“Lost, Alone, Together” by Roger Lambert is a story about how two people’s worlds are drawn together by time and circumstance. After their yacht crashes somewhere in the South Pacific, with only a life raft at their disposal, Tom and Yuna must find a way to survive and find help, but not before finding a way to overcome the language barrier between them.
Excerpt from “Lost, Alone, Together”:
“Neither of them knew how long they lay there as the water within the raft splashed about. Tom finally realized that he would have to close the opening as the water was rising inside as the waves were beating against the raft with some water finding its way inside. Without any light to give him guidance he managed to find the opening and using the zipper close them off to the outside. His next thought was to think what he should do next. He leaned back against the air filled tubing gathering his thoughts.
The raft was rolling with the waves and the only sounds were of the splashing of the water as it was thrown back and forth in their safe haven. He thought that he should get rid of this water but how he wasn’t sure as inside this cocoon there was no light. What was he to do? It was at this moment the voice of the female spoke:
“Anata wa watashi ni watashinojinsei o ataete kuremashita, soshite ima watashi wa anata ni sore o sasagemasu.”
Tom could not see her or understand her words but he could hear the softness in her voice. He didn’t know what to say or do so he squeaked out a:
“You’re welcome.”
Then he smiled in the darkness feeling silly thanking her for something he thought she might have said. He assumed that it was to thank him for rescuing her. He went back to thinking what he should do. He figured the life raft was one of the twelve man rafts and if his memory served him there would be limited supplies for five days for ten persons.”
