“Royce! Royce!” And before he knew it Joy was running beside him. “I need to run too, let’s go baby,” and they ran side by side breathing hard until they couldn’t take another step. With their sides heaving and taking in big gulps of air they stopped and paced around to catch their breath and when they felt better Joy went to him and he went to her. She clung to him and he clung to her, both let the tears flow, she didn’t try to stop hers and he didn’t try to stop his. They held on to each other and cried against the other, and when they’d cried enough they wiped their eyes the best they could, and with their arms around each other they walked back toward their stretch of beach like lovers on a stroll, and like lovers occasionally they stopped to kiss and touch each other, and a couple of times he pulled her top aside and sucked her, hungrily sucked her, filling his need with her. She kissed him just as hungrily and felt him up, she reached inside his trunks to touch and caress him. They didn’t say too much, nothing needed to be said. This hurt, this was painful. What they were going through hurt, hurt them both.
When they arrived back at the beach, the fire was burning low and Lanie was sitting on Big John’s lap. He was holding and soothing her, her head against his shoulder, “It’s okay Lanie, they’ll be alright, we’ll be okay too,” they heard him saying as they walked quietly up to them. “We’re okay Lanie, really we are,” Joy said, she wasn’t sure that was true but for now they were. Lanie looked up. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to…,” she jumped up and ran to them and hugged them, “Don’t pay any attention to me Royce…I know if you could have stopped this you would have…I know that, I know that,” she said and hugged him, “I’m sorry.” Big John and Lanie could see they’d been crying and their hearts ached for them. “We’re going to bed, this has been a long day,” Joy said and walked hand in hand with Royce up their new home, and when they reached the back patio they saw Jameson standing there with binoculars around his neck watching them, and both realized they had no idea when he’d gotten back.
They were attached at the hip, neither wanted to let the other go, they turned on the shower and showered together, washing off the sand and sweat, touching, kissing, wanting the other to know how much they loved them, their touches and kissing saying, “We’re together in this, we’ll get through this together,” and when they were done Royce took her hand and led her to the bed and they were finally able to touch, feel, kiss and love to their fulfillment they released and let themselves go.
The next day after breakfast Lanie and Big John said their goodbyes. They hugged each other tight, neither knowing when the next time they’d see each other again, and the sisters couldn’t control their tears, and Jameson drove them to the marina and when he got back he said, “Don’t get to comfortable here, this is just a stop,” and Royce and Joy’s mouths dropped. “We're not staying here?” Royce asked, “Oh no, we have to hide deeper and further than this. I’ll have everything ready in a few days,” he smiled at them, “Just hang low and have fun.”
So that’s what they did. Royce even found his flip flops in the sand a ways down the beach, he walked the beach hand and hand with Joy, the children running all over the place helping Lindsey collect seashells and he discovered that’s what he’d stepped on as he ran the first night. They hung out at the beach mostly, “Wow, look at how clear the water is?” Joy said shading her eyes as she looked out at the expanse of clear blue water. “It’s like a swimming pool isn’t it mommy,” Lindsey exclaimed. The Jamaican water was clear chlorine blue, and the kids marveled at how they could see all the way to the bottom and still see their feet. In the shed they found everything beach fun anyone could think of, wave gliders with colorful sails, wave runners, ready for them to hop on and ride far, surfboards which was a real treat for them to try, flippers, snorkel gear and they used all of it. They rode the wave gliders and hung on for dear life as the wind caught the sails. They lathered themselves from head to toe with bug repellent since the mosquitoes were relentless and lit the fire pit every night and roasted marshmallows, hot dogs, corn on the cob and made smores. They had fun waiting for Jameson and they were as brown as berries, even Royce had a nice tanned glow to him and after three days Jameson came to them, “Everything is all set, but first we have to disguise you two.”
