Suka Hati

by Keith Warren

My father put down his coffee cup and looked at his brother."I know what we could do with Aunt Lil's inheritance," he smiled."What do you have in mind?""I was reading about those ferro-concrete hulls. We could buy one of those, set it up down by the river and fit it out, keel to mast-top."My uncle looked thoughtfully into the distance. If he was surprised, he didn't show it."How much is that going to cost?""Not sure. But we can sort that out later. It's the principle. What do you think?""Fit it out ourselves?""Why not? It's only carpentry with lots of curves. And when it's done, we can cross the Channel and cruise through the French canals."And so the project was born. It was a suitable one for two men, born in Westcliff and forever in love with boats and the sea.Ten years later, they pulled up the anchor and, with their wives, set sail towards the Channel and the mists surrounding Calais. The adventure of a lifetime had begun!