Cecilia turned around to greet Chris. "Can't we just share, Captain?" she teased him. "I mean, this area is big enough to fit thirty people." Pointing out how spacious the observation deck was.
Chris leaned on the railings, an arm's length away from Cecilia. "What are you looking at that got you so curious?"
Cecilia pointed in the direction of the three officers she was observing. "What about them?" he asked; he didn't bother to mask the coldness of his voice.
"I remember Chief Murillo saying, souls work in the Twilight to send good karma to their families back in the world of the living." She looked at the Captain, "Have any of them even seen their descendants through the years?"
Chris took a deep breath. "Chief Bustamante was a poor fisherman; his hard work barely eked out a meager living for him and his family. Then tragedy struck, he died at sea during a storm." The captain paused and walked over to a couple of sun loungers and took a seat. Cecilia followed the captain and sat right beside him. "Chief Bustamante was from a fishing village in Dingalan. When his only granddaughter, Ysadora, relocated to a different city because of a storm that nearly destroyed the coastline. At first, they were in Manila, that's when he lost them," Chris explained, "That is why he is still here. He told me that he is sure that they are stable, and he will not stop supporting them."
"I was already captain of the Twilight for fifty-eight years when he boarded. My previous first officer has then moved on to Kaginhawaan, and I need a new one. He stayed because he vowed that none of his descendants would live like him, and I handpicked him because of his nautical knowledge." Explaining why he chose Bustamante to be Twilight's first officer.
"I can't help but admire the chief for being such a great father. Even after all these decades, he still wants to guide his family." The two kept quiet for a while, sharing a poignant moment.
Then at the same time, they spoke, "How about Chief Murillo?" she asked while he offered, "Want to know about Chief Murillo?" The two stared at each other for a while before erupting in soft chuckles.
"I didn't know that we were in sync with one another." Cecilia glanced in Chris's direction, but something happened that she didn't expect; her heart fluttered. It was a blink and you'll miss it moment, but she did not blink, and that is why she felt it. She watched Chris, whose stone-cold features of his face had softened, replaced by a warm and charming glow. It was only when he smiled that she noticed his would vanish whenever he expressed joy and happiness.
"Actually…I just realized, I don't even know Murillo's story; all I know is that next to me, she is the oldest crewmember at one hundred fifty years of service." Chris chuckled when it dawned on him that he knew nothing about Murillo.
Cecilia, caught off guard by what Chris said, laughed and accidentally spat her drink. "What? You have been working with her for how many years, and you don't know anything about her?"
To escape the awkwardness, Chris spilled the beans on Martinez: "Helmsman Martinez, did you know that he used to wet his bed when he was a kid?"
"He did what?" The two continued to laugh and shared stories. They had no idea that at that moment they were building a bridge towards each other. "How did those three become your officers?"
Chris's brows furrowed at the question. "Why do you want to know?"
Cecilia shrugged her shoulders, "They are my shipmates, my crew, and maybe my friends and family. "I just want to know how they started on this ship.