Now for Something Completely

There are so many stories.

I was on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, Cabo, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta. Two newlywed couples were also on the ship. They happened to be seated for meals at the same table. The way the meals were scheduled, you could choose fixed seating in the different dining rooms, but there was also the option of flexible dining if you wanted to take your chances and possibly have to wait. I had chosen the flexible option because this ship had six specialty restaurants besides the dining rooms. There are more details, themselves whole stories for another time.

The two couples happened to be seated across from my party’s table close enough that we could observe their interactions on several occasions. I cannot recall whether someone in my group knew about the coincidence of two newlywed couples who did not know each other being seated together, or whether we overheard it. For other reasons we were also in with the staff and crew, and so got all kinds of interesting information. More stories for another time.

I remember watching these four talking and eating, near enough that we could overhear their conversations. They seemed happy enough. I believe it was in Puerto Vallarta that events took an unusual turn. I was out late and could not return to my cabin. Another story. This was before I started cruising alone and so was still sharing the cabin. Let’s say I was affording my traveling companion some time in the suite at around four in the morning.

I was on deck reclining alone by one of the pools and smoking a cigar to make good use of the time, when a squad of white-clad crew members came swarming into the pool area, moving with less than casual speed. They paused to regard me, before the ranking security officer asked if I had seen anyone. Apparently they had identified me as not the target of their search.

“No. I’ve been alone here for maybe,” checking my cigar chronometer, “fifteen minutes.”

The officer nodded. They all stood a moment and glanced around, and then moved off as urgently as they had arrived.

Later that day, we discovered that two of the newlyweds had gone ashore and not returned. That is, the husband of one couple and the wife of the other had hooked up and decided to run off together. At the time it did not strike me as horribly as it does now. I guess I had things of my own going on, so many stories!

Subsequent days more details came out. They had apparently rented a car and were driving North in Mexico. I am not sure about how this information and other details were obtained. My traveling companion came by the evolving story and related it to me.

The saddest thing was the remaining man and woman continued to sit at the table together.

“Look at that.”

“At what?” I asked.

“At them. Look.”

There the two of them were sitting without talking, and not making eye contact either. The woman was on the left side of the booth, looking down at the floor. The man was around the other side but into the booth far enough so his field of vision would not naturally include her, and he was looking off to his left, away from her. Both of them seemed completely absent.

“I can’t believe they’re sitting there together.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Are you kidding? If that happened to me I wouldn’t come out of my cabin for the rest of the cruise!”

I looked at them and said, “Well, it is their honeymoon, after all. They might as well enjoy the rest of cruise.”

One of the people we were hanging out with was a standup comedian. He and I laughed but I think someone, a younger woman who was cruising with her father, may have punched my shoulder. She also challenged me to a swimming race at some beach on an excursion, which I declined.

“Why not?” she asked.

“If I beat you, I’ll have beaten a girl. If you beat me, I’ll have been beaten by a girl.”

“You have a point.”

The recollection of the abandoned pair at their table, at least on two further occasions sticks with me now. I was perhaps too preoccupied at the time to give it as much thought as I have since. Neither of them ever broke down and cried but there were those in my party who certainly wouldn’t have been surprised if they had.

I saw the woman alone one other time on the promenade deck getting some sun as I was walking for exercise. She did not seem all that sad but she was wearing sunglasses and reading a book.

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2Shavaun Scott and Steve Yett

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