Teach a Teacher a Lesson
Chapter 19

The Port of Marseille, five months later...

Sam walked out to the second deck and headed to the stern. He raised the collar of his jacket to protect his neck from the bitter cold and tucked his hands in his pockets. December had been a rough month for them so far. They had been having a lot of stormy weather, cancelling a few of the voyages. Today the sea was calm and they would be able to set sail, but it was too cold, nonetheless.

He looked at La Joliette. It was the busiest time of the year for the neighborhood. All the shops were decorated and bustling with people. The port area always joined in the festivities, as well. Colorful garlands adorned the streetlamps, and every available wall carried a Santa Claus figurine or a Christmas decoration of some sort.

He liked the holiday time. Especially during the night, when the lights were on and reminded him of the ones they had on the Christmas tree at home. Sometimes, he missed his home and spending time with his family. His mum invited him every year at Christmas, and he gave her the same excuse every year: work. Even though it wasn't always true. There had been years when they were docked during Christmas and he could have easily flown back home, but he simply didn't want to. The relationship still wasn't good between him and his father, and he kept postponing a heartfelt conversation. He knew, however, that it was time they reconciled. It was one more thing on his to-do list. But top of that list was an essential reconciliation he knew would never happen, and he had finally come to terms with that.

For the past five months, he had done everything in his power to persuade Rita that he was truly in love and deserved another chance with her. In the beginning, he called her every morning, and she either answered and hung up the minute he said hello or ignored his calls altogether. Then he decided that texting would be a better idea. At least, he hoped that she would be reading a few of his messages. She never replied to any of them, but he tried to make every one of them special. He reminded her of the poems he had written for her and even managed to write down a few new ones. He told her how he felt when she was around and when she wasn't, how making love to her had been for him, hoping that she had felt the same. He made it a habit to send her a 'good night' text every single night.

It had all been in vain, though. It was obvious that she was never going to come around, no matter how persistent he might be. If only she let him talk to her one last time or even better see her, then he would make things right with her. He had played the scene so many times in his head. If he saw her once more, he knew exactly what he would say to her. And he was certain it would be the right words this time.

The honk of a bus made him turn his head and he looked down at the ship's entrance. The early risers had already started boarding, although it was still hours until departure. He observed the people below. The usual types of passengers: the groups of seniors, the honeymooners, and the singles looking for action. He could always spot the last ones. Especially the ladies. Most made a move on him first. Of course, he was no longer interested in any of them. After losing Rita again, he also lost all interest in love. If he couldn't be with her, then he wouldn't be with anyone.

Jack kept telling him to let go, and he had thought about it plenty of times. On occasion, he picked up a conversation with the ladies he met, but he couldn't see himself with anyone else but Rita. Sometimes, he thought that maybe in time he would meet somebody new, but for now he wanted to hold on to his memories. Like the time he saw her boarding the ship as the people did now. He remembered how her hair was glistening in the summer sun. He automatically scanned the boarding passengers for redheads because it was her color. He shook his head to erase that memory. How stupid he had been! He was blinded by his rage and the longing for revenge when he should have shown her nothing but love from the beginning. But now it was too late. She was never coming back or replying to any of his messages, and he would have to learn to live with the loss until it was time for him to move on. At least, he had made a step toward that. A week ago, he stopped messaging her. He still wanted to, of course. He frequently caught himself looking at his cell phone with a longing to try to reach her one more time. One last text. The lucky one. The one that would bring her back to his arms. But he knew deep inside it wouldn't work that time either, and he would only inflict unnecessary pain on himself. He should have listened to Jack when he warned him not to go on with his revenge plan because he would be the one left heartbroken again, digging his own grave. His wise friend had been right all along.

A gust of wind made him shiver, and he decided it was time to go back inside. He turned around and froze in his tracks. "You?"

"I had a feeling I would replace you up here," Paul said.

"You're back on the crew?"

"Yeah, the agency asked if I could do the tours on this voyage, and this time, I said okay."

"Look, man..." Sam hesitated and ran his hand over his hair. "I'm sorry for what happened that day. I am grateful you didn't sue me, and then the company gave me a second chance to remain on the ship. Well, I owe that one to Jack, to be exact." "It's okay. I understand why you did it. She is a great person."

"She is." Sam put his hands in his pockets and dropped his gaze to his shoes for a moment. "Have you talked to her at all?" he asked, without looking at Paul.

"Yeah, we've kept in touch."

Sam lifted his head. "Oh..." he said and turned his face toward the sea. His mind was playing games about the kind of contact Paul and Rita might have had, and he didn't want Paul to see the change in his expression. "Is she all right?" "She is fine. I guess you haven't talked to her."

"No." Sam breathed in the salty air, an ever-lasting panacea to all his sorrows.

"I see," Paul said.

Sam faced him with a forced smile. He held out his hand for a shake. "Anyway, Paul, I do apologize for everything, and I am glad you are back on the ship. I'll see you around," he said and walked back inside.

***

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Unable to sleep later that night, Sam ventured onto the deck again. The night air was crisp, but it invigorated him. He placed his elbows on the safety rail and stared at the starry sky. Despite the cold, it was a beautiful night. Like the one when he had first kissed Rita.

He went to the bench they had sat on. He remembered how the wind had carried her sweet perfume, teasing his senses. How she had felt in his arms...

He threw his head back and looked at the sky again. A tear rolled from the corner of his eye. He didn't bother to wipe it away. What would be the point? Everything was lost now. Hiding his feelings wouldn't change a thing. Would the pain in his heart ever stop?

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He grabbed it and looked at the screen. One unread message. He clicked it, and a disbelieving smile set on his lips. Perhaps it wasn't all lost after all... THE END