Jameson took Royce in the bathroom. He slicked back his hair with mousse and pasted on a mustache, then poured something that looked like powder in his hands and ran it through Royce’s hair and on his mustache and instantly he had grey streaks. “Oh,” Joy said, he looked so different without his signature hair style. “Here put this on,” Jameson said and gave Royce a dress shirt and tie, he stood him against the wall and took his picture. “Okay now you Mrs. Harrington,” Jameson stood and faced Joy. He looked intensely at her and it was like he was seeing her for the first time. He’d never looked at her like this, up close and personal, she was a stunning woman. Joy watched him looking at her, she didn’t like when people paid attention to her. There was nothing special about her she knew that, Lanie was the beautiful one and Sylvie was the smart one that’s why she was a doctor. But her she was just Joy, and that soft vulnerable look came into her dark eyes. And Jameson felt this sudden urge to protect her, to take her in his arms and hold her.
Royce watched him watching her, and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable, this wasn’t going to work if Jameson was attracted to her. He couldn’t have him wanting Joy, and suddenly Jameson threw his hands up, “I don’t know what to do with you, I thought I had a plan…but you’re too pretty for that…I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” he laughed and so did they. “Well what were you going to do with me?” Joy asked. “I was going to have you disguised as a Jamaican mother traveling with her kids, but you don’t look harassed enough,” he said smiling.
“Well can you make me look harassed? I mean look what you did for Royce he looks like an old man,” she laughed and said. “I’ll try but your…skin is too…too perfect,” and Royce smiled. He’d always thought that too, she had the most beautiful skin. “Okay, but with you traveling with kids I have to do something.” “Well what’s the plan?” Royce asked. “Well I was going to have you, me and Justin travel together in first class. We were here on vacation now we’re going home, and Mrs. Harrington I was going to have her be a local starting a new life abroad. She would travel with the other children but look like an islander, and I’m sorry Mrs. Harrington you’ll have to fly coach. We can’t be seen together or look like we know each other.”
“What no! I’m not flying first class while the rest of my family is in coach,” Royce understood what Jameson was trying to do, but it looked racist to him. The white men could pass flying in first class. They wouldn’t be noticed or cause suspicion they could afford it, but the black woman might. “Mr. Harrington we have to separate, it’s the only way.” “That’s fine, we can fly separately, but either we’re all in first class or all in coach. I won’t have it any other way Jameson,” he said firmly. “Okay Mr. Harrington, but that makes it more difficult…” “I don’t care we’ll handle it,” Royce said. “Okay, then a harassed Jamaican mother you are Mrs. Harrington,” he sat her down and put dark smudges under her eyes and pulled her hair back in a ponytail and Joy was surprised he was so adept at this. They really had no idea the disguises Jameson could do and the ones he’d pulled off over the years or she might remember a certain gas company man standing at her door.
He stood her against the wall and snapped her picture and Royce understood what he meant, those dark smudges didn’t look like they belonged, her skin was too perfect, she was too well cared for to have dark circles, it just didn’t go together. Jameson took the children’s picture next, “I think I’m all set, start packing Mrs. Harrington, we’ll be leaving in a few days,” and he was out the door.
Two days later they dressed in their disguises. Royce as an older man, his hair slicked back with the gray streaks and mustache, his signature style gone. He wore an island shirt, black old man shorts, whi
te socks and dress shoes. Joy and the kids laughed when they saw him, he did too. Joy was in a long yellow flowered sundress with her hair in a slightly messy ponytail, and Jameson tried to give her a Jamaican accent, “Say your name like this, Nahrinda it’s more of an “ah” sound, you’re too American,” and she did the best she could.
“Okay Mr. Harrington we’re a couple traveling with our son.” “We’re what?” Royce asked giving him a look. “Yes, it’s just a disguise, we’re a couple,” and Jameson flicked his blonde hair like a woman, and they cracked up. “No you’ve got to be kidding me,” Royce said laughing, “I can’t do that.” “You don’t have too, I can play that role.” “Okay as long as it’s you,” and they all laughed.
