Across the Ocean

by Heather Sosbee

  Lára and I are even discussing some things and singing along with songs we know that are playing. I don’t know why I sound surprised; she is a great person. I have to give her credit, too. She has been making an effort to be friendly to me, even knowing that I have a special something with her boyfriend. She must really trust him, I guess.

  Helgi has had the video camera recording during most of the trip so far, filming the view and scenery as we drive. This country is just simply stunning. Mountains and valleys hug the coastline, and the green of the grass is so vibrant that it’s almost unreal. Clouds look to be so much lower in the sky and move so fast that I keep tripping out about it.

  We pass large farms along the way and see huge round white things scattered all across the fields. It reminds me of the obstacles you have to jump over in a Mario game or something. Gunnar informs me that they are how they store the harvested hay. They’re bales of hay wrapped in white, shiny plastic.

  Old farms and houses that are falling apart can be seen randomly during the ride. The scenery is enough to help me relax. Maybe I should just stare at the window with my mouth shut for the rest of the ride. Would that be rude?

  My window is half open and thankfully, the weather isn’t too cold. Dark strands of my hair whip around my head, and I brush some of it behind my ear to try and sneak a casual glance at Ari around Lára. He’s just staring out his window. I don’t think he’s said very much during this trip.

  He was completely silent after Lára brought up which guys were single in Tálknafjörður. She also included her personal opinions on which of them she found attractive and which I should probably hit on. I can’t imagine its fun for him to hear these things.

  Apparently, there is a guy named Baldvin (Lára had to repeat his name a few times before I could understand that it didn’t sound any different from Baldwin) that she considered the best choice for me. I guess he’s a photographer who is also color blind. She thinks he’s funny. If he’s attractive, maybe I’ll have to hit on him.

  The rest of the trip I mostly just watch the landscape fly by. The mountains are so steep in some places and come so close to the ocean. It’s such a dramatic landscape, with the black sand on the mountains running down to meet the super green grass. The contrast between the bright blue sky and the quickly passing white clouds is remarkable and vibrant. I’ve never seen any place like this. There are fields of old, black, hardened lava with green moss growing over them. Surely there are elves running amok in there.

  We even pass a dormant volcano, and could see the famous glacier Snæfellsjökull (oh, I know. It’s a mouthful) in the far distance. This country truly is just a trove of mind-blowing landscapes. An occasional mountain is covered in red sand, creating a dramatic setting. I’m so glad I’m here right at this moment to experience this place.

  Several times during our drive, we have to slow down to let sheep cross the road, and I’m just cracking up when they tell me that this is a common occurrence here. The Icelandic horses we see just add to how majestic this whole place is. They are short and fuzzy, and I’m scoffed at by the men in the car when I mention that they remind me of adorable ponies. I guess it’s a sensitive subject.

  The roads aren’t paved in most places, so it’s a ragged and scary ride sometimes. Hugging the coastline as we drive around several fjords, we eventually reach this tiny town that we’ve been heading to. It’s called Tálknafjörður, which means Gill Bay (if I understood the guys correctly).

  All the men in the car grew up here. I’m a little envious of this, because it’s not something I’ve ever had, which included moving to different cities frequently. How great would it be to grow up in a tiny random town in Iceland and all still be best friends even as young adults, and hopefully still friends when you grow old?

  Driving into the town, there are no stoplights. There is only one post office, one shop for buying food and such, one bar that also serves food. There’s a large pier to the left with what looks like fishing boats, and tanks in the fjord for holding fish. Across the fjord are some pretty gorgeous mountains hugging the entire coastline. I can see one lone house all the way on the other side.

  To our right is where all the houses are. It looks like there are only about five streets in the entire town. There aren’t any stop lights or stop signs. Behind all of the charming houses are more mountains and hills. I almost feel like I’m in a storybook world. It’s really beautiful, but also really adorable. I can’t wait to get to know this place.

