The Hidden Life of Captain Alfonse on the Ship Destiny's Dreams

The seafaring students in front of Captain Alfonse were not aware of the depths and layers, the secrets and hidden history inside of him.

Contradictions had fought inside him on many sleepless nights. One side had won, with a little outside help.

In 1898 Captain Alfonse stood smiling on the deck of the hybrid clipper ship and steamer Destiny’s Dreams. They were sailing off the coasts of Argentina and Brazil. 

He was so happy at the way things had turned out. Life was so full of unexpected twists.

His was full of ocean waves, endless skies, and opportunities that beckoned and surrounded him with their light.

Alfonse had left behind the winding paths of darkness and suspicions that his mind used to travel.

On one of his shoulders sat Foresta, the blue, red and yellow parrot he rescued when Foresta was a baby with a broken wing.

Playing with thick coils of rope nearby was Rio. When the young monkey fell off his mother’s back, and dropped from a tall tree to the ground, crew members of the Destiny’s Dreams found him lying on some leaves.

Knowing the captain’s interest in animals, they brought the tiny creature to him. With fluids and rest the little animal recovered and adopted the humans as family.

The captain looked at the youthful faces in front of him. They were part of the first education expedition known as The School of Destiny’s Dreams.

 The students were experiencing life at sea and learning about subjects like sea chart reading, star charts and constellations, ocean studies, weather, sailing techniques, navigation, import and export trading, supplies and records, meals and foods, ship logs, plant and animal studies, and exploration.

It all began several months ago on a morning after the ship left Buenos Aires, Argentina and was heading for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A few days out from Buenos Aires, Captain Alfonse Belanger felt alarmed.

A puzzling group of strangers boarded the Destiny’s Dreams when the ship stopped at a small port to load up on fresh foods from the village.

Captain Alfonse wondered what they were doing in the isolated village. His suspicions were aroused.

One man and a woman were obviously a couple. The other man wore a dusty, double-breasted coat and cap.

He saw the lone man seem to be moving to secretly overhear the couple.

When the captain saw the lone man nearby he tried to engage him in conversation.

“I see you came aboard in the surfboat from the village.”

“Yes, that’s true,” said the man.

"That’s a very isolated village you came from.” The captain kept fishing for information.

“Yes, it is.”

There was silence. The captain felt the man was looking at his face closely in a strange manner. It was almost rude.

“How did you happen to land in that village?”

“I was on another ship. They used a small tender to go in for trading.”

The captain thought this still did not explain it. Captain Alfonse felt a shiver of fear spread over his body.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

There was a silence and the two men stared out at the ocean.

Overhead the square white clipper ship sailed billowed out with the light breeze.

The sea had small waves edged with whitecaps. Overhead the summertime blue sky was clear.

Alfonse tried again. “Your coat is a little like a skipper’s double-breasted coat. Are you a retired captain.?”

He watched the lone man for a reaction.

“No. I’m investigating. A possible fugitive.”

Captain Alfonse’s face froze, and he drew in a slow deep breath.

He felt the other man's eyes looking at his face closely. Alfonse kept his face casual and calm. 

Then he said, “Is this related to the other man and woman who came aboard in the surfboat?”

The man made a grunt that was neither a yes or no. Then he turned and walked away.

Captain Alfonse was treated to the view of the man’s back.

Alfonse’s thoughts churned.

After a lunch of dried fish, biscuits, water, fresh coffee, and fresh fruit from the village, Captain Alfonse went to the wheelhouse.

While he was there the new-fangled machine called a telegraph began making clicking sounds. The ship’s officer began taking notes.

He handed the message to Captain Alfonse. The hairs on the back of Alfonse’s neck began to prickle.

“Fugitive. Tall. Very strong…”

Then a malfunction caused the message to be interrupted, so they only received part of it.

“There are two new men on the ship after the surfboat brought them from the remote village. I’ve been wondering why.” Captain Alfonse’s voice was stern.

“They are both tall and look strong.”

Alfonse went down the steps to the deck. His eyes under the brim of his cap switched from left to right.

Without turning his head he observed the passengers and looked for the newcomers.

In the distance to the west was the coast of Argentina. Soon they would reach Brazil.

The sun sank lower toward the trees on the shore as it became late afternoon.

Who was the fugitive that the lone man was seeking? What had he done?

The questions kept entering his mind until they seemed like an obsession.

