Free Blue Autumn Cruise by Lisa Williams Kline

hard work but a good job.”
    “What is your job like?”
    “I am a cabin steward, and twice a day I clean and straighten the cabins of my customers. I assist with luggage and try to give my customers good service. I try in every way I can to make their trip pleasant. I do not have many days off. I know how to fold towel animals!”
    “What is your favorite part of the job?”
    “I enjoy meeting all the people. I get to meet people from all over the world. It helps you to understand that there is more to life than the place where you are from. I love learning about new places.”
    “Do you have a roommate here on the ship?”
    “Yes, I share a room with Ryan, another steward. He is an American from California.”
    “Is your cabin like this room?”
    Manuel shook his head. “Much smaller. But we are working all the time, and we do not spend very much time in our rooms.”
    “We don’t spend much time in here either,” Stephanie said, agreeing.
    “Have there been any crimes committed on any of your trips?” Lauren asked this question casually. I couldn’t believe she dared to ask it!
    Manuel hesitated. “What do you mean?” he asked.
    Did he seem guilty? I couldn’t look at him.
    “I don’t know,” Lauren said. “Like stowaways or people being arrested or anything like that.”
    “Yes, we did have a stowaway once. It was a woman. They caught her when she was disembarking at the end of the cruise.”
    “How did she get away with it?”
    “She acted like a passenger, I was told.” Manuel crossed his arms over his chest. “And then there have been passengers arrested for smuggling drugs and things like that.”
    “Really?” Lauren stared at Manuel and waited for him to say more. My heart was pounding so hard, I was sure that someone must be able to hear it.
    “Yes,” Manuel said. “It was good that they were caught.”
    We all nodded and agreed. I still couldn’t look at him. I could hardly breathe.
    “I will tell you about the most exciting trip I have made,” Manuel said suddenly. “Once we were sailing through rough weather, and the ship was rocking and tables and chairs went sliding across the room, and dishes slid off of tables and broke everywhere. It was pretty scary. I was happy to get into safer waters! I called my wife that night in great relief, and it was so good to hear my children’s voices.” Manuel’s face broke wide in a smile of relief as he remembered.
    “Where does your family live?”
    “My family lives in Manila, Philippines.”
    “How often do you see your family?”
    “I am on the ship for ten months, and then I have two months off to spend with my family.”
    “Is that hard?”
    Manuel nodded. “Yes, it can be hard. I have four children, and I was not able to be there for the birth of two of them.”
    “Oh no!” Stephanie said.
    Now Manuel hesitated and looked at his hands. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key chain with the photographs on it that we had seen before. He held it up for the camera. “This is my family … my wife, Paloma, and Francisco is five, Sandra is four, Raul is three, and Carlo is two. And recently we found out that Carlo, my youngest son, is deaf. Because of my job, I was not there to talk to the doctors.”
    “He’s deaf?”
    “Yes, he was sick with a high fever, and as a result he lost most of his hearing. Now he needs hearing aids. You cannot imagine what it is like to tell your son you love him, and he does not understand.” Manuel quickly looked away from Lauren and put his hand over his mouth.
    “When will he get the hearing aids?”
    “When we are able to save the money, we will be able to get the aids. I am saving as much as I can now. They are very expensive. But as a parent you will do anything for your child. And it is hard not being there. My wife is heroic.” Then he shrugged and smiled. “It is a challenge, but I am lucky to have this job. And I keep up with the kids on Skype. Last night my daughter