  ******

  MSN Chat

  Late 2004

  Brooke is in California.

  salemsme: It’s times like these that make me wish I knew you face to face. Why do you have to be so many hours ahead of me?

  marxist: I know. The stupid guys who created time differences should be punched in the face.

  salemsme: Agreed. You take care of the guys in your area of the world, and I’ll take care of the guys responsible over here!

  marxist: Great plan. We’re an awesome team.

  salemsme: I know, right? Sometimes, I wonder at the injustice that we are so far away from each other. I think we’d be so good together. I think I really like you a lot.

  marxist: I really like you a lot too, Brooke.

  ******

  Present time

  We’ve arrived at the house we will be sharing. Indriði (In-drith-ee), a cousin of Ari, has let us borrow his place. I’m going to be sleeping on the pull out sofa, and Lára and Ari will get the spare room. I am mostly fine with this situation, as it’s pretty logical. Even so, my dark side is throwing a tantrum at the thought that those two will be sharing a bed in the room very close to where my head will be when I’m sleeping. I’m not really looking forward to it.

  Grabbing our swimming items, we head back outside to where Gunnar and Helgi are waiting in the car. They will be staying a few houses down. It’s convenient living in such a small town. Nearly everyone is a neighbor.

  My bathing suit, towel, a change of clothes, shampoo and conditioner, and bath loofah are in the plastic bag that I’ve brought with me, and everyone in the car is explaining and describing the hot pools to me. I’m very excited. I’ve heard so much about this place and I have been waiting so long to come here.

  The hot pools are a public place where anyone can go to enjoy them. Gunnar and his family technically own the natural hot water, and the township purchases it from them. As we are driving, I’m enthralled by the scenery and freaking out about the crazy driving conditions of the massively pot-holed road. Because all of these roads are so far out in the middle of nowhere, I suppose that it’s hard to come by funding to pave the roads completely.

  Keeping an eye on the scenery outside, I hold onto the handgrip above the door as we start to bounce over several deep potholes. It’s a one-way road, with very little room to maneuver on each side. In many spots, if we were to drive a little too far over the edge of the road, we would certainly flip and roll in the car down the steep hills and cliffs. I’m the most freaked out at the thought of crashing into the ocean. Careful driving is very important, and Gunnar is handling it like a champ. It looks as though we are no longer in the town anymore but on the outskirts, right next to a beautiful, white sand beach.

  Driving up a steep incline, we make a turn to the right, where I see a small shack with a trio of hot pools. We park next to the building and climb out of the car with our bags. The walls of the unit are made of a vibrant oak wood, with a beautiful honey hue. I think the roof is made out of aluminum and is painted bright red. I walk up to the shack and check out the hot pools.

  There are three rectangular or square shapes in total, all with varying depths. The one nearest me is the deepest, and based on the huge amounts of steam rolling off the water, it is also the hottest. There is a much more shallow long rectangular pool connected to the deep one, and there are grooves in their walls so that the water from the hottest one can flow down into the shallow pool. The angling of the flooring allows for layi
ng on your back, submerged to your neck comfortably with your head resting on the edge.

  There is a little walkway, and one more square shaped pool that has been built so that people can sit submerged and relax with their feet in front of them. A water hose is pouring into that pool, and I imagine it’s helping to regulate the temperature. All three pools have been paved and painted a turquoise color. There is also green algae growing on the walls of the pools. That’s kind of gross, but I’ve heard that there are types of algae that are very good for your skin.

  Taking in my surroundings, I’m impressed with how everything around me is in Technicolor. The sky is perfect blue, clouds impossibly white, any vegetation visible is impossibly green. My eyes almost feel like they’ve stepped into a warped version of Oz.

  Ari walks up beside me and points to the middle of three doors on the building and says “You want to go in there to change. It’s the women’s dressing room.” Lára takes his advice, even though I’m sure she’s been here before, and I follow her in.

