Read Between the Lines

It kicks off on a yacht with the delivery of an important letter.

Slap. Slap! The small ripple of cresting waves rocks the vessel back and forth, resembling the motion of a child's cradle or wooden horse pressing it against the dock bumpers.

A delivery man stands on the dock; his voice calls out. "Hello, hello, anyone on board?" The question goes unanswered, as a letter is dropped beside the ship's wheel. The delivery person jumps to the dock and disappears in a crowd of partygoers converging upon the deck of a sailboat tied off next to the vessel wind scribe. 

Amelia is winding her way down the dock her backpack cinched tight to her waist. Her dark brown hair swirls back and forth in the light breeze with a warm Bolillo from a village baker clenched firmly in her teeth. She has been travelling for the past twenty-four hours to get here. She is visibly tired and drenched clothing sticking to her skin from the heat and humidity. Swept up in the crowd of partygoers, she is pulled up onto the deck; a cold beer slapped into her hand. 

"Thanks, but I am not interested in socializing just now." Her rebuttal of disinterest falls upon deaf ears as she visually takes in the enjoyment of the others around her. Relinquishing to the pounding sound of Rhythm and Blues, "of well, a cold beer, a bolillo and music can't be all bad." She chugs the cold bubbling harps to satisfy her thirst and the bread her pangs of hunger from the drama of airline terminal hopping halfway around the globe.

"So, where are you from?" A tall, slender young woman standing behind her is eating a bolillo and holding two beers.

"I see you know of the bakery tucked away in the alley. I am from a frigid place this time of year called Sault Saint Marie, Canada." 

The women laughed openly, "frigid is it. Well, my name is Marie, and I am hardly frigid." Amelia smiles and raises her beer in salute to her jovial and quick wit.

"I am Amelia." Draining her beer and looking about for another.

"In the rubber ducky." Marie points to the large yellow duck on the bow of the sailboat. Amelia drops her pack and retrieves another beer.

"This is my first time in the islands."

"How did you know of the baker?" 

"My Uncle gave me precise directions in his letter to me. I am to crew on his yacht for a few weeks."

"What, you are here to work?"

"Not exactly, hopefully, do what we are doing now and work when I am not working at having fun."

"Which boat?"

She points her beer in the direction of the Wind Scribe on the other side of the dock.

Marie is quickly silent as she lowers her head. "You are Amelia Erickson?" 

"Yes, how is it you know my last name?" 

"My brother is the baker and friends with your uncle."

Marie, still gazing down at the deck, adds, "When did you get the letter with the direction for the bread?" 

"A month ago, My Uncle is not one to use a phone very often. He doesn't even use a computer — a bit of a recluse type. My mom says I took after him. I have this draw to the sea, I can't explain. Don't have a cell phone or a laptop. Well, that isn't entirely true. I had to use one for my degree work. Once I finished, I gave it away."

"What is your degree in?"

"Maritime Archaeology. That is why I am here. My Uncle pleaded with me to come out to this place. He said in his letter; he found a relic or something. But he wasn't sure if it was real, so here I am."

"Amelia, your uncle is missing, no one has seen him for a month."

Shocked and suddenly frightened for her Uncle, she jumps off the boat and runs toward the Wind Scribe. Marie grabs her pack and follows her. Standing on the dock sees Amelia holding a letter addressed to her in her Uncle's handwriting.

She is running the envelope between her fingers with tears running along her cheeks as Marie tosses the pack on the cockpit seat. Remaining quiet respecting Amelia's privacy. Finally, looks at Marie and blurts out, "my uncle, what has happened to my uncle?"

"No one seems to know, Amelia."

She sits down behind the wheel and rips the envelope open — with a blank look on her face resembling confusion or questioning the contents. Amelia lowers her hands and slinks back against the rail of the cockpit, looking at Marie. "I don't understand the letter is blank, two pages of nothing."

Marie climbs aboard and sits next to Amelia with a supportive hand on her shoulder, "We need to talk with my brother, let's go. Now!" 

Amelia is slow to respond as Marie is on the dock prompting her to move along quickly. Finally, guiding Amelia off the boat wraps her arm around her and pulls her onward at a fast pace.

"Now, I wish he used a phone. I could at least hear his voice. I was looking forward to seeing him."

As they approached the square in the centre of the village, a young boy came up to them on his bicycle and without saying anything, just shoved a folded piece of paper into Amelia's hand and rode off. They both looked at each other then watched the boy speeding off down the alley toward the bakery. 

