March 2, 2012

Conspiring





As on any boat, the use of space was efficient, though reasonably roomy. Those who wanted a cabin had options ranging from having a window (or two), a private bathroom, or a shared cabin. Dormitories were available to the CCC class. Amazingly enough, there was an option even cheaper than a dormitory for the C class--the hallway next to the head, just outside the family cabins! That's where we slept. It also happens to be where parents sent restless children to play rambunctious games of tag with the herd of other youngsters who roamed the boat. I never had any trouble finding my hallway bed since all I had to do was follow the patter of running bare feet and screaming of children.



Our Mastermind Hallmate! Children fear her. Hallmates love her.

While our sleeping situation was modest, it also gave my hall mates and I a sense of amused camaraderie, giggling in exasperation about the man who wandered the hall at 6 am to play his harmonica, children who didn't want to bathe that screamed in the shower, the gossipy chatter of the pair of old ladies wearing fuchsia wind-suits up before dawn, and the constant mooing (and occasional whiff) of the shipping container of cattle one level below our own. Toleration was our only weapon against the obnoxious adults who never seemed to notice us, but we conspired freely against the wild band of children. Our hall mate, Elaina, proposed that we use a spray bottle on them as they ran screaming past our beds. Eventually we resorted to a more civilized form of discipline, which was to ban them from running through our particular hallway as there were plenty of outdoor places to play (and other
hallways to terrorize). This became quite amusing because they frequently walked by our beds with their parents, giving us apprehensive looks as they did so. Apparently they decided it was better to just walk silently and quickly past our bunks than to explain to their parents why they were banned from our hall.



Rusting shipwreck....




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