The Island

by Agnes Alexander

  But it wasn’t Janet who was on his mind. It was Amanda. He wondered how things were going with her family. Was she happy? Did she miss him? Had she made amends with her son-in-law as she said she was going to? Had she started on the book?

  When the group had been together for the last time in New York, they voted unanimously Amanda was to write their story. When she insisted it wasn’t hers alone to tell, they agreed when she finished she’d send each of them a copy and they’d make suggestions if they thought she’d left anything out. On the parts where they were mentioned personally, they had the right to say they didn’t want something told or if they wanted something added. She’d also insisted the advance from a publisher be shared with the group. They voted among themselves then persuaded her to take half of the advance and the profits and to divide the other half of the advance and half of the profits among the group. When they all approved this agreement, everyone knew this is the way it would be. They’d done things for twenty-seven months with this approach and there was no reason to think it wouldn’t be done this way now.

  “Hello, Steve.” Janet stepped through the glass sliding doors to the terrace.

  The soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and into the present. He stood and faced the woman who’d been his wife. She hadn’t changed much. She was still pretty. He noticed her hair was a little darker auburn than he remembered. Maybe he’d forgotten or maybe she was dyeing it. He thought she’d put on a few pounds, but that could be because he was used to Amanda’s small body. Janet still had the same smile, the same straight nose and the provocative walk she’d had since they were college sweethearts. Her brown eyes looked happy to see him and sad at the same time.

  He smiled as he walked up to her and put his arms around her. He didn’t kiss her. “It’s good to see you, Janet. You look great.”

  “It’s good to see you, too, Steve.” She hugged him back. “You know I never expected this to happen. It was a shock, but I’m glad you’re alive.”

  He removed his arms from around her and led her to the chair built for two next to the one he was using. “I didn’t expect it either. I’d resigned myself to the fact I’d spend my remaining years on the island.” He didn’t sit down beside her, but took his original seat.

  “I want you to know that no matter what happens I’m happy you weren’t killed in the crash.”

  “Thank you, Janet” He looked at her. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine.” She dropped her head. “They told you about Warner and me, didn’t they?”

  “Yes. They told me last night.”

  “If I’d dreamed you hadn’t been killed—”

  “Don’t go there, Janet. You had no way of knowing I was alive. There was no reason for you to not accept what was reported about the crash.”

  “I grieved for you, Steve. I really did. If it hadn’t been for Warner and Marilyn...then we had the awful accident.” She took a deep breath. “Warner needed me then and I was there for him just like they were for me. Then one thing led to another...”

  “I understand, Janet. You had to make a life for yourself.” He looked at her. She was staring at him as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying. He went on, “You’re happy, aren’t you?”

  “I am, but—”

  “No buts, Janet. I can tell by your eyes you’re torn.” He reached over and touched her arm. “I know you expect me to throw a fit and want restitution for the fact my wife dared marry another man.” He smiled at her. “It’s not going to happen. I know I was always jealous and demanding of you, but I’ve changed, Janet. I’ve changed more than any of you can possibly understand.”

  She continued to stare at him as she mumbled, “Then you’re not going to beat up Warner or yell at me or—”

  “No, I’m not.” He smiled again. “Where is Warner, anyway? I want to see him, too.”

  “Inside. He thought it best if I faced you alone at first.” She kind of smiled. “He’s probably watching to make sure you don’t hit me or anything.”

  Steve shook his head. “I’m not going to hit anyone, Janet.”

  The glass door slid open and Claudia came out with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. “I thought you might want something to drink.”

  “Thanks.” Steve reached for the glass she held out to him. “Would you ask Warner to join us? As a matter of fact, why don’t you get more glasses and come out here. I have something I want to tell all of you.”

  “Okay.” She went back inside and in a minute the glass door opened again.

  Steve sat his glass down and stood.

  Warner came out first. He was almost Steve’s height, but his mid section was beginning to hang a little over his belt.

  Probably Janet’s good cooking, Steve thought.

  The two men eyed each other for a second, then Steve stepped forward. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”

  Warner smiled. He held his hand out to Steve. They shook hands then embraced, the way men do when they’re family or really good friends.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, Steve. I have to admit, when I heard you were alive, I kind of dreaded this meeting.” He chuckled. “Now I see I shouldn’t have.”

  The two men took seats. Steve sat in his chair and Warner sat beside Janet.

  “Are you sure you want us in on this conversation, Dad?” Dave asked as he stepped out the door with three glasses in his hand.

  “Yes, son, I do.”

  Dave handed the glasses to Claudia to fill then pulled matching chairs over for him and his wife. She poured lemonade and passed it to them.

  “Where are you two living?” Steve looked at Janet.

  “In Warner’s house. After changing ours—”

  Steve’s eyebrow shot up. “Changing ours?”

  “I didn’t want to throw too much on him at one time, Mom and I hadn’t got around to telling him about the house.”

  “Maybe you’d better tell me now, son.”

  “Let me tell him,” Janet said. She took hold of Warner’s hand and looked at Steve. “Before Warner and I were married we decided to live in his house because it was a little bigger than ours. His mother was living with him and he didn’t want to change her living arrangements. I took some of my furniture and we both got rid of some things.”

