Trip To Malé

At the B A R

Outside, chairs around at dawn; crowd awake because few buddies wish to go Malé. Fitte going on urgent matter, Lucky and two other boys joined.
Fitte says, “Doni says no boat!”
Monica says, “There’s still the supply boat without crew.”
Fitte, “That’s true. Four boys make a crew. We need a captain.”
Jackie says, “Koi is a captain.”
Fitte gets up, “Right, Koi…I’m going to fix him.”

At the S T A F F Q U A R T E R

Koi sleeps…
Fitte wakes him, “Koi! Are you a captain? Can you take us to Malé on the supply boat?”
Koi yawns, “What?”
Fitte, “Wake up! You’re going to Malé…”
Koi, “I can’t take you to Malé!”
Fitte asks, “Why not?”
Koi, “Because I don’t know the route…”
Fitte, “That’s alright. If you can handle the boat, I’ll show you the way.”

Morning breaks…

Johns stand on the beach watching the sunrise. A small crowd walk up along the beach. Two crew carrying diesel in small drums, Koi, Fitte, Lucky and Jackie walking behind.
Two crews greet, “Morning!”
John replies, “Good Morning! What’s up boys?”
Two crews pass, rest come up; Fitte, between Koi and Lucky, walks totally bare. Jackie, behind, carries his clothes. They stripped him in the staff area a moment ago.
Fitte waves, “Going Malé. Bye, bye!”
Couple stares…
Jackie says, “Fitte is going to Malé.” And crowd move on.

At the J E T T Y

Lucky observes, “I see bad weather in the clouds.”
Jackie, “Nothing much, only few drop.”
Koi, (in the background onboard) “Where’s the handle?”
Soon…all board, engine roars and set sail to Malé.

On the W A Y

Noon; Lucky and Fitte sleep on the deck of the open vessel. Koi sleeps hanging on the rudder. Two crew dozing off. Just then rain falls.
Fitte wakes up wet, “What’s this? Why rain?” Lucky gets up wet too.
Koi shouts, “Rain ahead!”
Fitte, “Koi! You’ve taken the boat into that rain!”
Koi shouts, “It’s going to throw away…”
Fitte, “Away? But the raincloud was on the other side last I checked. Do you know where we are heading?”
Koi, “I’m holding up on course like you said.”
Fitte reaches the controls, “Suck! This compass is rusted. It’s stuck…” He looks around, “There’s not a single island to be seen.”
Lucky asks, “What time is it?”
Fitte reads his watch, “It’s two o’clock. Time now we should be in Malé. Do we have a walkie-talkie on the boat?”
Two crews reach the bottom and bring out a box from under the engine.
Fitte picks a walkie-talkie and tries, “This isn’t working.” He removes the batteries, “Suck! All of them leaked.”
Lucky says, “I’ll climb the mast to see if an island is around.”
Bit rough, Lucky climbs the mast pulling to sides.
Koi, “Check the GPS.”
Fitte, “Do you know to read that?” Koi shakes his head.
Lucky points, “We’re heading away from the islands. I can see islands far out behind us.”
Fitte asks, “Can you identify some?”
Lucky shouts, “Koi, turn the boat around!”
Koi turns the boat.
Fitte scolds, “You say you captain a ship? Almost threw us out of the country.”

They arrive at a Fishing Village to buy diesel, not enough fuel now left to reach Malé.