The Tropical Dream

Chapter 46 - The Journey Home

Greg's last few days of filming on location were anxiety producing, to say the least. He was short tempered with his crew and they worked long hours, eager to finish so they could all go home. He apologized profusely to everyone on Friday, their last day of filming, after which they all prepared to leave.

That Saturday evening, while everyone else was relaxing during their voyage from the islands they'd used for filming back to the port, Greg worked with their editor, Hank Thomas. Together they reviewed what footage they had and what there was left to shoot once they reached the studio back in the states.

A storm struck late on Sunday afternoon while they were in route to the port, slowing them further, causing Greg to become concerned not so much for their safety ... one way or another he was fairly certain they would survive the storm ... but rather about missing their scheduled flight, late Monday evening. Suddenly every part of his being had an overwhelming urge to be home. Susan was there. His life was there. They'd struggled so hard to get there the first time, he found himself as irrationally caught up in the desire to go home as Susan had been off and on during the last week of her visit. Suddenly, he could understand.

Waves crashed over the bow of the ship as Greg gazed out the window of his stateroom. The sky was low and gray, the wind was blowing and the rain was coming down sideways, making the day much darker than it should have been. It caused him to remember those days back in their cave, watching it rain. The only difference was the cave had been still, steady, a shelter from the storm. Being aboard the ship meant they were in it. The ship pitched and rolled beneath them. They weren't due back in port for another twenty four hours, but Greg knew those hours would be long and tedious as those on board dealt with the rough seas and poor conditions.

Dinner that night was a challenge. Greg was amazed the cooks in the galley were actually serving. Although only the café was open, those behind the counter treated it as though it was a routine meal, even if those eating didn't. Keeping one's plate from sliding off the table first one way then the other made the meal exciting and memorable, but not necessarily something he was looking forward to repeating very often.

Darkness fell in earnest while the production crew was at dinner. After trying to work a few more hours on editing after they ate, Greg and the rest of the crew gave up. It was simply too rough to concentrate properly. Instead they spent the time packing their equipment and materials carefully, ready to be shipped back to the states as soon as they arrived in port.

That evening when Greg went to bed for the last time aboard the Opal, he found he was missing Susan sleeping beside him more than he had the entire time he'd been on board. The ship rolled beneath him as he tried to sleep, nearly tossing him from his bed more than once. Eventually the motion of the ship eased some as the ship's crew adjusted its position relative to the storm and somewhere near midnight, Greg fell into an uneasy sleep, thinking of Susan. Almost immediately, he began to dream ...

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"Shall I slow my pace?" he asked the woman who was with him.

"Just a little." She smiled at him with a brilliant smile as she carried their daughter. "Marie is getting so heavy!"

"Katherine, are you certain you don't wish to put her on the handcart for a little while?" he asked.

"I don't want her to topple your goods. We'll need those to be unspoiled when we get to the next village," she reminded him.

He beamed at his wife. She was always so considerate of his needs and those long range needs that would affect their family as a whole. It was her idea to make this journey together in order to find out if his father might be right. Perhaps there was a town that would accept them as they are ... and she was correct ... they would need to sell his wares in order to have the money necessary to set up a new home in whatever place they chose.