  This room is literally just a small space where people get changed together with little to no privacy. The floors are made of concrete, and there are hooks put along a hanging height across the walls for hanging towels and bags. I can easily hear the guys in the room next to us getting changed, and I suppose I am going to just have to suck it up. I’ve a huge sense of modesty, so sue me.

  Hanging my bag on a hook on the wall, I slip off my shoes, and then pull my shirt over my head and off. Maybe if I take my time, Lára will be finished before me and I can change in peace. I take a quick peek in her direction to see how far along she is with changing.

  Lára is a pretty girl. She has long black hair, probably to at least the middle of her back. I’d say she is about 5’6 and her waist is absolutely tiny, especially next to her ample breasts. Her eyes are a lovely shade of green, sometimes reminding me of hazel. She’s really pretty pleasant to look at, except sometimes when she smiles.

  She is British and Icelandic, and doesn’t really have the best teeth. She more than makes up for it with her funny sense of humor, and how down to earth she is. Ari is really lucky to have her, regardless of her teeth.

  She’s finishing tying the strings to the top of her bathing suit and she’s almost ready to go. Good; now I can be alone. Grabbing her towel out of the bag, I hear a quick “See you out there,” as she discreetly slides out the door without letting anyone see me in a state of partial undressing.

  After pushing my pants down and stepping out of them, I fold them up and shove them into my bag. Standing in just my underwear and bra, I just stop for a moment and take a deep breath. I close my eyes and just try to focus on what’s going on around me.

  I’m in the middle of nowhere, getting ready to jump into the natural hot pools with a bunch of strangers. Being naturally very outgoing, this isn’t what has caused my pulse to suddenly speed up. Everything always comes back to Ari.

  Slipping my bra straps down my shoulders, I reach forward to grab my sapphire blue bikini top and do a quick switcheroo. Then I do the same speedy change with the matching bikini bottoms and my panties. I grab a towel from the bag and shove all my discarded clothes inside before hanging my towel up on one of the hooks.

  I turn toward the door and take a deep breath to prepare myself. I look down to make sure all my important bits are covered by the bathing suit like they should be. I have to admit—I look really good.

  I realize I haven’t told you a huge amount about what I look like. Mostly because I’ve been too busy telling you about everything else. Being only 5 foot 2 inches, I’m rather short. I weigh only around 105 lbs. and petite is a perfectly suitable word to describe me.

  My hair is the shade of dark chocolate that falls to just below my shoulder blades. It’s fine and can be kind of wispy. My bangs are side swept.

  Since I’m from California, I also have a great tan. It really helps my eyes pop. I think I mentioned before that I have blue eyes. Without sounding super stuck up, I rather like my eyes. They have a very pretty ring of deep gold surrounding my pupils, and then the blue surrounds the gold.

  I’ve often been told I have a nice rack, and considering they are 32D, I have to agree with those people. They’re one of my nicest assets. Besides my ass, of course. I’ve got a healthy amount of bum for how small I am. I hear the guys like that too. Yay for me!

  I grew up dancing and performing and have definitely been blessed with great genes, not to mention a high metabolism. Most guys like what they see when they look at me.

  Planting a little smirk on my face, I open the door and saunter out towards the pools.

  ******

  MSN Chat

  2004

  Brooke is preparing to move to Indiana.

  marxist: Are you finished packing yet?

  salemsme: Not even close. I swear I am the worst procrastinator ever. Maybe if I was moving somewhere a little more exciting…like Iceland!

  marxist: Somehow, I doubt that you wouldn’t procrastinate if you packed for Iceland, too.

