Ivan’s First Overnight
The Little Ocean Flyer careened over, up and down, rapturously, upon the waves. A boat never knew so much delight and joy. Ivan rested confidently upon her and gazed keenly out to the sunset, his short brown hair catching flecks of frosty mist. He knew this first overnight ride on the boat would be one he’d never forget. His Grandpa had promised.
Steadily the waves softened and smoothed as the sun sank lower and lower into the depths of the ocean. The day also softened from orange to purple to blue. Ivan pulled his thick coat a little tighter, and secured his father’s cap down over his ears. He looked straight up above him.
“One, two, three…” Stars blinked out of their daydreaming. Ivan loved to count the stars and watch the constellations become visible as the last sheer veil of day dropped from the sky. Here now, on the black glass of ocean, the familiar friends appeared even more vivid.
Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, as Ivan called her, stood out grandly in the sky. She was his favorite. Orion also appeared very low in the sky. He was a warrior, bow in hand, or shield, Ivan could never decide which. The two constellations did not often appear together, but he was catching them at just the right time.
“Grandson!” A husky voice called behind Ivan snapping him from his vigil. “Have you spotted the Great Bear yet?”
“Yes, sir!” Ivan pointed proudly to the sky and traced the constellation with his finger.
“Very good, my boy! Now, tell me, do you see her little sister?”
Ivan paused. He peered at the stars he was learning to call by name.
It was very hard when he was first learning to find shapes in the sky. They just looked like one big mass of dots on a black background. His eyes had to be trained. Ursa Major was the first constellation he could really see in the night sky, especially her back half which is called by many names - the plow, the wagon or the big dipper. Once he could see that part of her, the rest of the giant she-bear was easy to find, and this is largely why Ivan loved her so. She was his first sky-friend.
However, as he searched the sky for Ursa Minor, the old pesky blanket of dots on a black background again muddled his sight. Ivan pointed to a bright star across the sky.
“Now, now, no guessing! That’s the eye of the great bull, Taurus. ” Ivan’s grandpa patted his back and spoke warmly. He pulled a little chart from his pocket and shone a light on it. They both blinked at the harshness of the white light and then focused. “See here is our great she-bear.” He drew a circle with his pointer finger around Ursa Major. “We just find the star on the top of her back - it’s also the front of the big dipper - and now move your finger up. Ha! There is the tip of Ursa Minor’s tail. The little she-bear.”
Ivan smiled, seeing the familiar shape. “It looks like a smaller dipper!”
“Right you are! She is also called the Little Dipper.” The friends smiled at each other. “Now, grandson, do you know why we want to find the Little Bear?”
Ivan shook his head.
“Are you sure you don’t know? How will we ever find our way?” The old man’s smile beamed as wide as the world itself.
“Polaris!” Ivan shouted with remembering. How could he forget? “The North Star! Right, Grandpa?”
“That’s right! The end of the little she-bear’s tail is none other than our northern pole star, Polaris.”
“So, if we follow it, we will be going north?”
“Yes. And that is exactly where we are going.”
Ivan breathed in deeply the wonder all around him. The smell of the ocean and enormity of the landscape, all at once swallowed him whole, and yet crowned him king of it all.
Ivan’s grandfather cleared his throat, “You sure you should be wearing your daddy’s hat out here?”
“Yes, I always wear it. Dad said it would be like he was watching over me.”
Ivan’s grandfather furrowed his brow, “Hmm, you best make sure it’s on tight. Don’t want you losing it out here.”
“Oh, I would never lose this.” He pulled the black beanie down again, “I miss him.”
“I know, my boy. Me too.” Another wave of quiet washed over the two captains of the sea. Ivan closed his eyes and imagined his dad was with them, and then he smiled suddenly.
“Grandpa. Isn’t is wonderful to think that Dad could be looking at the same stars we are?” Ivan immediately shot his eyes up to the sky and stared at Polaris.
“That is wonderful.” His voice was close to a whisper. He looked up to Polaris as well and closed his eyes again. His prayer was swift and silent that God would help his son so far away.
It had been over a year since he had last seen Ivan’s father. He was far away and they weren’t allowed to know where he was or what he was doing. Military life. Ivan’s grandfather had urged him to get out of the military while he had a chance, but Ivan’s father had insisted it wasn’t time yet. Now, as the old man looked up at the sky and out at the ocean, he felt his son’s distance. He had been gone too long.
Ivan’s grandpa cleared his throat again and refocused his mind back to the task at hand, “We’ve got a ways to go before we drop anchor. You’d best study that map a bit more and see if you can get your bearings. If you can find your way in the sky, you can find your way on the land and in the water.”
“Where are we going?” Ivan paused. His next words were more to himself than to his grandfather, “I can’t believe you convinced mom to let me go without giving up our destination.”
“Your mother knows this is a family errand. A very important family errand. And she knows I love you more than just about anything.”
“So? Where are we going?” Ivan implored.
His grandfather looked down at him and then back up to the ocean and replied, “Destruction Island.”