Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
The Pirate - 3. Chapter 3
Arriving back at school, I had a big smile on my face. Captain kept kidding me about ‘why the smile,’ but I just smiled that much more.
I discussed the project with the head of the marine biology department. He recommended several books for me to read. I also discussed the overall project with my professor. He gave me some ideas and again more books to read. It was a good thing I was kept busy. I didn’t have much time to dream.
Two more weeks to go till the end of the term and my graduation. I was anxious to get back to the project. I had the material I needed shipped to the Cay. I knew once I had everything set up, I would be very busy. I had called my uncle, and he volunteered to be my sounding board and resource. I also spent the time with Captain talking about designs. I told him about the restaurant, and he was excited about it.
As soon as we got back to the Cay, I’d need to make a mock-up of the project. This would be a visible portrayer of the finished project. It would also point out some flaws in my design.
“Captain, I’m going to need space for my equipment, and an office with a room to meet with contractors.”
“You’ll have everything. I anticipated some of what you would need, and Vic is already working on it.”
I was surprised but also thrilled that Vic was working on the project.
Five days before graduation Mom and Dad flew down to stay at their apartment. It gave me a chance to introduce them to Captain and the project on the Cay. In the quiet of one evening, I told them about Vic. It was no surprise to them that I was gay. As usual, parents always know these things. They wanted to meet Vic right away.
I spoke to Captain that it would be nice if Vic could join us for graduation. I got a wicked smile from Captain. Two days before graduation, Captain said he had to load the plane with his belongings from the dorm. I gave him my suitcases to take, most of my odds and ends I’d leave at Mom and Dad’s apartment. I was quite surprised when Captain returned with Vic, surprised but grateful. Graduation was a special time, and now, not only my family but also my boyfriend will share it with Captain and me.
Graduation was a festive affair. Mom and Dad took us to a restaurant for dinner. I was holding Vic’s hand under the table until our food arrived. The conversation centered around the project. I could tell that Vic was happy but not as happy as I was.That evening I got my graduation gift from Vic, and I had to say thank you.
In the morning, we met up with Captain and headed to the airport. This flight was more enjoyable. Vic and I held hands all the way to Barbados. When we arrived in Barbados, Vic wanted to show me where he lived. I didn’t expect to see a house but what I saw made me cry. It seemed that it became a dumping ground for the neighborhood. “Captain, Vic, and I would like a two-bedroom house built on this property. Call it my fee for building your apartments.” I figured that I might use this as my headquarters after I finished with the Cay project.
That evening Vic couldn’t thank me enough. I was glad I was a young man and had saved myself because there was no way I could have kept up.
‘Where are you going?”
“To fix coffee and breakfast.”
“Wait, I want to go with you. I want to see the kitchen and the cook.” He laughed. I quickly took a shower and got dressed. “What time did you get up this morning?”
“I got up my usual time, 6.”
“You weren’t exhausted?”
“No, I feel fine.” I just shook my head. I’m not that much older than him. Why isn’t he tired. I smiled to myself. He’ll be tired tomorrow morning.
I followed him to the kitchen. There were stairs at the end of the corridor. “This cabin is a little shorter than the others. We used the space for these stairs.” I followed him; the stairs led directly to the kitchen. I looked around, and it looked a lot like the one Mom and Dad had. I’m not sure what I expected. I guess thinking that this was once a pirate ship, it would be different.
‘Where’s the cook?”
He smiled, “You’re the cook?” He nodded, yes. I was smiling not only was he good looking, but he was a good cook as well. I wondered what else he was good at, I knew one other thing he was good at, and I wasn’t complaining about that.
After breakfast, I needed some space for my office and conference room. I would use my office for my drawing. “Captain, before you leave, have you given any thoughts to my office and conference room?”
“I did have Vic show you.”
I went to find Vic. He was in the kitchen. “Vic, Captain, said he spoke to you about finding space for an office and conference room, did you find space?”
“Do you think I’d let my best friend down?”
