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My father is a sea captain. That means he’s often far away and barely home. Sometimes, when he comes home, he feels like a stranger to me. Even my mother seems to feel that way. Sometimes.
She is a seamstress. That means she makes all kinds of pretty clothing. It also means she works a lot. One time, I went downstairs to grab a forbidden midnight snack and spotted my mom in our living room, still sewing dresses for her latest clients. The last year, I feel I’ve grown more distant from both my parents. All because of their work. During lunch, when I can get away from school for an hour, I often have to bring mom’s bread to the shop itself. During dinner, she is often too tired to talk or ask how my day at school was. I can’t blame her though. However, it does leave me with many thoughts that heap up in my head.
Time and again, I think about my dad and wonder what he’s doing there. At sea, alone with his crew. When I was younger, he used to tell me all kinds of exciting sailor stories. He even told me he used to battle pirates who were after the treasures on his ship. And if it weren’t pirates, then he had to fight sea monsters, so ginormous, you’d have to be there yourself else you wouldn’t believe it. It sparked something inside kid me. And now my mother blames my dad for my wish to become a sea captain like him.
“You shouldn’t have told little Jari such fairy tales! He’ll be chasing after empty dreams!”
“Mom, I know those stories weren’t real,” I’d counter and roll my eyes. Then I’d continue: “But there’s still much to explore, even if it doesn’t involve actual sea monsters. Did you know how high the percentage is of undiscovered sea?”
Nowadays my dad is mostly quiet. Maybe he has realized that I’ve grown up. Or maybe something has happened at sea that he wants to keep for himself. I fear it’s the latter. Even my mother doesn’t know what’s going on inside her husband’s head. One time, she confessed she was afraid that the sea had consumed him, that he had become inscrutable like the depths of the ocean. I wish I could talk to my friends about this. But their parents are too normal, so they don’t understand. They also don’t understand my excitement about the sea.
“Don’t you want to know what lays beyond and below?” I’d ask.
“We pretty much know it, don’t we?” the others say, all frowning their heads.
“Well, not everything has been explored yet!” I insist.
“I don’t know, Jari. I’m pretty comfortable on land alone,” and, “Do we really have to know everything?”
I’d sigh and soon my friends would be talking about sports or girls of which I neither I understood.
***
I feared that my life would continue to be incredibly boring and lonely but at the end of summer, I am proven wrong. As usual, I am at the local harbour. It’s not the biggest harbour of Finland, but there’s enough for the eye to see. A small cargo ship is unloading its containers on the docks. On a corner, a vendor is selling ice cream to children and their parents. Some people are fishing and a few youngsters are trying to renovate and paint their boat. One day, I’ll have my own boat, I think as I pass them by. I walk a bit further along the dock until I halt at a fisher boat. Two older men are prepping their freshly caught fish. They are viciously babbling about, about… a monster?
“I swear, I saw it!” the man with the light, greying beard and brown beanie exclaims.
“You always see ‘something’. Plenty of fish and plants,” the other man with the manbun counters, gesturing wildly with his arms.
“Not in the harbour!”
The men stop arguing when they catch me staring at them.
“What are you looking at, punk?” the long haired man spits.
“N-nothing. But I overheard you mentioning a monster?”
“Nah, my old friend Miika is just getting a bit cuckoo,” he says as he twirls his finger at his temple.
The older man huffs, crosses his arms and then throws me a warning look. “Believe me, young man. I know what I’ve seen and it ain’t beautiful! If I were you, I’d stay away from this harbour for a while!”
“So sea monsters do exist?!” I blurt out.
Miika’s friend cackles and claps his leg. “You gotta be kidding me! You can’t be as naïve as my friend!” I begin to blush and quickly run away from the fisher men. Once I’m at a safe distance I look back. They seem to be arguing about something else. As I slowly make my way home, I keep thinking about old Miika’s words. Was he serious? He looked serious enough, even if his companion mocked him. I turn back to the port to ask more but the two fisher men have already left. Only their boat is still docked. Come to think about it further, they mustn’t be from around. I duck down on the jetty and carefully crawl over to the edge. I take a quick look into the water as if I really hope to see something. A part of me is relieved when there’s nothing to be seen. Only the usual chains of anchors and some algae. The other part of me is disappointed that I didn’t get to see something exciting or extraordinary. I return home to make lunch for mom and me. I don’t tell her about my trip to the docks.
