“No, I think you’ve thought of everything,” Reyes smiled, thinking that without Pablo he’d be rather lost. “And how do you suggest we go about finding them?”
“Good question.”
Pablo stopped to think for a moment and just when Reyes feared he would not come up with an answer he said, “I only have experience with seamen, so if you trust me, I’ll take care of the deck officers. You’ll have to handle the rest, though I’ll help you when I can.”
Reyes thought it was a great proposal but he had no idea how he would address his tasks.
“Sounds good. In that case, I’ll go to Madrid to find a pilot, a doctor, an accountant or at least a bookkeeper, and someone skilled in hand to hand combat. Am I forgetting anything?”
“I don’t think so,” Pablo replied.
“As I said, I’ll call you when I have a suitable candidate so you can give me your opinion. I suggest you do the same.”
“Perfect.”
#
A couple of days later, Pablo and Nacho were again at the Terraza, this time accompanied by Javi. Pablo had invited them out for some beers with the excuse of his new job, but his real purpose was to find out what his brothers thought. He valued their opinion both professionally and personally.
Sometimes, his relationship with his brothers surprised him. He didn’t know of anyone who at their age continued being as close with their siblings as they were. They kept in contact as much as they could, which, given their lines of work, was less than what they would have liked. But each one of them knew he could count on the others anytime he needed anything.
Everyone felt at home at the other’s houses, and Pablo’s sisters in law had become his new sisters, while his nephews had become a mix of his own children and much younger siblings.
Every time he thought about it he couldn’t help thinking that Mom and Dad must have done something right.
There were the three, so different and yet so similar. Physically they were alike, tall and strong, swarthy skin and hair, dark eyes, and the three resembled both their mom and dad. Javi was the one who looked most like Mom’s side of the family and was chunkier. Nacho was an almost exact mix of the two, but with Mom’s facial expressions and Pablo looked more like Dad, but he didn’t have his personality. Javi had inherited his mom’s traits. Like her, he was not very organized but quite intuitive and perhaps somewhat smarter than others and as a result of five years of Naval School, he was also responsible, intelligent and practical. Nacho was similar but more serious and less free-spirited. Pablo also had all those traits, but in him, they were spiced by an insatiable hunger for change and adventure. Maybe that's why they were the naval officers but he... well, he still wasn’t quite sure exactly what he was.
His other two brothers, Pedro and Jorge, were economist and P.E. teacher, respectively. Pedro was the quietest and least active of the five but, as always, he managed to find a job that paid amazingly well and didn’t require much effort on his part. Jorge, who was built like a tank, had always wanted to be a seaman, but after his teenage years, he realized he loved children and teaching. Thus, he had become a terrific P.E. teacher that kids adored, and led a simple life that made him very happy.
Pablo had a very good relationship with Pedro and Jorge, but nothing compared to what he had with his older brothers. He didn’t know what it was. Whether it was the passion for the sea or the desire to serve Spain or a higher purpose, or any of those things that their jobs had in common, but they just got along.
That was why he was now sitting on a terrace with the two men whose opinion he respected the most. He still remembered the best thing about finishing his career and becoming a seaman was the pride he felt being allowed to belong to his brothers’ prestigious club. Sometimes their father presided, but it was usually composed of just the three of them. Dad had to maintain a more impartial relationship with the rest of the family, but the three of them couldn’t help huddling together at every family event.
He couldn’t put it into words but it was a very strong bond based on shared experiences at sea and in the command of men.
Javi left his mug on the table as he savored his drink and said, “Well Pablo, it seems your dreams have finally come true. Thank God, because very few people with such complicated dreams ever see them fulfilled. Man, you're like the Cristiano Ronaldo of the seamen.”
Pablo smiled. He knew his brother was genuinely happy for him and that he may even be a little envious. Javi never regretted having become a Navy officer, but he had always dreamed of the opportunity to do something like this. Someone once said that servicemen are peaceful but not pacifists. As a general rule, they don’t want to start a conflict. They know better than anyone else of their negative consequences but they’re not against the use of force if necessary. He also knew, because of his brothers, the struggle felt by having, on the one hand, the dream of defending your country against the enemy, and on the other the hope that your nation will not go to war.
Nacho probably felt the same way, but he was not as disillusioned as Javi. Besides, he was commanding, the goal and dream of every seaman and therefore, delighted with his work at the moment.
It was ironic. Probably every commander and officer in the Navy dreamed of going to Somalia with the kind of orders that Albatros was going to have.
“Well, there’s still much to be done, and my role in this remains to be seen,” Pablo said, somewhere between cautious and humble.
“How did it go the other day?” Nacho asked.
“Really well,” answered Pablo. “After agreeing on the changes we wanted to make to the boat we went to Navantia and talked to the manager. I don’t know how much that Swiss guy is paying but we were treated like kings. All smooth sailing and to top it off they were all helpful and friendly.”
“I’m still amazed at your luck,” Javi smiled as he took another sip of his beer. “I just hope they treat you better than us. If not, forget about having that boat ready in less than fifteen months.”
Being a seaman and criticizing the shipbuilders went hand in hand like Bonnie and Clyde. Pablo also feared that a delay on the Puerto Real dockyard would end the project before it ever began.
“Now what?” Nacho asked. “Just wait?”
“No,” laughed Pablo. “My new boss has gone to Madrid to find a pilot, a doctor, an accountant, among others. Meanwhile, I have to find three guys able to act as officers on the bridge and, if possible, lead a department like yours: A chief engineer, an operations officer, and a head of the deck and navigation department.”
“Wow!” Javi couldn’t help exclaiming. “I hope there’s a shortage of doctors and pilots in Madrid because otherwise, I don’t see how you’re going to find your three guys before your boss finds his.”
Pablo thought the same but at least this way he had some options. If he had to get all the other officers as well, he would have been completely lost.
“This is better than having to find doctors and pilots,” he said, defending himself.
“You have a point,” Javi said.
In addition, Pablo knew that to find naval officers he could not only rely on his own experience but also on that of his brothers. That was another reason