******
Phyl's eyelids fluttered open. She immediately squinted as the blinding morning sun shone directly into her eyes from beneath the canopy, and she looked over for Thad and was surprised to see that she was alone in their makeshift bed. She sat up and felt a dull ache in her head, causing her to rub her forehead, and shift her position for a moment. She glanced at her watch. Darn, a little after seven. She saw her husband's legs come into view beneath the canopy as he strode across the sand toward her.
"I see you're awake now." Thad smiled at her as he leaned down and lifted the orange canopy, peering in at her. She saw that he had on his sunglasses, and he pulled hers out of his pants pocket and handed them to her. "It's really sunny today. They were in your bag. I must have rolled them up in the clothes."
"Thank you." She slid them on gratefully, but could think of nothing else but finding that makeshift bathroom, and she stood up, pointed towards the woods, grabbed her bag, kissed him lightly, and headed into the trees, realizing too late that she had forgotten to put on her sandals. She removed her sunglasses in the darkness of the foliage, and found her favorite spot, quickly relieved herself, then hurriedly rummaged in the bag and pulled out her toothbrush and toothpaste, jumping in spite of herself when she spied some sort of striped lizard on a limb right next to her face as she brushed. She saw Thad waiting for her at the woods' edge as she carefully walked back through the underbrush. "Good morning." She squinted at him, laughing, and slid on her sunglasses. "Wow, I can't believe how well I slept after that little incident." Thad laughed and they walked together toward the ocean and she smoothed damp strands of hair back from her cheeks, already feeling beads of perspiration on her face from the hot sun. What she wouldn't give for a cold shower right now.
"We were totally exhausted, that's for sure. I got back to sleep pretty quickly. I had to restart the fire this morning."
"How long have you been up?" They passed the fire and she turned her head. "Is that breakfast I smell? Thad, you should have wakened me."
"Yes, I caught another snapper and cut up some mangoes." She smiled up at him as he rubbed his jaw. "I've been up since six or so, and I didn't wake you because you needed the rest. A head injury is nothing to be taken lightly."
She knelt down at the water's edge and ran her hand through the warm, clear water, scooping up a little to pat on her cheeks and lifting her face to the slight breeze as she scanned the horizon. "I am starving."
Thad plated the crispy snapper and mango slices, and carried them to their shady alcove, where they sat and ate, keeping their eyes fixed on the horizon for any signs of fishing boats or low-flying planes.
She chewed a piece of the succulent fish. "I'm going to use the mirror after we eat and aim it at the island, I suppose. I'll try the whistle again as well."
"I set off one flare before sunrise." Thad set down his empty plate and handed her the bottle of water, which was half full now. "There's only one more flare left."
"Thad, it's Tuesday morning. I wonder if Scott and Leah have tried to call our hotel in Nassau." Phyl's voice was soft. She was determined to stay positive, but she could certainly understand how quickly a person could become discouraged in their situation, no matter how they had joked about it seeming like a vacation. She took a sip of the water and handed it back to him, and watched as he very briefly lifted the bottle to his lips. The longer they were on the island, the more likely they would run into Sullivan's men again, she knew. She did feel safer on the eastern side of the island, but was concerned that they would have no clue if anyone had landed on the western side, especially someone they were trying to avoid. "Wouldn't you think, though, at the very least, that some tourists exploring the outer islands by boat would run into us accidentally?"
"You would think so. I have a good feeling about this morning, though, Phyl." She could see him squint his eyes as he adjusted his sunglasses and looked out over the ocean. "Although, it appears that some clouds are building up to the west of us. We may get a storm in the next hour or so."
She nodded as he turned and put the bottle in the backpack, pulling out the mirror for her, and she vowed to herself to keep her spirits up for both their sakes. "Well, we can collect some drinking water then."
"I'll find something to use for that after I clean up." His deep voice was somber.
