of nurture’s wildness: a novella (book 5, ch. 5)

by Tom Stuckey

V

Spring came quickly then and with it some signs of hope. Ted could now see all the ships that were passing or laying over for one reason or another; he could even see the Odessa.

“Odessa, do you read? Over.”

“I read you, my friend. We have some work to do on board, but I can make it over later. Okay?”

“Good. See you later, Neno. Over and out.”

 Neno arrived just as the sun was beginning its final decent, leaving the clear, still water in colourful arrangements that were too many to distinguish. This time, Ted didn’t go down but waited for him at the top after calling down, “Come up, Neno.”

“Hello, my friend, how are you?”

“I’ve been better, Neno. Winter is a cruel partner.”

“Tell me about it. We lost a good man to her just recently.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Neno.”

“Not as sorry as that poor mother fucker who went overboard.”

“Did he have much family?”

“Luckily, no, he had none like so many of us; the sea is our family, and the crew, of course. We look after each other mostly. I came here for a reason, Ted.”

“Yes, I have the box. You need it?”

“Yes, if you could get it for me, please.”

Ted leapt out of the chair, proud that he had not dishonoured his friendship with Neno and was back quickly with it in his hand. “Thank you, Ted.” Neno looked at the box for a moment and then took a small key out of his woollen pocket and opened it, lifting the lid and looking inside for a moment and then closing it again.

“You were not curious to see what was inside?”

“I wasn’t. I thought that it was your business and that if you wanted me to know then you would have told me.”

“Yes, and this is something the crew and I appreciate. I will tell you what was in it, now, if you like?”

“Ok.”

“This box held some truth, and I can see it was not tampered with, and now I am going to ask you if you would like to see some more truth with me and the crew?” Ted just managed to hold back a scream of YES and then calmly said, “Yes, I'm interested."

“Good, I was hoping that you would say this. I have been telling the crew about you and they are very keen to meet you also. You,just had to be sure as you can probably expect.”

“Of course, I would expect nothing less.” Ted felt something shift inside himself, like with all new beginnings that offer such prosperity in one form or another.

“GOOD, MY FRIEND, SO WE DRINK TO THIS,” Ted didn’t want to disappoint Neno, so he accepted, but this time he would try and not let it get out of hand. “Obviously, I cannot tell you of all of our operations straightaway, at not least until the crew have met with you also. So, maybe you can come over to the Odessa tomorrow?” Again, Ted felt the shift— this time with the prospect of being in another place other than the lighthouse; it had been so long since he had been away from these walls.

“OK! Great!” Ted then felt a little fear begin to creep in as he looked out at the Odessa, which looked to be a world away in the distance.

*****

Climbing over the side of the tender, Ted realised just how little he had explored the surrounding area in his boat. Why not? This seemed like a really good thing to do, he thought. He then climbed back out to check if he had locked the door—a habit that had plagued him all his life. So many days of his life wasted. He climbed back in, started the boat, and went on his way, looking back periodically to see his home becoming smaller and smaller until he made his way to open water, surrounded by nothing save sky and sea, slowly encroaching upon the Odessa in the distance. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the side of the giant ship and tied down the boat before he was greeted by Neno and another man.

Neno turned to his first mate Sergev and said quietly, “He may look a little wild; he has been alone for a long time, too long.” Sergev was one of the few members that spoke English, and Neno spoke to him in the foreign tongue as a sign of things to come. Sergev, who was no stranger to the seas brutal loneliness, looked at Ted and remarked on his face, which was egg white pale with two sunken pepper corns for eyes, that he hoped would regain some life and colour, because to look at his face was like staring into the world’s madness, and it frankly scared him a bit.

“Ted, my friend, this is Sergev, my first mate.”

“Hello, Sergev,” replied Ted.

“Hello, Ted.”

“Come this way, and we can get you something to eat, maybe some coffee, if you would like?”

“That sounds good. I bet you have fine coffee on board such a great ship,” Ted said before beginning the climb up to the Odessa.      

*Read Tom Stuckey’s next installment of Of Nurture’s Wildness (Book VI) on December 30, 2025, at 6PM CST.

Photo of Tom Stuckey

BIO: Tom is a writer from Devon in England.  His work can be found at A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Bristol Noir, Nut House Press, and Pulp Magazine. He is the author of The Canary in the Dream is Dead and The Sun Marches upon Us All. Learn more about Tom Stuckey at www.tomstuckey.com.