“How's the photographer?” Bill asked a week after Dylan took the 16mm underwater camera on a dive for the first time.
Ivan had brought Bill the first and second canisters of film that Dylan had taken the week before.
“Pleased as punch. Did what you said. He could see in the viewfinder that it focused properly by doing what you said. Says he'll show the film he made, My Life At The Cove, when Harry gets home. He won't show it unless he's invited to watch it.”
“I'd better be on the list of audience members,” Bill said. “I'm invested in that kid, you know.”
“I know. But for you, he'd still be filming shots on land. He's been so excited about having the ability to do what he's wanted to do since I bought him the camera at the garage sale.”
“It would have saved a lot of time if they'd been filming World War II underwater. You'd have only needed the one camera,” Bill said.
Ivan laughed.
“He hasn't told me much about what they've been doing but he did say he was close to finishing his movie, My Life In The Cove. Clay hasn't been able to sleep at the Conservancy house. Dylan works late into the night, cutting and splices until all hours. Clay doesn't get a lot more sleep at my house but he has a lot more fun being awake.”
“I'll leave that alone,” Bill said.
“He didn't tell me to invite you but Clay told him that Harry wants to see the film as soon as he can get home. That leaves another few weeks between now and the showing. I do know he's excited about it. He's never needed to give invitations out before. Without you he'd still be stuck filming on land, Bill. My kid doesn't get excited often. He's been floating on air for weeks. Since Clay let him take the camera on dives with him.”
“Sounds like a young man who has found his calling,” Bill said.
“He has,” Ivan said. “Best not to tell Clay that.”
“He does as well as I did when I was doing my own photography. I'm not a photographer but I knew what I was filming and why I was filming it. Dylan has seen his father working for most of his life. I suppose that gives him an idea of what he's seeing Clay do. He'll only get better at it if he keeps at it. Dylan will document Clay's work.”
“You'll be seeing Clay up close and personal soon,” Ivan said. “I'd talk him out of going if I could. Clay's excited about seeing the Pacific and about working with you. I'd never try to stop him from going, but I'm going to miss him.”
“We aren't going on a lark, Ivan. I need Clay's eyes on the research. He sees what I miss. Always has. Even as a student, he'd hit me with some question I'd given no thought to. I'd end up needing to adjust my thoughts. I'll enjoy working with him again. I'll enjoy every minute but it'll be hard work. It's what I live for,” Bill said. “I love to teach but I'm a researcher at heart.”
Clay was not hampered by needing to teach marine biology. His one job was researching the Gulf of Mexico. He spent every day doing the work he'd been trained to do. There were no distractions beyond going out on speaking engagements to keep interested parties informed about what his research was revealing.
*****
Harry came home in April. He'd sent word that he wanted a viewing of Dylan's film that Harry understood would be finished by the time he went home. Being the cove's number one citizen, Harry thought that he should see what a film called, My Life At The Cove was about. Harry expected a viewing narrated by the filmmaker.
It was officially a formal invitation.
Dylan knew you didn't say no to a senator when he asked for something. Harry was always aware of Dylan. Being the son of his most important employee meant he knew all about Dylan.
Word that Dylan's film was nearly finished arrived in Washington a few weeks before. Harry suspected Dylan told Ivan, Ivan told Tag, Tag told Twila, and someone at the house decided to notify him.
There was a few minutes of trepidation when Harry remember the first time he watched footage Dylan shot. he'd been told Dylan was making progress with the motion picture cameras. Besides, he'd buy some motion sickness pills just in case.
Clay, Dylan, and the Olsons, including state legislator Lucy Olson were invited. Upon hearing of the event, Twila, the senators housekeeper, insisted on handling the affair. There would be snacks, cookies, and fresh popcorn to go with the drinking.
Bill told Harry that Dylan was using the hand editor that was used at the university to help edit his first attempts at filming his summer research trips on the Horizon. They'd invested in an automated editor by Bill's second summer research trip and the hand operated editor had been sitting on a shelf ever since.
This eased Harry's worry about more motion sickness. Bill hadn't simply gotten Dylan an editor but he'd supplied books on editing and moving making, which further pleased the senator. Dylan was a clever lad. He was creative and resourceful and did a fine job taking stills. He just might master the art of movie making.