She watched as he got up and took their plates to the ocean to clean. It was frustrating to be injured while they were in a situation where she wanted to be a full participant. Thad had already done so much. Well, she had helped as much as she could. She sat near the edge of the blanket, still as much in the shade as possible, and practiced with the mirror, not quite sure how to do it really. She was pretty sure there needed to be a specific object to shine the sun's reflection towards like a boat or plane, and she had nothing to focus the beam on. It should be so simple. Maybe it would have been better if they had stayed on the other side of the island. So far, it seemed to her that the planes' routes carried them across the sea on the western side. She sighed as she continued her efforts, spending at least another half-hour working with the mirror and sending the dots and dashes with the whistle, then she got up and joined Thad as he added more wood to the fire. She turned and saw the dark clouds rising up quickly now from behind the mango trees, and felt the stiffer breeze lift her pony tail. Neither of them was smiling now. This was not a good thing. They should have been rescued by now. Someone had to have known the plane crashed other than Sullivan's men. Someone must have seen it. As they stood together by the fire, a sudden bolt of lightening lit up the dark sky to the west, and the rumble of thunder and large drops of rain made them race to their shelter. Thad grabbed her shoulder bag and stuffed it into the waterproof backpack, and they huddled under the orange canopy, trying to keep their belongings dry, as they felt streams of rain pour through parts of the taped seams as the tape loosened. Thad held up the bottle to collect more drinking water.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing else suitable to use." Thad re-capped the now full bottle and was returning it to the backpack as a jagged streak of lightening lit up the sky, accompanied by an earsplitting crack of thunder.
"What's that rule about not being under a tree during a thunderstorm?" Phyl joked as she realized that her hair and blouse were now soaked through. She heard Thad's deep chuckle.
"Or the one about being on a beach during a storm? So I think we're screwed either way." Thad raised up the canopy with his hand to let the puddled water drain off. Despite his efforts, the torrential rain found its way through any small space in the plastic.
The storm lasted a good half hour, and as the clouds moved toward the north-eastern horizon, Thad pulled himself up off the blanket, dripping wet, and picked up their sunglasses, shaking the water off the lenses. He held Phyl's elbow as she stood up and they left their alcove, walking a little ways out toward the shoreline.
"Well, that was refreshing." Phyl laughed up at him as she smoothed back the strands of hair plastered to her face and secured her hair band.
"Do you feel that humidity building up now?" Thad put his hand on his hip and ran his other hand through his own wet hair and beard. He slid on his sunglasses and peered up as the sun's rays filtered through the mist rising over the water. "This will be a very hot afternoon, I think."
"Maybe we should hang our blankets up to dry?" Phyl slid on her glasses.
"Hmm...mm. I suppose so," he mused, his lips pursed. "I don't want to even entertain the idea of another night here, though." He looked down at her with the most frustrated look on his face that she had seen since that time in her studio when she'd suggested he ask out Bridgett. But in her mind, they had no choice but to plan for the prospect of another night on the island.
"Well, what can we do?" Phyl turned and scanned the horizon. "We've used three flares, had a blazing fire, blown the whistle, made an SOS sign, and of course, the useless mirror. Everything else is out of our control."
"Let's get it done, then." Thad voice
was resigned as they turned back to their alcove. He held his hand up as she started to follow. "I'll shake out the blanket first." He picked up the corners and lifted the soggy blanket off the sand, carrying it away from the alcove, lifting it and letting the breeze blow off some of the wet sand. He chose a tree and she went over and helped him drape it over the lowest branches, deciding to just leave the other blanket as it was to dry out over the branches.
"I'm going to take a quick dip and get rid of this sand." Thad shot her a glance, then peeled off his shirt and hung it on a branch. "Do you want to join me? No, no, forget I asked. You shouldn't swim right yet." She shook her head in reluctant agreement. He handed her his sunglasses, gave her a quick kiss and headed toward the water. Phyl watched as he waded out into the clear, turquoise water until he was chest deep, then he dove into the deeper water, bobbing up and swiping the water off his face and hair with both hands. He turned to look at her then dove into the water and swam parallel to the shore a short distance and back again several times. She sighed as she watched him, knowing that he needed to work off his frustration in his own way. She wrapped her arms around her waist and took a deep breath, gazing over the ocean, absorbed in the mist that was rising from the water in the distance. She focused again on her husband as he sliced cleanly through the now calm sea, and paused as a tiny dark shape on the horizon directly behind him caught her eye. She squinted, trying to determine what it was. Could it be? Was that a boat? Yes, oh my goodness. It had to be a boat.
