On the first Friday morning on my vacation to the Caribbean, I shuffled along the pier, peering at the glistening tranquil water beneath the solid foundation I stood upon. The salty smell of the ocean below me tantalized my nose, masking the other smells of exotic fruits and sweaty swimmers that were hustling by. Red, blue, and greens shimmered before my vision as people hurried to the sandy beach in their swimming trunks and skimpy bikinis, towels wrapped around wastes, their flip flops echoing along the scorching hot pavement. Coconut trees heavily laden with fruit flourished beneath the brisk blue sky, their palms stretched languidly in the soft, cooling breeze. I could hear screaming sellers haggling their wares through the busy and bustling marketplace stretched out along the pier. I watched as a small, super model of a blond careened into a cart of oranges, spilling the exotic fruit in a sea of orange, while her boyfriend scrambled helplessly to help her, but only tripping over the bouncing balls.
Laughter erupted like molten hot lava from unconcerned passersby, shuffling their way past the pair, ambivalent to their need for help. It was moments like this that could tarnish a vacation, seeing the hideous face of humanity expressing their unconcern for anyone other than themselves. Pushing past the scrambling and shoving sea of bodies, I reached the couple with a few seconds to spare. Offering a gently hand of assistance, I helped the struggling blond to her feet, keeping her from coming under someone’s trampling feet. Her companion entangled himself, while a lurching monster of a man screamed obscenities at them both, shaking his huge paw into the startled young man’s face.
The girl’s face blushed bright red in embarrassment, perching on the edge of tears as she scrambled to get away from under the heavy brute. Her body was littered like a red sign of scraped lacerations, as blood streamed like a small river down her arms and thighs, engulfing the lingering purple and black outlined bruises. People began to notice the streaming tide making a pool at her feet along the blackened asphalt, rushing away like it was a deadly disease. The sun illuminated the ghastly site, creating stifling waves of heat of the asphalt, causing sweat to break off over the poor girl’s brow. I stepped between the girl and the haggler, my bright blue sun dress flying like a flag in battle at my feet.
After several tense moments of screaming more obscenities and causing a growing crowd, the man picked up is bare cart and left. Tentatively touching the girl on a unmarked patch of skin, I noticed she shivered fearfully under fingertips. Acquiring permission, I palpated her tanned skin, checking for any broken bones that could be burgeoning through her unbroken skin. Red and blue lights shimmered across surrounding reflections of glasslike building, and a loud wail of sirens filled the air, informing the surrounding area of a medical unit as I finished my quick inspection, finding nothing out of the ordinary. At least someone had decided to be smart and helpful enough to call emergency services.
I could no longer see those panicked filled eyes as he bronzed kissed companion covered her in his towering arms of protection, while they were surrounded by people in jackets of blue with a SS logos of a local hospital patched to the side of their shoulders. Pregnant silence from sudden interested onlookers filled the warm, sticky air. I thought I caught the glimpse of a hesitant, grateful smile before the girl was packed into the immaculate white vehicle, streaming with wires and the sheen of medical equipment. The wail of the leaving medical ambulance filled the air, forcing struggling eager people to part like the red sea.
I turned around, deciding to walk the small stretch to the waiting beach to wash off. A woman selling tropical smoothies covered in colorful umbrellas eyed me, perusing me as a potential customer. I shook my head as a passed by, the small of tangent and bittersweet alcohol drifting to my sense of smell, turning my stomach into knots. Her eagle like stare finally had enough of me and began looking for another piece of bait she could catch in her alcohol laced trap, hungry for another foolish money clad tourist. Warm, squishy sand parted under my toes, its warmth clutching at now bare feet.
A few tourists lay in brightly colored towels under shade casted umbrellas, languid lying, while a few dared the scorching hot sun, hoping for a sun kissed tan. Children of all shapes and sizes meandered up and down the beach, laughing while they built towering, tumbling sandcastles with brightly colored tools of the trade, and squirting each other with deadly laden spray guns. A couple of young aged men and women hustled back and forth, running through the spraying sand, to hit a volleyball over the net. Their bright smiles flashed pearly white teeth, and most had bodies a model would kill to have. The women were in perfect athletic condition with legs that stretched miles and large breasts that bounced in the flimsy suits they wore. I envied them as I watched the men who all had muscular abs I could press laundry on.
Instead of watching the scene, I stripped out of my blue sundress, knowing it wasn’t anything close to a sexy strip tease the surrounding women could probably pull off with no thought. My face flushed a beet read at the thought, as I stepped into the cool blue expanse of the water. Large and small boats glided across the water, several miles away, causing the waves to stir up from their turbulence. In the clouds up above, paragliders streamed across the endless streams of sky, their bobbling feet swinging, the yellow parachute they were in flapping in the steady breeze. People paired off on jet skis, playing chicken with each other.
The tangy taste of salt bite into my mouth as a crashing wave hit my body. I spurted and spit out water, and at once felt a warm hand at my back, causing shivers to climb up and down my back. I stared into bright luminous grey-blue eyes, getting lost in the twinkling laughter I saw there at my expense. He had tousled black hair curled in unruly-albeit sexy-ringlets. A cascade water from his dampened curls streamed down a large muscled arms and over a huge expansion of six pack abs. He flashed a smile perfect smile, displaying even pearly white teeth. He had to be a god among men, and here I was gaping at him like a love struck teenager over Orlando Bloom.
Suspenseful, uneasy silence filled the space between us, as water lapped at our waists and more waves hit against my back. A young woman clad in a stringy halter top and thong called from the beach, breaking our concentration on each other. She had long luxurious auburn hair and reeked sex and class from every pore of her body; however, the gorgeous sex god turned his attention back to me and took my hand, murmuring that he would help me. Goosebumps lined my skin, causing my golden hair to stand on end; however, I could see the glare of hatred from the woman, knowing if looks could kill I would be dead. Completely ignoring the woman, he helped me out of the water and proceeded to carry on a conversation with me. Later, he invited me out to a local restaurant.
The Lobster Shack was a busy dark littered with the crushed shells of peanuts, laced with the smell of tangy cigarette smoke and sharp whiskey. Waiters in bright green shirts that read “Do you want me to give you crabs?” hurried around trying to fill drink and food orders. The sound of loud Jamaican sounding music blasted from the old honky tonk juke box in the corner, its neon colors beating in time with the music. I could hear the breaking of lobster tails crunch under forks, and the scrap of silverware as it met people’s mouth. The peanuts crunched even more under my flip flops as he glided me to a corner booth, its rag tag red upholstery a little tattered but clean and serviceable. The table shone with a sparkle of fresh cleaning that had probably happened minutes ago. I almost cringed until I looked into grey eyes I would be lost in forever-that I would love forever. I would never know that night that two years later I would be married to this beautiful god. Love wasn’t found in Paris-it was found in the tropics! ~