Once upon a time there lived a family who was cruising the Pacific coast of Mexico on their seafaring vessel, Tulum V. It was winter onboard Tulum V and their mobile security system, Quincy, was getting cold at night. She would wake the Captain and Helmsmistress after midnight with her growling and whining from the aft deck until they allowed her inside. She was seeking more warmth than her cozy cockpit or damp aft cushions could provide, so she went in search of something more suitable on these crisp, bone-chilling winter evenings.
She tried the spacious V-berth where the two Deck hands slept. The Deck hands were filled with glee at the prospect of their Quincy sleeping with them and keeping them warm! They beckoned to her to jump up, but she did so with her ears back for she knew it must be wrong for her to enter such a palatial den. She felt the movement of the boat best from up here which was most uncomfortable. She heard the anchor chain when the boat swung in the wind. But most of all, this bed was just too big for her.
She began to sneak onto the bed in the aft berth where the Captain and Helmsmistress slept. It was much easier for her aging legs to simply walk onto the comfortable bed from the aft deck rather than jump the long distance down to the boat’s sole. She would sneak there in the evenings before the Captain and Helmsmistress went to sleep, but when she was discovered, not only was she promptly shooed away, she realized she didn’t fit in the small space with them. This bed was just too small for her.
When she was able to sneak below, she finally found a cozy spot in the passageway between the galley and the aft berth. Her body fit in here perfectly and kept her securely in place at rolly anchorages. Although there was mention of her losing her guard dog status for being below decks at night, the Captain eventually conceded and allowed Quincy to sleep on her new “bed” in the passageway. She now slept throughout the nights securely in her new spot. To Quincy, this bed was just right for her. The crew of Tulum V all slept (mostly) peacefully through the cool winter nights amidst the gaseous emanations of their beloved Quincy. They continued to sail and adventure onboard their floating home and lived happily ever after.
Epilogue:
There was yet a fourth bed that Quincy tried. One night when the Helmsmistress was awoken in a rolly anchorage, she couldn’t find her fearless guard dog. Not in the cockpit, not in the V-berth, not anywhere on the sole of the salon, and most certainly not out on deck. Where could Quincy be? Just then she heard it…the loud yawn of a most unattentive guard dog….from the narrow couch. Her large gangly body barely fit and she looked most uncomfortable trying to balance with her hind leg falling off the side, but she was indeed perched on the couch until the Helmsmistress awoke her. This barely qualifies as a bed but signifies her desperate attempts to try to hide from the cool, dewy evenings. Nice try girl-
PS: Happy Valentine’s Day from LF2SF and the Tulum V Crew-
One Response
This was the best of Valentines gifts. The Quincy saga. That last picture of huge leg hanging off settee had us rolling in laughter. U are a good writer. Of course a girl gets chilly at night. Too much. Made our day. Thank u. Grandma and grandpa