--
The following day, I leave my house early. When mom asks where I’m going, I tell her I want to go see the ships. She chuckles and rolls her eyes. “You still can’t let it go, don’t you, Jari.” I merely nod and slam the door shut. I blindly run down the streets and alleys that eventually take me to the harbour. The salty water smell greets my nostrils even before I can see the actual blue green hues. Despite it being so early in the morning, the docks are already bustling with life. I spot old man Miika at his boat. He is loading in some fishing gear. I run over to him and he spots me.
“Hey, you’re that lad from yesterday!” he exclaims as he tips his beanie upward to see me better.
“Yes. Name’s Jari.”
“Welcome, Jari. Welcome to our humble boat, the Vellamo!”
“You must be lucky with fishing then,” I smile as I now notice her symbol on the flank of the boat. Miika chuckles. “Glad somebody knows his mythology.”
“I kind of like everything related to the sea and the water,” I smile back.
Then the older man lowers his gaze and sighs. “I fear Vellamo has been dormant for a little while, though.”
“Maybe you could try to pray harder,” I suggest with a smirk.
Miika nods and gestures me to help with carrying a plastic box onto the boat.
“I’m sorry about my partner earlier.”
“It’s alright,” I huff after we put down the box which was heavier than it looked. “I’m used being called naïve, or too dreamy.”
“Hey, sometimes we need more dreamers than realists,” Miika says and pats my shoulder. “Plus, what I saw wasn’t a dream.” The old man gives me this intense look. “Dare to see for yourself?” For a moment I look around me. No one else is paying attention to us. My mom is probably working by now and dad is somewhere far away at sea himself. My friends are still sleeping for sure. Then I agree.
Miika navigates the boat near the exit of the port and turns off the engine.
“Why we’re stopping here?”
“Shh… The monster is in fact in the harbour!” The old man’s eyes dart nervously around. He even leans over the edge of the boat and I decide to do the same. Just like yesterday, nothing to see. Yet, now that I’m in the fisher man’s presence, I get a sense of eeriness. It’s like we’re being watched by whatever lurks at the bottom. Even if this part isn’t as deep as outside the safe confinement of the harbour, suddenly even these waters feel less safe.
“You feel it too, don’t you, Jari?”
“What?”
“It. We may not see it, but we can feel it.”
My fingers cramp around the railing, as if I’m afraid that this invisible creature could just drag me into the waters right now. We keep staring until another boat wants to pass through. While old man Miika steers the boat swiftly aside, I keep my eyes fixed below us and that’s when I spot something. A flash of grey. It’s indeed big.
“I see it!” I shriek, my voice more scared than I tried to come across.
Miika immediately looks where my finger’s pointing. Nothing anymore. It disappeared but the fisher sets sail for the jetty. He ties the boat back onto the pier and lowers the anchor.
“We-, we should look for it tonight,” he breathes.
“You sure?”
“Yes. Some critters just love to bathe in the moonlight instead of the sunlight.”
“I’ll be there,” I promise.
--
“Jari, is that you?” comes mom’s sleepy voice from her bedroom as I try to sneak downstairs.
“Just grabbing a midnight snack,” I lie. Hopefully she buys it.
“Okay. Just… don’t put too much, hm sugar.. or you’ll stay awake all night,” the last words come out totally slurred and fading.
“Sure, mom.”
Despite my mom believing the excuse, the loud creaking of the steps put me on edge. Quickly, I get my wind jacket, put on a cap just in case and make my way to the port. There’s a cool breeze tonight. I fully zip up my jacket and increase my walking pace and rub my hands together. I walked outside at night before. Usually with some friends or a whole group. Now it all feels different. Maybe it’s the idea of seeing a real sea monster, that makes the whole trip feel heavier and scarier. The docks are abandoned except for one man. Miika. He’s already sitting in the boat on his little stool. He waves at me.
“So you came after all!”
“What? You thought I’d chicken out?” I huff, slightly offended. The older male shrugs his shoulders.
“Hop on in, hop on in.”
