Fantasy House

by Ruth Hay

  Eve had enjoyed Florida holidays with girlfriends, once upon a time, before her marriage. The thought of simply relaxing had great appeal for her. Honor was in charge of her legacy investments, which were doing well, so she might just take this opportunity to get away for a week. She could afford to buy some new, flimsy, summer beach clothes without making a dent in her finances.

  She also had some thinking to do. The last months had been all about adjusting to life in Harmony House. Now she needed to adjust to the future, finally leaving the past behind.

  Jamaica would be the perfect place to try out more ambitious painting projects. It was the final incentive.

  Yes, I will go!

  Vilma was surprised when Mavis approached her and asked if she was too old for such a trip.

  “For goodness sake, Mavis! You are the youngest older woman I know. Winter holidays are not all about the young and beautiful beach bunnies. Those people go to the big couples’ resorts, not to quiet places like mine. You will find widows, and even some widowers, looking for pleasant company. Believe me, you would love it. I would love to have you with me. We have conspired together lately and I owe you a lot for your help.”

  Mavis chuckled at this. It was true. She made up her mind to go. After all, there were wonderful tropical plants to see in the Caribbean. It would inspire her for the next garden development.

  Vilma had three companions lined up for the Jamaican holiday, which was perfect. She and Jannice would occupy the larger building with Mavis and Eve in the separate, smaller one, linked by a walkway.

  This would allow them to meet together for meals in the evenings and compare notes. Vilma would offer activities she knew would suit them but it was vital no one should feel pressure to participate.

  It was to be all about doing your own thing and that could easily include doing nothing at all.

  She sent on the information by email and asked for pick up for four passengers by the resort van from the airport in Kingston on their arrival. Honor had found very reasonable plane tickets for them and Hilary had gladly paid, out of her contingency fund.

  All of this being settled, Vilma now prepared to talk to the dogs about their holiday with Andy.

  Weather permitting, on their next training session at the barn, she would begin to move some dog comforts to Andy’s farmhouse. When he came to fetch the dogs, the day before she was due to leave, she would have their cage disassembled and ready for his truck along with their bowls and food.

  Everything was arranged. She would throw a few items into a case and include some extras for the others, like cover-ups and sunscreen, and then she was done.

  Jamaica. She longed to be there again.

  It was an age since she had been there. She had not gone during the last years after her Nolan died. It would have been too difficult to go alone with all the memories of their wonderful times together in the beach house.

  There had been the house and will situations to deal with, also. It was not until the Harmony House idea emerged that she felt her life might have new purpose again. Now she was returning to Jamaica and not alone. These women all deserved a good holiday. Each of them had been instrumental in her contentment in her new setting. It was good to be able to return something to them.

  Perhaps this would become an annual event in February?

  She could not think that far ahead. Each month seemed to bring new challenges but that could be because it was still the first year of their occupancy.

  Who could have expected Faith to pop up out of nowhere? And yet it was a tribute to the strength and goodwill of these women that they had banded together to bring the girl into the fold.

  What would be the next challenge?

  She shook her head and banished that worry. Whatever came, they would meet it head on. They were a family now, the best one she had ever known and some of them were about to experience a fantasy come to life.

  Chapter 26

  The first thing Jannice O’Connor noticed was the blast of colour to her eyeballs from the exotic plants flowering vividly all over the airport. She did not know her eyes were starved of colour until she saw the palm trees waving their bright green fronds in the breeze from the sea. Of course, the instant warmth was also a treat but she had been able to predict that on the plane journey.

  The truth was that every single moment since they left Canada had been a thrill.

  Her first international plane trip. Vilma had warned all of them to dress in layers so they could divest themselves of the heavier winter clothes as soon as they landed in Jamaica.

  Jannice did so happily, bundling her coat and hat, gloves and shoes into her carry-on and slipping into a pair of sandals. Now she fitted in with the other holidaymakers, some of whom spent the entire plane trip in shorts and skimpy tops. She noticed at once how the bright sunshine demanded equally bright clothing. She thought she might buy some new things on the island. She had a small fund of money for extravagances only.

  * * *

  Eve Barton was instantly reminded of Florida. So many beautiful, black, shining faces everywhere. All the men and women seemed to be happy. Their voices rose and fell like a song; the accent just on the edge of understanding. She hoped she would catch the inflection soon and understand what made these people so content. It could be their surroundings. The airport was not large like Pearson in Toronto.

  It was on a more human scale. The scent of the sea was never far away on an island. She took a deep breath of the air. This was paradise. She felt a layer of worry fall away from her with the heavy clothes she shed on arrival. This is where she would come to grips with her past mistakes. This place, so far removed from her normal life, was where healing could occur at last.

  * * *

  Mavis Montgomery had slept deeply on the plane, to her surprise. When she awakened, it was to a brand new feeling of joy. The bustle of people on holiday was exhilarating. Everyone was relaxed and eager to get going. Mavis was content just to stand by the luggage carousel and take in the atmosphere.

