Captain said, "We pass the island in three days, child. Keep your courage; the sea is calm."
Folake replied, "Thank you, Captain. My father trusted you, and I trust you with this secret."
The galley staff noticed how little Folake ate. Mama Bisi, the senior cook, had fed generations of crew and could tell when exhaustion came from more than long hours. She listened without pressing for the secret, offering food and warmth even as Kayode sent fresh plates back untouched. Her kindness reminded Folake of her father's gentler lessons, which now seemed to compete with the harsher lesson she wanted Kayode to learn. Folake kept working, increasingly divided against herself.
Kayode said, "This fish is overcooked and dry! Clear it away and bring me something worth eating!"
Folake murmured, "Forgive me, sir. I will bring a fresh plate straight from the kitchen myself."
Kayode called out, "Stand here with my drink and do not move until I finish my afternoon rest!"
Folake answered, "Keep me standing in this sun as long as you like. One day, you will suffer under a hotter sun on that island."
Mama Bisi said, "Eat something, my child. You serve all day and touch nothing for yourself at all."
Folake replied, "Thank you, Mama Bisi. Your kindness is the only warmth left on this ship."
Kayode demanded, "Oops, my napkin fell again. Pick it up, girl. The floor and you are old friends now."
Folake murmured, "Yes, sir. I will pick it up every time. My hands are not too proud for work."
Kayode sneered, "That uniform suits a girl like you. Do not dream above your station here."
Tayo replied, "Smile for him now, Folake. Very soon, he will learn exactly where he stands."
Tayo said, "You barely ate today. Sit down and eat this before you fall on your feet."
Folake replied, "Every hard day brings the island closer, Tayo. I can bear it until then."
Kayode said, "Take my jacket to my suite, press it well, and return before this song ends!"
Folake murmured, "Yes, sir. Your jacket will be ready, and I will be back very quickly."
On the night before their intended passage, the chart room felt unusually quiet. Captain Segun kept his attention on the route while Folake and Tayo spoke in voices no louder than the hum of the instruments. The island was marked by a tiny shape near the edge of their course, a place without the reassuring lights of a harbor. The consequences of leaving someone there could be severe, a fact none of them truly faced in the fever of their decision. The longer the conversation continued, the more the plan stopped sounding like anger and started sounding like something that was going to happen.
Tayo said, "Hmm. Tomorrow night, the ship passes close beside the island. Our moment is almost here."
Folake murmured, "Then we move when he sleeps, quiet and quick before the moon is high. He takes his rest at 9:00 and sleeps by 10:00, heavy as a stone."