GRAYCE

Grayce strolled down the long, groaning dock to her boat. She recalled the many times her grandfather, Winston Kingsley walked her hand in hand, down this very same dock. Always partially if not fully, stumbling drunk. The pier now released important memories for Grayce. An opportunity, as if every step told a story. She recalled how tall and assured he seemed. She would adoringly gaze over at him strolling next to her. He kind of lumbered along with a sturdy gait that resembled a tired, old horse. She remembered how small her hand felt inside of his large rough and calloused grip. Grayce also remembered how many times he disappointed her by being the town drunk. Winston had a wicked side. Everyone in Key West knew it. Even still, he would be proud she thought. Walking bravely through her confusing mind chatter, she wished her grandfather was here to see this extraordinary day. Grayce always loved Winston without condition. The immense void he left after his passing away was undeniable. Grayce decided to leave that part to herself for now.

Grayce could see the animated crowd ahead. Nervous butterflies started to quiver inside her stomach. What is their absurd interest in me she wondered? It is good to be scared she reminded herself. Keeping in mind what her father, Angus had told her so many times before. He would say, "Being nervous or anxious simply means you are changing. Just think of it like growing pains. Embrace your challenges Grayce. Whatever you do, wherever you go, never stop dreaming." She deeply longed for her father and wished he could see her now. Grayce recollected his haunting words. They now just rattled around in her head offering nothing but confusion. Angus would be teaching her how to ride a pony and say, "Grayce it is time to soldier up, get tough. It is now or never. Wimps do not take home any blue ribbons or trophies." Usually his words only made her cry. She hated admitting this but knew his roughness did toughen her up. It also gave birth to her unwavering independence.

Walking on, Grayce affirmed internally that she had Ranger. He was her faithful, black Labrador Retriever. Ranger never left her side. Ranger was absolutely with her today in every possible way. He seemed to sense the excitement, too. Ranger was her rock, her ground, her certainty. He was the one who never let her down. The one who fed her with unconditional love, from an infinite source. Ranger could ease her thoughts just with his presence. Grayce felt his bouncy stride, nervously quicken, as they neared the crowd. Grayce quietly sent Ranger love. That energy oozed out of her through the leash to him. She felt his walk slow until he completely relaxed. She loved doing this. Unconditional love, it removes all fear. Every single time. Grayce embodied their love. Their unique circle of connection was paramount in her life.

Approaching her boat, she saw multiple photographers taking random pictures. When they spotted her, they turned their attention directly to her. "Look it's Grayce and Ranger," she heard them say. "Grayce, when do you set sail? Grayce, what does it feel like to attempt an epic sail around the world alone?" They aggressively asked question after question until she and Ranger stopped in front of them. She smiled, shyly. It was her Princess Diana smile that Angus taught her. The fake smile would help her win a lead line pony class at the esteemed Palm Beach Horse Show. It always seemed so insincere and phony. Secretly, she really hated this social part. Tuning out her agitation, she tried to exude confidence. People were definitely not her favorite thing. They usually just bored and mainly annoyed her. She tried anyway.

Standing barefoot in the sun wearing her cut off jean shorts, Grayce looked like anything but a professional sailor. "Hello everyone and thank you for coming out today. If you will be so kind to allow me to speak first, I will address your questions. My name is Grayce Kelly Kingsley. I am seventeen years old. This is my sailboat, the Silent Partner. Today, I am embarking on a solo journey to sail around the world. For your convenience, I have prepared maps for you all to take and study, if you like. My sail is going to be tracked on Google Ocean. So that is another really cool way for you all to follow my journey. And, there are helpful instructions on using Google Ocean with my map. I'll be stopping at many historical points, they are highlighted. And, I will share my story on a blog and social media. You will not miss a thing as Ranger and I cruise around the earth."

"Many of you already know me and are familiar with my story. For those of you that don't, I have brought a brief outline of my family history. Yes, my Grandfather was the legendary, Sir Winston Kingsley, of Key West. My father was Angus Winston Kingsley II of Palm Beach. This is Ranger my black Labrador retriever. Yes, he is going along with me today on this epic sail. Obviously, I am the captain and Ranger is my first mate." Grayce laughed to herself, thinking how organized the press now imagined she might be. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Grayce prayed she could set sail before anyone discovered she had no clue what she was really getting into. She was an expert sailor, that part was true. But sailing around the world alone?

MRS. POE

Grayce was thankful for the unwavering support of her amazing mentor Mrs. Poe. She definitely stood out among the reporters. Everyone from Key West was here to wish Grayce, Bon Voyage. Standing there in her diamonds and high heels Mrs. Poe always looked out of place on the boat dock. That is exactly why Grayce loved her so much. Mrs. Poe was the first woman to have any kind of influence on the Key West born, tomboy. In times of struggle Mrs. Poe would say, "Grayce give up the struggle. You are always fighting nothing but yourself. Do not ever forget honesty, sincerity, and a touch of love and affection will open all doors for you. Treat people with kindness and they will always give you what you need. Always forgive everything, including yourself." Grayce usually forgot this precious advice. She always intently listened anyway.