  “You also gave us a lot of stuff, Janet,” Claudia said. “Some of it belonged to Steve’s mother.”

  “Of course, now that you’re home, we’ll give back to you, Dad.”

  Steve nodded and Janet went on. “Well, I didn’t see any sense in the house sitting there empty, so I hired a couple of people and did a little remodeling. I turned it into a Bed and Breakfast. It’s doing very well, isn’t it Warner?”

  “Yes it is.”

  Dave took up the story. “That’s why we had you stay with us last night, Dad. We didn’t want you to go up there and find you could only get in if you paid for a room.”

  Steve raised his brow and looked at all of them. “Any more surprises you have for me?”

  Claudia said with a laugh, “Don’t you think that’s enough for now?”

  Warner said, “Steve, we’ve saved most of the money we made from the inn since we didn’t need it. In the back of my mind I thought we’d put it back for the grandkids unless an emergency arose. Of course, we’ll transfer half of what we have to you right away. Then you’ll get your half of the profits every month. I know you’re going to need some cash to get started again.”

  “Thanks, Warner.”

  “I’ve already talked to a lawyer this morning, Dad. I’m having your name put back on everything here on the farm.”

  “That’s generous of all of you, but don’t think you have to do anything right away. After all, I’ve lived with nothing for twenty-seven months. I can make do.”

  “That’s just it, Steve,” Claudia said. “We don’t want you just making do.” She looked at Dave. “Tell him what you did, honey.”

  “You know how you used to tell
us how you and Aunt Marie had to sell the Brookshire homestead after your parents died? I knew you were trying to buy it back before you went on the trip. The Smiths weren’t willing to sell then.” Steve nodded and Dave went on. “Well, I was able to get them to sell to me after the plane crash. Maybe they felt sorry for me, I don’t know, but when I made them an offer they took it. I’ve ridden my horse over there a couple of times and the old house seems to be in pretty good shape. You might want to consider fixing it up.”

  Steve smiled. “I’ll think about that.”

  Janet said, “Though I never understood what the old place meant to you, I know how much it hurt you to sell it, Steve, especially when you saw they didn’t keep the place up the way your folks did.” She looked at Warner. “When Steve’s folks lived there, though it was old and out of date, they kept it neat. It’s a plantation style home. Big columns, wide porch, and lots of magnolia trees. There’s also an apple orchard. At one time it was probably nice and it was a huge house, but when we got married I wanted a new house. I wanted something more modern with wall to wall carpets and modern bathrooms. I couldn’t see myself living in the old place with its coal furnace and bare wood floors. And I definitely didn’t want to live with Steve’s folks.” She shook her head. “Of course, you know all of this. You and Steve were friends.”

  “Yes, I knew.” He looked at Steve. “I bet you did hate to sell it.”

  “I had no choice. After selling the place and paying off all the debts my dad’s illness accumulated I was lucky to have enough to buy the small adjoining farm,” Steve said.

  “Look at your farm now, Dad. We keep expanding. I made the Stover brothers an offer last week on some of their land which joins ours. They’re holding out, but I hope soon to add another fifty acres.”

  Steve nodded. “I knew you were going to be a good business man, son.”

  “I’d love to have the Clemet place too, but they won’t sell.”

  “Steve, here we are doing all the talking and you asked us out here to tell us something.” Claudia looked at everyone. “Why don’t we all shut up and see what the man has to say.”

  “Since you’ve given me so much to think about, why don’t I wait and talk after supper. I hope you and Warner will stay, Janet.” He looked at his son. “You do still plan to grill those ribs I requested, don’t you Dave?”

  “I sure do, and we have plenty for you and Warner, Mom.”

  As Steve watched Warner reach over and take Janet’s hand his mind slipped to Amanda. He wondered if he should call her and tell her Janet was no longer a threat to their future.

  Chapter 7

  Twenty-Six Months and Three Weeks Earlier

  After Phyllis and Curtis slid their way down the palm trees they only sported a few scrapes and bruises. “It’ll be easier next time,” Curtis said rubbing his hands.

  “Do you promise?” Phyllis laughed. “Mount Rainer was easier than this.”

  Everyone laughed and Ray said, “Thank God you had the mountain-climbing experience. I don’t know if I could’ve mastered the palm tree climb.” He cracked more coconuts and everyone drank some of the juice. They were grateful for the refreshing taste, but still wished they could have a drink of clear water.

  Steve and Gene appeared from the jungle. “We found it, folks,” Gene called. They all looked at him. “It’s about three quarters of a mile in and behind some small hills, but it’s there. A nice stream with a waterfall and a lagoon you women will like. I’ve never seen so many pretty flowers surrounding a place, have you Steve?”

  “It was pretty and the minute we saw it you said the women would like it.” He held up a coconut shell. “I’m glad we took a couple of these. We brought back a sample for everyone.”