"Thad. THAD!" Phyl screamed at him and she waved her arms in the air as he continued his parallel laps, unaware of her frenzied gestures. She ran back and forth at the edge of the water as he swam, frantically trying to get his attention. "Thad! Thad! THAD!" As he turned his head to take a breath, he happened to look up at her and seeing her manic movements, stopped his laps and waved at her, tilting his head at her as he bobbed in the water. She pointed to the boat in the distance, and screamed at him to look and he turned his head in that direction, and to her relief, swam swiftly toward shore. He stood up as he reached the shallow water, swiping the water off his face and hair, and strode quickly onto the beach and they headed to their alcove.
"I'll set off the last flare so they can see our exact location." Thad pulled the last flare out of the backpack, then grabbed her shoulder bag. "Let's make sure we have everything in your shoulder bag."
"Good idea. Oh, Thad, I hope it's a good person on that boat." Phyl looked around her and realized that there was nothing else to do but wait now. "I just can't take another of Sullivan's men." She took his shirt down from the branch, and handed it to him, and he pulled it over his head.
"I agree, but we have no choice now, in my opinion, but to trust whoever is on that boat." Thad hurriedly took down her red shirt and added that to the contents of her bag as well as their sandals. He quickly went back to get the water bottle out of the backpack and then he rolled the backpack and blankets in the orange ponchos, tucking the large bundle behind the trees. Moving over to the fire pit, he scattered the steaming, soggy branches and smoothed the sand.
"I know, I know." She turned toward the ocean and squinted her eyes. "Thad, I don't see it any more!" Thad quickly raised his head and peered out over the horizon as he straightened up.
"There it is. See it coming out of that patch of mist?" He pointed to the small craft just now visible halfway between the horizon and shore. He slid her bag on his shoulder.
"Thank goodness," she exhaled loudly as she handed him the glasses and they grabbed each others' hand and headed for the shoreline. "How large do you think it is?"
"I'd say a ten footer, or so. Relatively small." Thad removed the cap from the flare and pulled the cord, and the smoke billowed out with the orange flames following. This time, he held it up high to the side, moving his arm in an arc.
"I can't believe this." Phyl could feel her breathing quicken in spite of her attempts to stay calm, and she felt Thad squeeze her hand several times as they stood at the shoreline, watching the small craft slowly make its way towards them. What had appeared to be a dark form against the horizon now showed itself to be a small white motorboat with two people on board, and she saw that the boat had slowed and seemed to hover in the mist.
"...'ello dere." A deep voice resonated across the waves and Phyl peered through her sunglasses at the two men, still a distance away, realizing that the man in the rear looked to be a youth, probably eleven or twelve years old. "Are you in need of aid?"
"Yes." Thad called out as he raised his hand holding the sputtering flare in a friendly wave. "Our plane crashed on the island yesterday." He tossed the spent flare to the side.
"I will pull up close to de shore." The man at the wheel waved back and the boat moved slowly towards them. As they neared, the older man cut the engine and the young man in the back leaned over and raised the motor as they drifted into shallow water. The elderly man stood up and tipped his baseball cap to them as they waded through the clear water and approached the boat. "...'ello, I'm Calvin Knowles, and dis is my gran'son, Owen."
"Thank you so much for coming for us." Phyl thought she was going to burst out in tears and couldn't stop smiling at them as she saw Thad reach over and shake the man's outstretched hand.
"I'm Thad Gallagher and this is my wife, Phyl." After passing over the shoulder bag to the young man, who stored it under one of the seats, Thad turned to her, smiling as broadly as she, and he grabbed her around the waist and helped her step up into the boat from the knee deep water. Phyl knew immediately that these two Bahamians were good people, and she gave the man and his grandson heartfelt hugs.
