The weather had calmed down the next day and Ramiro gave his okay that the students could go into the water. He noticed that Zoe was slowly getting over the fear in the water.
Alvaro and Juanma kept diving down and frightening the girls by pulling their legs or tickling their feet. After the morning bath, Ramiro set sail again. Dani had reported that the weather was getting worse again. They had planned to spend the night again near the coast and bring the boat back in the morning. Then they still had a little time in the beach house. The kids enjoyed the sun and the sea, even Lupe, seemed peaceful. When they secured the boat in the afternoon, dark clouds could be seen in the sky. The boys went into the water again before a thunderstorm could approach. They competed and tried to persuade the girls to get into the cool water again. Ramiro had let himself be persuaded again and had taken the snorkeling equipment into the water again. Isabel watched the action and smiled. They all came back out of the water and, in fact, the sky closed down.
Isabel made tea and started preparing the meal. They heard the rain start to pound on the deck. They were all seated in the small galley, from where they could see the drops through the small window. Mia had snuggled into Alvaro's arms. He held her tight. Lupe and Gaspar had retired into the cabin. Isabel arranged everything the way she found it when they started the tour. The wind picked up and the boat began to rock. When the rain stopped for a moment, Juanma said, "Let's take a look outside, the sky must look great. Zoe and Mia let the boys pull them upstairs with them. The sky was of different colors. It was just a little lighter above them, but the clouds were coming back. On the horizon the sky was dark, with a bit of red; the sea was black and gray and very restless; it was hard to imagine that they had romped in the water not so long ago. It started raining again and the students went back below deck. Isabel had lit oil lamps and Gaspar and Lupe were there too. Ramiro was just telling of an experience he had as a child when he and his parents were caught by a storm on the beach. They had fled to a beach hut and watched the huge waves hit the beach. Somehow it was a romantic mood with the lamps and the patter of the rain.
Once, when the boat was rocking a lot, Zoe took Juanma's hand. He took her in his arms. Isabel took the food out of the oven. After dinner everyone began to pack up all the important things again. Mia put on her rain gear again and went on deck. Somehow there was something about the rain mixing with the sea. The sky looked ominous but also somehow magical. Juanma suddenly stood next to her "Everything OK ?" he asked. Mia nodded. "What are you thinking?"
"When I was very, very little, I got rain boots. I always went to the window and waited for dark clouds and rain. I squealed until Mama and Isabel took out a garden hose and I put on the rainboots in the water jet from the hose and could walk around. " Juanma had to laugh and took her in her arms. "For me it was the other way around. I got a bicycle and my father wanted to teach me to ride a bike, but it only rained. I got a transparent tarpaulin from the garage, put it over me and my bike and tried to ride . "
"did that go well?"
"Depends How to take it, the tarpaulin got tangled in the spoke and my father came just in time to hold me "
"Our parents didn't always have it easy with us," laughed Mia.
"There is still something to come for us withown children,too," said Juanma. Alvaro had come from behind. "I once sat in a tree house in a thunderstorm. I was hiding there because I had an argument with Lupe. Then I fell asleep and woke up from the thunder. Ramiro then got me out of the tree again," he stood behind the two of them and put one arm each around their shoulders, and Mia put her head on his shoulder. "And now we have a common memory of bad weather," said Juanma.
"We will still have many memories of good and bad weather together," said Alvaro. "It was a great tour."
The rain got heavier again and they went back downstairs. Dani had reported and predicted even worse weather for the night. Ramiro checked everything again but it was, as far as he could tell, everything ok. When they were all in the beds they heard the wind around the boat "It reminds me of the ski hut," said Juanma,
"but it didn't rock like that," laughed Alvaro .Both girls had snuggled close to the boys. Gaspar had also hugged Lupe tightly. Lupe was enjoying his presence more and more; they had talked a lot when they had withdrawn. Gaspar hoped that Lupe would gradually become more balanced.