"Are you going to open it?"

Amelia did as Marie asked and read the contents out loud. "You are being watched. Do not come to the bakery. What the hell. Being watched?!" 

Marie grabbed the paper, "This is my brother's handwriting. Come on; I know what to do. We have to run and run fast!"

 "OK, but where?"

"Just follow me and try to keep up." 

"Don't worry about that, go, go!"

They both bolted into a sprint and headed for the shanty village on the outskirts of the small town. An older area bordering the upscale marina now blocked off from view by a double row of mature cypress trees. Marie glanced back before they disappeared through the undergrowth of the trees. Two young men were in pursuit, but could not keep up, the sandals they wore hindered their speed.

Zig-zagging their way around the huts slowed their progress but confused the two men chasing them. They soon came to a rocky beach with cliff walls that met the edge of the surf. Marie wasted no time diving into the ocean and swimming for the cliffs away from the beach.

"Come on, swim, swim fast, we need to get out of sight." 

Amelia thought she was in good shape to handle this challenge, but after the wear and tear of travelling was falling behind and short on breath. At the cliff, Marie grabbed Amelia, pulling her under an overhang of rock out of view of the beach. Amelia choked from a rush of seawater, shooting up her nose began to cough uncontrollably. Her voice was echoing out to sea. Marie quickly covered Amelia's mouth in an attempt to lower the volume of her voice as the two men ran onto the beach and stopped at the edge of the water, looking up and down the short line of rocks and out toward the shoal. Neither of the women ventured a peek toward the beach for fear of being spotted. They bobbed in the rolling surf quietly and patiently hidden from view. Marie whispered to Amelia, "Follow me and stay close to the rocks; they won't be able to see us unless they decide to go for a swim."

Amelia nodded and followed Marie's request. They swam along the jagged rocks toward the sound of crashing surf with the ominous echo of cracking thunder. As they rounded a sharp corner of lichen-covered boulders, a large overhang with what appeared to be a cave came and went from view with the waves crashing into the wall in front of them.

"Be careful and stay close to the wall. Use your feet to push off the wall if the tide jams you up." 

They quickly got sucked into the cavern and under the rocks. The water was cold, and as they were pushed forward under the cavern roof, totally submerged had to hold their breath. They were in total darkness; the faint distant glimmer of light from the surface water at the entrance disappeared as they swam with the current of the sea, forcing them deeper into the cavern. Amelia began to choke and swallow her air repeatedly to maintain her control. Then Marie grabbed her arm, pulling her upward, found space for a breath. They were in a cave that measured four or five feet across and ten feet high, but no place to get out of the water. 

"What are we doing here, Marie?" 

"Getting away, silly. Would you rather deal with those guys back on the beach?"

"No."

Then, we stay here for a bit."

"There is no place to rest."

"There is, we need to go back under and continue to swim. It will be a bit longer this time, so take a good breath."

Marie quickly sank below the surface, and Amelia followed. Hoping she had the strength and length of breath to survive the swim. It didn't take long for them to pop out again, this time into a large cave with a small sandy beach. Amelia crawled up on the sand, rolling to her back exhausted from the ordeal is joined by Marie both panting for fresh air and dizzy from the swim underwater.

"So we nearly died to get here and safe from those two on the beach, what now?"

"You are the Archeologist, look around."

"You are funny, look around; we are basically in the dark here."

Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and a funnel of light became visible from a far corner. 

"Wait, is that light I see? We can get out of here without going back the way we came?"

"Yes, it isn't much, but your eyesight will get better. But, no, we have to go back the way we came."

"Where is the light coming from?"It is a borough for animals that live in this space."

"Great, now we are lunch for some creature."

Marie laughed, "No, they don't eat us; we are the elephants, too big."

"How did you ever find this place?" It is more accessible when the tide is out. We happened to need it at high tide."

Amelia's eyes adjusted to the dimness, and she got up. Looking around her saw figures on the walls. So, you come here to paint pictures on the walls?"

"Not me, someone else. The paintings have always been here. I have no idea how old they are."

"Is this where my uncle got the relic?"

"Don't know, Amelia. I didn't know about it until you mentioned it. We still need to connect with my brother. He sent the kid on the bike."

"But how did he know we would connect?"

"I must tell you something. Now, don't be angry. My brother described you to me. You knew who I was all along? You, SOB. I can't believe I fell for this ploy of yours. I am certainly not frigid!" 

