CSL Files [217]

About Cabo San Lucas CSL [Files] 217 play or tv series (?) c. Erika Koenig-Workman

Inception date: 2009-Present

Hello Dear Reader, I am writing CSL Files 217 somewhat like a play or TV series. I am keeping it open to change; in order to create additional threads to the tapestry of the characters and occurrences between them. Also, this is a story barely begun, I am happy to continue adding, editing and developing the story threads.

Installations are scenes where characters are involved in their own dramas yet are intertwined and connected with each other in various complex or simple circumstances.

Consequently, there is alot that is not yet joined together, the whole story is in development. I came to a standstill with it a little while back since I had to take time to do research into vanishing sea turtle populations.

CSL Files 217, takes place primarily in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Central characters are Roberto Santa Cruz, an enigma to friends and family, born in Canada with family in Spain.

Kate Maude Regan an amateur Physicist and professional Artist, born in Ireland with family in the UK and Canada

Lori Braveheart, a Canadian Art Photographer born in Vancouver, BC Canada and Kate’s good friend

Maggie Mae, a neighbourhood friend and surrogate Grandmother, born in Vancouver, BC Canada

Anthony (Tony) Francisco, a Canadian born in Burnaby , BC A Pharmacist, with family in Mexico and close friend to Roberto

After years of working in Canada, Roberto takes an extended contract as a visiting Professor of Marine Wildlife Biology, at a little known private university in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

At the end of a research project he decides to stay in CSL indefinitely, choosing to take a sabbatical from his profession in the sciences to work as a guide for Cactus Club Glass Bottom Boat Rentals.

On his off days he spends time experiencing sightings of the legendary ‘Ghost Marlin’ He daily devotes himself to research and ongoing discovery of a molecular phenomenon that explains vanishing sea turtle populations which creates a stir in scientific and environmentalist communities in Canada and Cabo San Lucas.

Kate travels to Cabo San Lucas to come to terms with failed attempts at being denied a physics doctorate from the University of British Columbia.

After fulfilling a tall order of critical study and preparation as requested by a temperamental supervisor, she comes to new self acceptance which brings surprising yet deeply felt answers that she has struggled to understand for more than half her life.

Kate’s newest older friend is Maggie Mae. Living together in Vancouver just off Commercial Drive they share common interests and a painful past.

They spend hours laughing about the absurdities of life, and in dialogue with each other they share openly about the effects of major depressive disorder in their lives.

They converse about long-held beliefs rooted in childhood pain. They encourage each other in their friendship noting a shift into a new positive realm.

Lori Braveheart has spent the best part of her life, giving to family and friends. A traveling companion and true friend to Kate, she is a amateur art photographer.

At the beginning of a her own personal journey, being a highly sensible late bloomer—she realizes it’s time to live life on her own terms. Determined and unafraid, she travels with Kate on her second trip to Cabo San Lucas.

A seasoned traveler with an appetite for adventure, Lori relies on her sense of delight and wonder of life to carry her through the frail period she finds herself in.

Anthony (Tony) Francisco, is a friend to Roberto and owner of Cactus Club Glass Bottom Boat Rentals in Cabo San Luca. After years of working as a pharmacist in Mexico enduring corrupt government practices with regard to pharmaceutical regulations and policy enforcement that burn him personally, he decides to opt out and work in the Tourist business.

He is passionate about his people and notes the effects of pharmaceuticals that are accessible all too easily for those who can afford 'pharma-care'. in Mexico.

Installations

[1.01] The Son from the South

[1.02] To Cabo San Lucas or ‘Catch of the Ghost Marlin’

[1.03] Marlin Man

[1.04] Gone Dark

[1.05] Return to Cabo with Nada

[1.06] Near North

[1.07] Intro to Red Herring Dream

[1.08] Red Herring Revisited

[1.09] Complicated Web

[2.01] Voyage to Navolato

[2.02] A Diagrammatic Record

[2.03] After Thought

[2.04] Unlikely Disclosure

[2.05] I’ll Sleep the Deepest Sleep

[2.06] Miles Apart

[2.07] Treading Water

[2.08] Industrial Diner

[2.09] Shred of Dignity

[3.00] Serious Lapse in Judgement

1.01

The son from the south beckons many. A place such as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico is his getaway place with his beloved family.

