CHASING LATITUDES A crazed cockamamie Caribbean tale: The Caribbean. The name alone conjures up images of sun, surf and fun. Fun being the ideal word for the sometimes mysterious Caribbean. A place where anything can happen and usually does. Years ago Ca

Chasing Latitudes

A cockamamie caribbean taleBy Joshua MacLeod

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Joshua MacLeod
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4685-9570-3

Contents

Introduction...............................................................1Chapter 1: Should I stay or should I go....................................3Chapter 2: A Flying Boat...................................................11Chapter 3: Feet Wet........................................................25Chapter 4: Reality Bites...................................................36Chapter 5: Wet Dreams......................................................69Chapter 6: A Nun's Confession..............................................86Chapter 7: Reality Rules...................................................96Chapter 8: Mother May I....................................................124Chapter 9: Way Past Dead...................................................130Chapter 10: Shambolic Beginnings...........................................132Chapter 11: Black Sandal Affair............................................148Chapter 12: Forgive Me Sister for I Have Sinned............................164Chapter 13: Festive Beginnings.............................................171Chapter 14: A Woman Scorned................................................194Chapter 15: Tropical Antidote..............................................203Chapter 16: Something Scary in the Water...................................210Chapter 17: Just Another Day in Paradise...................................218Chapter 18: Sharpening the Pitchforks......................................227Chapter 19: Ride It Like You Stole It......................................230Chapter 20: Diego's Bailiwick..............................................245Chapter 21: Tropical Latitudes.............................................246Chapter 22: Pirate Latitudes...............................................255Chapter 23: Desperate Measures for a Desperate Formula.....................257Chapter 24: This Way to Paradise...........................................259Chapter 25: Toys for Boys, or Boys for Toys................................268Chapter 26: Them There are Pirates.........................................272Chapter 27: Return to Paradise.............................................284Chapter 28: Big Bad Voodoo Mama............................................300Chapter 29: Morning Irony..................................................305Chapter 30: Won't you be my neighbor.......................................312Chapter 31: Gypsys Leaving The Palace......................................320Chapter 32: Regurgitated and Aggravated....................................327Chapter 33: Let the festivities proceed....................................330Chapter 34: Sexy Friends Forever...........................................336Chapter 35: Island Hopping.................................................345Chapter 36: Mojo Rising....................................................353Chapter 37: A Chicken Rock.................................................358Chapter 38: Pullover here..................................................366Chapter 39: Party's Over...................................................373Chapter 40: Chasing Latitudes..............................................378Chapter 41: The party's just getting started...............................383Chapter 42: Turn the blender on high.......................................395Chapter 43: Lost Sheep Squadron............................................406Chapter 44: Pour me a tall one.............................................420Chapter 45: Torpedoes away.................................................425Chapter 46: The coconut juice has gone sour................................436Chapter 47: Hot Fudge Sundays for everyone.................................438Epilogue...................................................................441Acknowledgments............................................................445

Chapter One

Should I stay or should I go

SUMMER 1990

Domino College had sadly turned into Domino Jailhouse. It was called a 'boys home,' operated by the Catholic Church and partially funded by the city of Miami. The dilapidated building had housed orphans for the last 50 years, but it seemed like 150 to Mike, who didn't even remember much about the three and four foster homes he'd been in before finally landing at Domino College at the age of 11. For him the reality was ironic tragedy. A penguin monastery. Why the the black coats were referred to as "Sister" or "Father" was commonsensical suicide for Mike, when the whole kit and caboodle seemed quite the opposite of the infamous K.K.K.. He had grown tired of the cliched existence. The rumor was, the older you are, the harder it is for adoption. The majority rules. Ninety percent of the time the adoptive families seek young children, much younger. He tried recalling how he had ended up in such a plight. Only vague images of unhappy childhood parents remained. Painfully, Mike accepted the sting; now 16, he was grounded until 18. Even his boyish good looks, brown hair and eyes, tall figure, and growing physique, was not attracting potential families. He had been festering there for the past five years. But with the friendship he developed with Billy, his towheaded and freckled faced partner, and Sister Mary, it had become home. He and Billy had shared the same room, and as much as they had in common, their dreams were mismatched. Mike's desires were for adventure and travel with a spice of larceny along the way. His beating heart whispered at night that there was more to living than this strict life, and his desire to break out mounted on a daily basis. His friend, Billy had given up all hopes of ever being adopted and Mike couldn't blame him. Billy was a career orphan. Bussed around the southeast since his parents gave him up to the system as an infant.

"Mike ..."

"Yeah ..."

"Who invented dominoes?"

"No idea. I'll ask Sister Mary next time I see her."

"Ok."

They continued their game when suddenly they heard a familiar sound. They glanced up at each other. Eyes wide, mouths dropped open as blood rushed through their veins. Mike threw down a double six domino and smiled.

"You think it's him, Mike?" Billy asked.

"Sure sounds like his Jeep."

Their hearts came alive at the thought. The next thing they knew they were glued to the window. If they could have materialized through the glass, it would have happened. Domino College had suddenly turned to Domino Recess.

"It's him! He's headed this way," Mike said.

They watched as the old military Jeep made its way toward the boys' home, making a sharp left turn into the parking lot, and coming to stop in the shade next to the building.

"That's such a cool Jeep," Billy said.

Frustrated, Mike backpedaled to his bed and dropped, contemplating what to do.

Billy's face still glued to the window. "It's so cool he can drive around without a roof."

"Yeah. Has to be cool," Mike replied with discontent. "Glad to see that old Jeep miraculously still running."

"It's been a month since we last saw him," Billy said as he looked over at Mike laying on the bed thinking.

"It has been a while."

"Shit, Mike. You have that look. That, 'I want some excitement' look. Last time you had that look we both ended up getting fifty whacks from by Father Tipsy," Billy said, rubbing his ass. "We had to write one thousand Hail Mary's. You know Father Tipsy hits harder than Sister Mary!"

"Yeah- yeah. I...