| Waypoint 90-In the Chambers of the Sea-Summary & Characters |
| Cast of Characters The boy Johnny - Juanito Michael Bean The baitman, the Captain Diana The Mother Carlos The Father Deb Michael's ex-wife Jake Perry Michael's buddy The General A father himself Pablo The General's son CHAPTER SUMMARY A. At the pivotal age of 12, a young Cuban boy is deprived of his father due to his country's political upheaval. He finds himself living in the Florida Keys with his adoring mother in a life filled with the wonders of the sea, daily swims with his mother, and time to hone his fishing skills. His imagination is captured by a local fishing legend who starts out as his idol and, in time, becomes his mentor and surrogate father. B. Michael Bean, a survivor of another life and another love has found a peaceful happiness near the sea he loves. Although he enjoys action and adventure in this new life, he feels empty without a family. When he meets the boy, he begins by taking him under his wing, teaching him about the sea, about life and about fishing. A bond begins to build as their friendship intensifies. C. The boy introduces Michael to his mother after building him up in her mind as a paragon of male virtues, a highly skilled and famous captain. She is favorably conditioned by the boy's enthusiasm which has worked in the same way for the Captain towards the mother. Their attraction is mutual, swift and, at first, disconcerting. D. Diana longs for the kind of romantic love that she never knew with her husband, a kind and gentle man who was deeply immersed in his work as a doctor. She fantasizes about a love affair with the earthy and intriguing Michael. E. Michael takes them into his life. He begins by introducing them to his favorite places, under the water and above it. His initial lust for Diana leads him into a deeply tender love that builds to a powerful crescendo. F. Michael and Diana become lovers, the power of their love overcoming their fears and apprehensions. Diana struggles with her guilt. They coalesce into the 'family' that Michael always craved and needed. Diana yields to her own needs. The boy enjoys the happiness they share. All is bliss. G. Carlos lies rotting in a Cuban jail. Memories of his wife and son languish for lack of letters, any sign that they still remember and love him. The General steps in, sending Carlos to a camp for mysteriously ill people to care for the General's son, providing him with unexpected relief from his bare cell and an opportunity to engage in research, his favorite branch of medicine. H. The General informs Carlos of a bold freedom plan that requires a boat from the United States. He asks Carlos to arrange it, stating that he will allow him to leave the Port of Mariel with his son in order to assure the boy's chances of survival in the new country. Carlos accepts the plan and contacts his family. I. Carlos' family notifies Diana of the need for a boat at a moment's notice. She turns to Michael, wracked by guilt mingled with elation and despair. He is supportive, tender, and willing to take any risk to assure her happiness as well as his own. The boy overhears them as Michael plots his course to Cuba. J. Carlos prepares the General's son for the secret adventure. A time is declared and the General shows up to drive them to Mariel. The General discloses his plans to his son. K. Responding to the notification of a set date and time of arrival, Michael starts off for Cuba with Jake, who will function as both mate and crew. Jake finds the boy stowed away, too late to return to their point of departure. Michael is preoccupied with weather reports of storm warnings. L. Carlos, the General and his son arrive in Mariel. The General negotiates their departure but not without having to compromise their safety by accepting additional passengers. Michael, Jake and the boy arrive at the port. A tender reunion between father and son. M. Overloaded with anxious but hopeful souls, Michael sets off for America with his precious cargo. The weather reports prove all too true. The storm that was brewing erupts around them, plunging them into a life and death struggle with the sea. N. Just as it appears that they have survived the abating storm, a distress signal from another boat is seen. Gingerly maneuvering for survivors in unsteady waters, they manage to rescue three out of a total of fourteen. On board the Bucephalus, a pregnant woman gives birth, the crazy lunatic just rescued goes berserk, managing to wound Jake and Michael, then throwing himself overboard in a final and fatal break with reality. O. Michael reflects on the future, on the dolphins he has befriended and on the stress of recent events. His wound is more serious than he realized. P. EPILOGUE It is ten years later in the Keys. Diana and Carlos watch the boy, now a young man, play in the surf with his incongruously blue-eyed ten year old sister, Esperanza. They sip wine and lean on each other in peaceful comfort, bolstered by the strength of their mutual love. A family united and made whole by their capacity to love and forgive. At dinner that evening, Jake and his wife and another couple friend of Michael's raise their glasses in the usual toast on these occasions: "To the best captain, fisherman... the best man we've ever met, Captain Michael Bean." |
Mullet Joe Michael's friend
Mama Luna Diana's grandmother
Paco Carlos' father
Dr. Llanos Camp Esperanza’s aged doctor
Pedro Owner, La Taberna de Pedro
Mariel refugees
Cuban military
Mama Luna Diana's grandmother
Paco Carlos' father
Dr. Llanos Camp Esperanza’s aged doctor
Pedro Owner, La Taberna de Pedro
Mariel refugees
Cuban military
| A bitter-sweet romance rich in well-drawn and appealing characters, this is the story of a love that redeems a man’s soul and changes many people’s lives. From the Florida Keys of the 70s and the Cuba of the Mariel boat lift to an Epilogue that brings the story into the present, the author’s highly visual descriptive writing suggests the scenes of a movie on each page. |