Was it the man who came aboard with the woman? Or someone else?

This "someone else" especially worried Captain Alfonse. A thought arose that he did not want to admit.

He sauntered casually down one side of the ship’s deck and he noticed his breathing was coming faster.

When he walked by the door to the dining room the two new passengers emerged. He joined them over at the railing.

“Nice quiet seas today,” he commented.

“Yes, beautiful,” the man said.

“Enjoying your voyage?”

“Very much, thank you,” said the woman.

Captain Alfonse noticed the man looked tall and strong. His female companion was also tall for a woman and she might be strong too.

He wished he had the rest of the telegraph message. Farther down the deck he saw the lone man lingering and watching them.

“Hello. Hello.” Captain Alfonse’s parrot spoke in a high pitched voice. His bright eyes peered into the faces of the couple.

“Tch. Tch. Tch.” Rio the monkeky made chittering sounds and a soft birdlike call that ended on a high note.

He scrambled across the deck, grabbed some guide ropes that connected to the masts, and his long arms and fingers swung his body along the ropes, legs dangling.

Everyone laughed.

Adelberto, a navigator in training, walked by. He nodded to the captain to let him know all was well.

The captain continued to note and store details about the man and the woman. They were perhaps in their late 20’s and could be an average married couple.

They must be more adventurous than usual to have explored the small, remote village.

The woman carried a large satchel like a purse and held it closely to her body. Did it look extra heavy? Was there something suspicious about her?

The man seemed to smile pleasantly but the captain thought the man’s eyes were always moving, as if he was not focused on listening while they talked.

“That is a very remote village…the one you came from on the surfboat,” said Alfonse. He would keep trying to pry some information out of them.

“Yes. We were on another ship and we went in on their surfboat to explore. When we left we decided to stay a few days, until the next ship.”

The man’s answer seemed logical enough.

“That’s interesting. Not many passengers do that for such an isolated place.” The captain hoped they would elaborate.

“Oh, but we love to explore,” said the woman. She wore a smile and looked enthusiastic.

The captain studied her expression.

Rio the monkey scampered up the captain’s trouser leg and clung to his chest. He turned his head and gazed boldly into the man’s face.

Then he pulled his lips way back into a grimace, baring his teeth in a look that was his type of smile.

The monkey smacked his lips rapidly making a popping sound.

They all laughed.

“That usually means he likes you,” said the captain.

Alfonse was confused now. Rio had the animals’ instinct that sensed predatory motives in subtle clues too small for the humans to detect. The captain had learned to trust Rio’s instincts about people.

Throughout the day he noticed the lone man observing him carefully. What did it mean?

That night Captain Alfonse was unable to sleep. His mind kept seeing the image of the telegraph message.

Fifteen years ago, when he was a young man, foolish and impulsive, trying to survive on his own without his father’s help, he made a mistake.

Those who knew him now would be shocked if they knew about the villainous deed he had done, when temptation lured him, and his self-discipline was still young and easily bent.

After one argument with his father, when he was especially humiliated, he wanted to show his father and the world that he was a person who deserved respect.

But in seeking that he lost his own self-respect. He became haunted by suspicions and carried the burden of watching strangers to see if he had been pursued for the theft.

No one else knew about the stolen items he took that helped him pay for the restoration of the old, abandoned wreck that became the Destiny’s Dreams. He found it sitting in a lagoon, covered with seaweed, algae and mold.

When he saw the items unsecured, he was overcome and he took them to resell and lift himself from poverty to the level of the ship owner he was now.

But the act haunted him.

Every law enforcement officer he saw aroused his fear of being caught.

 When he caught someone gazing at him, he wondered if it could be an investigator who knew he was a thief.

After the Destiny’s Dreams became successful he secretly made trips to leave purses of money to pay back what he had taken.

But inside something was always gnawing at him so he was not at peace.

When he had paid back all the money he kept returning to leave more secret gifts of money.

When the inner darkness and fears grew large, he found ways to stop at the port and secretly leave another purse of money.

His natural empathy led him to help others who were suffering. He liked rescuing people and animals.

The parrot with a broken wing seemed to symbolize his own life where he, too, had something that was broken.

The fallen baby monkey, blinking up at him through half open eyes, obviously with his life fading, made Alfonse want to bring it back to life and vitality. 

Alfonse, too, wished he could be what he was before the event that changed his life, full of light, brightness and vitality.