Mrs. Poe ran the little grocery store down on the farthest edge of town in Key West. The eclectic store was called, Hasi' Gawa' General Store. Everyone loved Mrs. Poe from the day she arrived so many years ago. She had gently brought the aloha spirit to Key West. Mrs. Poe used to tell Grayce fabulous tales about her childhood days of living on Hawaii. Mrs. Poe was also the lucky recipient of three failed marriages to very wealthy men. That part was perplexing but Grayce decided no to give it much thought. Mrs. Poe told Grayce that girls in America have forgotten how to get the doors opened by anyone because they are so busy busting down doors on their own. This always confused Grayce because her father Angus and her Grandfather Winston, always told Grayce to "go charging head first through the door, ask questions later, and for sure never ever apologize!"

It was a lot of discombobulating information always coming at young Grayce. No wonder she now dressed like a boy. Straight legged Levi jeans and a white men's tank top was her staple outfit, only changing for cut off Levi shorts. She had purple streaks in her long, blond hair. Her hair was always braided in dreadlocks. Grayce absolutely never wore lipstick. Shoes were simply not necessary, unless bad weather at sea required it. Grayce knew absolutely nothing about something called shopping. She believed in give and take amongst friends. Grayce needed her boat, her dog, her bargain and exchange system, and the ocean, period. Or so her seventeen year- old mind thought.

Mrs. Poe approached Grayce with a large picnic basket of home baked goodies. She was smiling and crying at the same time, Grayce adored side of Mrs. Poe. She was always showing her dual emotions and mostly perplexing feelings. Grayce's grandfather Winston had always told her to never show her emotions. She was thankful someone had shown her that it was all right cry. Grayce painfully reflected neither Winston or Angus ever baked anything worth putting into a pretty basket, let alone give away as a gift. Naturally, Grayce took home made handouts where she could and definitely always appreciated it.

Grayce took the pretty basket from Mrs. Poe, and thanked her. They exchanged a long teary-eyed embrace. No words would come to mind, they simply weren't needed. Independence and determination fueled Grayce now. Nothing would stop her now, nothing. Confidently, she and Ranger stepped upon the polished, wooden deck of the Silent Partner. They both felt at home on the boat, as they should. They had sailed countless hours together with just each other as company. Long hours cleaning the boat together. Long hours waiting for the wind to blow. Long hours pacing the beach. Long hours waiting for the rain to pass. Long, precious hours wasted sleeping. These two loved to sail, it was who they were together, as one.

Grayce bravely looked somewhat suspiciously out among the savage reporters and said she would field three questions only. She pointed to a tall man in front, "You have a question?" she said. He politely asked Grayce about the dangers of being a female and sailing alone. Grayce responded, "I was born to sail and whether I am a female or not has nothing to do with the success of my journey. My skills as a sailor will see me through, period. And, if you must know, I will sail protected by my angels. That is not up for debate; it is simply a fact, period." Grayce secretly felt a sense of insincerity fill her heart. The truth was she was a little scared she would not be tough enough to sail all the way around the world by herself.

"Is there another question?" she said firmly. Grayce pointed to an odd looking woman in a horribly ugly hat standing near the tall man. "Grayce how did you decide on your predetermined locations to stop?" Grayce giggled inside, silently thinking about where she might or might not take a time out. "My plan is to visit many islands of personal interest to me. I will chat about my experiences on my blog. My first scheduled layover is an isle called Great Abaco in the Bahamas. I am going to see the critically endangered herd of Spanish Barb horses living there. Last question?" Grace sheepishly wondered to herself if she would even follow her own plotted course, due to unexpected tropical weather and unpredictable ocean conditions.

Grayce then quickly pointed to a small, elderly woman with a sweet smile at the side of the crowd. "Grayce will you introduce us to your angels?" Grayce smiled and responded, "Well, they do not need any introduction for if you believe they are already visible to you. An angel is simply an attendant spirit, a winged figure in human form. Always superior in intellect, the angel offers its divinely guided assistance to any willing human, anywhere." With that affirmation she quite purposely ended the questions. Grayce waved and said; "Thank you for your support in coming out today. I know you will all be here upon my return. So for now, let us simply know we will see each other again. Peace and blessings to you all. I wish you well." Grayce did have a relentless faith in her angels. That unproved element was what she secretly hoped would bring her success on this daring and exciting journey.

