Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 16:20:31 -0800
From: arthur <rochopa@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: The Vision part 17       adult/youth

				THE VISION

				Part Seventeen

				By Arthur



STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT


We had finished our coffee and looked at each other knowing it was time to
go and see what the latest developements might be down at the boat and
after locking up the house made our way down there and just as we thought
there were the two of them sitting in the cockpit, the chilly bins on the
deck with the two boys forehead to forehead staring into each others eyes
with Bennys fingers of his right hand twirling with the rat tail at the
back of Stevens hair, talk about goo goo eyes, it was so beautiful we just
stood on the jetty watching the two of them, oblivious to our presence,
drinking from eache others eyes, Stevens hands on Bennys knees, not
carressing them just resting on them and Bennys left hand cupping Stevens
chin.

Max and I looked again at each other and smiled, we both nodded at the same
time in silent agreement to break the spell for now and get them both
moving.

"So this's what the captain does when the crew are away?"

The startled expression on both their faces was almost to much for us to
stand as they parted, I don't think they even realised they had been so
close together, they broke out into the most beautiful deep red blush as
they stammered and squirmed about on the seats.

"Dddddaaadd,we, oh uhm, we were, oh god, dad we, were, uhm, not doing
anything."

"I know buddy, I trust you, don't worry, now lets get out of here, why
don't you and Steven go up on the flybridge and get the old girl started
while max and I put the chilly bins away?"

"Ok dad, c'mon Stevie, lets go up top."

"Ok, Benz."

As they climbed the ladder I looked again at Max with a quizzicle look.

"Stevie! Benz! god what have we got ourselves into here Max?"

"Don't worry John it's only love, you'll get used to it."

"Never, lets get this stuff below before those two start up again."

Just then the engines growled into life and the steady throbbing could be
felt through the hull.

"Well max I know where one pair of hands are anyway, but I don't know
abouth the other pair?"

"Oh well we better check and see then, looks like you and I will have to
have a chat later about those two."

"Yes, looks like it but I don't think anything will happen at the moment, I
trust Benny to know whats right and wrong."

"Yep, I'm the same with Steven, as bad a time as he's had I still trust his
judgement."

"You think this is going to get serious with both of them?"

"John you can see it, there's no doubt, we'll just have to work something
out to help them as much as we can, I think they deserve each other don't
you, after all they've been through."

"No doubt about that Max and at the same time it solves a worry I've had
since Benny came to me."

"What was that John?"

"Bed times, and what he was wanting to do, this is a god send in a way, he
was becoming very hard to resist and I was weakening very quickly."

"what about the sleeping arrangements for tonight?"

"I think we should keep them apart for tonight, give them time to know each
other before the good bit happens, hehehe."

"Yes I feel the same way, I'll keep Steven in the port cabin bunks."

"Ok and Benny will be with me up forward in the double."

"Ok thats settled now lets break them apart again and get under way, I've
been looking forward to this all week, by the way you didn't say where
we're headed."

"The Mercs, where else?"

"Damn its good to be going out with you again, you going to be looking for
a 20 again?"

"I'm going to try, I'd like Benny to get his first and maybe if we're lucky
we might be able to find one for Steven as well."

"Its going to be an interesting trip with those two mooning all over the
place making eyes at each other, should make for a good giggle now and
again."

"Oh yes my friend, we're going to get a giggle out of those two this
weekend, now lets go up and lever them apart."

We went up top but didn't need to use a crow bar to get them apart, they
were just sitting on the side bench seat holding hands until we appeared
and then the hands flashed to their sides with a guilty look toward us, I
just smiled at them and went to the console and put the boat into gear and
went astern to pull out from my jetty as Max joined me on the port chair,
the two boys sitting behind us still on the bench with their little fingers
touching, and yes blushing lightly as they noticed me look around at them.

"For gods sake why don't you two just hold hands and be done with it, pussy
footing around like that will never bring you closer."

"Daaaad, really! uhm, can we really, you and Mr. Max don't mind?"

"Benny if you think that Steven would make you happy, then I'm not going to
stop you holding hands while we're in private and Max agrees with me, but
boyo it goes no further than that at this stage, deal?"

"Deal dad, you're the bestest dad ever."

Benny quickly and without asking Steven grabbed his hand and snuggled in a
little closer to him, I must admit he looked better there next to Steven
than he would have looked doing the same with me, but then I was new at
this too, but Steven was a sensible lad and between Max and I, I was sure
they would do the right thing.

As we cleared the head of the bay I pushed the engines up to 2800 revs and
the boat settled down on her haunches and began to fly along at a steady 23
knots, I adjusted the GPS and made the selection on the chart plotter then
called Benny to the wheel, I'm not silly, I knew how to keep his hands busy
somewhere else.

"Ok Captain, come and take over, you remember how to read the GPS and
plotter?"

"Yes dad."

"Ok, I've got her lined up for the Barrier and then when the reading is on
the mark like I showed you, reset the GPS for the Colville Channel, and
head for Great Mercury from there,ok, we'll be down below having another
coffee, do you two want a drink up here?"

