Night Chating of Seafarer

She wouldn't need your hug forever

On the crowded subway platform in Taipei, waited for the coming train, I suddenly caught sight of a little, cute girl requesting a young man -obviously, an unexperienced father- a hug, from time to time.

Seeing her eyes closed, and face glowing with sweet, contented, innocent childishness, I just knew her life was full of happiness for sure,dreaming in her father's love.  What a fantastic picture on earth it is !

A few times later, stopping the repeated embrace, staring at little girl, this young father apparently was sick of it : putting it this way, he was tired of it, even though his little cute daughter constantly jumping up and down, and asking his hug of love.

I knew how he felt about it on the scene and what he didn't get behind it too.  Seeing that very disappointed face of a little angle really hurt me very much. I just couldn't let her down at that very moment.

″Excuse me, Take my words.  Time to hug your precious is limited, you should cherish every chance of it.  Trust me, she wouldn't need your hug forever.˝

This time, hearing me out, he quickly gave his little one a big hug that I ever saw in my life.  And little angel finally revealed a satisfied smile as a blooming flower.

…... all of a sudden, I missed my little one .....

  "You seems have no interest in getting prostitute on shore,"in the middle of chatting, he suddenly asked ,quite in a serious manner.

  To explain what really worried me,to make him clear of having something wrong with my aptitude,I told him the fact,not touching any girls easily for not making my child stay alone somewhere in the world,if happened by chance.

  Satring at me for a long time,he finally sighed out his story -"Second officer,you know something that I always save sometime to visit the local orphan home and donate some money there every time ship drawing alongside the shore,in the foreign country."

  Then I was going to wonder and asked "What is that for?". In my youth,I was fooling around for years while the ship getting to the foreign country.As what you talked about just now and for such a long time,I had been worrying about what I had done before , concerning about the child very much-if leaving any behind abroad for real- and hoping to give some help to my child by chance for being really there,somewhere in the world.

  Now it's my turn to stare at him in amazement with complicated moods ,and this old man,before me,revealing an emotional expression containing a kind of regret, just looked like an innocent big boy having done something wrong and having no idea the way he should go.

  He realized what he had done was totally wrong,and this old man with white hair all over his head,for sure,would be scared for his child ,who might not be there ,for the rest of his life, but regarding the misconduct of his,.......My sweet Lord,tell me "Is he still a good guy ?"

Sometimes it's really not easy to tell good or bad for a person.

  Tonight I suddenly called my colleagues to mind,on sea in the past.That day in Australia company informed us to Qatar,the war zone in Persian Gulf,by surprise.

  Some seafarers and I didn't take the conditions given by company. We had no option but to quit the contract and to be replaced by new comer from Hong Kong.Getting home always pleased us,the wanderers on sea all year around.After a long jourery ,at the last stop ,Singapore before the sweet home- Taiwan,we stayed at hotel for going no where and saving fares on the travel.

  Maybe,thinking of the case getting home out of the blue and the indefinite future being a seafarer ,an old seafarer started a small chat with me.