“Best friend?” I thought by now we would at least be boyfriends.
“Yes, until we’re married best friend, then we’ll be boyfriends.”
Married, I haven’t even thought that far in advance. Not that I’d be opposed, but it is quite sudden.
“How about showing me what you found for my office?”
I followed him into the small business section close to the ship. We stopped in front of an office that had a sign, Cay Investments. We entered a side door leading to the second floor. Vic opened a door off of the landing, “This is your office.” We entered. “This is your reception area, this is your conference room, and this is your office.”
Everything was laid out along one side, which suited me just fine. I walked into the room that would be my office. There was a desk, file cabinets, phone, chairs, and Vic’s picture on the desk. I looked at him. He smiled. I had to kiss him. After all, good work deserved recognition and a bonus.
“Where are the things I shipped?”
“In the conference room.”
Entering the conference room, there was a table with six chairs and everything I shipped. I was now ready to start earning my money. Vic helped to unload everything. I had all of my photos and measurements. Now it was time to get to work. “I need wifi so I can set up my computer.”
“We don’t have wifi on the Cay, how about satellite.”
‘You have access to a satellite?”
“Yes, come with me.”
We took a ladder behind a door on the landing. I followed Vic to the roof, and there was a satellite dish. “Which service do you use?”
“We use a consulting service that provides everything. We needed an internet connection for the investment business on the first floor.”
“Who owns the building?” “Cap”
I wasn’t surprised, and I soon realized that more businesses were either owned by Captain or as a partner.
I stayed while Vic hooked up my computer. I watched; after a few minutes, I started to lay out a board and began to form the mountain out of clay.
“Computer is up and running.”
“Thanks, Vic, I’ll be in soon to download some plans.”
Now that I have an office and a place to build a model, I started to do layouts and drawings.
Over the next six weeks, I had Vic begin to lay out the various areas with pegs. I contacted a contractor, had an excavator, backhoe loader, and a bulldozer brought to the island by cargo ship. The contractor brought his men to operate the equipment.
While they started to cut the mountain according to my plans, I laid out a waste treatment system.
It would take a year to get everything ready to start building. As the earth moving equipment began to cut into the mountain, I knew many the locals wanted to know what was happening. I’ll let Captain handle that.
“Bob, since you’re building that waste treatment facility, can you make it large enough to handle all the waste of the Cay as well?”
“I could, but we will need to do it in stages. To be honest, right now I’m busy with the construction on the mountain. We have removed enough ground that your Cay is a little larger. I good bring on another architect to focus on that project if you wish.”
“With the ground, you are removing, could you build a waste treatment plant on that?”
“Yes, we’d have to put in piles as that ground is too soft to support a treatment facility. If that is what you want, we need to do the piles now.”
“Let’s do that. Get all the help you need.”
I would need piles to support the restaurant, so it was no problem to add the extra for support of the waste treatment. Now I have a project for Vic.
“Vic, Captain wants to enlarge the waste treatment facility to handle all wastes from the Cay. I need to know how many homes, establishments, and the number of people in each. With that information, we can estimate the load on the treatment facility and design the collection system.”
“I’m going to need help.”
“Clear it with Captain. I’m sure you won’t have any problems. Use the teens to gather the information.”
I had selected a spot for the facility to handle the new apartments’ waste, but I’ll need to rethink that. I had the feeling that this will be a significant project. I sent a message to uncle asking for names and if he had any suggestions.
Piles were needed not only for the restaurant but also the waste treatment facility and the docks. I wanted the area across the cove for small boats and docks to the right of Captain’s ship for large ocean liners.
Vic was smiling as the project was coming to life. I had designed the walls and roofs of the villas, which we called the apartments, to be formed on the ground and then lifted in place. I used a system of piles to anchor the villas in place. It was starting to become a reality.
Three additional years passed before we were able to open. Captain had a big smile, Vic was delighted to know that our villa was next to the top. The Captain’s villa was at the very top.