  Ray spoke up. “Okay, now we’ve found water, which is the most important survival issue, we need to build a fire-pile to make smoke for the rescue people to home in on when we light it. We light it when we hear the noise of their engines. Also we need to walk a huge vee-shape into the sand above the tide-line. They’ll be looking for the shape of a vee—it’s the international rescue signal. We can put stuff in it, like boulders and branches, to make it stand out.”

  “What about S.O.S?” someone asked.

  Ray laughed. “Only in classic novels.”

  Amanda couldn’t help noticing Steve was subdued about something. Though she didn’t know him well, they’d spent enough time together that she was beginning to read some of his moods. Of course, she realized things in her past kept her from being an expert on reading men’s moods.

  Steve passed his coconut to those around him and then brought it to Amanda and Debbie. By his eyes Amanda could tell she’d been right. Something was troubling him, but she didn’t say anything at the moment.

  “Oh, it tastes wonderful,” Debbie said.

  “It’s a shame we don’t appreciate the simple things when we have them in abundance isn’t it?” Still looking at Steve, Amanda noticed he shifted his eyes from hers.

  “You’re right about that,” he mumbled.

  Gene walked up. Immediately he noticed a difference in Debbie. “Are you okay?” He asked.

  “I’m fine. Just a twinge of pain now and then.”

  He frowned. “It may be the first signs of labor.” He looked around. “I wish we had somewhere private to examine you to see what’s going on. I know, though our friends are discreet, it bothers you to be out here in the open.”

  “You know,” Steve said with a thoughtful look on his face. “We’ve been sleeping in the open, but we’re going to have to make some kind of shelters eventually. If we set some poles in the ground and tied some across the top, we might be able to use those large palm leaves to cover the top and even tie some on the sides.”

  “That’s a great idea, Steve.” Gene stood and motioned for everyone to join them. He explained the idea.

  Ray said. “Okay, Tony. Tell us how we should construct this thing.”

  Tony thought a minute then began to give instructions. The men set about gathering the materials for the construction and the women started gathering the palms.

  By the time the sun was going down, a lean-to type shelter with palm branch sides and door was finished. The women had found some soft fern and other large leaves which they weaved together for a pallet. Gene led Debbie inside and the others milled around. Some decided to fix something to eat. Others, led by Steve, took all the empty coconut shells which weren’t broken or cracked and went back to the stream to gather water. Tony built a fire to cook fish and to heat some water in case Gene needed it.

  When dark began to fall, everyone was resting from another day’s work. Nobody was talking. There was a sudden scream from inside the makeshift hospital.

  In a minute Gene stuck his head through the opening. “Wilma, could you come and help me?”

  Wilma ran to join him. As they disappeared inside, another scream came from a suffering Debbie.

  Amanda, sitting on a downed palm tree beside Steve, reached out and grabbed his arm. “Poor child,” she said. “When my daughter was born I didn’t feel a thing. I hurt until I got to the hospital then they filled me full of drugs and when I woke up there she was.”

  “When my son was born, I sat in the waiting room all night. Didn’t know a thing until he finally made his appearance in the world.” He smiled at her. “I guess things have changed. When my son’s first one came along, he was in the delivery room with his wife. He took part in the whole thing.”

  Before she could answer, Mr. X walked up. “Here,” he said handing Steve a clean folded handkerchief. “The brat’s probably going to need a diaper. If they don’t want to use it for that, they can stuff it in his mouth to keep it quiet. All the little monsters ever do is pee, poop and cry.” Without another word, he walked off toward the beach and sat down by himself.

  Amanda chuckled. “There’s something about him. He does these nice things and I try to like him in spite of his gruff exterior. Yet, there’s something I don’t tru
st.”

  Steve laughed too. As if it was an impulse he slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. “Amanda, I believe you’re the type person who always tries to see good in every one you meet.”

  “I don’t like seeing bad. It’s not pretty.” She started to wiggle out of his arm, then Debbie screamed again. She stayed were she was.

  * * * *

  Deep down Steve knew he should probably remove his arm, but Amanda was a friend. And when Debbie screamed again, Amanda shivered. He knew his friend needed someone to comfort her. Using this logic, he continued to hold her in his arm.

  * * * *

  May 21—5:00 PM

  Charlotte, NC

  “Okay, what was so all-fired important that I had to leave work early?” Noah demanded as he strode into the den where Diane and Amanda sat. He dropped his briefcase beside the sofa. “I’m going to have to finish up some things here tonight.”

  “Have a seat, son-in-law, and I’ll explain.” Amanda smiled at him. Turning to Diane, she said, “Honey, why don’t you go get your husband something to drink? He looks tired. In fact, why not get us all something?”

  “Sure.” She stood. “How about iced tea?”

  “That sounds good to me. Would you like some, Noah?”

  He simply nodded and continued to stare at Amanda.

  When Diane returned with the tea, she served them and then took a seat on the sofa beside her husband.

  “Okay, kids,” Amanda said. “I’ve been making some plans and I want to share them with you, but first of all there’s something I have to settle with Noah.” His eyebrow shot up, but he didn’t say anything and she went on, “I know the two of us haven’t been very good friends and most of that’s my fault.”