Grayce went right to work preparing the Silent Partner to set sail. Hoisting the mainsail filled her with a great excitement. Her confidence soared as she went through the routine she knew so well. Ranger took his favorite position up on front deck of the boat. Ranger delighting in sailing and was incredibly athletic about riding on the boat. Grayce put the love filled basket from Mrs. Poe down below in the tiny kitchen nook. There was an intriguing black book peeking out of the basket that got her attention. It was simply entitled, "Love." She opened the mysterious book and discovered Kahlil Gibran's words:

"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. Sadness is but a wall between two gardens. Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity. Love one another, but make not a bond of it; Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." Kahlil Gibran

Mrs. Poe was always teaching Grayce something about love so the book did not surprise her. She had certainly no time or need for love in her life but enjoyed the thought of Mrs. Poe thinking she did. She mentally assessed her personal supplies and contemplated if she would have everything she needed. Naturally, Grayce was more worried about Ranger's food than her own. She checked the supply cabinet labeled dog food and quietly made another mental note that he had plenty on board. His food was freeze dried so it was not perishable. She smiled thinking what an easy companion Ranger was onboard.

Grayce was just a tiny thing, barely 110 pounds. Her food rations were quite minimal. She was also a strict vegetarian. Fortunately, no meat or dairy was needed for this trip. She had a nice supply of her favorite protein mixes for shakes and lot's of tofu. She would be able to restock fresh fruit and vegetables along the way. Her biggest supply was water for she knew that was the most precious supply of all. She confirmed her precious I-pad was down there this was one trip that would be blogged about everyday. Grayce had an awesome following of friends on Facebook. They were all really anticipating her epic journey. She felt these people online were like a supportive family, even if invisible in the physical world.

Naturally, Grayce knew her most important followers were her angels. They had already been prepared for this trip. She did not really pray so much as have conversations with them. Grayce simply talked to her favorite angels, believing they sailed with her everywhere. Grayce eyed her surroundings one more time. Spotting her favorite pillow, sunscreen, bohemian umbrella set, yoga mat and satellite phone caused a grin. What else could I possibly need she thought to herself? Good weather and predictable winds. That was most important and she knew it.

As Grayce went back up to the deck to start hoisting her jib sail, she admired her quote on the galley door.

"Never be afraid. The greatest enemy of humankind is fear. Be confident in the love and wisdom of God." White Eagle

Grayce had been planning this sail for almost three years. Actually, her grandfather Winston helped her plot the course before he died. Grayce would head off the coast of Florida, bravely determined to make it solo around the world. Her strategy was to travel the equator as closely as possible, only veering off for better wind and to pass by islands. She was excited about the first stop in the Bahamas. Angus had been the one to tell her many stories of an island called Great Abaco. She truly wanted to meet the wild Spanish Barb horses there.

Grayce intended to enjoy the cultures she might discover along the way for she knew this sail was not a race. She had placed no time constraints upon herself purposely. She had nothing to hurry back to Key West for anyway. Grayce had been lucky enough to grow up around horses. Her father, Angus, had been a well known horse trainer in Palm Beach. Angus was tragically killed in an untimely airplane crash. The accident was just off Key West eight years ago. Learning more facts about the mysterious horses on Great Abaco searching the Internet one day, she vowed to help out if she could. It was a silent tribute to her father. That part she absolutely kept to herself.

As Grayce reviewed her checklist to complete before sailing, she decided to pull up the weather one last time. She had already consulted the weather channel several times today and everything looked clear. Recalling how many times she and Ranger had gone out for an afternoon sail, only to have to cut it short due to unexpected bad weather. Grayce resolved to check again one last time. Silent Partner was outfitted with the most sophisticated weather equipment possible. Winston had done his best before he died to bring the boat's technology up to date.

Actually, Grayce had also found ways to rally her Key West community around her sails. This time was no different, just a much longer sail. Her large base of good friends had always unconditionally supported her sailing efforts. The community had even helped raise money when she needed to update her weather tracking equipment for this trip. She recalled the time when she was only five years old and her grandfather Winston took her out boating only to run across a small hurricane. The two unlikely sailors were tossed around out in the storm for three agonizing days. Of course, Winston was drinking as usual. They all wondered what would become of young Grayce. What would happen if she ever fell overboard?

After that incident, the whole town tried to take away Winston's rights to young Grayce. It didn't work. Winston had been in Key West long enough to wield some authority, even if no one knew why. Grayce's father Angus was always away, at the posh horse shows in Palm Beach. His absence usually fueled Winston's drinking. Grayce was forced to grow up early. Her love for sailing helped create her self-reliance. After that frightful experience with Winston and the hurricane, Grayce became a real fan of double checking her weather programs. It also taught her a lot about trusting her own instincts. One lonely day after cleaning Winston's house boat in the blistering hot Key West heat, she claimed a silent mantra; "When faced with stupidity, assault it with a higher thought every single time."