“Arrrgh!” I moaned loudly.

“Kenya, you’ve been doing this every five minute for the past hour and a half!” Michael exclaimed angrily. I could tell he was extremely annoyed with me right now.

“Well its how I feel!” I shouted at him.

“What’s the problem Kenya? Are you tired? If you’re tired you can lean up against me and sleep. I’ll stay awake and try to keep us from tipping,” Michael offered. As much as I wanted to fall asleep, I knew that he only had offered because he just wanted me to shut up. Uh uh, no way! I’m not giving in that easily!

“I’m tired, hungry, thirsty, home sick, sea sick and just annoyed with this whole situation! I just want to go home!” I complained.

“Well, if you’re thirsty-“

“I am not drinking urine again!” I protested in disgust.

“Hey! I was just offering! You don’t have to be so negative! I’m only trying to help,” Michael defended.

“Well urine doesn’t help,” I retorted. I groaned again as I folded my arms across my chest and looked off into the horizon. There was nothing except ocean. Lots and lots of ocean. Endless miles of ocean! So much ocean that- okay I’ll stop. The point is, there’s a lot of ocean and not a single boat! Not a single raft! Not a single nothing! I just don’t understand how Michael can remain so optimistic! I looked at Michael, and he was looking at me with worry in his eyes.

“What?” I asked him grumpily.

“I’m worried about you Kenya,” Michael replied.

“Why are you worried about me?” I asked him.

“Because, you’ve been acting really... dark... lately. Is everything okay?” he asked me. I groaned.

“What do you think Michael? Every day I go on a major rant about how I hate being stuck in the middle of the ocean and how we’re going to die out here! I complain about how I’m exhausted, starving, parched, and so much more! Does that sound okay to you?” I asked him.

“I think it’s more then that Kenya, I think you’re hiding something from me,” he began. I gave him a confused look.

“What on earth could I hide from you? I’ve been spending who knows how much time with you! I can’t just keep stuff from you anymore!”

“Oh but you can Kenya. Tell me how things are going at school,” Michael asked.

“Well,” I began, “First of all, it’s summer time so there isn’t any school, secondly, I wouldn’t know since I’ve been stuck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!” I screamed.

“How are your friends treating you?” he asked me. I groaned. He sounded like one of those guidance counsellors.

“Fine! They’re my friends how do you think they’re treating me?!” I asked annoyed. There was a long silence and for a long time we both just listened to the waves.

“Is it your father?” Michael asked me. I looked at him with sadness in my eyes.

“Huh?” I asked.

“Is it your father? Do you miss him?” he asked me. I shrugged.

“I guess, I mean, every child misses their father,” I replied. Michael smiled.

“You know what I think?” Michael began. I payed closer attention to what he was about to say. I wanted to hear this. “I think you’re getting more and more irritable because usually your father would be there for you in situations like these and you’re just suffering from father withdrawal. Without him here with you, you’re so confused and unsure about what to do that you turn it into anger,” Michael explained.

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said trying to be mysterious.

“It’s okay if that’s how you feel. I’m sure my kids feel that way,” he told me.

“Well then why don’t you go back to them?” I asked him, “Do you want them to turn out like me?” I asked. Michael smiled.

“I’d be perfectly content to have them turn out like you Kenya. You’re a wonderful person, and even wonderful people get angry sometimes, especially in these situations,” Michael explained. I managed a weak smile.

“Aw, thanks Michael. That means a lot,” I said. He smiled at me.

“It’s just the truth,” he told me, “Now, if you’re still tired, the offer that I mentioned earlier is still there,” Michael told me. I smiled and moved closer to him so that I was leaning on him. I carefully and slowly got into a comfortable position and tried to fall asleep without making the log tip.

“Will you sing me a song?” I asked him. My question seemed to take him by surprise.

“A song?” he asked. I smiled.

“Yes,” I replied, “Typically those are what people sing,” I replied. He sighed.

“I don’t know, it’s been awhile,” he admitted.

“Please, sing to me,” I begged. He sighed again.

“Alright, what song?” he asked me.

“A soft one. One that I can fall asleep to,” I told him. There was a long silence and at first I thought that he wasn’t going to sing, but then he began.

“Looking out, across the night time, the city winks a sleepless eye, hear her voice, shake my window, sweet seducing sighs. Get me out, into the night time, four walls won’t hold me tonight, and if this town, is just an apple, then let me take a bite,”

“How can a town be an apple?” I asked. Michael chuckled.

“Hey! Don’t interrupt! Besides, it’s just a song, they don’t usual make sense,” he replied.

“Especially rap,” I commented. Michael laughed,

“Yes, especially rap,” he agreed as he continued to sing Human Nature to me, “If they say why, why. Tell them that is human nature why, why, does he do it that way? If they say why, why. Tell them that is human nature why, why, does he do me that way?”

As he continued singing my eyelids got heavier and heavier and I eventually fell asleep and dreamt of my father. My father that I missed so much. My father that I knew I’d never see again.

My father, that Michael was in a way becoming.