Chris stood at the archway entrance of the Gold Deck Bar; his foot rooted, unable to move forward. He was spellbound by the ethereal quality of Cecilia's voice; each note flowed like a gentle river, while her animated expressions danced beautifully. The depth of emotion she poured into every word enveloped him, creating a tapestry of sound and feeling that felt almost tangible.
"Is that a smile I see, sir?" Martinez asked Chris out of nowhere
Chris was enthralled by Cecilia that he didn't even notice he was smiling. He immediately projected a stern expression, erasing the smile. "What are you doing here? Who's on the helm?"
"My shift ended, sir. It's Cordova's turn on the helm now," Martinez said. They continued to watch Cecilia's performance, and she reached the end of the song, belting out the last few notes beautifully. She received a standing ovation from the crowd when she finished her song. "Wow, she is great," Martinez clapped and whistled a show of admiration. "Isn't she great, Cap…Captain?" he looked around him, but Chris had already left.
After seven days, the Twilight had returned to port, and Cecilia dashed down the gangway and onto the pier. "Pops is going to kill me…darn this ship," she groaned, worried that her grandfather must have already had a heart attack since she had been missing for one week.
Chief Bustamante and Murillo watched in awe as the human girl pushed her feet to run faster. "Did no one brief her about the time here?" Murillo asked
"I thought you did," Bustamante replied. The two just shrugged their shoulders and returned to their post.
Cecilia finally got to her grandfather's house and saw the old man, sitting by their door "Pops," she said panting, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. Promise I will never do it again, please don't get angry anymore your heart might get affected" she pleaded to the old man sitting beside him and holding his hand
The old man handed Cecilia her phone. "Why would I get angry at you for leaving your phone?"
"But I was gone for… why are you not angry, Pops?" Cecilia wondered as she took her phone from her grandfather
"Gone for? You were only gone for three hours," Ernesto smiled at her
"Three hours?" Now she was confused; she was sure she had been gone for seven days. She looked at her phone calendar, and it showed April 14, 2025, at 8:30 in the evening. "Three hours? The entire trip was only for three hours?"
Ernesto kissed his granddaughter on the head. "Next time, prepare your things in advance so you won't forget them, okay?"
Cecilia hugged the old man. "I think I won't go to the coffee shop today; I'll just stay here with my pops."
"Well, if you're not going to work, care to help me cook? It's been quite a while since we had our grandfather and grandchild bonding moment." Cecilia nodded with a smile, and she went inside their home to cook her grandfather's favorite dish.
The old man stood up, ready to follow his granddaughter, but he suddenly stopped, a wince in his face as he clutched his chest, and a sharp pain shot through his chest. When the pain subsided, Ernesto peered through the door, making sure that Cecilia did not see this episode of chest pain. After exhaling deeply, he went inside the house.
Near noon, the next day, the market bustled with life as Cecilia finished selling the last of her fish. The salty tang of the sea mingled with the earthy scent of fresh produce and the chatter of vendors hawking their wares. Despite the lively crowd, Cecilia's mind was partly elsewhere, tethered to a world beyond. She packed up her stall, feeling the weight of the day ahead. "Finished already? How do you do it, child?" one of the aunt vendors asked Cecilia.
"You have to tell us your secret, so we can also go home early like you," jested another vendor.
Cecilia brushed off their comments with a gentle wave of her hand. "There is no secret, aunty, just good luck," but deep inside, she neither considered nor felt happy with this so-called good luck, knowing that in exchange, she would spend fifty years tethered to the ghostly ship. "I'll be heading out now, see you ladies tomorrow." The other aunt vendors waved goodbye to the young woman and watched her leave.
"I pity that girl, losing both her parents, working multiple jobs to support her grandfather, life is just too tough on her," A third vendor commented after Cecilia left.
"I guess that is why she is a bit crazy in the head. That's why we shouldn't get jealous if she finishes selling before we do; that is the only thing positive going for her." The fourth vendor shook her head, "I wouldn't even wish her luck on my worst enemy."
The ladies nodded at each other. To change the topic, one of the vendors told the other vendors, "Have any of you seen Andres lately?"
At home, the cool shade of her grandfather's porch offered a brief respite. He sat quietly, his hands weathered but steady, eyes reflecting a lifetime of wisdom and quiet acceptance. Cecilia leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "How are things today, Cee? Have you had any problems?"
Cecilia just smiled, hearing her grandfather calling her Cee, brought back memories of her late parents. "No problems at all, Pops, as you can see, your darling granddaughter holds the record for speed selling fish," she jested, making the old man chuckle.
"Well, go on in and have your lunch. I prepared your favorite." The old man happily told his granddaughter
"Stuffed milkfish?" she asked excitedly. She could not believe her grandfather took the time to prepare such an intricate meal. "That must have taken you hours to prepare and cook."
"I have nothing else to do, I thought I might as well cook for you and make myself useful and not just a burden," He said in a weak and remorseful voice. He lamented the fact that Cecilia had to sacrifice so much just to take care of him.
"Pops…how many times do I have to tell you, you are not a burden to me, you are my grandfather, and I love you." She reminded the old man, a tiny pout appearing on her lips, "I'll just change and let us enjoy your signature meal, okay? I'm so excited for lunch!" Cecilia said with a giddy voice as she ran inside the house and got changed.
Ernesto laughed at his granddaughter's reaction and excitement. He was about to stand up from the chair, but he winced a bit and rubbed his chest. After a short while, he stood up and went inside the house.
Hours later, Cecilia was roused by the sound of an alarm. She sat up, glanced at her clock, turned the alarm off, and sighed. "Why? Of all the places to be bound by a contract, why was it the Twilight? The last place in the world that I want to be in," she mumbled beneath her breath as she got up and fixed her bed. She lazily took a bath and got dressed.
Outside, her grandfather sat on his rickety rocking chair, watching people and time pass by. She leaned in and kissed the old man on the forehead. "I'll be back in a couple of hours," she whispered, a promise both to him and herself. The human world was her anchor, even as the spirit world called to her.
"You be careful, okay, Cee?" he reminded her, the concern evident with every word he said. Cecilia replied with a smile. Ernesto watched his granddaughter leave with a vigorous wave of his hand.
When she arrived at the abandoned port, Cecilia took a deep breath as she watched the ghostly cruise ship take on a new batch of passengers. Her gaze fell on the observation deck, and she saw the captain staring at her. "Speak of the devil!" She made her way to the ship and entered through the crew entrance.