A Tale About Needing A Witness

I remember seeing this episode on a TV series about suspense stories, quite a while ago. I don’t remember who presented them, nor was the author of the stories, and I do apologise for that.

Anyhow, this particular TV episode made its way to my memory archival for future reference. As is the case.

The story takes place on a transatlantic liner, on a time race to New York. Bets were placed gambling on if the ship would make or not the expected time.

As expected, the majority of the bets placed favored the accomplishment of the challenge.

The ship had been designed and built for that, so only, as only La Palice would so clearly state, only the unexpected would cause the unexpected.

The main character, a man, got somehow hold of the information that the ship was heading towards a major storm.

Don’t remember where he got it, whether from some paper, from overhearing the radio operator or out of drunken bragging from the Captain, but it was credible enough for him, as the beholder of the privileged information, to bet ALL his life savings on the delay of the ship.

To cut the story short, the following days were all but beautiful weather.

Not only was the ship not late, as it was ahead of time.

No sign of the storm whatsoever.

Our man waited until the last possible day, anxiously looking up into the sky for cloud, but always, always, in vain.

He then decided that he ONLY way he could win the bet was to stop the ship. and the only way he could do that, was for somebody to fall overboard, and with all the following rescue operations, the ship would be delayed enough.

Perfect plan. Ship delayed, bet won.

So next early morning, he walks on the deck, and finds an elderly lady who gazes out to sea.

There were only the two of them that early. I’ll not get into the details of the dialogue, but as he was not a murderer, just a gambler, he assured himself that he had before him a witness, THE WITNESS.

Someone who would just have to sound the alarm when he jumped overboard.

So overboard he goes, and into the cold water, right in the middle of the ocean.

The woman watched, and just stood there. Passively. Did absolutely nothing. Watching the man desperately waving his arms, really, really, screaming for help, and become smaller by the minute as the ship continued on its way.

Then, another man, dressed in white, approaches the lady, and politely asks:

- How are you today?

- Fine, fine, replied the elderly lady, do you know what just happened?

- What? Do tell me.

- A man, he was just now standing right here next to me, and suddenly he jumped into the water. Can you believe that?

- Don’t worry… Your treatment is doing wonderful results. Soon, very soon you’ll see that you’ll no longer have these horrible visions. I promise. Now, do come inside, it’s chilly.

So what is the common between this tale and the Maddie tragedy? Almost absolutely nothing. Just the fact that in both cases a ship out in the ocean is completely fictional.

Do have a nice Easter.