Dylan was aware that Harry had seen the original films he took at the cove with the garage sale camera. While that meant expectations would be low if not nonexistent, its not the audience he'd have hand picked for his film's debut.
If he'd seen it first maybe he'd want Harry and Bill to see it but maybe not.
It was his first serious attempt at making a movie. Since it was a movie about his life, he knew the material. He was new with motion picture cameras and pictures that moved were way more complicated than still pictures.
Clay drove Ivan and Dylan to Harry's in the Buick. Clay's mother and father and sister drove in John Olson's station wagon. Bill Payne drove a couple of hours to be there for the first viewing of Dylan's movie.
No one contributed more to Dylan's movie making than Bill.
Captain Popov drove himself in his Volvo. He was there because there was no one more important to the cove than Captain Popov. It was his fishing fleet and over the years he invested in every business in the cove, including Ivan's Cove Enterprises.
Ivan invited Popov to see his kids film on the cove.
After enjoying drinks and canapes and catching up on the news Harry brought from Washington with him, Henry Hodges manned the projector as the viewing room next to the study was half filled.
A handmade sign came on the screen, My Life At The Cove, replaced by a sign, Produced & Directed by Dylan Aleksa-Olson and there was applause as a shot filmed from the Sea Lab, showed the Sea Lab entering the cove from the Gulf of Mexico.
It was a beautiful day and a sweeping shot showed the cove from top to bottom, Every structure around the cove appeared on film. Sea Lab moved toward her slip as Dylan filmed each ship in the fishing fleet was Sea Lab passed.
Dylan filmed Sea Lab backing into her slip. He filmed the pier and the other boats before capturing the Dive, Surf, & Bait Shop with Ivan standing in front of the huge window waving at the camera.
Ivan applauded.
“That's my boy,” Ivan said. “He knows what's important.”
Everyone laughed.
“Dylan, tell us what you're doing,” Harry said.
“I'm watching the movie I made,” Dylan said.
Everyone laughed and Dylan tensed up. These were the people closest to him and they were laughing at him.
“No, describe what we're seeing. You obviously weren't able to create a soundtrack at this point,” Harry said. “By the way I appreciate how steadily you handle the camera. Steady is good.”
“Well, I didn't think anything needed saying. This is my home. These are things I see as I live my life. Everything is part of things I see,” Dylan said. “This is my life at the cove.”
People were getting out of their cars and going into the Fish Warehouse to start their day and then they were leaving to go home. There was a close up shot of JK's Kitchen's sign and then the camera backs off to show Captain Popov going in the front door of JK's.
The next shot was of the back of JK's Kitchen. It was garbage cans and the back door and JK came outside to empty garbage. When Dylan zoomed in for close up, JK bent over and the shot was of his posterior end as he tended to business.
Captain Popov laughed.
“JK has never looked so good,” Captain Popov said.
Everyone laughed.
“I left that in for comic relief. I wanted to show JK closeup. I try to get a closeup of everyone at some point,” Dylan explained.
There was film of Ivan sitting at his desk inside the shop. He's writing something and with the window lighting the inside of the shop it's clear as a bell. Ivan looked up at the camera and smiled.
There was a wonderful shot of the beach Ivan made and the campsites that line the shoreline down to where it crosses to the strip of land that meets the Gulf of Mexico. The walk continues as Dylan walks toward the end of the campsites and the path leads to the Gulf. In about three minutes the camera is pointed at the blue-green sea.
“I wanted to give the viewer a sense of the beauty,” Dylan said. “I'm drawn to the Gulf any time I walk on Dad's beach. He created that out of what was tangled scrub that hid the beauty. It was his idea to put a beach there and he turned the cove into a landscape everyone can love. People come from all over to camp here. My father did that. My father built it.”
Everyone applauded.
Maybe he did better than he first thought, Dylan thought.
“We'll be wanting you to repeat what you just said for the next commercial we cut for the Cove Campsites,” Harry said.
Everyone applauded again.
Dylan smiled. He didn't know he could remember what he said but being about his father meant it was part of who he was.
“This was Mr. Johnson's campsite. A wife, two cute kids, and his grandmother were camping for a week. I said, 'Good morning, but I don't think he heard me.”
