The First Mate still have Dilemmas

"Say, captain," the first mate asks his captain. The wind was blowing gently and the waves not too high. Not so a dead still, but just a wonderful calm. The sea is sleeping, that night. The sky, like her mother, silently watches over everything.

The captain stops her walk. It is time for sleep, yet it seems her first mate wants to have an idle chat. Once, in a while, it calms her. So does any trouble mind. The captain look at her with a smile. She wonders what topic they will discuss. She knew her first mate isn't someone who'd bother talking about ship and business after everything has been already planned. Perhaps it's the stars again?

"Actually, I want to talk about something, captain," says the first mate. "I do hope you won't get offended."

"I'm all ear," the captain replies. "What is this grave something you want to discuss that I might get offended?"

"Would you mind if we talk about it in my quarters?" the first mate ask and lead her on to the captain's chamber. She must've misheard him. This isn't his quarter, certainly it's hers. She's the captain, right?

She wanted to ask him why they're going to her room but he ignores her. He just leads her on. She quietly follows She misheard him, as she thought.

The first mate stands by the door and opens it with his key. He has a spare to my room, she thought. The first mate smiles as he bids her welcome. Perhaps she must've mistaken it, the ship is big after all. They must've walked a detour she isn't too familiar with, that's why in actuality they are in the first mate's quarters.

"This is the captain's chamber, captain," says the first mate. The room, decorations from table to window to bed, they were exactly as her room. They are in her room, why does the first mate have a key to her room.

"What's the meaning of this?" the captain asks.

"Don't you remember, captain?"

"What do you mean?" The floor creaks as she steps back. She doesn't understand what was happening. Don't you remember, the captain repeats the question in her head. What do I remember?

The first mate walks to her and takes her hat.

"You really don't remember?" the first mate asks as he wears the captain's hat. He smiles as she guides her to take a sit.

"Hey! Give that back! Only the captain is supposed to wear that!" the captain orders as she tries to take it back. The first mate holds her hand.

"Is that what you told us before? Mere hat can't hold title, captain. Even if I, the first mate, were to wear this, who still is the captain of the ship?"

The captain struggles as the moon shines directly on the face of the first mate. It is the captain. She remembers.

"Captain?" the captain asks. The first mate smiles.

"You remembered?" the first mate asks.

"How... how... what's going on?" the captain asks. "I was escorting you back from the island, right?"

"Tell me, what breaks your heart?" the first mate asks. Still confused, she oblige herself to answer.

"Break my heart?" says the captain. "I've never fallen in love before."

"You sure about that?" the first mate asks as he blows a wind on her face. "I hate liars."

Her face glowed red. She is blushing. Yet somehow, she don't know what's going on. In love? In love with who? Certainly it isn't him, he's her captain and all. But who?

"Don't you remember?" the first mate asks.

"I don't know," the captain answers. "I can't remember clearly."

"Let me tell you what breaks my heart," says the first mate. "It's two things actually: Lie and betrayal."

The captain still deep in her thought scarcely hears his voice. Who was she in love with?

"But then again, I'm sure none of you have it in you to betray or lie to me," the first mate says. He looks her sharply and continued: "Most of you, though. But I'm glad. It heart here when I think about it," he pointed on his chest. "Certain feeling of both hurting and not. Somethings I can't stand. But I'm glad. Are you there, captain?"

The captain still lost in her thought. Was she in love in the first place and to whom? The captain?

"It seems, I've done it this time," the first mate says. "I apologize, but it isn't me. It seems you have forgotten. That makes me a bit sad," the first mate, stands up. "But I do wish your dreams were to come true, captain."

Captain? That's right, she's the captain of the ship and why is the first mate in her room?

"Wh... what are you doing here?" the captain asks.

"Captain?" the first mate asks, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you here?"

"You asked me to. You told me something was on your mind," says the first mate. "I asked you to take a walk after dark, it might get your mind off things. Then you told me to come here with you."

That doesn't make any sense, thought the captain.

"What were we talking about?" asks the captain.

"You never told me," the first mate replies. "You said you forgot about it."

"Did I?" the captain asks.

"Yes," the first mate says. "I was in actually leaving when you asked me to wear your hat."

"My hat? Oh!" says the captain as she sees him wearing her captain's hat. "Did I?"

"Yes"

"I must've have been really tired," the captain says. "I forget things so trivial."

"Just like what you just don't remember that bugged your mind, captain?"

"I guess so," the captain stands and escorts the first mate to the door. The first mate takes off the hat and tries to hand it over.

"I think it suits you, my friend," says the captain.

"Oh! No, captain. It's suit you better. After all, you are the captain of this ship, am I right?"

"None sense, have you forgotten what I once said? Mere hat do not hold title," the captain says. "I am the captain of this ship. If you want you can keep it."

The first mate smiles and quickly wears the captain's hat on her.

"It fits you better, captain," the first mate says. "Beside, if you're still bothered, why not remember that thing that was on your mind. Is it love, I hope?"

He knows. But she is still confused. Who was she in love with? Was it the first mate? Or was it someone else from her memory. She can't remember.

Creak on the floor can be heard from the distance. The first mate walks away, with both a good night and a good lie.