First Mates. Cecelia Dowdy

cringed as she gazed at the empty liquor bottle. Rainy’s mouth dropped open as she fingered the thick container.

      “Winston?”

      “I think you’d better sit down. It’s going to be a long night.” He pulled out a chair. After she sat, he opened a large bottle of water. He poured the beverage into foam cups.

      She leaned her elbow against the desk, cupping her chin in her hand. Had God led her to this room tonight to show her that Winston was a phony Christian like Jordan?

      “I know you’re probably upset and surprised, but could you just hear me out? Promise me you won’t pass judgment about anything until I’m finished speaking, please?” His hazel eyes were full of warmth and compassion, and she forced herself to open her mind and heart, and listen to his words.

      “I know I haven’t told you a lot about myself since we’ve been on this cruise. I know all about you and your life on the farm. You’ve told me about how you came to accept Christ when you were twelve.” He paused and stared through the window.

      “When I went away to college, it was the first time I’d ever lived away from home. I was nervous. I just wanted to continue to make good grades in school and I missed my folks.” He sipped his water.

      “Well, when I was away at college, I found that I was nervous before exams. My roommate suggested that I try having a few drinks before I studied the night before a test. I was never a drinker before because my parents forbade it. However, I went ahead and tried his advice once. I found that the alcohol did relieve some of my anxiety.”

      He paused for several seconds before continuing. “Anyway, from that moment on, I found that whenever I wanted to drown my pain and sorrows, I drank alcohol. Remember that woman I was involved with, the one I told you about earlier on the cruise? I’d mentioned that she joined the Peace Corps.”

      She nodded. “You said her name was Tonya.”

      “That’s right. Well, I started drinking even more after she left. I managed to graduate from school and start working, but it took me a while to admit that I had a problem and to do something about it. I joined Alcoholics Anonymous and I started to lean on God. During my college years and a short time after that, I had almost abandoned God and I paid for it. I fell by the wayside. But then I joined a church in the area in which I’d relocated and I visited my pastor.” He finished his water and he began to rip the foam cup into tiny pieces. “Anyway, Pastor Jake reminded me that we’re all sinners. When we mess up, we just need to confess our sins and ask God to forgive us.”

      Winston continued to speak and Rainy continued to listen. He spoke of his battle against alcoholism and the trials and tribulations in his life where he felt he had no choice but to drink. He also revealed that due to recent circumstances, he’d been tempted with the solace of alcohol again.

      Her mind was crowded with so much information that she thought her head would explode. Questions and concerns scattered throughout her brain so fast that she didn’t know which to ask first. Weak sunlight spilled through the window, announcing the dawn of a new day. She rubbed her forehead, gazing at the bottle. “When did you buy the bottle of Scotch?”

      He sighed. “I didn’t buy it. My co-worker purchased it for me as a gift. I guess he didn’t realize that I didn’t drink. He gave it to me right before I made the trip to the ship.” She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

      “Rainy, I know you’re ready to go back to your cabin. You look tired enough to fall asleep on your feet. But before I walk you back to your room, I need to ask you something.” He fumbled with the torn cup. Rainy gazed into his troubled hazel eyes and nodded for him to continue.

      “I want to know if you’re mad at me. I still want to date you and everything. I just hope what I’ve revealed to you tonight won’t be the catalyst that’ll end our spending time together.” She abandoned her chair and sat beside him on the bed.

      “I’m glad you told me about this. It just shows that you’re willing to tell me the truth. As you said, we’re all sinners and we need to admit to our transgressions and lean on God for support. It’s hard being a Christian and living by God’s rules, but with His help we can overcome our weaknesses.”

      He nodded. “Amen to that. Part of my problem with my alcoholism was that I did put God on the back burner, not relying on Him for support. I feel that my faith is so much stronger now.”

      She closed her eyes, sending a silent prayer to God to help Winston with his weakness. She opened her eyes and they shared a brief hug.

      “How about you walk me to my room, Winston? I’m so tired.”

      “I know you are.” Glancing around his small cabin, she was again reminded of the reasons why it was not a good idea to be alone with this gorgeous man for long.

      “Come on.” He helped her up, and they walked to her cabin. “I’ll see you later on today.” He gave her a small smile before she entered her room.

      She took a long, hot shower. She washed away the dirt and sand accumulated during their daylong excursion on Grand Cayman. Lying between the crisp cotton sheets, Winston’s testimony played in her mind. Relief flowed through her veins as she clutched her pillow. He trusted her, and she now knew he was a Christian. He had his struggles, but he now leaned on God to get him through the rough times.

      Before sleep claimed her in its deep depths, she remembered another question she wanted to ask Winston. He said due to recent troubles he was tempted to drink again. She wondered what recent troubles he was referring to? Again she wondered why he was so sad. She needed to ask him all about this as soon as possible. She cared about him, and if he was going through a rough time, she wanted to be there for him as a friend.

      The following day, the huge boat pulled into the port of Jamaica. The horn blew, announcing their arrival. Rainy breezed into the dining room in the middle of the morning and found Winston at their table, feasting on bacon and eggs. He signaled the waiter for coffee. “I can’t wait to see the waterfall,” he commented.

      Her mind was still full of concerns about what he had revealed the previous day, but she decided not to bring up the subject for the time being.

      A few hours later, they trudged over rocks as they trekked to the falls. As the sun shone on the clear water, diamond chips seemed to sparkle on the surface. Rainy stopped and snapped another picture.

      Since she had not had a lot of sleep the prior night, she found herself struggling to stay awake as they tried to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the tropical island. She glanced at Winston throughout the day and noticed he was also having trouble staying awake.

      As they conversed with natives and visited the gift shops, she saw him looking at some expensive Jamaican pottery. “Are you thinking about buying one of those?” The thick jugs were painted in dark bold colors and Rainy thought they would look nice as decorations in a living room.

      “I might buy one for my mother. I haven’t bought anything for her yet and I think she might enjoy this. She collects pottery.”

      He selected one of the containers and told the clerk to gift wrap it for him. “I think I’ll have them ship it to my parents’ house. I don’t feel like lugging it back with me.”

      She gazed at his handsome profile, wanting to soak up as much information about his life as possible, like an eager sponge. “Do your parents live in Miami?”

      He chuckled. “Not anymore.” He named a small Florida town, a few hours’ drive from Miami, where they now lived since his father had retired. “I want to send her this vase now so that my mom can receive it and enjoy it for a while before they take their trip.”

      Puzzled, she asked for more details. “What trip?”

      “They bought one of those big trailer trucks and they want to drive around the country and see the sights.”

      “By themselves?”

      He continued