Vic and I got married. We were very happy as we inaugurated our villa. I was glad we waited to make physical love. The truth was, I was too tired most nights to get him off. I was never sure if I slept well because I was tired or because Vic took me in hand. “I’ll help you sleep,” and he did. No matter hows tired I was, I had to reciprocate. I loved this man, and I made sure he knew it.
I thought now that the project was done, I could rest, not going to happen. Captain wanted townhouses built around the mountain villas.
It took almost two years for the project to be finished. Mom and Dad were surprised when they first saw it. They sold their Florida apartment, and they were to become frequent visitors. I saw a tear in Mom’s eye when Vic first called her Mom.
I had a feeling we would never get off the Cay. When one project was finished, Captain came up with another. I had projects from other sources, but I learned well from my uncle.
Of all that we built, the star was the restaurant. I designed a two-level restaurant with a fish tank separating the two layers. People preferred the second level so they could watch the fish. After the newness wore off, they didn’t care where they sat. I had a small stage to the right, where we had a piano.
We were open for a year when my design was tested. The first hurricane of the year was headed our way. I had used a European design for the windows. Each window had a metal screen that could be rolled down, protecting the window from the outside. There was a crank next to each window to use to drop the shields. I incorporated the same type of system in my townhouses.
There was damage on the Cay when the hurricane passed over, but not in those units with my windows. However, there was some damage to the exit duct on the restaurant’s kitchen’s right side. I had a large inlet fan that brought air from outside into the kitchen on the left side and exhausted the air on the right side, providing a cross air ventilation system. The restaurant had air conditioning in the restaurant proper.
When the hurricane passed, we accessed the damage. There was some water damage but nothing of concern. The entry to the villas was from the rear through a tunnel, water had gotten into these tunnels, but all it took was a mop and a bucket to clean it up.
Many homes were damaged, which resulted in construction of more townhouses and small, independent standing homes.
We needed to check out our home in Barbados. Vic and I sailed to Barbados and found only minimal damage to our home. ‘Vic, this is your home. We could sell it or rent it. I doubt we’ll need to live here with having our villa on the Cay. If you want to keep it, we can, the decision is yours.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course, take your time. I’ll agree with you. It’s your choice.”
“You always agree with me.”
“That’s what boyfriends do.”
“Husbands as well?” A kiss answered that question.
A month later, Captain asked me what I thought about the house on Barbados. “I told Vic the decision is his and I’ll agree to whatever decision he makes, why do you ask?”
“He doesn’t know what to do. He understands that he’ll probably never live there again, but it was where he was born.”
“I didn’t mean to pressure him, but it’s empty and could begin to deteriorate. I’m not afraid of it being hit by a hurricane; it’ll stand a category five easily.”
“Can you convince him that whatever the decision he makes, you’ll support?”
“Of course.”
“I got a call from the owner of a small private island. He wants a new house built. Here’s his card, call him. I’ll take 10 percent as my finder fee.”
We were laughing when Vic came into Captain’s office. “What’s so funny?”
“Captain now wants a finder fee for any new project he brings to us.”
“Do I get a finder’s fee?”
“No, you get half.”
We did get that contract, and I did give Captain his 10 percent. I soon had other jobs on the various islands in the Caribbean. I incorporated my business as Caribbean Architects.
Vic and I became relatively wealthy, but there was one thing missing. Vic sensed it, and he went and did something about it. I came home from looking at a potential project and was greeted by two children. “Bob, this is Andre, and this is Andrew, they are twins. They are orphans, and I think we should adopt them.”
“Vic, did I ever tell you how much I love you. What do they want? Do they want to adopt us as parents?”
“Boys, what do you say? Do you want to be part of our family?”
What resulted brought tears to my eyes. I guess I’m an old softy. We did adopt the boys, and for some reason, Mom and Dad couldn’t stay away. I built them a home close to the mountain overlooking the cove.
I waited for my love, I waited for my family, and I couldn’t be happier waited. Maybe there’s some truth in all good things come to those that wait. It was true for me.
- 22
- 25
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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