Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen Read Free Book Online Page B

paddle as my rudder to hold the new direction.
    â€œVery good,” Enrique says. “Now go that direction.” He points across the deck to the north.
    This time I have to steer hard to the left and let the sail swing across the deck. When it swings, I must duck low or the pole will hit my head. I try to let the sail fill with air slowly so it does not grab the cayuco and tip it over.
    Again Enrique nods. “I think you have sailed many times.”
    â€œI have sailed only once with Uncle Ramos, but I have sailed a thousand times in my dreams.”
    Enrique moves his body to face me. “Now we must talk about very important things. There are many things you must know if you do not want to die on this journey.Do you understand?”
    â€œI think so,” I say.
    â€œOkay. First, if the wind makes the waves big, you must paddle straight against the waves or sail with the waves. If a big wave catches a cayuco from the side, it will tip you this fast.” Enrique snaps a finger.
    I nod.
    â€œThis is the middle of May. It is a good time to sail north. You will have the currents always pushing you from behind, and you will also have the wind at your back pushing you most of the time. I think many mornings will be calm with clear skies, but in the afternoon as the heat grows, storms will come. These can be very bad. Be careful and always be ready for them. If you must take the sail down, take it down early. Lowering a sail on a narrow cayuco in a storm is very dangerous.
    â€œThe hurricane season is not supposed to begin for another month, so maybe you will be okay. But remember, nature does not always follow rules. Any week of the year there have been storms that sink boats much larger than what you are sailing.”
    Enrique points to his head. “Your head is what will keep you alive, not the boat. Remember that.”
    All the things that Enrique tells me are like rain on a dry field. I listen and try to remember every word. I ask questions about anything I do not understand. As Enrique talks, I stretch my feet under the deck. Angelina tickles the bottom of my foot. This is a game we haveplayed many times, but tonight I cannot tickle her back because I must listen to what Enrique says. I wiggle my toes and hear her giggle.
    â€œBefore it is needed, you must practice lowering the sail,” Enrique tells me. “When a storm comes, that is not a good time to do anything for the first time.”
    â€œWhat do I do at night?” I ask.
    â€œIf there is a bad storm, or if you get too tired, find protection if you can. There are empty islands and shallow reefs with mangrove patches. If it is hard for you to see the shore, then nobody on land can see you. That you must remember. Also if you sail inside the reef, you will lose the strong current that pushes you north.”
    â€œAnd what if I cannot find an island?”
    â€œThere will be those times. Then you must learn to sleep sitting up. The hardest time will be once you leave land at the north end of the Yucatán. Then you will sail day and night for almost two weeks. Your uncle Ramos talked to me of this journey many times. It was his dream. There will be little rest. You will find sleep in moments, not in hours. Be very careful when you are tired. Many sailors with big boats fear crossing the Gulf.” Enrique smiles. “But this is also a very good time of year to be foolish. With luck the weather will be kind to you.”
    Angelina stops playing with my toes, and I think that maybe she has fallen asleep. I look out across the lake. It is hard at night to know where we are. All the lights seem far away and look the same. Alone, inthe middle of this lake, I feel very small. What will it feel like on the ocean?
    In the dark I cannot see Enrique’s face. I see only the shape of his body against the sky. He has a proud chin and a big chest like a bull. I know he is an old man, but listening to him in the dark, I hear the