  Vilma was in charge and Mavis had every confidence in this amazing, generous woman who had given so much of herself to making Harmony House a true home.

  This was going to be a wonderful experience. She could already see the plants brightening up corners of the airport. She thought the ones with thick, very colourful leaves were called crotons. She would buy a little notebook and write down colour combinations for the garden at home. She could certainly be more adventurous there, now the basics were taken care of.

  She could hardly wait to see the beach cottages. Vilma had not said a great deal about them other than to say they would love the setting. It was to be a surprise.

  She saw the white van waiting for them and relinquished her one case to the smiling young man in green shorts. “No worries!” was his response to anything, it seemed. Jamaica was the land of no worries in her mind from then on. Vilma was in charge. Mavis felt the sun on her shoulders and relaxed for what seemed like the first time in ages. Harmony House was in good shape; better than she and Hilary could ever have hoped. It was time to look back over their first year and rejoice. What better place than this gorgeous island to do that?

  * * *

  Vilma Smith happily settled into the holiday routine. Everything was familiar, although there were some changes along the route from the airport. Jamaica was subject to variations in its economy. Not all of the inhabitants lived the lifestyle of the fancy resorts, as could be seen by the shanty towns they sped by on the way to Ocho Rios. Other than a few unique products like Blue Mountain coffee, tourism was their chief export and tourism tended to vary according to fashions and to the current state of the dollar.

  The very large, all-inclusive palaces they passed, were mostly owned by foreigners and the capital went back to America or elsewhere in the Caribbean. Vilma was glad their own secluded resort was owned exclusively by Jamaicans and was very low-key compared to the all-drinking, all-day, couples’ places they were speeding by.
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br />   Her companions were silent, looking out at the scenery and acclimatizing themselves to the environment.

  The journey from the airport was like a pause between worlds. Soon they would find a new world far from Canada and winter. It would be for them, as it always was for Vilma and Nolan, a space apart in their lives where magical memories were made.

  * * *

  Jannice’s first view of the beach came as soon as they descended the slope from the roadside parking area, weaving their way through dense green foliage on a pathway barely discernable. She felt palm fronds brushing her head as if to banish the last of her Canadian mindset. Before the beach was visible she heard the sound of the waves washing onto the shore and a flock of vividly-coloured birds flew ahead of her, calling out like a welcoming committee.

  Finally, they broke through the undergrowth and there it was.

  A white crescent of unspoiled beach with clear blue water deepening in colour at the horizon. It was simply the most perfect postcard scene come to living, breathing life. And it was theirs for a week.

  She dropped her shoulder bag, the only item she had been permitted to carry, and ran forward kicking off her sandals as she went. She could not wait a single moment to step into that ocean and feel those gentle lapping waves wash away all the past sorrows in her life. Paradise!

  * * *

  Mavis was stunned by the prolific growth on the slope to the beach. She had never imagined so many shades of green and all shining with health. She looked upward to where the tallest coconut palms were commanding the heights and taking the brunt of the breeze from the shore. How stately they looked. She wondered if she would have the chance to drink one of those cocktails you see in movies, poured into a half-coconut shell and decorated with a straw and tiny paper umbrella.

  When she emerged from the green shade, she was struck by the bright power of the sun. The sand gleamed and bounced the light up at her. She closed her eyes to better absorb the sensation of heat on her skin. She had a soft hat in her purse but she wanted to feel that heat right through her body. It was electrifying. Quite different from Canada’s summer temperatures. Here the air was always moving and the heat seemed more beneficial than scorching. Her brain knew this was some kind of illusion but for now she was content to put that aside. For now, she plopped down on the sand and stretched out her legs, pulling up her cotton trousers to knee level. Never mind her veins and blotches. This was a dream come true.

  * * *

  Eve passed Mavis and looked around the curve of beach for other holidaymakers. She saw only gaps in the green foliage where wooden steps led down to the beach. No one was in evidence on the sand itself. She had expected a row of beach umbrellas and loungers with servers walking about carrying trays of drinks. It was nothing like that at all. As far as she could tell, this was an unspoiled place, private and secluded. No noise of radios playing. No jungle music blaring from a loudspeaker.

  Just peace, perfect peace.

  She walked along the sand parallel to the shoreline where Jannice was enjoying the sea. As she passed the first of the wooden steps, she looked upward and caught a glimpse of a low building roofed in brown tiling that blended into the surroundings. There was an open deck or terrace in front and a man waved his hand lazily at her in welcome. She felt like an intruder and walked on to find more such steps and cottages spaced out along the crescent. So this place was not abandoned as it first appeared to be. It was deliberately set up for privacy and peace. Two things she craved more than anything else.

  She turned to see her footsteps in the sand and it was as if she saw her life before now, gently dissolving as her prints succumbed to moving grains of sand. If only she could cast off the bad memories as easily as her steps faded away to nothing.

