Morning

The painting posted by Hornsby Shire Council this week was Morning at the Heads of Port Jackson. The rugged wall of the cliff prompted me to do some research on rock climbing and here's a story that ties that up with the main subject - ship.

Morning at the ‘Heads’ of Port Jackson or the Pilot’s Look-out, painted by G.E. Peacock in 1850

'Let's start early, 5.30 suits me, how about you?' Gaurav's dark brown eyes twinkled on his chiselled face under a brown fringe, his shredded abs peeking out of a casual cotton shirt, unbuttoned half way to dry the beads of sweat trickling down his sinewy back in the sweltering sun.

'Of course I want to start early, but not that soon. It'll be dark then. How about 6.30?' Romi bargained as usual, her fair face straight, curls cascading past her dimples to the neck. 

She dumped the paraphernalia for rock climbing in the boot of her car, pushed a slew of hair with a flick of slender fingers, and sat at the driving wheel of her newly acquired pride - a white Toyota RAV4. Gaurav looked at her admiringly as the engine revved up and wheels rolled. Romi dropped him at his hostel, kissed him goodbye, and pressed the accelerator of her automatic SUV - the fresh air against her face was freedom of living her life on her own terms.

Next morning Gaurav reached earlier and reconnoitred the stony grounds by the beach from where they'd start climbing, rather bouldering. Romi joined soon.

'You look fresh, all set for adventure in those Aa-di-daas tracksuits?' Gaurav drawled and smirked.

'Oh come on! It's just Adidas, wait till I get my hands on Alala sportswear. I'll be a different Romi in them.'

'You already are,' Gaurav added and got himself busied with the equipments. 

On his waist belt, he hooked his belay device to the harness loop with a carabiner and locked it; the slack end of the breaker side of the rope lay on the ground in coils like a wound up snake lollygagging in winter sun. Romi geared up as the lead climber, active protector handy around her waist belt, she was never irresolute when Gaurav was belayer, she trusted her life only oh his deft with the breakers.

Two hours and twenty one minutes of arduous climb later, Romi lodged the protector in a crack at the lip of the cliff for the final strike. Minutes later Gaurav was sitting beside her, soaked in sweat, running short of breath. Once the chill of the altitude soothed their nerves, they gaped and gasped at the endless ocean before them. Shifting shades of cerulean, cyan, and sea green merged with the azure in the horizon.

'You know what I like about you, Gaurav?'

'What?'

'Your chutzpah, like Anikin Skywalker.'

If he wanted to say he liked her obsession with ripped abs, the only girl to have one in the entire cohort of their MBA course, he held his tongue; no, not so soon.

Settling under a solitary tree, they shared a drink of Gatorade and a bite of sandwich. The salty breeze, an open sky, and several metres below a frothy wavy line delineating the sand from the sea conjured a feeling of emancipation in the air - emancipation from the wordly ties!

'It'd be fun abseiling too, what say Romi?'

'You bet! But do you see that? Something odd sailing in this remote part of the waters?'

'What could it be?' Gaurav squinted under the palm that he pressed along his brows.

'Not sure, but it shouldn't be here. Do you think we should inform the police?' Romi was clearly ruffled.

But soon they realised it was a cruise ship, and it did not move further towards the coast.

'Do you think it'll wait for high tide? We'll have one anytime soon,' Gaurav contemplated.

'I don't think so. But it does take me back to my Enid Blyton days. The ship lowers a boat with a bunch of pirates to hide a trove of treasure in cavernous cave between the cliffs. The high tide takes them to the entrails of the labyrinthine passages, one of which ends at the door of a secret chamber. Once they dump their loot and they leave and the water recedes, we go in there and grab the stolen wealth.'

'And become rich. Sounds exciting,' Gaurav added with no excitement in his tone.

'Oh come on, you can do better than that. Imagine, unrestrained, for a while, can't you?' Romi feigned anger.

Gaurav moved closer, wove his fingers through hers, and closed his eyes, 'Hey Romi, I can see pearl necklaces glistening, diamond pendants twinkling, gold chains glittering, silver wares gleaming, am I missing anything?'

'Yes, I'm there too,' Romi added with a hearty laughter.

Out of there pretend-play, they looked back at the ship, an immaculate white flash on blue. By this time a muddy water was gradually spreading from its base and spilling into the beautiful blue, spoiling the sight like an excrescence on an immaculate painting.

'What's that Gaurav?' Romi sounded partly alarmed and partly shocked.

'I think I know Romi; I picked this bit of information up while researching on my assignment topic. The cruise ships, elegant and expensive, unfortunately are metricious if you consider their flip side. They dispose of their tons of waste this way, untracked, unmonitored - a pollution concern that has attracted attention, but not been addressed. Sometimes they are untreated and when dumped into the ocean, wreak havoc on the ecological balance beneath the blues,' Gaurav explained in a melancholic manner.

'Got it. Is it even legal to dump the sewage this close to the shore?' Romi was growing incensed by the moment.

'As long as they are a certain distance, three miles for the US, off the shore; but this one is closer I believe. I'll find out more, document, and use as my case study,' Gaurav pondered.

'We are not stopping here, are we? Let's start a campaign, sign petition, float the idea for plebiscite to eradicate this, shall we?' Romi uttered, her voice impregnated with resolute.

'Sure, all in good time and we have our evidences captured. And now it's time for rappelling, we've to start, don't you reckon?'

'Thanks Gaurav,' Romi's eyes were moist in gratitude.

They stood up, dusted their track pants, picked up the equipments and started their descent, determined to pick up their pen for the environment.

Dona, Sydney, Oct '21

You didn't miss Sea Eagles, did you?