Page 3 of Swimming With the Sharks
“Is it scary?”Zotol asked.
“Is what scary?”Foster asked.
Zotol quietly asked, “Knowing you’re going todie.”
Shrugging, Foster replied, “All of us are goingto die at some point.I’m just going to do it sooner rather thanlater.”
“But you’re so young.”Zotol said in awe.
“Some don’t make it to birth and some die duringbirth.Some die soon after birth and some go on to live well intotheir hundreds.No one is immortal, Zotol.We all have a timelimit.Mine just happens to be sooner than some.”Fosterrelied.
Shaking his head in wonder, Zotol said, “You area remarkably courageous man with a strength many humans don’t seemto have within them.”
“Why do you say that?”Foster asked.
“Because you face the inevitable end to yourlife head on without a word of scorn or crying about the unfairnessof it all.You have not even revolved around the sun thirty years,and yet you are okay with never seeing it rise another day.Thereis so much in life you have not experienced, and yet you seem to bealright with that as well.Your body has limits that keep you fromdoing things the world knows you would love to do, and yet, you donot complain, yell, cry...no.Instead you, Foster Witman, face it,adapt and move forward.Many a man could learn from you.”Zotolstated.
Foster wanted to ask the man meant by what hesaid when he had been talking about the “human” comment.However,at this moment, hearing the true adoration in Zotol’s voice when hespoke, Foster found himself not caring.Maybe this man was sometype of magical being because the words he spoke had Foster calmlyand quietly saying, “Thank you.”
“Okay, so why don’t you do whatever it is youneed to do and the Captain and I will see you on deck.”Zotolstated, turning to leave.
A thought came to Foster and he found himselfcalling out, “Zotol?”
The odd man turned and Foster could have swornhe saw something flashing in the guy’s eyes, before they turnedback to that magnificent emerald green.“Yes?”
Swallowing and then clearing his throat, Fosterasked, “Why haven’t I seen you on the ship before?It isn’t thatbig a one.”
Smiling, Zotol replied, “Because I didn’t joinon until the lighthouse.Now hurry up, or you might miss the sharkfeeding.”
Foster gasped, “Really?I didn’t know we weredoing that.I thought we were going to fish.”
“Well, there is fishing and there isfishing.The Captain figured that since you didn’t care ifyou caught anything and expressed such a great interest in seeingsome sharks, we figured that it might be nice to toss some fish inand see what we could see.”Zotol said, then left the room.
Not wanting to miss anything, especially if itentailed sharks, Foster rushed into his bathroom and did hisbusiness, then after washing his hands, he quickly made his way tothe deck.Sure enough, the two hands Foster had met when he firstgot on board were shoveling what looked like a bucket of bloodywater with chunks in it off the side of the boat.
“Hey, Jimmy.Hey, Nick, is that chum?Are youguys chumming the water?”Foster asked excitedly.
Nodding, Jimmy turned and smiled.“That we are,young Foster.You asked to see sharks and we are here to bring themto you.”
Foster rushed to the side of the boat and lookeddown.The chum gave splotches of a reddish hue to the waves, andmore was added as Nick dumped what was left of the bucket into thesea.The Captain calling out, “Coming from the stern.Sharksahead.”
Foster immediately turned to look at the waterat the back of the boat, and sure enough, there were three finscoming their way.“Oh wow,” Foster whispered in awe.
It didn’t take long for the sharks to get totheir prize and begin eating their treat.Foster smiled, “That onewith the long pectoral fins...you see it.It’s a blue shark.Theycall it that because of the deep-blue color on top and the lighterblue sides.”Pointing at another, he said, “And that one there.Themetallic blue one with the elongated tail is a short fin mako.Ohwow, they are absolutely beautiful.”
Foster was so engrossed in what he was doing, hedidn’t notice when Zotol came to his side and spoke, “Simplygorgeous.”
“Yeah they are.I can’t believe I’m getting tosee them so close up.”Foster said, not taking his eyes off thesharks, especially since three more had arrived to feed.
“I meant you, Foster.That smile and the wayyour entire life force lights up...you are simply one of the mostgorgeous men I’ve ever come across.”Zotol said, and when Fosterfelt his face heat, the man quickly said, “Don’t get me wrong.I ama very happily married man.I just was making an observation.Youreally are enthralled with these animals.”
Nodding, Foster replied, “They are amazingcreatures and such an important part of our ecosystem.Without themout there cleaning the waters and keeping things like sea turtlesfrom overpopulating the ocean, it would be a disaster.To imaginesomething so alone in the world to have such purpose in life...well, let’s just say I wish I could be that important to just oneperson, let alone an entire world.”
Zotol raised a brow, asking, “Really?”
Nodding, Foster watched as some of the sharksdisappeared, softly saying, “Did you know that sharks have survivedover five mass extinctions?”
“No, I didn’t.”Zotol replied.