XDSI - 4. XD Ch 4

I must have fallen asleep, as I woke to the sound of Kyle trying to wake me up. “Come on mate, it is time for some breakfast,” he said to me, and I groaned in pain as I moved. “Does it still hurt? We will get you some tablets once we are at the table,” Kyle said to me as he helped me up.

“What happened to Dinner?” I asked, as my brain started to recall what happened the day before. “You were out like a light after you had that soup, so we thought best to let you sleep,” Kyle replied, Are we on the yacht still?” I asked.

“Yes we are, plus we are off the east coast of Rottnest,” Wyatt said from the doorway, who helped Kyle to get me properly dressed before assisting me through the lobby and out to the main dining area.

“Good morning Alexander, how are you feeling today?” Mrs Cooper asked me, “Good morning, still a bit sore around the wound area, but ok apart from that thanks,” I replied. Sebastian and Lewis had remained quite, listening in to what I was saying.

“Good morning Cousin and Lewis,” I said I said to my ward, “Good morning to you too, now straight after breakfast, we will be meeting up with the Southern Explorer, and we will all be transferring to there, while the crew of your yacht head back to Rockingham, where they will remain.

For all of us, we are heading north, to get some distance from everything that has happened yesterday and we will have a stopover at Lancelin and Port Dennison, so some of our guests who did not bring anything, can get some clothes and supplies, and the ship can restock.

Once that is done, we will be heading to the Abrolhos Islands, where we will enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, until we deem the risk to any of us to be over,” Sebastian announced. “For how long will we be there?” Sue asked, “As long as it takes to make sure that everyone is safe,” Lewis replied.

“The Southern Explorer is well stocked with frozen and dried foods, and we have a whole ocean of fresh food available to us, so we can be out at sea for as long as we wish,” Sebastian said, “Just think of it as an awesome holiday,” Lewis added, which Kyle’s boys thought was great.

“Maybe we could look at returning to your old place of employment for a while?” I suggested to Lewis, and Sebastian laughed at this, “If we did, I might get roped into more work there, and I am not really very keen to get back into that line of work,” Lewis said.

After breakfast, I contacted my office in East Perth, and let my staff know that I would be way for about a month, and that they could have a one month paid holiday, while I am away. After transferring over to the Southern Explorer, after giving my crew instructions to have a one month paid holiday, we set off northwards.

With Kyle knowing every area of the yacht, he began showing his family around, after been allocated guest cabins on the Main deck, Sebastian and Lewis live on B deck, I was allocated my usual cabin on D Deck, along with Mrs Cooper. While Wyatt and Xavier, have crew cabins on A deck.

Wyatt and I had some of our belongings that we did have on my yacht, so we had all the essentials in the way of extra clothes and toiletry items, so it was just Kyle and his family and Mrs Cooper who needed all of that stuff.

After some discussions with Sebastian, he agreed to us stopping at the Hillary’s Marina, and giving our guests a good amount of money to buy enough clothing supplies and personal effects to keep them going for a while.

When we arrived, we anchored just out of the marina, and using the tender, I took our guests into the marina, where they could do some shopping. A second tender left the yacht soon after us, with a number of staff, and they had been instructed to get as much fresh food as possible, to keep us fed long term.

It was just under two hours later, when both tenders returned to the Southern Explorer, with new clothes, shoes, and personal stuff for the guests, and a restock of food supplies for the yacht. After just a few hours onboard, Mrs Cooper had elected to return home to Claremont, as she was not a good traveller when on yachts in open seas, so Sebastian organised for a taxi to take her back home.

Once the tenders were secured, we set off once more heading northwest, and once we were well out of sight of coast, the direction was changed again, now heading further out to sea, with our destination now set for the Indian Ocean Territory of Cocos Keeling Islands, which is a 4 ½ day sail away.

Sebastian only had a minimal number of crew now, with just six officers and twelve crewmembers, which allowed for all of them to have their own cabins, which they were all very happy about.

With Mrs Cooper heading back home, I suggested to Kyle that he and his family move up to the D deck, where they could enjoy a more comfortable area that includes the storm lounge, which he and Sue agreed on.

That evening, once Kyle & Sue’s boys were asleep, we gathered in the storm lounge to discuss plans for the future. Kyle had already sent in a letter of resignation to the Department of Corrections, stating that his family’s safety takes priority over his career, and that he may be moving interstate.