The film rolled as Mr. Johnson came into the scene and he immediately turned to wash a pot under the running water. When he bent over his butt took up most of the shot and the crack of that butt showed as he washed away. As he sensed something wasn't right, he looks back through his legs and spots Dylan and the camera. He shot straight up, dropping the pan and yanking up his sagging shorts.”
The sudden move was right out of the Keystone Cops. Everyone burst into laughter. Mr. Johnson had been caught totally unaware.
“I left that in because I thought it was funny.
“It's classic,” Harry said. “You've got a future making comedy films, Dylan. There's some funny stuff in here. It's remarkably steady for a motion picture.”
Harry wasn't as amused when it was his butt Dylan photographed when he bent over to pick something up while he was at the cove. Captain Popov laughed his gigantic laugh until it was his butt that showed up on film next.
The audience did their best not to laugh but it was useless. Dylan had definitely created a film with laughs included. It seemed a lot funnier to him at the time than it did now. He didn't laugh.
“I told people I was filming, when I was filming, but no one seemed to hear me. Everyone's reaction was to turn around and bent over. It seemed funny at the time,” Dylan said.
“I mean I filmed them because they didn't say don't. When Mr. Johnson did that, I thought he heard me and he did that on purpose,” Dylan said. “Then he seemed so shocked, I thought it was an act he put on for the camera. I guess it's not as funny as I first thought. I mean I was making a serious film about where I live,” Dylan apologized. “Then, every time I was ready to film. Well you saw the reactions. I didn't mean to embarrass anyone. My movie is serious.”
“It's damn funny, son, but you show that clip of my ass to anyone else and you'll be speaking to my attorneys,” Harry said. “I'm kidding. I haven't even needed my motion sickness pills.”
Dylan wasn't so sure Harry was joking but everyone laughed when he said it. He realized what he filmed was there forever and thinking something was funny might not be funny to the people he put on film. He needed to be more aware of what he was filming and the impact it might have.
Dylan didn't intend to make a comedy. This was his life. This was how he saw the world in which he lived. Filming it was a lot of work. He made the movie to tell his story and it wasn't a comedy.
As the film progressed, the shots of Sea Lab were followed by Sea Lab entering the Gulf. There were pictures of dolphins jumping and swimming along with Sea Lab. There was a shot of Clay putting on his SCUBA gear and then the shot of Clay suspended in the water above the reef came onto the screen. He was back lighted by the sun as he hung above the reef. The shot was spectacular and part of the original movie he shot the first time he used the underwater camera.
“I used that camera for nearly three years. I never sot a shot as beautiful as that,” Bill said as an afterthought to what he was seeing.
Dylan moved around the reef keeping Clay in the frame. It created another nice effect. No one was laughing. After only a few minutes of underwater footage, the film cut away to the cove beach early in the morning.
There was a shot of Ivan driving the trash wagon toward the camera. Tag was running the trash cans back and forth. It was just past dawn and the cove was quiet. The water was placid. There was just enough light to see the tents and campsites as the trash wagon moved up the beach and away from the camera. Golden rays from the sun shined just below and on the other side of the tree line as the trash wagon closed in on the Dive, Surf, & Bait Shop.
Dylan ended the movie at the beginning of a new day at the cove. It was another amazing shot as the sun showed itself over top of JK's Kitchen and the tree tops behind it.
The screen went black.
There was applause followed by hugs and back pats. Dylan wasn't sure about his creation. It did tell the story he wanted to tell. These people knew him better than anyone. They had to say nice things and support what he'd done whether they liked it or not.
Probably being a kid meant that nothing he did was taken all that seriously. He was still young. He was still learning. What he wanted to do was to thank these people for being part of his life. Especially he wanted to make his dads proud of him. The movie was about them but who would watch a movie called, My Two Dads?
He'd photographed both of them the way they looked to him.
The film was twenty-eight minutes long. It was footage Dylan took with the garage sale camera and four minutes out of the first canister of film he took with the underwater 16mm camera. He knew the ending before Ivan brought him the hand operated editor.
Years before, Aunt Lucy talked about the meaning of what they'd just read, after finishing a novel. At first it Dylan saw a novel as a whole lot of words strung together. Words Dylan learned to read. Once he'd learned to read, Lucy began explaining what the words meant. A book had meaning beyond what the words said. When the author put those words together, there was a theme or overriding message inside all the words.
