i love surprises. and getting surprised by a person is the best.
what i mean to say is; getting surprised when a person isn’t who you expect them to be.
I often make a trip down to the hottub when I work a day shift because I feel like I get to reward myself. Almost every time I’ve gone, I’ve been the only one in there. I can’t complain. There’s always the awkward, “Well should we introduce ourselves? Do we talk or just face opposite corners?” So tonight, yet again, when I arrive I’m alone. I don’t even bother with the other half of the cover. I’m there for probably about ten minutes, maybe less, and I hear someone come through the gate. A male voice says, “Hey there.” It’s too dark to tell if he’s even coming to the hottub. A good minute later I’m startled by the voice again but this time behind the hottub. “Do you mind if I join you?”
This time he is closer to the dim light of the hottub and I make out a much older gentleman than I had expected. He’s stumbling, and I’m still not sure if it was because of his age or his state of inebriation. He’s silent again while he struggles with the decision of where to set his drink and place the ash tray. As soon as his feet hit the water he lets out a long groan, “Ohhh this is why I’m here. I need this. I need this bad.” I laugh awkwardly. It’s forced, but he can’t tell. Once he’s settled he offers his hand: “I’m Duane. I live in 3206. And I’m gonna be honest with you; I’m here for my back.” I shake his hand, still laughing awkwardly, “I’m Natalie. Uhh yeah it’s not so bad.” By the state of his slur I’d say he has been steadly drinking all day, but he seemed hardly aware of this himself.
Well, there I was a 21 year old not bad looking girl stuck in this hottub with an old drunk that didn’t seem too shy. At that point I was thinking, “Okay, well I’ve been here ten minutes, it’s perfectly reasonable if I leave.” Followed by: “I am so glad I wore my one piece.” And before I have the chance to come to a conclusion in my head, Duane begins sighing again.
“I’m just glad I don’t have to worry about back pain for awhile,” I said. He found this amusing. “Well, when you’re a boat man for as long as I’ve been you almost get used to it.” Now this is too much. A drunken sailor in my hottub. I suppose he found that I was receptive enough for him to give a little background. “I am indeed Captain Duane Taylor. I sail boats and I have for a long time. I complain about my back and waiting by the phone, but I absolutely love it and — Oh do you mind if I smoke?”
I tell him I don’t mind and that I actually find it very interesting that he’s a captain. He begins to look me in the eye occasionally now. He’s warming up to me. He probably can’t even believe I was still there. And now he tells me about a famous murder mystery that he was involved in. Apparently, the basis for the (after researching on imdb) made for TV film, “And the Sea Will Tell” in 1991. That story could be a blog entry in itself. Anyhow, he finishes and I’m fascinated. He shies away a bit and apologizes for the morbid topic of conversation and gives me the opportunity to leave. Again, I’m faced with the choice: should I stay or should I go? I realize now that he isn’t a creep, or at least too much of a creep. I casually say, “You know I bet you have a lot of good boat stories. How ’bout a happy one this time?”
This was music to his ears. “Well ain’t my life bad! I’m sitting here in a hottub relaxing with a pretty young girl that asks, ‘Do you have anymore stories?’” After a couple more, all interesting stories about the sea. I heard about his life. Captain Duane Taylor has been a captain since he was 18, after he had already sailed around the world twice. There are 190 countries recognized by the United Nations, about 170 of those have a coastline: He’s been to all of them. Born in LA, spent 30 years in Hawaii, and the last 20 years in San Diego. If you’ve heard of the Star of India the huge old ship at port in Downtown San Diego: His boat is the second oldest ship in San Diego next to that. He spends most of his time sailing for charity races in the area. And when he’s not sailing he lives, across the hall from me no less, in an apartment with his 90 year old invalid mother who until recently also lived on a boat.
Ha. And I could’ve just made up a lame excuse to leave. He would’ve understood. I could’ve said I didn’t like the smoke or it had gotten too hot. Not only did I get to forget about my lonely situation for awhile, but I think he did too. A pleasant surprise.
Oh and I googled him:
“The boat was to be used to carry marijuana from Thailand. At one point, Brocklebank told the hired captain, Duane Taylor, that there were people in his organization who would kill Taylor if he screwed up.
Taylor sailed the boat to Honolulu in April 1983, where he was met by Gaglia, who told him to continue to Tahiti and await further instructions. Before Taylor departed, however, the boat was boarded by police, who found a small amount of marijuana and firearms. The entire crew, including Taylor, was arrested. While the charges were pending, Taylor told Gaglia to retrieve the Tiare before it, too, was seized. The yacht was sailed by another captain to Mexico and then to the Cayman Islands, where it was sold. “
That’s one story I didn’t get the chance to hear tonight…
This film was brilliant, but sadly I think a little over my head.
Beautifully shot: This surprisingly tense tale is perfected by the performances of Pitt and Affleck.
The subject matter is sexual and most times vulgar, but I promise you the relationship between Hank and his daughter is the most redemptive thing on television.
Overall, I think I actually liked it.
Disappointing in it’s ability to scare and in it’s terrible take on religion, this movie was just weird.