"I'll get it." Before Owen could step out of the boat, Thad moved to the boat's bow. He grabbed the metal bars on its sides and pushed it into deeper water, then waded into the waist deep water and hoisted himself over the side. He removed his sunglasses and sat on the wooden seat across from Phyl, and they smiled at each other, and he narrowed his eyes and gave her a half-wink as he ran his hand through his wet hair and took a deep breath and exhaled. Her heart felt like it would burst as Owen lowered the motor and the elderly man started the engine, backing up and slowly turning the craft to the east, and she eyed their rescuers as the boat picked up a little speed. Calvin was a tall, lean man who looked to be in his seventies, with the wrinkles that come with age, kind brown eyes and a warm smile. His loose, white shirt billowed in the breeze and he put one hand in the pocket of his khaki pants as he navigated the boat with his other hand on the wheel. His grandson was tall and lanky, and she smiled at him as he looked her way and gave her a shy, toothy grin. Their soft British accents tinged with the African dialect soothed her heart and she knew that she and Thad could trust them.
"This is a nice boat." Phyl leaned toward the young man so she wouldn't have to yell.
"T'ank you." He leaned forward and answered her softly. "I go fishin' wit my gran'pa a lot, and I help him take care of de boat."
"Thad caught two snappers while we were on the island, and they were so good."
"That was pure luck, in my book, Owen." Thad chuckled. How fortunate they were. How grateful they were for these two good, kind-hearted people. She would never forget them.
Phyl closed her eyes for a moment in gratitude, feeling the ocean breeze on her face, then opened them for one last look at their island as the boat sped up, leaving it behind. Knowing that she would never forget the two days on their little stretch of beach. Their bed of branches, the fish that Thad had caught and grilled, sleeping under the stars, and of course, the unbelievable stress of the plane crash, and. She blinked and squinted, then blinked again. No, it couldn't be. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw three figures emerge from the deep green of the woods and scramble down onto their beach.
"Thad!"
He swung his head around in the direction she indicated and she could see his look of astonishment. Even with the boat now a good distance away from the island, they could easily make out the three men, now at the water's ed
ge, looking out to sea, towards the boat. A large white bandage was clearly visible on the forehead of one of the shorter men. Thad turned back to her and they stared at each other, and she was sure that he was thinking the same thing as she. Five minutes. If the boat had been five minutes later getting to them, who knew what could have happened to them. And now Sullivan's men knew they had been rescued and were heading to a small town on one of the other Abaco islands. Phyl sighed loudly as she stared at her husband, who narrowed his dark eyes at her in mutual uneasiness.
"Are you all right?" Calvin called to her over the engine noise.
"Yes, I suppose so." Phyl called back. "Well, not really."
"Who are dose men on de island now?" Owen looked puzzled as he had turned his head to look at the island and had obviously seen what they had just witnessed. He turned his head toward Thad.
"What men?" Calvin called back.
At that instant, a loud rumbling overtook the sounds of the boat's engine, and they looked toward the beach in unison, then up to the sky as a gray helicopter rose from the west above the mango trees and hovered over their island, and Phyl was surprised to see the three men scramble back up the hillside and disappear into the woods. The helicopter made a few passes over the island, then disappeared to the west behind the trees. She looked at Thad. All right, they were pretty sure that the three men were part of Sullivan's group, but who was in the helicopter? Was it a search and rescue team from Nassau or Freeport? Why did the men seek cover when it appeared? Could it have been the group that had kidnapped Kristin in the aircraft? They shook their heads at each other in silence for a moment, and Thad turned to Calvin to answer his question.
"Calvin, one of the men is the pilot who crashed the plane and was rescued, leaving us on the island with Phyl injured." Thad raised his voice over the engine and he glanced at Phyl before continuing. "We don't know who the other two are, but they are all mixed up in some sort of criminal activity in the Bahamas. The pilot had cut the plane's radio wires after he'd called for help. We don't know who was in the helicopter."
Calvin nodded his head as he steered the small craft. "Dere are some bad goings-on here. Some very bad men, I know dat for sure." He glanced back quickly at Phyl.
"How did you know we were on the island?" Phyl called to him.
"You can truly t'ank Owen." Calvin nodded toward his grandson, who was smiling shyly at them. "...'twas him who told me about de distress signals." He turned to Owen. "I didn't believe him at first, but he convinced me to come to de island to make sure."
"I heard de whistle last night." The young man leaned forward earnestly, clasping his hands together. "It was very faint, but I was sure it was a distress call. I went outside again and listened for it."