The boat rocks around as I jump in it but it remains balanced enough not to turn over. Miika turns on a small flash light. Slowly he pushes the boat off the shore. There’s not much light but the old man knows his way. While he focuses on getting us out of the parking spot, I look into the water. In the night, it’s even harder to see properly. The first half hour is spend in silence. We’ve combed through the entire inner part of the port with no luck.
“Maybe we should-”
“No, no. No, Jari. We’re going to search a little harder. Let’s move further to the sea,” Miika silences me and so I sit back and shiver.
“Everyone likes to think me a fool but I know better. I’ll prove it.”
“Okay… So do we have something to record the creature with?” I ask. Miika gives me a look before nodding and grabbing something out of one of the many boxes.
“Here. Take this. You know how to use it?”
“Yeah. Just click the button,” I say and the older man gives me a quick thumbs up. Just as we’re about to leave the port, we feel a change in the water’s density. It’s like a huge ball welling up to the surface.
“The camera, Jari!” Miika yells. “The camera!” At the same time, we see how the monster is moving below and around us now. From what we can see it has a big, serpent like body.
With shaky hands, I try to get a hold of the camera while the creature is making large waves, rocking our boat up and down. When a large shape surfaces, it’s quick but I take a photo nonetheless. The flash must’ve frightened or angered the beast. With its large tail, it smashes down and I yell and the next second, foaming black water enters my mouth and I choke. Despite my panic, I manage to hold onto the camera with one hand. I have my eyes wide open in shock and for a second, two bright, yellow eyes stare into mine before the creature’s body smacks into mine and catapults me back into the boat. Miika holds onto me and claps me on the back as I cough up water.
“Let’s get you out of here,” he gasps in shock.
Of the monster, nothing remains besides some of the wilder waves that pool back to serenity. My entire body is shaking. All my clothes stick to me like a heavy coat.
“Aw damn it,” the old fisher man curses.
“I-, I’m sorry,” I almost sob.
Miika shakes his head. “It’s not your fault, Jari. You tried your best. Thank you, for coming with me. I’ll see if I can save that camera later. First, I’ll bring you home.”
As the two of us set foot on land, I keep looking behind me. The monster is nowhere to be seen.
“It-, it had eyes. Yellow eyes,” I stutter on our way home.
“Could you see its face too?” Miika wants to know.
I shake my head and get quiet. The walk takes forever but finally I stand in front of my door.
“I’m sorry, Jari. Please, take care. If you feel better, come visit me if you want. I’ll be around this place a bit longer, now that I’ve seen the creature a tad closer.”
“See you tomorrow,” I say and close the front door. I undress as quickly as I can. I don’t care that I have to walk through the living room all naked. Nobody’s up anyway. With the soaked clothes under my arm, I go to the bathroom where I dump them. I grab a towel and try to dry myself as much as I can before putting on a shirt, boxers and slip into bed.
The next day, I awake with a fever and a runny nose and mom standing at the edge of my bed. Both worry and anger is readable on her face.
“What’s the meaning of all this?”
“I-, I went out yesternight.”
“For a swim?” Mom peers at me with her arms crossed.
“I fell in by accident,” I say. Well, it’s partially true. I just didn’t mention Miika or the boat trip.
My mother sighs and shakes her head. “I’m going to make you some porridge. Jari, Jari… Sometimes I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours.” She walks away and my eyes close again. I’m so tired and cold.
--
On the third day of being bedridden, I feel well enough to walk down the stairs and lay on the couch. In fact, my mom has called me to watch the local news with her.
“Jari, look at this.”
The news reporter is standing at the harbour. Next to him stands old Miika and his friend.
“This is Lahti, reporting live from the harbour. And today I am joined by Marko Saaresto and Miika Hakala. Two fisher men from Helsinki, whom the latter has seen the creature that terrorizes the port up close. Please, mister Hakala, could you recount what you’ve seen?”
“It’s true. Sea monsters are real and this one’s as big as two if not three boats in a queue! The creature has bright and yellow eyes and gets upset when it comes in contact with light!”
My own eyes widen as I watch the news. Part of me is a bit offended Miika didn’t mention me but on the other hand I’m glad he didn’t pull me into this on local television.
“Even my good ol’ friend here believes me now!” Miika pokes his partner who looks paler than before. He merely nods, clearly frightened by what he’s seen. My jaw is agape.
