I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now..
Shuckster
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Post by Luciano on Jun 11, 2015 22:07:28 GMT -5
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I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now..
Shuckster
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Post by Luciano on Jul 31, 2015 15:20:22 GMT -5
South Pacific Ocean, June 1st 1957 SS United States 04:55 About an hour ago I woke up from a deep slumber, again to the nightmares that have haunted my sleep since the end of the war. Or maybe I've always had them but I didn't notice or realized that I did since my life back then, day and night, was a living nightmare of its own.
I went about my business and headed for the promenade of the deck at exactly 03:15, just like every other night. Some nightly ritual you can say... It was very quite. Passengers were still sleeping. The sky was clear and the ocean still, prophesying the beginning of a safe journey to conquer the unknown.
A day before, we departed from the shores of Port of Santiago (Valparaiso) Chile. We are currently heading to Bora Bora, French Polynesia. We will drop some of our high caliber passengers off at the main pier in Vaitape before heading back from whence we came two weeks ago, the States.
If I could, I would get a home in Bora Bora and live there forever. Other than that, there seems to be too many questionable incidents happening in the city. It always made me extremely dubious about the whole thing. At least, with a peek at the horizon I see the 4th of July approaching. It should be a decent experience. I love annual traditions.
I wasn't surprised to see chief officer, Mr. Marcini, still awake. Despite his now old age, he never seemed to sleep. If he ever did, I doubt he slept more than five minutes, or at irregular intervals during the day, in his cabin. Yet, there was always this healthy glow on his face. He looked happy, at all times. There was something about the calmness and peaceful silence of the night he just enjoyed, and he told me once that he would rather live the night and mediate, than sleep his nights away. I mean, I know the feeling really well. There is this thing about finding wisdom in silence while breathing into the exhilarating ocean breeze of an early morning. It was some kind of a Zen experience for the both of us.
I too, don't get enough sleep. The SS United States was a luxury ship, but I have denied myself the luxury of what a captain would experience in his own private quarters. Yes, my cabin was comfortable, but not comfortable enough to tempt me to sleep when I'm tired. In other words, I don't have a bed. If I sleep, I sleep on my couch. It is better that way. My crewmen sometimes shake their heads and laugh but they know that at the end, they would call me from a premature rest to attend to administration work. I have the ultimate command of the vessel, and with that, come immense responsibilities; the vessel's fate, along with the well-being of the passengers, and the crew under my authority.
Even with little sleep, It wouldn't always be clear on my face that I had taken little rest because I simply got used to my irregular sleep schedule. Such was a life on open water. It has been like this for about twenty years now and the only other times I get to sleep for a good long eight hours without any interruption, that would be when I'm home in Vegas.
Marcini, was more than simply my chief officer. He was also like my father. We have worked together since la Italia di Navigazione. When I was given the proposition to accept a legally binding agreement with the American Ocean Lines, I was given the honour to pick my officers. I've chosen Marcini as my Chief officer and couple others of my senior officers for I've always had the greatest faith in all of them.
Anyway... someone is at my door. I told them to give me ten minutes to prepare. It could either be the Compliance Officer that I was expecting to meet with today, or my attendant, bringing me my freshly laundered full formal golden-embroidered black attire. I took great care in the way I dress, whether aboard the ship or in public view when the vessel reaches a seashore.
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