Whale Watching

Malcom Elliott stood well over six feet and was a sheer mountain of a man with dark shaggy hair and a full beard, an ever present bashful smile, and a natural good naturedness. If you needed the strength of six strong men, you found Mac and got it done with one.

He had worked in British Columbia as a logger until he lost an arm and returned home, still able to swing an axe with massive force but no longer able to work at felling trees within safety guidelines of the logging company. Another man might've been bitter, but Mac took it in stride, adjusted, and went to work at the factory. He missed the outdoor work though and eventually left the factory for the ferry where he made a towering and impressive figure as he directed the cars off and on the slip. During the crossing, he would lean on the railing and into the spray, eyes closed and breathing deep. He was a man made for all weather, Nana said, working inside would've killed him.

Whether from overwhelming curiosity or as Nana put it, "poor raisin' ", the tourist children were fascinated by the one armed ferryman and soon Mac began telling stories of how he had lost his arm, stories that involved prolonged and fierce battles with great whales or man eating sharks, sometimes even pirates. His tales were reinforced by the whales we would frequently see swimming through the narrow passage, huge and docile sea creatures on their way to warmer waters. Mac would point them out with solomn warnings of how a whale could swallow a man whole and the children would gasp, Like Jonah? And he would nod, his face serious, Ayuh, just like Jonah, he assured them, and their eyes would open wide and round with absolute belief.

One fine summer afternoon as Mac stood by the railing, several whales appeared on the horizon and began swimming in the direction of the ferry. Ignoring the "ALL PASSENGERS MUST REMAIN IN THEIR VEHICLES" sign, the children tumbled out and gathered excitedly around Mac. As the whales got closer, they didn't swerve away from the ferry as usual and from the wheelhouse, Cap appeared with a pair of binoculars 'round his neck and a mildly concerned expression which quickly changed as he held the glasses to his eyes. By the time he began yelling for the kids to get back inside their cars, Mac had already started the process but they were both a fraction of a second too late and with a mighty jolt, one of the whales sideswiped the scow, knocking it off course and tearing the chains that connected it to the boat. Holy Standin' Jaysus! Cap yelled from the wheelhouse as the small boat suddenly reared up in the water on the back of a whale, then just as suddenly dropped back. The ocean was choppy from the wake of the creatures and the scow had started to drift badly - boats were already headed out from both sides of the passage by the time Cap regained control and it was then they noticed that both Mac and one of the children weren't on board. Holy Standin' Jaysus! Cap yelled again, this time at the top of his lungs, Man overboard!

Captain and crew leaped into action, calming frantic parents, scanning the waves, untying life preservers. Mac was spotted almost immediately, hanging onto the side of the scow with his one good arm, a laughing, splashing little boy wound around his neck yelling A whale, a whale! and Just like Jonah! They were pulled, almost reluctantly, back on board and Cap produced a pile of towels and blankets, mugs of hot chocolate and a flask. The rescue boats took the passengers to shore and then towed in the scow. Repairs were made and Cap was back in business the same day. Mac changed into dry clothes, missed one crossing, and was back on board that afternoon.

The little boy's adventure, much like Mac's missing arm stories, grew, changed and became more remarkable with each re-telling. The ferry continued it's crossings and the whales resumed their graceful and playful journey to open water. All was right with the world again.