“What would be the best approach now? Should we chase it? Capture it?”
“I fear a creature like this won’t let itself be caught that easily… Better to leave it alone.”
“But it causes trouble for the local fishermen, you two included. Something must be done.”
“I know. However, inciting it will only make it angrier and-”
Mom turns off the television. I give her a disappointed look. She throws me one back.
“I regret turning it on in the first place. This is no news for kids.”
“I’m almost seventeen!”
“I don’t want you to go any near the water. Remember how you fell in three days ago? That monster… if it was already there you could’ve been…” Mom doesn’t finish her sentence and nervously bites her nail. A blush is on her cheeks. “Besides, I doubt your fever has been lifted.” With that, our conversation is finished. I tsk. For the first time in my life dad’s stories have been confirmed to have some truth in them and now she can’t acknowledge it. I groan in frustration and let my head fall back onto the pillow.
A few minutes later, mom reappears in the living room. She is carrying boxes and tools to our kitchen table.
“What are you doing?” I wonder.
“Moving some things. I’m going to work here.”
“Whaat? Why?” I exclaim before realizing the answer to it.
“So you don’t go sneaking outside. I know you want to see the monster for yourself but it’s not safe.”
“That’s not fair! If I just stand at the jetty nothing can happen!”
“It’s not gonna happen, Jari! I do this for your own safety. And I-, I don’t want to lose you, okay?”
Grumpily I remain quiet and cross my arms. Once I feel confident enough, I get up and go back upstairs.
“What are you going to do?”
“Read some book. Ponder over the fact that I will miss a life chance here.” Before she can stop me, I stomp upstairs. My head still feels a bit heavy, but my health’s improving.
--
When I awake in the middle of the third night since that news I gasp. Immediately I put my hands on my mouth as if to reduce the subtle noise. I put on two shirts, my zipped hoodie and a scarf. I also wear my winter pants and shoes and slowly sneak downstairs. In the living room I hear my mom snoring. She is lying on the couch. One of the new dresses still on her lap, the stitching needle dangling on a thread. As quiet as possible I put on my rain coat and try to find out where mom hid the house key. Today I finally find it. It’s on the small table besides her. Swiftly I take it away. I jerk a bit when I unlock the door and it creaks heavily. For a final time I look back at my mother. She’s sleeping steadily.
“Sorry. I’ll be back before daylight,” I whisper to her.
This time, my trip to the docks feels less scary. I’m more determined than before. However, it’s difficult to see in the dark but I didn’t bring a flash light or other light source with me on purpose. Remembering how the sea creature threw a fit when I used the camera, I don’t want that happening again. Once I near the port, an unpleasant surprise awaits me. A large part of it has been closed off and police cars stand in the way. Damn it, I should’ve known from the news. The cars’ siren lights are flickering red. There are still people there. How am I going to reach the water now? I scan the environment thoroughly and almost scream when I feel a sudden hand on my shoulder. I turn around and am met with a familiar face.
“Miika, you almost gave me a heart attack!” I shriek.
“I’m sorry, kid. And about before… I haven’t seen you around anymore.”
“Got stuck with a fever from the icy water,” I explain.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that too. But you being here, I guess you’re better?” he mutters.
“Mostly,” I nod. Then I point out the off-limit tape and patrols. “How do we get in?”
“That will be a tough one. I was already trying but the police didn’t fall for my charms,” the latter is said with a slight chuckle and it makes me grin as well. Then Miika points his finger to a less controlled spot. “You might be able to sneak over there, at the rock formation. It will be a tricky climb though.”
“I’m still young and agile,” I laugh.
“Fair enough. I’ll make a distraction then.” Together we climb down to the docking area. Miika then suddenly stops. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“What will you do when you see the monster?”
“I-,” I go silent for awhile. To be honest, I didn’t really have a plan other than try to appease the creature.
“I was going to try and lead it out of our harbour,” Miika informs me after my long silence. “It’s been here for a few days, causing havoc. I’m surprised nobody got hurt, except some material damage.”
I look out to the water. It’s surprisingly quiet. “Maybe I can convince the creature to leave.”
“I don’t know if the authorities think you could do it,” the old man states. “They haven’t been successful so far.”
