Chapter 21 - Making Spanish friends

It does not look good for Gammelnok and his quest for reaching his retirement pond.

Unconscious and unnoticed he is hidden between two large boulders at the harbour entrance. The storm is still raging and there is nobody about.

But, just inside the harbour, on board an old rusty cargo ship tied safely to the quay, two friends were standing at the railing watching the storm and then the big wave that thrashed the small fishing boat. They watched as something was thrown from the boat onto the boulders.

Deciding to investigate, they leave via the gangway and head to the harbour wall. After a difficult climb over the rocks and boulders, they finally come across what looks like the body of a large baby. It does not appear to be hurt but definitely it is unconscious.

Debating what to do, they decide to bring it back to the ship and ask the boatswain what to do. He is a seasoned sailor from the north of Spain and will know what is best. The boatswain and the rest of the deck and engine crew are all from the same village near Santander, west of Bilbao. All the officers on board the freighter are from northern Europe. Hence there is a class distinction on board, which in off duty hours keeps the two groups apart.

The Spaniards live below deck, where they have comfortable quarters including a mess room and cooking facilities.

The officers live in the superstructure, having cabins with windows and private showers.

After managing to get the prone body on board and below deck without any officers noticing, Gammelnok is placed on the mess table. The women wash away the seaweed and dirt from his face and body. Loud exclamations in Spanish as they discover his old gnarled face and realise they have not got an infant on their hands but as they exclaim 'Un Hombrecito' or a little man.

The boatswain is called. This needs a wise decision. Call a doctor, take the little man ashore or try to help him by using age old country herbal remedies. Also, should they tell the captain or keep him hidden. The little man does not look as if he could fend for himself out in the wide world.

The decision is taken out of their hands. Over the ship's tannoy the captain orders all hands on deck. The storm has abated, the pilot will be on board in an hour and the engines should be fired up. It is now safe to leave port.

The boatswain and his deck crew have to get ready to cast of, secure the gangway and man the wheel on the bridge.

All thoughts of Gammelnok are pushed aside for the time being. 

Soon they are on their way. Leaving the port and entering the open sea, makes a change in the way the ship behaves. The storm may have passed, but the waves are still heavy and the ship rolls in the swell.

Below deck, Gammelnok rolls back and forth on the mess table but has not fallen on the floor yet.

A few days pass and Gammelnok is still out for the count. The boatswain has ordered the ship's carpenter to build a small bunk below the stairs and this is where Gammelnok rests behind a curtain, well hidden in case an officer should enter the mess room.

Life goes on and after meals in the evening the guitar comes out and a happy singsong with lots of clapping accompanied by sticks being tapped against bottles carries on for hours, only interrupted by crew members going or returning from watch duty.

After a few more days, Gammelnok regains consciousness, draws back the curtain and looking at the singing crowd exclaims in GammelDansk "Where am I and who are you? Where is my Haversack? I want it now!" Getting very agitated, he is not understood, he tries again but to no avail. A virtual barrage of Spanish is levelled at him but goes right over his head. 

"Get the Donkeyman from the engine room" says the boatswain "He speaks some northern language, I believe".