The theme might be simple and easily understood. Other novels had its meaning so tightly within the words that you might not see the meaning without a lot of thought and maybe some rereading.
To Dylan his film was a story he was telling. As he edited, he sometimes loss track of the theme and the point of making a film. He knew the story but because of the nature of film, he struggled to make it make sense to him. If it didn't make sense to him, how would anyone else understand it?
My Life At The Cove was mostly about the people he saw and the things he did.
The ending took no deciphering. Dylan was at the beginning. His edits might be rough and losing track of what he was going got him laughed at. Film making was serious business. If he got distracted, it became comedy. What he was hoping to do wouldn't be funny.
There was a problem with the underwater camera and the footage he planned to take of his dad. Shortly he'd be leaving with Mr. Payne on that research trip. He'd be gone all summer, which meant no dives to film until he returned in August.
It would be a long summer but he'd be with Daddy-O and he was almost always at the Dive Shop. Tag would be there and that was nice, but the underwater 16mm would be on the shelf for the summer and that wasn't nice.
After the film ended, everyone went their separate ways except for Bill and Harry. Harry made himself another bourbon and branch water and sat down beside his long time friend.
“What do you think now that the witnesses are gone?” Harry asked.
“I could hardly tie my own shoes when I was that age,” Bill said.
“Me, too,” Harry said. “Must be in the genes. We all drink the same water. Too many fat asses for my taste. You do know he intends to document what Clay does.”
“The underwater footage was probably the best footage in the film. I only got that piece of film back to him last week. He had to splice that into the movie in the last few days,” Bill said. “He had to know he wanted to use the piece of underwater footage. He didn't have time to go through it and pick that shot as a keeper.”
“Too many fat asses for my taste,” Harry said.
“You're just pissed because one is yours. No one else dares depict you as anything but a fine country gentlemen from tiny town America,” Bill said. “Dylan doesn't know how important you are yet.”
“You know what my opponent would do with that film if they got their hands on it. My fat ass would be on every television in Florida. I can't afford to look bad if I want to keep my job,” Harry said, drinking from his glass.
“No one would knot it was your ass and who is going to see a film but the local folks and an old marine biologist who doesn't care how fat your ass is, Harry,” Bill said.
“You've got my travel aids communications on the plane schedules?” Harry asked.
“Yes, we seem to be on the same page. Clay's excited. I'm excited,” Bill said. “I can't wait for classes to end. I'm ready to go.”
“And I'm ready to do without my man in the Gulf for most of two months. You're lucky you got me to agree before I had another month to think about it. I wouldn't agree to that deal today,,” Harry said.
“You'll be pleased as punch, once you see what we bring back from this summer's research. We're close to being able to document the deterioration in real time. It will give you ammunition,” Bill said.
“I suppose,” Harry said. “I wouldn't take any other marine biologist and a million dollars for Clay Olson. Not even ten million,” Harry said. “He's done everything I had it in mind he'd do and more, since he signed that agreement with me in 1967. It's been over fifteen years. Time flies and Clay thrives.”
“It's his instincts. He senses the meaning of what he's seeing. He may not have aced all his college courses but he aced mine, He's the best most dedicated marine biologist I know. That includes yours truly if the truth be known. It's why I want him with me on this trip, Harry.”
“It's why I've been so reluctant to let him go. Some things are simply bigger than we are. This is one of those things,” Harry said. “I need him right here doing what he does. I want him telling people what he knows about the environment.”
“Does anyone really care,” Bill said.
“I knew a cynic was hiding in there somewhere. You are human after all, Bill. Sometimes I wonder.”
“Me, too,” Bill said. “Wonder is my thing and wandering out of here is what I need to do. It's a long way home.”
*****
Clay drove his Buick to the Dive Shop Saturday morning, parking behind the building a little before eight. He walked around to the front entrance and went inside.
“Early this morning, Babe. You must have fresh fish to fry,” Ivan said, sensing an expression of Clay's face that said trouble.
“Yeah, I wanted to get an early start. They're calling for thunderstorms this afternoon. I'd rather avoid being out when lightning is probable. We'll be back before noon. I'm going south about an hour to a reef I've been keeping my eye on.”
“Hi, Dad,” Dylan said, when he came in to the shop.
“You ready to go? Might storm this afternoon. I want to get started,” Clay said.
