Finger raised, my friend pointed to a spot far behind me, near to a small no-man island. "Let's dock there." She said lazily, puffing a smoke after that, her eyes squinted a little bit in the millions of blinding sparks reflected from the sea water under the tropical sun shine.
For a while, i searched in the blue horizon over my shoulder, just to make sure i got the right direction, then i turned the tiller to make an u-turn towards the direction. Then there was silence, while in between, she puffed a few smokes, seems to enjoy cutting through the warm breeze. Her hair was still wet from last dive a few minutes ago, her dark grey wet suit shine a little under the sun, still showing hints of drench. Only noise of the motor propeller could be heard and the artificial waves that were left behind by our small boat, and the wind we ran into.
"You know, i think you are very weird..", my friend started, after a few minutes of silence, continued our conversation topic before her previous dive. She combed her wet hair with fingers, naturally as she did it, "..after so many years, i still think so." Her expressionless face could sometimes means the opposite. But after so many years i know her, neither i was sure she was serious or joking, what is the difference anyway.
"Yea, you knew it from day one you knew me. Still surprise?" a noncommittal question that didn't command the answer.
"Well, it has never stop surprising me how many weird things you have with you, still uncovering. But some are in good way though." She winked at me. Then locked into my eyes for a while before broke away with a sigh for smile, she turned away to look at the breaking wave that was left behind, strains of her hair flying along with the breeze, covering part of her tanned cheek. Hints of smile on her lips.
"So what is your recent surprise?", I asked my friend.
"Hmmm..", She looked up into the clear sky as if suddenly hit by rain splashes. "that you're here and you fear of water?". One of her eye brow slightly lifted, emphasizingly.
"I thought you knew it all the time?"
"Yea, but it never stopped to amaze me, especially each time we are on diving trip." She were combing down her hair with both of her hands, while still facing me. In the sky at the far horizon, a jet stream was born and began to lengthen.
"Well, i'm only here to turn the boat, to bring us from point a to point b. I don't even need to touch ..". I was cut short by her sudden laughter. "Yea?"
She laughed out loud for a while before continued, "Nothing, it is the way you put it. Very interesting".
"No one laugh at that like you do."
"You know, after some observation, i realized something about you." She paused for a while before continued again. "It's like sometimes, you have a picture painted at the back of the words you say, or when you say something you have a picture painted in front of you but then you were just describing fractions of it. So even if it's clear to you what you have said, not anyone can see the picture painted behind the word. It came out as pieces of puzzle."
I pondered for a while.
"Then how did you manage to understand what i said in first few times? My language."
"Actually I didn't, but i guess i figured it out some times later." She grinned.
"If nobody can understand then they can just dismiss what i say. If it sound like a joke, then i'm sure everyone can be in for a good laugh. Wouldn't that be better?"
"Yea, that's why i said some weird things about you is actually in good way." Then she leant her hand into my shirt pocket and fish out a box of Marlboro light cigarettes. I handed her lighter after searching for a while in my pant pockets. She lighted it up with a long inhales, turning a few millions of oxygen into smoke molecules in the process.
Without drawing attention, the jet stream extended itself across the clear blue sky.
After a long exhale of white smoke, she held away the cigarette and shook off some ashes, it flew out into the backwarding ocean air, and it got washed away in no time. I killed the motor propeller and we eventually reached a stop, still in the middle of ocean. Not too far away the island stood still, untouched by civilization. King Kong could have been living there.
She threw me a pliers onto my lap, almost made me jump, didn't realize i spaced out, then she motioned me to setup the life tank for her, so i did. It took a while for her to stuck the oxygen tank onto her back before putting on the dive mask. So many heavy gears for a fun hobby. Uneconomical as it is.
She was ready in rear roll position at the side of the boat. Air regulator dangling down from her shoulder as she looked at me.
"Before i roll in for the next fifteen to thirty minutes, tell me. Did i hear you mentioned you jealous of my diving club or something like that?"I paused for a few second, looking for words. "Yea, i did mention."Then she nodded a few times, slowly, taking all her time as if with silent approval. "That's another very interesting expression - Jealous of the diving club." She smiled widely, before putting on the mouth piece and air regulator, then gave me a peace sign. Splash. Disappeared she went into the water.I lied down on the deck, hat covering half of my face, laze crawled in. May day is quiet again. The only sound i could hear was water gently knocking the hull. The jet stream has dissolved and blended itself into the forming cloud.So there i waited, as dusk approaching real soon. Real soon.