  Are you sure you want to move to Indiana? Are you sure that Tommy deserves all this effort you are putting towards him?

  salemsme: Nothing in life is certain. If we spend all our time asking ourselves “What if?” Then we will waste so much time that should be spent living. Of course, I don’t know how things will turn out, but I will always jump in with both feet and try my best. I’ll remain optimistic! It’s ok to make mistakes. It’s how we learn to appreciate the great things we have in life.

  marxist: I’m glad you are so hopeful. I just feel really helpless after everything that has happened this year for you. You’re in a delicate place and I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’d rather you just came here. I wish you were coming here to me.

  salemsme: I want the same thing. Although I appreciate your concerns about my “delicate condition,” I can’t treat myself as though I’m made of glass. I have to keep moving forward. You can’t always protect me, you know.

  marxist: I know. I wish I could.

  salemsme: As do I. I’ll let you know when I arrive in Indianapolis. Just think, we will be almost 3,000 miles closer to each other, and the time difference will only be four hours! Imagine that!

  marxist: At least there is something to look forward to in all of this. Please be safe.

  salemsme: Thanks, Ari. Talk to you soon.

  Chapter 4

  Present Time

  I blink my eyes a bit due to the bright sunlight and cover part of my face with the side of my hand as I wait for them to adjust. There are already five people in the longest pool and I walk over and look down at the water.

  Across the distance, I can see the ocean and the mountains meet, and then there is just the vast nothing over the water. This has to be one of the most serene places I’ve ever been.

  Everyone is looking at me, mostly with smiles. Gunnar and Helgi are sitting next to each other and leaning against the wall behind them, facing me. To my left are Ari and Lára, and I have the side I’m on all to myself. There’s also a random guy I don’t know sitting next to Gunnar, and I wonder if he’s been here the whole time, or what.

  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately; I haven’t decided yet), Gunnar has his legs stretched out across the pool, so I’m kind of cramped in my space. I really don’t mind though, as the deliciously hot water covers my skin as I sink slowly down.

  “Oh, wow,” I ooze loudly, rolling my eyes in dramatic bliss. “This is really something else.”

  “You’re telling me,” agrees Gunnar. He still has those blasted aviator sunglasses on, and I’d really just like to get a good look at him. His smile is really charming. I happen to have a thing for dark-haired men.

  The stranger leans forward with his hand outstretched. He’s fairly good looking as well. Is this country only full of handsome men or what? His hair is fairly short and is a sun-bleached light red. He has twinkling blue eyes and is sporting a cheeky grin on his face. His facial structure
definitely reminds me of a stereotypical Viking with strong cheekbones and a broad jaw line.

  “Hi, I’m Baldvin. It’s nice to meet you.” I shake his hand and return the gesture.

  “I’ve heard a bit about you, Baldvin. It’s lovely to meet you as well.” I let go of his hand and sink back into the water. I also notice Lára wagging her eyebrows at me.

  Continuing to make nice by smiling and nodding at everyone in the pool, my eyes end with Ari. He’s looking at me as well, but it’s a bit difficult to read what he’s thinking. He wraps his arm around Lára and averts his eyes.

  Well, fine. If he’s going to continue to play the “We can’t look at each other or socialize in public” game, then I am going to make sure that I start enjoying the men on my vacation. Somehow, I keep forgetting that I’m on vacation, and I can really do whatever I want. I’m single and Ari isn’t the boss of me.

  Shrugging my shoulders a bit, I settle back against the little wall so I can rest my neck and head against the top. I stretch my legs out a little bit and they come in contact with Gunnar’s. He seems to be a really nice guy and pretty handsome so far. Why not flirt a little bit? Maybe Ari will be jealous.

  Plus, it’ll be fun to enjoy some male attention. I’ve been out of the flirting game for a while so this could be fun. I give him a flirty smirk and a wink for good measure.

  Everyone continues on with whatever conversations they were having before I stepped out of the dressing room, and most of it is in Icelandic so I’m unable to understand it. That’s fine with me. I just rest my head back down and enjoy this awesome hot pool.

  ******

  MSN chat

  2004

  Brooke is in Indiana.

  marxist: The guys and I just got back from the hot pools a bit ago. I wish you could see this place someday. We saw the northern lights tonight.