The Captain is a Dilemma

"Can you hear it, my good friend?" the captain spoke as his eyes are fixated on the moon looking at the ocean. "Can you not feel it?"

The first mate was behind him. She just found him sitting on a fallen log near the edge of a cliff looking across the ocean, the sky and the moon. They were staying in the same uninhabited island for a few days since. It was an odd request but the captain asked them to let him go explore the island alone.

Is the captain, dreaming? He did took a stock that would last him a day and a half, but not more than that. He must be delirious.

"I'm fine, my good friend," the captain smiled at her and stood. He went to her and took her hand. "Please, come sit by me, let's see this together. I wonder why it's only you that come to get me. I wonder why it took you long to come to me. But not right now. Look, the moon, tonight it is most beautiful."

The first mate looked once more but there she saw nothing spectacular. It's the just moon, the sky and the ocean. Nothing else.

"You can't see it?" the captain was looking at her before she realized it. The captain took a deep sigh. He was at that moment sad. "You can't really see it, right?"

"I can see the moon-"

"Yes, yes," the captain interrupted her with glee. Perhaps she sees it as well.

"The sky and the ocean," the first mate continued. "Is that it?"

The captain stood and walked back.

"Let's go back," the captain said. His tone changed. The captain was sad. She obliged and followed him.

"What am I supposed to look at, captain?" the first mate said as she got behind him.

"What I could."

"It's just what I said," the first mate replied irritatingly. He was vague. She doesn't understand him.

"Of everyone, I thought you'd understand me most, my good friend" the captain said. He read her thought. She was surprised and wanted to ask him if he could.

He gave her a smile.

"Do you remember why I took you all with me to the sea?" the captain said. Once more his tone change. He was sad but a hint of emptiness echoes in his breath. "You all told me your dreams, right? I can remember each and everyone's dream. Including yours. But I guess, that dream of your have realized. And now, I don't know what your dreams right now. My apology."

"Please, don't apologize at me, captain," the first made embarrassingly asked the captain. It's true she had achieved her dreams, then why is she still on the ship?

"Perhaps, you wanted to see it through, right?" the captain once more read her thought. "To see how this little voyage of us come to the end. The end of its journey, am I right? But I guess, you not saying it must mean you have other dreams as well, but you don't want to share it with us, am I right?"

"Captain? Can you re-"

"I can see the future too," the captain revealed to her. "But not the near future. I can only see distant."

"But..."

"Can't you feel it? I am the captain of this crew we have, I can only guess but right now and ever since. I'm feel a certain connection with you all," the captain said. "It makes me guess correctly what you will just say, right?"

The first mate appeared shocked but smile at him. Is he going to confe-

"Nope. I'm like a father to all of you," the captain said.

Did he just read her thoughts once more? Or did you saw it coming?

"I guess, it's both," the captain once more said. "But don't be sad. I love all of you equally," the captain said. She wanted to cry, she was rejected. The captain knows but he didn't said a word.

"You're like magic, captain," the first mate said in a happy childish tone. Her smile was a lie. "We should tell the others about it."

"You've forgotten, who am I, right?" the captain asked.

"What do you mean?" the first mate asked. Her sadness was now drowned by curiosity. "You're you, you're our captain. The one who'll sail us through it all."

"Is that right?" the captain asked. He stopped on their walk. He realized something. "Who am I before I became your captain?"

"You're... you're..."

"You've forgotten, right?" the captain said. His sadness came back. "Can you tell me my name, my good friend, my first mate."

She can't answer him. She doesn't know. She's forgotten him.

"For now, let's go back," the first mate asked him. "I'll ask the crew what your name is. I guess I'm just not really good at remembering names, right? They'll certainly know it. Come on, let's go."

"As you wish, captain."