When he heard tales of woe, such as Isabella’s and Adelberto’s, where they had run away from her father forcing her to marry his business partner, Alfonse felt drawn impulsively to heroically rescue them.

Alfonse remembered the joy of performing the marriage for the runaway lovers.

If only he could be free of the darkness and suspicions inside that his actions had caused him.

Captain Alfonse Belanger thought about the telegraph message. Instead of wondering about the young couple from the remote village perhaps he needed to look elsewhere. 

Somewhere very close.

The message said, “Tall. Very strong.”

That could be him. Captain Alfonse.

What was that in the lone stranger’s glance that seemed to jar Alfonse’s mind and rattle his feelings?

 It was almost as if Alfonse recognized the man from somewhere.

Before dawn, sleepless, Captain Alfonse rose from his bed and went onto the deck. There was the hint of a gleam of light over the eastern horizon.

Overhead the night sky was so clear that the stars seemed close enough for the ship’s masts to touch.

The fingers of the dawn air seemed to take Alfonse’s thoughts and feelings and lightly carry them away over the waves.

It was a familiar sensation to him. How he loved the sea. 

The fear of being found out and publicly humiliated faded away. But he knew that was temporary.

“I have to do something. I can’t go on this way.” Alfonse began to realize he needed to face his biggest fear.

"I need to confess," Alfonse said to himself.

Later that morning Alfonse gave orders to the crew to adjust the halyards and make changes to the sails so the wind power would increase the ship’s speed.

The sun was high in the sky. The lone man came to stand next to him. Alfonse turned and the both examined each other’s faces.

Alfonse remembered that face. He saw recognition appear on the other man’s features also.

“It is you, isn’t it.” The man’s voice was quiet and calm. ”I’ve been watching you.” He had seen the many acts of kindness the captain showed toward others.

“Yes. I recognize you.” Alfonse spoke slowly.

Then the man spoke again.

“I want to thank you for leaving all those donations for our cause. It has made such a difference for the young people whom we are helping.”

“Donations?” Alfonse’s voice rose with the question.

“Yes. I saw you leaving a purse full of money.”

Alfonse was speechless. The man must have seen him sneaking in during the dark of twilight.

After Alfonse paid off the amount he had taken, he kept returning to leave more purses of money from the successful income the Destiny’s Dreams created.

“It was after sunset. The lantern glow fell across your face. I’ll never forget it. I know it was you.”

The man’s eyes met Alfonse’s eyes. He saw the expression of pain that was in them.

“You’ve more than paid back the loan we gave to you. Many, many times over.”

“Loan?” Alfonse’s voice again rose in a question. He released the air he had been holding in his tight chest.

There was a long silence and they both turned and looked out across the ocean waves gleaming in the sun.

The man spoke again. “With the money you donated, we started a mission and a school to help children and young people.”

“Mission? School?” Alfonse’s shocked face was still turned toward the friendly sea.

“Yes. There is still much that needs to be done. You could be part of it.”

The captain listened. Time seemed to slow down. His thoughts swirled.

“Educational expeditions could be held on the Destiny’s Dreams for the young people. Training. Classes. Apprenticeships. Career skills.”

Alfonse turned his head. The man saw the wonderment on his face.

“We could call it the School of Destiny’s Dreams,” said the man.

“You remember me. I’m Richardo.”

The man smiled. He knew his instincts had been correct.

He had made the right decision.

It had been best for everyone to take the approach he had chosen.

Captain Alfonse felt the air drain out of his lungs. He could not speak. He nodded slowly.

That afternoon the passengers on the Destiny’s Dreams saw their captain and the lone man talking, gesturing with their arms and hands, and nodding during a long conversation next to the ship’s railing.

In the dining hall later, the passengers and crew saw the captain smiling with sparkling eyes while he talked to the man and they wrote many notes, diagrams, and charts.

Alfonse felt the flow of ideas rushing out. Ricardo talked to him for hours about the new plans. 

The School of the Destiny’s Dreams was born that day.

Later that night Captain Alfonse Belanger slept deeply and soundly till dawn.

The darkness of his worst fear was gone. No longer did suspicions and guilt weigh him down.

Alfonse rose early to stand at the railing and greet the morning light. He felt like a new person.

Breathing in the salty air had never been so sweet. The glow of the dawn's light rising filled him with joy and peace.