copyright 2010 M.T. Decker