"Yes please dad, do you want one Stevie?"

"Yes thanks, Benz."

"Ok anchor boy, two drinks for the Captain and the first mate."

"Yes sir, Captain sir."

"We better get out of here John before we have to scrub the decks."

"Right behind you Max, these two will give us the plank if we hang around
here much longer."

We reached the cockpit and as Max sat on one of the game chair I went into
the small galley to get the coffee pot on and find two drinks for the
bosses up top.

"Hey Captain you want coke or sprite?"

"One coke, one sprite please anchor boy."

"Yes sir, Captain."

Max was sitting down laughing at the by play between Benny and myself as I
made my way up the ladder to the bridge with the drinks and as I returned
and made the coffee handing it to him he commented about the way things
were going.

"Well if nothing else, he's got you trained, damn I'm going to be in
trouble if it's catching and Steven takes after him as well."

"Do you good to be told for a change, you get it to easy in that department
of strategic blunders as it is."

"Oh jesus John don't you start, you and your anti beaurocracy attitude,
you're going to be the death of me."

"Good that'll give you a real job for a change."

"How do you work that out?"

"Shovelling coal is a mans job, do you good."

"Well that counts you out."

"Oh why?"

"You have trouble holding an eraser, you wouldn't know which end of the
shovel to use."

"No I wont need to, I'll get the bosses job for sure, just stand back and
give the orders to the employees like you."

"In a pigs eye, Satan would never trust you with a job like that, he'd
probably give you the job of feeding the boatman on the Styx."

"What makes you think that?"

"The boatman is a skeleton, he doesnt eat, so your abilities in the kitchen
wouldn't be stretched."

"Captain? I need a rope, something needs stretching?"

"What needs stretching anchor boy?"

"Maxs neck."

Max and I broke oput into laughter as the mumbling from up top came down to
us, sounded like something to do with senility of the aged as the two boys
also broke out laughing.

"You keeping a watch on your heading, Benny?"

"Yes dad, we're ok and runing straight."

A comment jumped into my mind about things being straight on this trip, but
I let it ride and saved it for another time, as Max and I leaned back into
the two game chairs and relaxed, Benny was proving to be a quick learner
and by watching the wake I could see he was keeping a good clean coarse and
not wandering all over the ocean as a lot of older boaties had a habit of
doing in a launch of this size.

"Dad, can I let Stevie have the wheel for a while?"

"Ok son, but you keep your eyes open, a lot of small boats out today."

"Ok dad."

"I could tell the minute that Steven took over as the wake began to curve
and as he compensated a little to much the boat swang back the other way,
then again a little to much, as I watched though he seemed to get the feel
of it and slowly the course settled down with only a small waver now and
again, but in general he was doing quite well, the feeling of speed on the
water gave you a different perspective than on land and took a little
getting used to, also the height that they were standing up on the bridge
was deceiving when turning.

The Barrier Island loomed closer as we sped along at a comfortable speed,
the slight north westerly swell not hampering the actions of the boat, an
hour later we were entering the Colville Channel and I went to take over
from Benny, this narrow stretch of water could be very dangerous even on a
calm day as the tide changed and there was not a lot of room between the
Barrier and the tip of the Coromandel Pennisular to move a launch around on
if it got a bit nasty, twenty minutes ahead of us was the group of the
Mercury Islands with Great Mercury in front of us and then the two bigger
of the Islands behind that with a lot of smaller ones spread out around
then, a lot of good fishing spots all through this area and as it was quite
a trip to reach them not many people came out here so the fish stocks were
in good order.

"So what we going to do first, go fishing or have some lunch in Coralie Bay
?"

"Can we have lunch first, dad?'

"Not a problem son, when we get there its lunch and a breather, then we'll
look for a spot for the late afternooon and evening fish, bring your camera
this time Max?"

"Yep remembered it this time."

"Good, going to be a nice sunset tonight by the look of that high cloud."

As we exited from the Colville Channel I turned the boat toward the north
western end of Great Mercury to where the enterance of the bay was and
handed back the wheel to Benny.

"Here you are son, you take us to the gap and I'll take us into the bay
from there."

Once anchored in the bay we sat back for a little to relax and then I got
up to start lunch as the two boys pressed close together on the bench seat
in the cockpit again star gazing at each other as Max sat back with a soft
smile on his face watching them.

Lunch was a grab as can style of meal with everything just laid out on the
fold down table in the center of the cabin and you just help yourself to
whats available, Max had a beer but knew that while there was some running
around still to do I would not drink alcahol until we were anchored up for
the night and then only sparingly just in case of emergencies, the boys had
their usual cooke and sprite as they ate like sharks in a feeding frenzy,
it's good to see healthy apetites on teens, shows they're in good health.

Once lunch was done with and we cleaned up the plates and things from the
meal and I started the boat up and we headed out to the Red Mercury Island
at the far end of the group to my favourite place for catching 20 plus
pound Snapper, the day was becoming more perfect with eveyr passing minute,
Max and I had become closer because of the two boys and they had found the
one thing that had been eluding them for most of their short lives, each
other.


To Be Continued: