The Dock Of The Bay

My father owned a big boat with two bows so it seemed. I could tell the bow of the boat only because the cabin faced it. And there I could sit off and sun bathe as a growing boy. We lived in Bermuda, and coming from Riddles Bay, we would pass through the smallest draw bridge in the world to fatch gas for the boat. There at the gas station, among other supplies, I would demand my dad get Ginger Beer and Orange Soda from Barriet's to mixed them as one drink. Once that negotiation was sattled, I would visit the big hole just off from Robinson's Marina in Somerset Bridge and view the fish. Of course I began bragging to my younger brother and sister over my ability as a swimmer. My dad silently listened to my argument attentively more then I would later appreciate. After the boat was all gased up, we headed out to deep water. My dad called me the look out, which meant if I saw a reef I must warn him so he could avoid them. A few times I saw dark patches in the water, but I thought to wait till we got closer before shouting warning. My dad was not happy as the boat hit the reef with full force. Because we had a large keel on our boat, we hit the reef from the bottom long before it could do real damage to the sides. This did not impress my father, so he decided to cut short our trip. The only problem, the reef we struck, would not let us go. Somehow we managed to enter inside a nestle of reefs and not until the tide was high enough could the boats keel manage to float over and away. By this time the patients of my dad had hit its own reef. We had made it back to Riddles Bay in one peace, when all of a sudden my dad had an idea to visit the town of Bermuda, Hamilton. Trembling with delight, we kids jumped up and down hoping the idea swirling around in my dad's head would become a reality. Before long that diesel engine blow out white then black smoke, and before we knew it we were going through the mouth of Riddles Bay, heading for Hamilton Harbour. No sooner we left the safety of the harbour, when the boat engine gave out. Again and again my dad tried to start the boat engine. Soon even us kids began to notice danger. Before us, nothing but open sea, as the last of land slipped from our view. My dad revisited my conversation concerning my ability as a swimmer, and wanted me to swim to goats Island. There was no way I was jumping in the sea pulling a boat behind me. My dad to his credit didn't believe I could pull the boat, but that I could slow it down from entering deep ocean before he had the chance of fixing the problem. He came to get me and I ran so that he couldn't. My sister, brother and cousin all thought it was funny as my dad did his best to catch me and I did my best not to be cought. With time being  critical, my dad jumped over board and felt he had no choice but to try and not slow the boat down but pull it to the last stop before open Ocean. Of course with me looking on, I felt the need to shout out to my dad, what he was doing was not working, but I had not learnt the art of encouragement when it was most needed. To all our surprise, a whiteboat with white men wearing white suits, pulled my dad from the sea, and pulled the boat to Goat's Island. We waived to them, but not knowing the true danger we were in, us kids wanted to know why the island was called Goat's Island. While we saw goat droppings, try as we may, we never saw the goats up close. They would always be on the opposite side of the island from us no matter how hard we tried to trick them. All of a sudden, black smoke billowed out than white smoke, as Betcie my dad's boat gave a call of leaving. No, with white smoke coming out in the thin air, my dad decided to go to Hamilton as planned, but I was not as excited about the trip as before, because somehow, swimming did not interest me not one bit. Ya ya ya, I saw Hamilton, but when my feet hit Riddles Bay Dock, I was the happiest.