"We will be forever grateful to you both." Phyl reached over and laid her hand over his for a moment. "You are our heroes." She felt tears spring to her eyes as she smiled at him warmly. Thad reached across and rubbed her knee as she lifted her sunglasses to wipe away the tears pooling under her eyes.
"Where do you live on Abaco?" Thad called out to Calvin.
"Our home is in a small fishing village on Turtle Cay. You were on No Name Cay."
Phyl looked across at Thad and they shrugged their heads at each other and smiled as if to say of course we would crash on an island with no name.
"We need to get back to our hotel in Nassau." Phyl raised her voice to be heard above the engine, now at full throttle. She could see that they were nearing the small island of Turtle Cay, and felt hope in her heart. "Is there an airport near your home?"
"No, dere is an airport many miles to de south, on de big island." Calvin turned the wheel slightly and the boat eased into a wide curve as they rounded the northern tip of Turtle Cay. Phyl gazed at the beach, and raised elevation covered with thick trees, looking very similar to the one they had just left. "Here we are." She could see Owen getting himself ready to help his grandfather moor the boat as they pulled into a small inlet on the east side of the island. Owen stood up and held the rope as Calvin expertly pulled the craft into its spot alongside a good-sized wooden pier in the secluded area, and as the motor was silenced, the young man wrapped the rope around the piling, and he stepped over onto the pier. The older man finished up on the boat, and Thad slung on the shoulder bag and helped Phyl step up onto the pier, then followed her.
"This is a beautiful spot." Phyl sighed as she and Thad slid on their sandals and she gazed around her at the small, colorful, peaked roofed wood buildings on stilts nestled up under the trees, and the many boats tied up to the pier in this cool and secluded area of Turtle Cay. She smiled over at Thad, and watched as Calvin stepped over from his boat and led the way up the pier onto land. They walked up a pathway through the trees to a higher elevation and came to a clearing where he welcomed them to his modest home, a one-story wood-frame structure painted in shades of blue. As they entered the living room, all three males appeared to stoop despite its white peaked roof, and that made her smile.
"We thank you, Calvin, for all you've done for us." Thad shook the man's hand again as Phyl sat on the sofa after making sure that her capris had dried. The cream, slip-covered sofa was overlayed with several colorful lightweight blankets and she looked around her at the lovely, homey room. She gazed at a few family photos on the wall, noticing one of Calvin and a woman who was obviously his wife, sitting in a chair with their hands clasped formally in their laps.
"You are welcome," he replied seriously, then turned to her as he had noticed her looking at the photo. "My wife, Imelda. She passed two years ago."
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
He nodded and smiled down at her, then swung around slowly and spoke to his grandson.
"Owen, let's cook de crawfish for dem. I know de must be hungry."
"That sounds so good, Calvin." Phyl breathed in and exhaled.
"Der is a sink in dat room." Calvin pointed to a hallway off the living area. "De toilet is a little ways off in back of de house."
"I think I'll go there right now." Phyl laughed, relieved to be able to use an actual toilet rather than a spot by a tree.
"I'll join you, Phyl." Thad reached for her outstretched hand.
"Food will be ready in a few minutes." Calvin headed back toward the kitchen. "Den we can decide what you need to do."
Thad opened the front door for her and they walked leisurely around to the back of the house, seeing an area off to their left, fenced off with a garden that was overflowing with a variety of colorful vegetable plants.
"Now, this is paradise." Thad smiled at her and squeezed her hand as they took in the natural beauty of Calvin's property. They saw a small path to their right, through the trees.
"These are breadfruit trees, Thad." Phyl pointed out as they walked through the dense trees filled with round, green fruit with a bumpy texture. "I saw a photo of these in one of the brochures."
After a short walk, they came upon the wood outhouse, painted a turquoise-blue, and Phyl thought she had never seen anything so wonderful as she peered into the tiny, neat enclosure and wooden bench fitted with an actual toilet seat. After taking turns, they headed back to the house and washed their hands in the bathroom off the hallway. Calvin called out to them from the kitchen to join them in the back, so they walked through the kitchen and exited through a screened door to the back yard.