Jameson called a cab, while he, Royce and Justin stayed out of sight Joy, Deon, Lindsay and baby Christopher loaded up, “To the ahport,” Joy said in her best Jamaican accent. Once their cab was gone he called another. They arrived at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay separately and pretended not to know each other, both Justin and Christopher were asleep from the cab ride and that made it easier not having them to chase after. Royce was terrible, he kept looking at her and she’d turn away, hoping to give him the hint that he wasn’t suppose to know her, and Jameson playing his part would talk to him in an effeminate voice and she’d see Royce narrow his eyes and look at him as if to say, “What are you doing?” And she had to hold back a laugh.
Finally they called them to board the plane, it was a giant British Airways jumbo jet flying nonstop to London’s Heathrow Airport. Joy was excited, and the pictures he’d taken were for fake passports. They all had fake names, she was Norinda Smalls, and Deon was Jonathan Smalls, Lindsey, Katherine Smalls and little Christopher was Nathan Smalls, and Royce was Calvin Henry, and Justin was Connor Henry. They found their seats and they were five rows or so behind Royce, the plane was huge, seven seats across the middle, three seats along each side ran up and down the plane. Lindsey scooped up the window seat, Deon took the aisle and she was in the middle holding Christopher. They coasted down the runway and took off, and about an hour into the flight Justin woke up.
Christopher had woken up long before and was standing on her lap and looking out the window clapping his hands. She saw Justin stand up in his seat, at first he was facing the front, then he turned around and saw Christopher, “Baby brother,” he said loudly pointing, “Daddy, baby brother,” he said loudly. Jameson tried to distract him, but he pulled away. “Nooo, baby brother, Sissy,” now he wanted to get down. Royce was trying to turn him around, “Nooo, nooo mommmy!” Justin cried and Royce was trying everything, but he wanted nothing but to get back to them and now Joy realized what Jameson was talking about, now Christopher paused when he heard Justin. He started making baby noises and Justin heard Christopher and screamed, “Baby brother!” He cried and wailed and she saw Jameson put his head down, and finally Royce picked him up and scooted past Jameson.
He came back to her, “I’m sorry miss my son would like to play with your baby is that alright with you?” She could see the frustration, “Of course, my name is Nahrinda,” he smiled, “I’m…I’m, I’m Kev..Calvin,” and she almost laughed again. Royce was no actor, he had to control his laughter too, he handed Justin down to her and he quickly went to Lindsey, who held him up so he could see out the window. “Do you have anything for him, juice, crackers?” She asked in her Jamaican accent still playing her role, “Oh yes,” he went and got the bag she packed for Justin and now he was into the game, “My boyfriend made sure he has everything he needs,” he said almost cracking up, and she almost laughed too but she kept her composure but Deon couldn’t he thought that was so funny and laughed, and she saw Jameson shaking his head.
It was a long flight, almost ten hours or so from what the in flight information said, and about halfway into it she still had both boys, Lindsey and Deon in three seats, and she’d done everything to keep them occupied and quiet. They’d stepped all over her, she had one on one knee the other on the other, they’d played in her hair, and laid against her, Christopher bumping his little head against her breast as he laughed at his brother. They were content and she looked up at Royce and Jameson and both of them were knocked out, head resting back sound asleep, and after five hours she was done for she needed a break. She loved her boys but she’d never been confined in such a tight space with them for so long, “Let me out Deon,” she said. Deon gasped, she’d said his real name and she didn’t try and sound Jamaican, “Okay Jonathan,” she didn’t care at this point and he moved out the way stepping into the aisle.
She took Christopher and placed him on her hip and took Justin by the hand and walked the few rows up and tapped Jameson, “Wake him up,” he shook Royce, Royce woke up. “Look sir I’ve had your child now for hours you think you could return the favor,” she dumped both boys on him and Jameson and Royce chuckled, “I think your mommy needs a break,” he said to both boys, “Were you good boys huh?” He cooed at them. They smiled and laughed with him, and this time Jameson pursed his lips and gave him the, “What are you doing” look. Joy walked straight back to the bathroom, she needed to stretch her legs. She splashed water on her face, relieved herself. She didn’t realize how bad she had to pee until she was in there and now she did look like a harassed Jamaican mother.