“But they are trying to capture it,” I counter. “That’s different. I’ll try to lead it out of our harbour. I doubt it will return to such claustrophobic place full of people trying to hurt it.”
“Yeah, that’s reasonable. Jari, if you manage to lure the beast out of our port, nobody gets hurt in the process, that would be the best outcome.”
I smile. “Do you think it likes fish?”
“Pretty sure it does. I’ve still got some. I will take my car and get you a pile.”
Miika parks his car away from the harbour. In an unlit area, he gives me the provision in a bucket. It’s pretty heavy but I’ll have to endure. He then gives me something extra. It looks like a big, heavy, clunky phone. “This is a handheld transceiver. Or HT for short. This way, we can communicate if the need arises,” the old man explains with a nod. “I barely use it, but I saw it laying in my trunk and thought this would be the perfect opportunity.”
“So… how does it work? Like a phone?” I vaguely remember my dad using an HT once.
“Pretty much. You just have to push this button and pull out this antenna. I’ve decided to sneak to the row boat that’s not far from the rocky formation where you’ll have to go. I’ll be your back up in the water.”
“Wouldn’t it be dangerous for you too?”
“I’m an old sailor, Jari. I can take a hit and I’ve seen a few things in my life. I’d be more concerned about you. Please, stay safe. If you feel you can’t bargain with the monster, run. Preferably to the shore and else you call me with that thing.”
“I will. But I have to try first. I want to do this, Miika. My life is finally getting interesting.”
The old man chuckles and pats me on the shoulder. “Good luck now.” We sneak toward the docks with me being a few meters behind, remaining in the shadows of the night.
“Old man, I told you not to come here. It’s not safe!” I hear one of the officers warn Miika. While he keeps playing dumb, I make my way to the rockier area. There are no ships or boats here because of the sharp rocks in the shallow waters. I can climb over the little mountain to the other side where deeper water is present. It’s dangerous, but I’m willing to take the risk. I suddenly realize Miika didn’t have a camera on him. I guess he just wants the sea creature gone so the boats can move again. Guess I’ll have to keep this memory in my mind only. Partially, it’s sad but on the other hand there will be at least one person who believes me if I tell I made real contact with a sea monster. And at least my town now knows that sea monsters exist.
The climb is difficult. I have the bucket’s ring in the crook of my left arm as I navigate over the slippery rocks in the dark. The light of the moon provides little help. Sweat is dripping off my face and my clothes feel heavier and hotter than before. Some of the fishes flop out of the bucket due to my erratic movement. The HT inside my coat brushes uncomfortably against me. My fingers and knuckles hurt from the tight grip I apply onto the sharp rocks. I hiss and gasp until I make it to the top. For a short moment I look back to the docks. Miika seems to be gone and the patrols are none the wiser of my presence. I have to try and draw the sea monster’s attention without drawing it to the people below. I plop down on the rocks. They’re cold. I shiver and then I take one fish out of the bucket. With all my strength, I throw it into the ocean beneath. The sea easily swallows it but I don’t get the reaction I wanted. I toss a bigger fish. Again, nothing.
“Come on… Show me your face again,” I grunt. I stand back up and then the creature appears blend in with a huge wave. As the water clatters down, its white reveals the monster. I’m in such shock and awe, that I barely register the foam wetting my entire body. I recognize the yellow eyes. Large and round, much like any fish normal eye. But what baffles me most besides its massive size, is that the upper part looks much more humanoid than I could ever distinguish when it hidden underwater. It has a strong torso with equally buff arms. With its clawed hands it holds onto the stones. The creature’s bald head is adorned with what I assume to be external gills. They have this slug-like, flappy appearance to them. They run from where human ears would be, in an almost vertical way down to the jaw area. More gills extrude from the underside of its jaw to its throat, like a garland. The monster has a dark grey complexion, although its belly has a lighter grey-blueish hue to it. It must be ideal for hunting smaller prey. The blue colour transitions to the grey in a tigers stripes pattern. Streaks of blue fill the chin area, almost resembling a chin patch.
My mouth is agape and I can’t produce any words or noise.
The monster has me in its hypnotizing grasp. It inches closer and some stones crumble underneath its weight. One hand reaches out to me. Fingers spread apart, reveals membrane between each.