It hasn’t been too long now that I dreamt I went there myself. Yet the only thing I can remember at this hour in the afternoon is the glass bottom boat. While peering into the bottom of the one we sailed in I viewed the fantastic sea life below.

I looked closer than I had ever looked before, there on the ocean floor, was my compass….

1.02

CSL Files 217, [1.02] To Cabo San Lucas or ‘Catch of the Ghost Marlin’

This time I was determined, it had taken me way too long to find it in the first place. No more half-assed efforts of fooling around with tourists in El Squidroe and Cabo Wabo while exchanging travel stories and fateful nights at local pubs. I was done with that. I needed that bloody compass! I gazed through the glass bottom boat that still afternoon, feeling a slight exhilaration. I looked closer than I had ever looked before, there, on the ocean floor, was my compass. I was relieved the water was still and with the quiet, I was lulled deep into my soul and brought down to a dream state. Was it just the effect of looking through the glass that magnified everything below?

Toward the water I peered. I found myself pressing my nose up against the glass wanting to feel the fish—wanting to feel myself within again. All that mattered were those silky bodies that eluded me just like my compass. They passed by silently in continuous motion while my compass shone with a brilliance I had not known before. As if I was discovering it for the first time, I felt a ripple of delight return. With the glimmering instrument came a small hope.

It had only been seven days since I had descended into my own private hell.

Fish my favorite; the best sign—aka the ‘dooms day sign’, I call it! If you are a Pisces you are doomed to a life of emotions and feelings that are so intense they want to burst out of you. Melancholy is often the close cousin to creative intensity. I travel between. Drifting and riding currents on waves of e-motion. To a rollercoaster ride through this period—was my life, some days I would barely get out alive.

As in Physics where:

*“a periodic disturbance of the particles of a substance that may be propagated without net movement of the particles, such as in the passage of undulating motion, heat, or sound”. Even standing waves are a “vibration of a whole system where some points remain fixed, while others between them vibrate with maximum amplitude”.

I could always rely on a physics definition to help me explain what it is like to be me.*

I looked back to the man guiding the boat,

“You like those fish, don’t you” he said.

“Yes”, I replied

I studied his face intently, he seemed kind. Though I noticed that sometimes he went all quiet and would close his eyes as if going to a far away place. He must have done this many times before as it came so naturally to him. He sailed the boat with his eyes closed, he felt the wind on his face and slowly his lips curled into a relaxed smile.

The Cactus Glass Bottom Boat Co. said he was experienced at boating and fishing. He had come down to study the native animals and marine life of the region. Being a marine wildlife biologist, he had resisted returning to Vancouver and ended up staying longer than the length of the contract.

His quietness I didn’t mind, in between navigating the water he made me laugh with his wit, knowledge and humour.

That afternoon was a balm for my soul. It seemed all was right with the world for now. I was laughing in the Cabo sun, soaking in the paradise around me. Finding my comfort returned me to my former tranquility which I had previously lost with the compass.

“Marlins….”, he trailed off.

“I beg your pardon”, I retorted.

“I have known one”, he said seriously.

“What do you mean?”, I replied.

“Well there was a story in 2007 .... marine biologists discovered a kind of living ghost — a giant predatory fish with a sword-like bill and a sharpened tail so blue it seemed to glow. The round scale Spearfish was documented just twice in the last century. Experts blame the case of mistaken identity, at least in part, on the Spearfish’s resemblance to the white marlin. It was in the news and everything on NPR as a matter of fact….” again he trailed off and looked towards Los Arcos, he was lost in thought.

“So what are you saying? Do you mean that you have seen one of those ‘living ghost’ fish?” I asked him.

“Ok, can you keep a secret? Not just a small one but probably the biggest secret you have ever kept?” he said.