"Look, My brother is the one you need to be talking to about this. I am in the dark about this as much as you are."

"I want out of here and now."

She dove into the water and turned to Marie, "How do I get out of this place?" 

"I see, so discussing this isn't going to satisfy you?"

"No," and she slipped below the surface. Marie dove in and guided them out of the cavern. When they turned the corner of the cliffs, the beach was empty, and they made their way through the shantytown using the alleys and back streets to avoid detection in the open. Getting dark, they entered the bakery through the back door. Marie's brother was busy cleaning up. 

"I see you got the note. Your both wet, the cave I take it."

"Yes. What is going on?"

He went to a cupboard and retrieved an object wrapped in a towel and handed it to Amelia. "This is what your uncle wanted you to see."

Unrolling the towel revealed a small statue of Venus. 

"This is a Paleolithic Venus. Where on earth did my Uncle find this?" 

"That is the money question. Those two guys are looking for it. They have no clue it is here; otherwise, I may be with your Uncle right now, where ever that is. He gave it to me for safekeeping. He didn't tell me where he found it. He wrote you a letter. I delivered it earlier today, but you hadn't arrived as yet."

"I received it. It is still on the boat. It was two blank pages."

Marie spoke up, "You can't go back to the boat. I will go and retrieve the letter."

"Be careful. No telling what those two guys are capable of doing."

Marie nodded in agreement and left as the young boy, Emanuel, was coming into the bakery. He went up to Marco and whispered. "It is OK, you can speak freely." The boy turned toward Amelia, "those two men went on your Uncle's boat. They were there for a while, banging things and swearing. They finally left empty-handed. Is there anything else for me to do, Mr. Marco?'

"Thank you, Emanuel, no."

The boy stopped at the door looking down at the floor, "I hope Mr. Erickson is OK." Then left without making eye contact with Amelia or Marco.

"He is a good kid Amelia. Your Uncle treats him to ice cream and stories of his adventures on the boat. Marie returned and repeated what Emanuel said about the two men, handing the envelope and the letter to Amelia.

"Naturally, they would have no use for two blank pieces of paper."

"The paper is not blank, Marie."

Both the woman stared at Marco with inquisitive looks to his comment. Amelia waves the two blank pieces of paper at Marco. "You have special eyes that you can see something here?" Pointing the finger at the raised papers in her other hand.

Marco took them and placed them on the dough table and pulled a flashlight from beneath the table.

"Your uncle told me how to make the letter show up on the paper, but he hadn't told me it would be blank or what it contained." He used some solutions to make what he wrote disappear. He did it with Emanuel when he played games with him. He told me we would need a lightbox since I am not a photographer; a flashlight will have to fit the bill. You hold up a sheet, and I will shine the light."

"I don't see anything."

"Be patient, will you and let me move the light around."

Before her eyes appeared, a grouping of numbers and letters. Then a bunch of letters came into view. Amelia started to cry her face crinkling up with despair of her Uncle. "I can't do this; I can't focus." She handed the papers off to Marie. "Here, please help me, Marie." She sat in a chair, her knees bent to her chin, shivering with emotion and the pain of possibly losing her Uncle.

"Amelia, Amelia! These are coordinates. I recognize them from a navigation class I took when learning to sail. There are words also. Would you like me to read them to you?"

Amelia wipes her cheeks and running nose with her shirt sleeve and gets up. "Show me, please."

Marie puts an arm around her shoulder in empathetic support and hands her the paper.

"My darling Niece,

If you get this, you will know where I found the Venus statue. There are other things only you may recognize as an Archeologist. I am leaving the Wind Scribe to you, sail her with me in your heart.

Your loving Uncle

Marco suggested Amelia go to the authorities and report the incident surrounding the statue and her missing Uncle.

Three days later, the two men were arrested and confessed to the kidnapping of Mr. Erickson and breaking into the boat. They told the police where they could find her Uncle, but they were too late; he had succumbed to exposure and dehydration. The three took the Wind Scribe with Emanuel to the coordinates and dove for the relics described by her Uncle. What they found was a treasure trove of Paleolithic statues and artifacts rivalled only by those found in France and Spain. The find became the property of New Zealand, and some went to The Toronto Museum of Natural History to be on display for the world to see and appreciate her Uncle's historical find. Amelia formed a company she called Triple E & G; Erickson Exploration and Maritime Excavation Group. Her Uncle's letter is framed and hangs in the main salon of the Wind Scribe for all potential clients and guests to wonder about its meaning.