“Y-you want s-some f-fish?” both my voice and body tremble as I reach for my bucket. The sudden movement makes the creature jerk back but not into the sea again. It slightly tilts its head and cautiously watches me take a fish out of the bucket. I throw it in front of the creature. I nudge with my head. Go on, devour it and not me. Hesitatingly, the sea monster takes the fish with one hand before aggressively chomping it down. Its eyes are fixed on the source so I decide to empty half the bucket. Some of the fish slip down the rocks but the creature is quick to catch them. While it’s eating, I try to communicate through speech once more. I have literally no idea if it can even understand any human language but it’s worth trying.
“You’re a big… eh, big guy, huh? I bet you’d rather roam the oceans instead of being stuck here.” I glance over at the harbour. I can’t make out of Miika’s still at the docks, but there are still authority figures walking around. However, their attention is luckily not on this part of the place. Such big creature is difficult to ignore.
“If you can’t find the, eh, exit you have to go over there.” I point out with my finger and then my hand. The big creature doesn’t seem to fully understand so I begin waving my arms toward the harbour’s exit point. That gesture didn’t come across properly. Now the monster hisses, baring its razor sharp teeth and I quickly put my hands behind my back. My heart is beating so hard, I fear it combusting right on the spot. Of course it doesn’t and after we’ve both calmed down, I try again. I make swimming motions and point back at the harbour. To my surprise, the creature mimics my gesture and I nod affirmingly.
“Yes. Out, out of here. There.” I throw it another fish but before my hand releases it, the sea monster grabs my wrist and I hold my breath, as if one sudden movement could make the monster snatch off my entire arm. The grip is strong but not to break my wrist. Luckily, the grasp lightens and with the other hand the creature gently takes the fish from my stiff hand. I shakily laugh and once again, the monster mimics the gesture.
“I can get you out of here. Will you follow me?” I whisper. Very slowly I try to move while the creature’s eyes are on me constantly. I’m readying myself for the steep descent toward the water. I have to contact Miika. Nervously, I unzip my coat and take out the device. I unlock the antenna and dial the button.
“Jari! Thank Vellamo, you’re still alive!”
The monster makes a noise at the sudden, foreign voice coming from the HT.
“Shhh… M-Miika, quiet. I need you to come over to the rocks here. I’m coming down. But be quiet and slow! The creature doesn’t like sudden moves.”
“Did you manage to tame it??!”
“Not exactly… But it’s appeased. I’m climbing down now!” To my luck, the creature follows curiously. I scream and curse when my foot slips on the wet, smoother rocks below and I tumble down a few meters. I even hear my coat rip at one point and suddenly I feel the sea creature’s arms and hands around me. It caught my fall! When I look into its eyes, I wonder if it’s concern I can read or if it’s just me projecting, finding humanity in this non-human being. Miika appears around the corner. It causes the monster to drop me into the water and hide quickly.
The old man quickly rows over to me and grabs my arm, pulling me out of the freezing water.
“You did it!” he exclaims before realising his mistake. “You did it!” he repeats in a whisper this time around. Worried, I’m already searching for the creature, fearing Miika scared it away.
“Come back! Please, he means no harm!” I hiss. Despite the cold and my growing exhaustion, I keep looking and calling out for the monster. The swell of the water announces its presence again and Miika stares in utter fascination like I did before. The man is completely paralyzed. Even his breathing seems to have stopped for a second. The creature’s eyes dart from me to the older man and then back to me.
“This is Miika. He’s a friend,” I explain. “We’ll get you out of here, just… follow me.” I give the old fisherman a look and he nods in understanding. Slowly, we begin to row toward the open ocean.
“Try use some fish,” Miika says and points over at a new bucket at his feet.
“You brought some extra?”
“Yes. After my distraction with the authorities, I sneaked back to the car and got some extra provisions before hijacking that row boat. Thought it’d come in handy,” the man smirks self satisfied. Using the trail of fish bait, we get the creature to follow us. Its dorsal fins stick out like dangerous shark fins.
“Is it… is it still behind us?” Miika asks, who has his back to the monster.
I beam: “It’s working.”