“Um, well—I’m not sure. I guess so. Your secret would be safe with me since I will be leaving Cabo and returning north shortly.” I quipped.

“I caught one …. I’ve seen the ghost marlin—now I have the gift”, his face was beaming with accomplishment.

“The gift…?” I said in disbelief.

“Yeah, I’ll give you a clue. We’ve been doing it all afternoon in between the quiet moments!” he spoke quickly yet his voice was hushed.

“Huh?”, I was dumbstruck to what he was referring to.

I started to feel claustrophobic, I wanted off the boat now, was this going to get all strange and go sideways on me like that time I went to that wooden boat show and was forever trying to get away from the conversation that would never end with Billie Gibson?

“Laughing, you know giggling!” he said deadpan.

“I’m sorry I still don’t follow you” I said confused.

“This is the secret part now, are you ready?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“Ok, ready” I said hesitantly.

“The legend is: that when you have caught a marlin and seen a sighting of the ghost marlin you are given the gift of humour then, you are able to make people laugh and giggle in a kind of supernatural way, anytime—day or night!” he said.

“Is that why that nightclub is called the Giggling Marlin?” I asked.

“Well, that story has circulated for a long time and I would say the establishment adopted the name after the legend. I mean who wouldn’t want to name their nightclub the Giggling Marlin!” he said smiling. “

“So do many people know about this ‘famous’ catch of yours?” I wondered aloud.

“I only tell specific people because most people cannot handle that kind of knowledge, you know the supernatural stuff and all. Of course whenever I start talking about it people think I’m a lunatic—you know crazy, nuts…. like as if all I think about are marlins…white ones, blues ones, even ghost ones…” he was a little quieter again and I noticed that we were almost back to town without even knowing that we had turned around.

We were back in port and started to unload. I asked him if he would be around since I needed a diver to retrieve my compass. He said he would be happy to help me since he knew the waters well and could tell that it was important to me.

“How can I pay you?” I asked.

“Would you go to the Giggling Marlin this evening with me? They have a great view of Place del’amour and they have this giant mural on the wall inside with the history of marlins and there is blue ones and white ones, black marlins and striped ones, ghost….” he noticed my face and trailed off.

I was feeling awkward now, I didn’t want to make this into a big deal. I took a deep breath. It had been a while since the last time I had gone in there. I wasn’t interested in meeting any local fisher folk. The Giggling Marlin was the place to party, every boat that came into port emptied regularly into the nightclub, somewhat like the Buck and Ear in Steveston. I hesitated, he was looking off in the distance in that same way, contented with his thoughts yet patiently waiting for my response.

“All right, but only one drink, okay”? I said shakily. “

“You do me honour, dear Lady” he replied respectfully.

So we met at the Giggling Marlin that evening. We put a timer on that he had brought, we timed how long it took him to tell me the entire story from beginning to end of the ‘Catch of the Ghost Marlin’! I remember giggling when he brought out the timer, since I was well familiar with them! That evening I felt I had a permanent smile pasted on my face. My cheeks ached from laughing so much and from one glass of white wine I was flushed. He drank a beer from a local micro brewery called, Cabo Cabo.

“I want you to know it’s true, every last word of it!” he exclaimed.

I said thank you, good night and left the Giggling Marlin not long after, it had been a long giggling day and I was tired but refreshed from laughing so much. We agreed to meet at the Cactus Glass Bottom Boat Co. in the morning about 10:30 am to set sail to find my compass but only after he had had his breakfast and Gazebo time, which until Cabo San Lucas he had never experienced.

Now he made it, Gazebo time, regular part of his day since in that place he always seemed to come out changed. The man who was the wildlife biologist who was into marine biology, walked down the pier into the night and I turned resolutely with broad strides back to my room.

Upon entry I struggled to find the light and hit my hip on the edge of the counter because I was moving so fast, switching the light on an unusual reflection caught my eye.

There on my night side table was my compass, polished and shining and set carefully at my beside, it was his marlinspike.