Special Mention - Shani Terblanché

Lemons

By Shani Terblanché

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The cat-a-maran leaned softly to the side as it allowed the warm breeze to pass over.
Captain Feelyne closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Things were becoming
desperate. Yet another sailor was showing signs of the dreaded scurvy and they did
not have a single tin of lemon tuna left.

‘When life gives you lemons...’, Captain Feelyne thought...’I wish it really would give
you lemons.’

Recently, the small crew had been so busy navigating storms, sneaky pirates and
kraken attacks, that a healthy plate of food had simply slipped to the bottom of the
survival list. Cook Aburro was doing all that she could to keep the crew’s health afloat,
but without fresh food, it was not a fair fight.

Rumour had it that a lifesaving, citrus-filled island hid somewhere in these waters.
Rumour also had it that it was just a rumour, but there was no time for contemplating
that...lives were at stake.

The course had been set and a prayer had been said.

‘What are your thoughts Captain?’, First Mate Kitty asked. ‘Do we have a chance of
finding lemons?’

‘I have been studying the maps for days Kitty, and there is a patch of unnamed rock just
west of ‘Beluga Triangle’ which could be our island. Were I less of an optimist, I would
have thought it a smudge...but the same smudge appearing on three different maps
would be mighty peculiar’.

‘Why would it be held such a secret though Captain? The code of the ocean is to look
out for each other, share information, try to stay alive together.’

‘Pirates do not share that sentiment Kitty and should they come to know of it, there
would be none left for the folks just trying to do an honest year’s work. Dried fish
merchants like us, are not exactly their biggest pay day, but can you imagine
commandeering an island which could save lives? I suppose they also fight the scurvy.
But as brave as they think they are, I do not see them venturing close to ‘Beluga
Triangle’ and fighting unknown forces. They rather keep themselves to fighting the
known ones...’

Captain Feelyne’s words had barely cooled, when she gasped, her expert eye peering
through her spyglass. A tiny patch of earth had become visible and trees filled with
yellow dots grew everywhere.

When life gives you lemons, it just might save your life.