His ship pulled towards its final destination. The morning coffee had been gritty, a fact of life so certain that it was the name of his ship. Dark muscles, too dark to tan, pulsed as they pulled the oars back and forth. Water sloshed along the edges of his boat, melting smoothly like butter he would never have. The tourist’s boat, surrounded by buoys and traps built not to sow but to kill and squander lolled close by, abandoned. Two nets, knotted rope which held the web of his life, rested at his feet.  Once pristine beaches that were now becoming laden with excess began to fade from his sight.  From the stern of his ship he could not see the black ocean floor and decided he was ready to stop.

     He sat on the cracked seat of his boat, remembering how it used to be, when a fisherman was happy when he caught just enough for himself. Now, a fisherman who wished to survive had to starve-money is not edible. His breathing was heavy from the effort of bringing himself to his final resting place. His heart wasn’t just tired-it was in pain, aching within his chest. Thin gray hairs that stood upon his chest seemed to vibrate with the rhythm of his beaten ribs. The niche in society which he had nestled himself in had finally been destroyed and at last he choose to accept it. Each day the catch was less and the bread tasted flat. Relaxing, a callused hand grabbed each net. From beside his bare feet he took a knife and cut off two weights from each and put them next to the light twine that he used as fishing line.  The webs were cast into the water and sank to the bottom to be lost forever. He sighed as he had when he lost his son so many years ago.

     The weights were tied slowly, one to each foot, one to each hand. The knots were weak, but he knew he would not break them. The rotted wood of the Gritty snapped with a firm stomp. The numbness to his foot was the only pain he felt, that he would feel. Water surrounded his feet and together they sunk. They were partners, joined by silent union to the end. Water covered his eyes, the salt stung but he kept them open. He didn’t hold his breath as he went down. He could see the webs of others, filled with their captive bounty. His feet touched the bottom and the ocean tightened its final embrace. He stood upon his own life, the friend with whom he had spent his whole being. He filled his lungs with air and went with a euphoric white sensation caressing his body. Several days later, his body was found, bloated and white. His friend and life remained pledged to the sea.