“I just finished filling our air tanks,” Dylan said.
“Go ahead and put them on Sea Lab. I'll be along after Ivan gives me a cup of coffee,” Clay said.
“One cup of coffee,” Ivan said, jumping up to pour the coffee.
Dylan went to the rear of the shop to take the underwater movie camera down. after putting his air tank on one shoulder and his father's on the other.
He went out the back door, turning toward the pier. Clay stood at the window of the shop watching his son. Once Dylan reached the Sea Lab and got the gear on board, Clay solemnly turned to Ivan.
“Glad you've let him take that camera on dives with you. He's been ecstatic since you gave him permission. It gives him the exact view he gets of you working. It's the best camera yet,” Ivan said.
“You gave it to him at Christmas. I couldn't tell him no forever. You know how I feel about such a distraction,” Clay said. “He listens to what I tell him and it's been fine so far,” Clay said.
“I'm happy you let him take it on dives,” Ivan emphasized. “It makes him feel like you trust him. He likes it when you act like you trust him.”
“Trust isn't the issue, Ivan. Things happen underwater and when you aren't paying attention you can get in trouble,” Clay said firmly.
“ You'll be leaving soon. I'm not going to have time to take him diving. That means he won't be using that camera until you come home.”
“I'm not going, Ivan,” Clay said.
“You're not going where?” Ivan asked, not quite sure what Clay might be telling him.
“The Pacific. I'm not going?” Clay clarified, certainty in his voice.
“What brought this up? You've been looking forward to this trip for months. I'm not complaining. I don't want to spend two months without you next to me, but.... Never mind. What brought this on?”
Ivan sipped his coffee and tried to stay out in front of the conversation. It was a total reversal from the high Clay had been on for weeks about seeing the Pacific Ocean. It wasn't the first time. Ivan knew better than to step in front of a speeding locomotive.
“I've never seen you as excited about anything the way you've been excited by this trip, Babe. Bill will be disappointed?”
“Dylan. I can't leave him for six weeks,” Clay said.
Ivan knew better than to argue with Clay about Dylan. He'd made that mistake before and he wasn't about to make it again. There had to be a way to reason with Clay. Dylan would be fine. Clay was the worrywart. That was the issue now.
Ivan moved beside Clay as he stood at the window watching the Sea Lab. They watched Dylan come back on deck to undo all but the main line holding Sea Lab in place. The boat moved gently in her slip.
Clay set his cup down and put his arms around Ivan, moving him back against the desk and out of sight. He gave Ivan a long lingering kiss. He didn't want to argue. He knew what he had to do. He knew all along he couldn't go but he did want to spend the summer with his former teacher and friend.
“I can't leave him. I don't want to leave you,” Clay said. “I know, he's a big boy. He'll have you and my parents to look after him. Since Sunshine died, I haven't been away from him for any length of time. I don't feel right leaving him. It's been on my mind for some time. I thought I could do it, but I can't. I'll call Bill after we come back. I'll explain it to him.”
Ivan wished he could explain it to him. He wasn't going to argue with Clay but there had to be a way for him to make the trip.
“What do you plan to tell Bill. He's as excited as you are about this trip. He's going to be really upset if you cancel.”
“I know. It isn't fair but it doesn't matter. I can't leave Dylan.”
Ivan held Clay close. How to support him while getting him to do what he needed to do. If he didn't go he'd regret it.
“Babe, whatever you want is fine with me. I don't want to be separated from you but I know your work is important. We can't always have it our way,” Ivan said.
“I can leave you. That's not the problem,” Clay said.
“Well thanks a lot. I was dreading you being gone, Babe. I understand the importance of a research trip with Bill. It fits in with your life's work. You need to see the Pacific Ocean, Babe.”
Clay didn't want to talk about it any more. His mind was made up and he kissed Ivan passionately. He would miss him almost as much as he'd miss Dylan.
“What would you mother say? What would my mother say?” Ivan asked, kissing Clay
back.
“I've got to go. I'll be back by noon. Why don't we go to JK's for lunch? Tag will be
here at around noon?”
“Yeah, he'll come in at ten. He stays late tonight.”
Clay kissed Ivan one more time before going on his way.
“I'll see you in three hours, Hot Lips,” Clay said.
Ivan stood at the window watching Clay walk down the pier.