1. Victoria
South Caribbean Sea.
The beach was beautiful, it was stunning. I loved living on the beach, I always had and I always would. Even when I lived with Sarah and was always having to leave at the first sign of trouble. The beach was my sanctuary. Even from the water I could see it a few miles from shore. It glowed in the sun. Which was doing wonders for my tan.
"I told you we'd go on vacation."
Charles gave me one of his sly grins and I splashed him with the warm water of the Caribbean, right off the coast of Grenada. In-fact he had promised me a vacation. A warm vacation. And I had to promise Dad I wouldn't me marrying anyone without him at the ceremony before I left the country, again.
Still, I countered with, "You've been promising me a vacation for the past seven years."
Though it came out weird since I still had my mask on and the snorkel in my mouth from our dive.
We waited in the crystal clear water while Armando steered the boat our way. He laughed at me. Then he reached over and took the snorkel from my mouth and assured me, "Honey, I won't let you drown. Plus look at these waters…it's like bath water."
Still, "You haven't ever taken me on vacation in our seven years."
He rolled his eyes and pushed a few stray curls that had dried under the sun back. "In my defense, we did have a five year break."
Ah, the Five Year Break, which was what we were calling it.
I didn't say anything about it since it was still such a tender topic. Plus Armando had arrived. He slowed the boat and managed to almost stop it by the time he reached us. All without the help of my sister who was tanning on the roof of the boat. Or running us over which was grand in my book. Sure, I'd been diving since I was fourteen, I'd been run over twice by Armando. The man had a gift. Which I suppose was why he did not join the Navy. He couldn't park a boat either.
We swam the few feet over.
Armando had retired from the Army. Now he and Sarah lived in the Caribbean on a sailboat. They just happened to be around when Charles, Charlie and I headed south for 11 days of sun filled vacation.
I honestly didn't think Charles had ever been on vacation.
Charlie would see many vacations.
Armando appeared on the back of the boat, big, tall and tanned as always. He'd even kept his dread locks, sunglasses, board shorts and no shirt. It was his official uniform. He grabbed the top of my tank after I had un-velcroed the vest. With ease he lifted the whole dive tank and vest up. One handed. As if the forty pounds of weight was nothing. Leaving me with my flippers. Which I tossed onto the boat. I hauled it up the metal rung ladder and I was boarded, woohoo.
Armando helped Charles while I inquired, "Where's Charlie?"
With a jerk of his head, "Napping with Sarah."
I quickly yanked my booties off and checked the air on my tank, which Armando had turned off. Then I hurried across the white plastic deck and to the ladder that was right beside the captain's area. Where Armando had obviously been. The small TV was turned to soccer and there was a beer in the cup holder.
Quietly I climbed up the rung ladder in my lime green one piece, and a pretty nice tan from being in Grenada only three days.
Wood planks covered the rungs, thus preventing the burning of my hands and feet. From the top of the ladder I was able to see both Sarah and Charlie on the hard roof napping. Charlie was hidden under a towel, thank God, preventing sunburn. Sarah however, laid on out in what she called a bikini, tanning, bottles of lotion, sun block, and bronzer were scattered all over.
"Is he sleeping yet?"
I looked down at a very tanned and semi scarred young man. For the first time since we arrived he had taken his shirt off. I smiled down at Jeremy. "Looks like it. Have you seen the view from up here?"
He nodded, then looked over at the men.
Both poured over the underwater camera Charles had stolen from work before we left.
I sagged against the metal ladder, "Why don't you dive with us next time? The water is so clear. We haven't even needed bathing suits it's so warm."
Jeremy hesitated. He thought it over when a normal young man his age wouldn't have. Slowly I climbed down and patted his leathery chest, "Well, if you change your mind let us know. You'd love it."
He sipped the Sprite in his hand and I walked around him.
It had taken a while to get used to the burns. Now I could look at him with a lie on my face that he couldn't read. It had taken much practice though.
"Is she sleeping still?"
I plopped down on a free chair. A squishy plastic one and nodded, "Yeah, Charlie too," I grabbed a Pepsi from the cooler on the floor. With the sun beating down on us and all the diving we had done, I needed fluids. If I had anymore Gatorade I was going to kill someone. I needed something bubbly.
"She's been sleeping a lot," Charles commented, he turned the air on his tank off and headed our way.
The boat slowly drifted, which Armando didn't seem to mind while he pulled the ladder up on the back. "Yeah, I'm hoping she's pregnant."
I choked on my soda and Jeremy made an 'awww' face, Charles looked at Armando as if he were insane, "You already married the most annoying woman in the United States. Are you a glutton for punishment?"
Without turning from his securing of the ladder, "Well dear Charles, that is the order of things. Dating, marriage, and children…"
I tossed Charles a Gatorade.
He caught it, never taking his eyes from Armando, "It's not my fault we're not married, she won't marry me!"
Armando looked my way.
I nodded the truth of it, "He speaks the truth."
Jeremy snickered when Armando commented, "Well, I wouldn't want to marry you either." The look Charles gave Armando was scathing to say the least. Since I was sorta to blame I felt the need to defuse the looks between the two men, "Can I drive back?"
Joking forgotten.
Both Charles and Armando looked to me, "No."
Like I was going to hit another dock. I was never going to live that down.