The trip to the mouth to the ocean seems to take forever. Both Miika and I have gone quiet. We keep looking at each other and I keep track of the creature as well. In silence we revel in the feeling of doing something very grand and unique. At our destination, I drop the remains of the bucket into the water for the sea creature. It happily consumes the food before rising one last time to meet our eyes. One hand rests on our boat, making it sink deeper into the water. Miika quickly clings onto the border so not to fall into the water. I remain static on my side of the boat. The creature’s other hand then reaches out to me. Fear is certainly present inside me, but it’s being overwhelmed by pure excitement.
The hand grazes my cheek before it drops into the ocean together with the massive body of the creature.
We watch its dorsal fins slowly disappear further away into the horizon until nothing remains but the sea, the boat and us.
It still takes me a whole other minute to move and process what just happened.
“We did it. You did it!” Miika congratulates me in a warm embrace.
As it downs on me, my posture relaxes and I take in a fresh breath of air and laugh out loud. My arms swing around the other man.
“Yes. I-, I did it! Miika, I did it!” I cheer.
We chuckle and then the old fisher man steadily rows us back to the shore.
“So… what now?” I ask.
Miika stops in his tracks and gives me a silent look. “I don’t know to be honest.”
“I doubt they’d believe me, huh. Or you, for that matter,” I grunt annoyed.
“Their loss.,” Miika shrugs his shoulders. “At least we know that you are the true hero of this event.”
I smile.
“You saved your fisher town and managed to save the creature too in the process as well!” the older man continues to praise me and gives me a few shoulder pats. Our trip to his car is spend with some more laughter until we arrive at my doorstep. Just as I’m about to insert the key into the door lock, the door opens from the other side. It’s mom. Shock, disappointment, anger and relief are visibly fighting on her face. Eventually, the latter wins and with tears in her eyes she embraces me.
“Jari, oh Jari, where had you been?!”
“I was at the harbour.”
“I should’ve known… I-, why?” mom wipes away some of her tears and gives me a stern look.
“I took care of the sea creature problem. It won’t be bothering our town anymore.”
My mother gawks, then her eyes dart to Miika, looking for an explanation. The older man takes off his beanie and nods in confirmation.
“It’s true, Ma’am. Your son just saved your little town.” For a moment, I fear mom might give me a scolding in front of Miika but instead her maternal instincts continue to kick in. She lowers herself to my eye level and gives me a thorough search. Her hand strokes over my jagged coat.
“Where did you even go? Just the ‘harbour?’”
“I had to climb some rocks to reach the creature,” I say as if it was nothing.
“And the police or other authorities? Didn’t they stop you?” Mom asks.
“I kind of did it in secret,” I confess. Again, she looks at Miika for any confirmation and again he nods.
“You silly boy, you silly, silly boy. I-, thank you for delivering my boy alive.”
“Of course. Good evening, you two.”
The door closes and mom and I go back inside where she immediately prepares a shower and lays down new clothes for me.
The following day it’s almost the first thing that appears on our local news channel: The sea creature has disappeared. People are baffled but also relieved that the fish and other resource trade can continue. Boats can enter and leave the harbour in safety again. Though the question remains unanswered how this happened and if any human was involved in the creature peacefully leaving.
A stupid smirk is plastered on my face the whole duration of the news broadcast.
--
My dad returns from sea a couple of days later. Most people seem to have already forgotten about the sea creature. Not me of course. And when I settle down at the dinner table, dad speaks up.
“Jari, did you know about that sea monster?”
I quickly glance over to my mother who surprisingly gives me a consenting nod.
“Yeah,” I say.
“Did you see it up close?” he asks me, making direct contact. I gulp before letting out a quiet ‘yes’.
That makes the man’s mouth corners lift up into an easy-going smile.
His follow-up question goes: “And did you have anything to do with the creature’s depart?”
I nod.
Then my dad suddenly bursts out in roaring laughter and claps my shoulder than I almost shake off my chair. “You’re a real Salminen, son! It’s in your blood. Hear that, Hille? Our son has become a man!”
I laugh with him and mom joins in.
“It’s getting late, but tomorrow I want to hear everything,” dad says after we’ve finished our dinner.
“You sure you go time?” I worry.
Dad nods and grins from ear to ear. “Once, I was the one telling you my wild sea stories. Tomorrow, I’ll hear yours.”