  Was it possible that in a tranquil place like this, she could escape the nightmares and recover some mental composure, so long missing during her disaster of a marriage?

  This beach, this moment, were like a dream, a fantasy come true. A time away from real life to reassess and restore. Tears washed down her cheeks. She had never felt such cleansing emotion in any place before this. She walked back slowly, her thoughts calming with every step.

  * * *

  Vilma stayed by the van until all their luggage was unloaded and carried down to the cottages. The other women went ahead down the path. She was happy to leave them to their own devices. She well remembered the impact this magical place had on the senses and she smiled. She would catch up later.

  She wanted to make sure everything was ready for them.

  The path diverted to the larger of the two round cottages and she stopped onto the covered deck to look out at the view. The foliage here was trimmed carefully to allow a clear view out to sea. Chairs were arranged to capture that view at any hour of the day or night and behind the deck, the huge windows and doorways were left open to the breeze. She felt again how healing that salt-scented air was. To sleep breathing that air was health-giving in the best possible way.

  She quickly checked out the facilities and found everything in place. There was an envelope with her name on it beside a huge bowl of fresh fruit and the fridge was stocked with yogurts, drinks and ice. The beds had canopies of delicate hangings but she was sure there were no noxious insects at this time of year. The charming green lizards whose presence was generally welcomed, took care of any minor multi-legged intruders.

  She could not help but think of Nolan here. At Harmony House, he was not present in her mind as he had had never seen the house. But here, she could remember him sitting on the deck and lounging on the bed in the heat of the day. It had been her gift to him, given so gladly as a tiny thank you for all the luxuries he had brought to her life. She had never stayed here with the first husband who had left her the inheritance, so his memory did not taint the good times with Nolan.

  So many things in her life had changed since Nolan died. On the whole she was pleased with her decisions since then, and she believed in this moment that Nolan looked down at her and was equally pleased.

  Vilma walked the short distance to the linked cottage and checked that Mavis’s and Eve’s things were there. They would love this quiet spot. Mavis had confided that she wished to have a heart-to-heart with Eve during the holiday. Vilma could not imagine a better location for that talk.

  She continued on down the wooden steps toward the beach to see if she could find her guests. It was a good sign that they were spending their first moments at the resort on their own. She intended to have a holiday also. She would be there as hostess but if the women decided to do nothing other than rest, she would be quite content to let them do that.

  Chapter 27

  “But, Vilma, it’s as if there’s no one here other than us. Where’s the usual restaurant and the bar and all that stuff?”

  “Don’t worry, Eve. The staff people are in another building closer to where the cars are parked. The whole idea of this place is to provide privacy but I can summon food or transport with a call from the phone here. I have a letter reminding us of what’s on offer this week. For example there will be a beach barbecue at sunset tonight when we can meet other residents. It will be set up on the beach for us with tables and chairs, then when everyone has finished everything will be removed and the sand swept so in the morning you will never know anything was there at all.”

  “Why that’s amazing, Vilma! I saw a glimpse of other cottages along the beach but there can’t be many people here.”

  “No, that’s why it’s so exclusive. No beach peddlers trying to sell things to you. No noisy music. Everyone is here for the same thing we are. Just relax and go with the flow. No worries; be happy! is the motto in Jamaica. You’ll find that’s true.”

  All four women had assembled on the deck in front of the larger cottage for fruit juice and instructions.

  Vilma thought they looked more relaxed already. It was the magic of this place working on them.

  She had a list of activities in the area but that could wait
. The first two or three days were all about adjusting to the change from frozen north to balmy south. No program. No expectations. No worries.

  “Tonight is optional. If you prefer to go to bed early, I will bring food back for you. If you want to come and see what’s happening you don’t need to eat if you don’t want to. There’s food and drink in the fridge and fresh fruit always. Drink lots to prevent exhaustion and be sensible about sun exposure.

  You have sensitive skin Jannice so cover up.

  That’s it from me! No more lectures. Watch the sunset over the ocean. It’s unforgettable!”

  Vilma moved away to get a pitcher of juice and her companions just looked at each other in amazement.

  “Can you believe this?” said Mavis. “It’s paradise.”

  “The ocean changes colour every hour. I will swim early every morning before the sun gets too hot.”

  “Good plan, Jannice. I am planning an afternoon nap every single day.”

  Heads nodded at this comment from Eve.

  “You deserve a break from kitchen duties, Eve. I don’t want you lifting as much as a glass for a whole week.”

  “I will follow your wishes, Mavis, other than to lift this one in salute to all of us for making the decision to come here together. I can’t imagine better company.”

  * * *

  All four women decided to join the beach barbecue at sunset. It was good to meet the other people.

  There were not many others. One large cottage held four men on a golfing holiday. Two smaller cottages were occupied by couples and another was still vacant until the end of the week.