Sebastian offered to pay for any costs for relocating the family either interstate or overseas, which Sue gratefully accepted. “Do you have any ideas where you would like to relocate to?” I asked, “Well, I do have one very special place I wouldn’t mind taking my family too, and if possible we may even settle there,” Kyle said smiling, and I chuckled.

‘Would this also be my late father’s favourite place?” I asked, and Kyle nodded his head yes. “Where are you talking about, stop talking riddles you two,” Sue said sounding frustrated, then suddenly it came too he. “Wait a minute, if it is where I think it is, I am not quite sure about that, it is so far away from Australia, and gets very cold too,” Sue said to us.

“That it does, but once you have visited the place, you will see how beautiful and magical it is, and although it is remote, it does have all the necessary basics there,” I responded. “I will need to learn a heck of a lot more about the Falklands, before I agree to this,” Sue said to her husband.

“How about I finance a holiday for your family to spend two weeks there, and you can decided from there. We have some very good friends that live there, and I am certain they will be happy to show you around,” Sebastian said. “Hey Seb, is the Landrover still there?” Kyle asked.

“It is, and is still running, with once a week trips around town made to keep the old girl happy,” Sebastian replied, and I had mixed feeling about that vehicle, as it was the last thing that my father owned that is still owned by the family. I guess it must have showed as Kyle stood up, and sat next to me and gave me a sideways hug.

“Yes, we all still miss him greatly Xander, he was an awesome friend,” Kyle whispered to me. “Will you be coming with us?” Sue asked me?” and at first I did not know how to respond to that question. “I am not exactly sure if I will or not, I will have to think a bout it for a while,” I eventually replied.

The next morning when I woke up, the first thing that I noticed was that the sun was not shining through my cabin window like it should be, and after getting dressed, I headed out to the storm lounge, and realised that we must have changed directions during the night, as we were now heading approximately west.

Heading up to the bridge to get a confirmation on my hunch, I found Sebastian and Lewis chatting to the Bridge officers. “Good morning, did you sleep well?” Sebastian asked. “I always do when I am onboard this gigantic yacht, now would you like to explain to me why I do not have sunshine coming through my starboard cabin window?” I replied.

“Oh, you noticed that did you?” Sebastian said as I walked up to the bridge compass. “242-degrees! Are we heading for Cape Town?” I asked sounding very surprised. “Yes we are as a matter of fact. After you retired last night, Lewis the Captain and I, we discussed about what had happened, and we thought it best if we all go there for a while.

As you know it will take us approximately 12 days to get to Port Elizabeth, where we will restock with supplies, and also allow Kyle and Family to do some exploring around South Africa, before we set off again for the twelve day journey to Port Stanley,” Sebastian informed me.

“Have you told Kyle and family about the changes of plans?” I asked, “No, I thought we may leave it as long as possible before announcing it to them,” Lewis responded, and I laughed. “I think that Kyle will work it out a lot quicker than his family, especially when the weather gets colder instead of warmer, and with the sun setting ahead of the yacht instead to the portside of the yacht,” I responded.

“Lets see how long it takes him, shall we,” Sebastian said with a big grin. “Good morning all,” Kyle said as he walked into the dining room about half an hour later. “Good morning Kyle, how did Sue and the boys sleep last night?” Sebastian asked, “Good I think, Sue is getting the boys organised, now one question, why are we heading slightly south of due west?” Kyle replied.

“Damn!” Sebastian said, and I laughed, “Didn’t take Kyle long at all eh Seb?” I commented as I continued to chuckle, “Yeah alright smart ars… Oops sorry,” Sebastian replied. “Yes we are heading for South Africa, I noticed it too, as soon as I saw no sunshine in my window, 242 degrees was the course heading when I was up at the bridge,” I said to Kyle.

“So no consultation on this decision?” Kyle asked, “Oh, there was, but just between Lewis, the captain and I, we changed direction at approximately 2200 hours,” Sebastian replied. “What, ten hours, well I guess that would explain while we have a bit of a swell going,” Kyle said.

About ten minutes later Sue and the boys arrived and sat down at the table, “I have something to tell you after, but not around the boys,” Kyle whispered to Sue, who nodded in understanding.