Royce and Jameson would keep the boys until they became too much or wanted to get back to her and Royce would bring them back to her and she let Deon go up there with them and she took his seat and let the boys have the center seat and that helped not having both boys stepping all over her and when they landed a lady in a row between them said, “That was the nicest thing I’ve seen you helping them out,” and Joy smiled and then the woman looked at Royce and Jameson, “That should tell you two a child needs a mother,” she humped at them. And Jameson still in his role smirked in his effeminate voice, “I am his mother,” and he flicked his hair, and Joy, Lindsey and Deon had to hold their heads down as they tried to conceal their laughing and she saw Royce turned towards the window trying not to laugh too. now they’d set the hope of equality for same sex parents back to the dark ages in that lady’s eyes.
When they got off the plane they had a connecting flight to Madrid, Spain and Royce tried to play his role, “Let me walk you to your gate I’m heading in that direction.”
“That was a disaster,” Jameson said as himself now, “We might as well have not bothered.” They laughed, “Well Jameson, the boys play together most of the day, you can’t expect them to ignore each other,” Joy said. He softened, “You’re right, I didn’t think of that, I usually don’t have children in my plans,” and he hadn’t thought of that little tidbit and he should have as much he listened to her on the bugs Valerie placed in their home. Bugs he hadn’t been able to destroy even after Tammy's trial was over, “It’s the little things that get you,” he said disappointed this didn’t work and nervous too many people noticed. “Okay on the flight to Madrid once we’re settled we’re have to work it out so the boys are together.” “Sorry but we’ll try to do better,” Royce said, he understood what Jameson was trying to do and they’d just blown it, but he couldn’t help but laugh, it was so funny.
And they did do better, the flight wasn’t as long, about two hours and they kept the boys together and before long they were in Madrid.
A Spanish man in a big old beat up white van was there to pick them up and they loaded everything in the van and hopped in and drove hours away to a small picturesque town by a beautiful beach, mountains on one side and a beach down below called Isle de St. Mary’s.
CHAPTER 14, ISLE DE ST. MARY'S
The man in the van was Ricardo, he was older and weather beaten, his skin dark and leathery. “How is the casa? In good order I hope,” Jameson said in Spanish, “Si senor, perfecto!” Ricardo said. On the long drive Royce asked, “Is this the final stop Jameson or are we moving again? I need to know, I need to be in on a little more and not kept in the dark so much.” He had to remind Jameson he worked f
or him and if he’d just told them more the mishap on the plane might not have happened.
“Yes it’s the final destination, you will be staying here.” Now Ricardo pulled into a beautiful golden stucco two story house off the beach side. It had a courtyard with beautiful flowers, an ornate Spanish fountain was in the center with soothing water sounds and through the courtyard was the front door. Inside the courtyard a beautiful dark leafy green bougainvillea vine covered the house obscuring the front. They unloaded out the van and she loved the house and the quaint surroundings. They were on a street that wound its way up the base of the mountains but on one side the beach and the other the community. Houses of different sizes and colors lined the street, light orange, turquoise blue, white, dark red, gold, the one consistency a black tiled roof. She even saw goats in front of a bungalow about four houses down and across the street was some kind of horse business.
The sign was old and worn but it said, “Ecuador Ecueste Entremaniento y Centro Equitcion,” and underneath in smaller writing, “El Mejor en el Entrenamiento de los Caballos Anduluces,” and Joy had no idea what it said, but the horse on the sign and in the field told her it was a horse business. She only noticed it because of the setting. It was a low ranch house, but unlike the others that one had seen better days, the stucco was old, peeling and water stained. The house was set on the bend of the road, and its wooden railed fence followed the curve around the road and went further down a ways towards town, but in its background tall, luminous, majestic and serene mountain peaks loomed. She saw horses grazing lazily out in the field the mountains behind and the scene made her heart soar from its beauty.
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