Last Day

As soon as his host or hostess shuts down the bar or turns off the coffeepot, a gentleman knows it is time to go home.

(A Gentleman at the table)

Handsome Turk wants to give us his private email. That is the good news. The bad news is: he does this because he finds it very hard to remember people. We are gold level…and the next level is platinum which marks 150 days on the ship; we have logged 28. (He told us that some people take it 4 times a year- Beats flying I guess.)

Boys met the captain. Charlie, true to form, really got into the whole spirit of free prawns. (See photo.) Frederick nervously drank his free, watered down orange juice.

Their march towards world domination wobbled when, in one day Thomas came in second (again) in a golf tournament, and the boys lost in ping pong to people in girdles.

Charlie took extra time with some aging champion to work on a few of his moves. He told me last night he wished the cruise would last four more days!!!!

Today we have seen the planetarium show on the search for extra-terrestrial life and had lunch.

The boys have compiled a list of all they have learned on board:

Shirley temples come from the wine guy, bread rolls come from the waiter. That should get you through til breakfast. (what is the wine guy's name, Charlie? I don't know, I just know he is French).

Vega is the brightest star in our Galaxy. But there are a lot of planets that are brighter.

Uranus is a gassy giant. (Charlie actually learned this in school, but it makes us laugh every time. Even Thomas. )

Frederick needs calories more often with Charlie around. When Charlie says Vidi is in a mood, (inside Brigham joke) that is the signal for the banana. Then they go back to paddle tennis.

Two beeps signals the elevator is going down.

The proper slice serve in ping pong.

Do not underestimate the elderly.

There are three full service fro yo stations here. If one is closed, do not panic.

My favorite part has been eavesdropping on their conversations. Charlie has his life planned out: he will move to NYC, make some money, then move the Paris, and after a "solitary life" will marry a French woman. Frederick thinks he wants to be a naval architect. All other details are vague.

If he were a "ho bo" Charlie would live near a bagel shop. I would look for a job says Frederick. What if you couldn't find one? asks Charlie. I would keep looking. They go back and forth- frederick refusing to entertain the possibility that no job is available. Charlie's back up plan is to steal bagels. Then you would go to jail when the police come says Frederick. I know that says Charlie, but then when I got out I would still go back (to the life of bagel crime).

Their little faces are still so cute to me, I want to kiss them like they are babies. But I do not.

Every year I think of CAB and how he would have loved this...all this open ocean. And how he would have delighted in these children, as Thomas and I do. One evening Frederick took off down the hallway to get a head start on his big cousin-tearing away at full speed. Charlie ran after him, waving his arms and yelling in that crazy high angel voice of his: FEDDIE!!!! they crashed into and past a Filipino server, and took a sharp left out of view. Thomas and I and the gentle Filipino laughed, because it is impossible not to.

And I thought to myself- My father missed things by going early. He missed this little hallway run, and I am sorry for that.