"Oh my goodness. You have laid out a feast!" Phyl put her hand to her heart as she gazed at the table, laden with platters of sliced cucumbers, breadfruit and mangoes, roasted green beans, and a massive bowl filled with steaming, bright red lobsters. "Lobsters?" She heard Owen, as he stood off to the side, laugh softly at her exclamation.
"We call dem crawfish 'ere," Calvin smiled and extended his hand toward the benches, and they all sat down, and soon were passing the platters and bowls down the plastic-covered table from one to the other.
An hour passed in easy conversation, amid the cracking of the lobster shells, and they discussed their options.
&
nbsp; "I know a man wit a bigger boat who could take you to Nassau." Calvin popped a large morsel of lobster in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "If you want, I'll send Owen down to his house and ask him if he can do it."
"I think that's the best way, don't you, Phyl?" Thad turned to her as he wiped his mouth and hands with the blue and white checkered cloth napkin.
"Yes, I do. Would he be able to take us today, do you think?"
"Don't know." Calvin propped his elbows on the table in front of his plate piled high with the red shells. "He might charge a fee. It's a two hour trip, one way." He reached over and picked up a mango slice. "Do you 'ave any cash on you, after de problems wit de pilot?"
"Yes, he wasn't concerned with that." Thad pulled out his wallet, having re-inserted it on the boat and checked the bills. "Do you think a hundred will cover the trip?" He looked over at the elderly man seriously. "We'd like to offer, at the least, to pay for the gasoline you used in your boat to rescue us." Calvin shook his head and waved the notion aside as he eyed them both, his eyes warm.
"No, no. We 'ave all dat we need," he smiled at them as he leaned his elbows on the table. "Don't we, Owen?" He reached over and patted the young man's arm with his large, wrinkled hand. Phyl wasn't sure that Owen agreed with his grandfather, despite his nod and 'yes sir,' and she vowed to somehow, when they got back home, send them something to show their immense gratitude.
"We're safe because of you." Phyl added softly. "And we'll never forget what you've done for us."
Calvin nodded seriously at her, then turned to his grandson. "Run down to Sam Davis' place, Owen, and see if he can take dem to Nassau today, and if dere is a charge." Owen stood up and immediately headed south through the trees. "Sam owns de fishery in Turtle Cay."
"We insist on helping you clean up." Phyl rose from the bench despite Calvin's protest and picked up the plates and utensils. Thad joined her, and the elderly man finally relented and the three cleared off the table and went into the kitchen to finish up.
Afterwards, the three adults relaxed in the living room. Calvin and Thad sipped small glasses of rum and pineapple juice, as Phyl related the events before and after the plane crash and their time on the island. She listened, both enthralled and repulsed at history's atrocities, as Calvin told them that he could trace his family back to the legions of African slaves transported to the Bahamas by American Loyalists fleeing the continent in the seventeen hundreds. Some of his ancestors were emancipated in eighteen, thirty-four by the British, and as freedmen, worked on their own plots of land. As they continued their conversation, she learned that his beloved wife had died of a heart attack while working in her garden in the back yard, and she reached over and clasped Thad's hand. They all turned as they heard the back door slam and Owen walked into the living room, pausing to catch his breath.
"What did Sam say, Owen?" Calvin spoke slowly, giving the young man time to gather his thoughts.
"He said he could take dem to Nassau later today," he took a deep breath, "if de can get to his house by six o'clock, and pay him fifty dollars for gas."
"T'ank you, Owen." His grandfather smiled at him, then turned to them. "It's a short walk. About a mile south of 'ere, and a two hour trip by boat, as I mentioned before." She turned and looked at Thad, and they nodded in agreement.
"Owen, we appreciate your going down and talking to him. We'll head out in a while, then." Thad turned and smiled at the young man, who nodded at him.
"It's after three." Phyl glanced over at Thad. "Should we leave now?"
"You are more dan welcome to stay longer, but I understand you are anxious to get home." Calvin smiled at them, and Phyl sighed after listening to his deep, mellow voice, and wished that, even with all that had happened to them, they could somehow spend more time with this sweet, calm man.
"As much as we appreciate your hospitality, Calvin, I think we should leave a little early and take our time walking there." Thad leaned forward, clasping his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees.
A Pale Paradise Page 23