The twins woke before dawn to find their dad in the cockpit of the boat with a steaming cup of coffee. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes, they called up to him,
"Hi, Dad, are you drinking coffee? You never drink coffee!"
"Well, today is special. In fact, I left some for you guys, and even warmed up the milk for you."
They weren't going to argue with him, even though their mom would never let them have coffee. Where was their mom?
"Where's Mom?"
"Come up here when you have your coffee and I will tell you a story."
Uh, oh, was all the girls could think and they found themselves joining their dad, with the moon still bright in the west and the sky just beginning to brighten at the horizon in the east. There was a slight chill in the air and a mist was just becoming visible over the river. The only sound was the water gently rippling against the hull when their dad began his tale.
Dan, that was dad's name, didn't know where to begin, so he jumped in with some humor, telling the girls that their mom had met the little person years ago at Girlscout camp. Nancy and Stacey shared a doubtful glance until their dad reassured them that it was true.
Norma was 11 years old at the time and after her swimming lesson, she went into the cool spring water to explore the river with her friends. Somehow she got separated from them, when she saw some turtles sunning themselves on a log. She moved very quietly to get a closer look. One by one the turtles heard her approaching and fell into the water, swimming to safety.
That's when Norma noticed the fish on the log, only it wasn't a fish at all, it was a small boy who wasn't all boy either. Trying to get a closer look, the boy/fish saw her coming and he disappeared into the water with the turtles.
Each day after that Norma went to the log where the turtles were and one by one the turtles would fall into the water as she got closer. It was three days later when she saw the fish/boy again. He gradually learned to trust her and they began to share stories about their separate worlds. He told Norma that she must have magical powers, as not everyone could see him or understand his language. Norma laughed at the idea.
Well, each year that your mom went to camp, she would find her strange friend and they would share their stories. The fish/boy was fascinated by her life "on top of the world," as he called it and Norma was equally intrigued by his underwater existence. When she was 16 years old he asked a favor of her.
He had been spending time in the fresh spring water to acclimate to life on top of the world and now he wanted Norma to help him to make the transition from fish/boy to boy/man. The moon was going to be full in two days and that's when the magic is the strongest.
Norma doubted that she had any magical powers, but she learned the complicated chants skillfully and agreed to meet the fish/boy on the night of the full moon at midnight.
She was scared and excited when she slipped out of her cabin that night and although everything looked strange and unfamiliar in the dark, there seemed to be unseen hands helping her along, for she soon found her friend waiting on the familiar log.
She carried him into the woods in search of a bright shaft of moonlight. She didn't have to ask him if he was ready because she knew that he had prepared a long time for this moment. Norma only hoped that she was really the right person to do the magic.
After she recited the chants three times as instructed, her friend, the fish/boy, fell into a deep sleep. He seemed to be unconscious for many hours and Norma was worried that something had gone wrong. She was watching the moon settle deeper in the sky when she felt a light tap, tap on her foot.
It was the fish/boy, and he was walking, very unsteadily, but walking! He was indeed now a boy/man, but he was still so small that Norma worried for him. The boy/man, however was not disappointed at all, as he had big plans to explore the "top of the world" on the wings of birds and he couldn't wait to begin the adventure. He was beaming!
Norma decided that he needed a name, so she called him Zeke, after her favorite uncle. ""Zeke" loved the name and urged her to get back to the camp while there was still some moonlight left. That's when they made a promise to meet again in 15 to 20 years, when Zeke would return to his people and teach them about the ways above the water. Norma was now the only one who could help him turn back to his original nature.
Reluctantly, your mom turned around for her trek through the woods, sad that she might not see him again for a long, long time. Feeling her sorrow, Zeke found the strength to scale a small sapling in her path and get her attention long enough to make her laugh and to forget about being sad. He was so happy and well, she had magical powers!
The way back was lighted magically with shafts of moonlight and she noiselessly slipped into her bunk to fall into a deep sleep.
That was the last time that she saw Zeke, until last night, thanks to you girls. Since the moon was full last night, she needed to act quickly and she went to see her long lost friend at midnight, just like that last time.
Just then they heard footsteps on the dock. It was their mom. She motioned Dan to come to her. They met at the end of the dock, their heads close together and then he motioned for the girls to come too. Dan got a small cooler from the boat and filled it halfway with the brackish river water, a mixture of fresh and salt water.
The twins were a little leary of their mom, but she hugged them tenderly and said how proud she was of them and they soon remembered how much they adored her.
Well, the rest of the story went pretty smoothly from that point on. The plan was to get Zeke to the ocean and saltwater before the moon set. They couldn't sail that distance in the time that was left, so Billy, the crow, was going to give Zeke a lift to the inlet where the pelicans would take him the rest of the way.
The little fish/boy was so happy and excited that everyone became happy and excited too, except Billy, who was a nervous wreck, pacing up and down until Dan finally got Zeke into a makeshift harness and strapped onto Billy's back. In one quick motion they were airborne and Billy flew in a circle of farewell over the dock and the sailboat. It was only then that he noticed the name on the back of the boat, Desperately Seeking Fish, Man.
"CAW CAW CAW," he seemed to laugh as he flew away.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Stacey."
"Won't the pelicans want to eat Zeke?"
"Ordinarily, yes, but these pelicans know Zeke and will take good care of him. They'll carry him in their beaks and gradually release him into the sea."
Mom looked at Dad and you could see that her heart was bursting with gratitude and love. They all hugged each other for a long time before heading back to the boat and then home.
The End
Afterword...
On their way home a black crow came aboard the boat and jumped onto Norma's shoulder. He seemed to whisper something in her ear. Norma reported that all went well and that Zeke was now safely in his watery home. And, she added, Billy would like to come home with us for a while if that's okay with everybody?
The girls were ecstatic! Dan smiled and shook his head in disbelief.
The End...again.
Afterword #2
"Mom?" It was Nancy this time. "Do we have magical powers?"
"If you could see Zeke, then you must."
The twins started giggling.
Norma asked Dan if he saw Zeke. Their dad didn't answer. He smiled to himself and kept an eye on the horizon.
The End...Really!