“I’m going to get fat with all of this delicious food,” Sue commented, “Yes dear, but you have two son’s to chase after to work it all off,” Kyle responded, and right away he discovered that he had said the wrong thing, as Sue gave him the biggest mad look I had ever seen. This was followed by a bang against of the table, as if someone had hit it with their leg, and Kyle’s face expression, told me that he had just been kicked in the shin.

I tried as best as possible to keep a straight face, but it was nearly impossible. “Sorry dear,” Kyle said to his wife softly, “Oh you will be, don’t you worry,” Sue responded just as quietly. After breakfast, Kyle and I were in the storm lounge just chatting, when Sue and the boys arrived.

“Uncle X, can I ask you a question?” eleven year-old Huon asked, “Sure, ask away,” I replied, “If my cabin is on the starboard side, why was there no sun shining through the window when I woke up this morning? I thought we were heading in a north direction, but with no sun in my window means we are not,” Huon stated, and I could see Kyle’s face beaming with pride.

“My goodness, what a very intelligent son you have here Kyle,” I stated, “Yes, I am very proud of both of my boys,” Kyle replied. “So are you going to answer the question, why are we heading the wrong way?” Sue asked. “Well it appears that the powers that own and operate this ship had decided that we have been heading for Port Elizabeth in South Africa for the past 11 hours,” Kyle replied.

“But we have no passports with us, they are at home in Toodyay,” Sue exclaimed, “No dear, I have them with me, if there is one thing that I learnt a very long time ago, when with the Wagner and Devonport Families, always carry your passport with you at all times, as circumstances always change,” Kyle said smiling.

I just had to laugh at this statement, as it was so true, and I did just that every time I know that Sebastian is in town, just in case things change, as they have just done these past twenty-four hours.

During our journey to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, I sat down with Sebastian and Lewis to discuss some business ideas. This was one that I had been thinking about for quite some time, and I had been very quietly buying up rural blocks of land on the western side of the Northam Airport and the Mortlock River.

In all I had purchased 62 properties with houses, and all the vacant blocks of housing land, plus rural land, all in all a total of 382 acres of land which I had good plans for light industrial area, mainly because of the railway line being alongside the property, as well as the airport.

After receiving permission from the local council, to permanently close off Lunt Street, as well as the eastern half of Withers Street and Gillett Road, all which run through the middle of my property, before I had all sheds, houses and other buildings demolished or removed from the land.

Once that was done, I had 6.5 kilometres of 3-metre high Garrison fencing built along the boundary, which includes half a metre of concrete footing, to stop any digging underneath. Where the boundary fence runs along Gillett Road, the fence was set back 200 metres, to just 40 metres past where my boundary turns south, so as to have a access road built along the actual boundary and the Garrison Fence, which then follows along the northern and western side of the Mortlock North River.

The Garrison fencing on the Eastern side I have had built set back 60 metres from the actual Eastern boundary, so as to make space for the access road and additional parking later on down the track.

As far as the local council was concerned, I was building a light industrial centre, which will have access to the Great Eastern Highway. To give that impression, I had four giant sheds built along a 400-metre stretch of the north-west side of Gillett Road,

Each shed is 700-metres long, 160-metres wide, and 18-metres high, which each have wide access roads on both ends and along the back of each shed, with an additional Garrison Fence and concrete footing along the boundary of each of the buildings.

In the space between the two-centre giant sheds, are four smaller sheds, both are just 90-metres long, 80-metres wide and 6-metres high, and are set in line with the bigger sheds. All of sheds will have two separate entry gates, with plenty of parking space front and rear, with a 1.5-metre high front boundary fence. I was making sure to have plenty of semi-mature eucalypt trees planted in long rows, to provide plenty of shade for trees to park under, along the front of each of the properties.

Where my eastern boundary is shared with the Northam Airport, I had planned to have a two-lane sealed road built just inside my boundary, from the corner of Goomalling Road, for a distance of 600 metres. This is where the Northam Airport has one acre of land that sticks out on the western side of the runway, and is where there Emergency services shed and weather station are both located.

Set back 60-metres from the boundary, I planned to have an air terminal built that can service both airport runways, and although it will look like a giant shed on the outside, it will be totally different inside.