Page 8 of Escape To Paradise
“A postcard? Do such things still exist?” I joked.
Lisa was old-fashioned that way. She still believed in writing checks, writing letters, and sending postcards, whereas I had fully embraced automation and technology. I knew it was going to be a tough adjustment once I got to the Caribbean.
Lisa helped unload my two pieces of luggage from her tiny red car. After that, I was on my own. I waved at them and felt a heaviness in my heart. No more long walks in the woods. No more Lisa and the boys. I was alone again, and being alone was depressing. So, on the way to boarding the plane, tears started flowing down my cheeks.
Chapter 3
Sea Legs
I was crying on the plane on my way to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was an 11-hour flight with a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then Miami. St. Vincent’s airport was called the Argyle International Airport; it was the only international airport on the island.
James had left me an e-mail, informing me I would have two days’ waiting time in a small hotel in town. A taxi was going to pick me up from the airport. On the second day, a staff was going to pick me up from my hotel. Then I’d be boarding the luxury yacht called the Sea Eagle, which will be my home for the next six to nine months.
When I got off at the airport, it was already evening; I felt discombobulated. A taxi driver stood in the arrivals area, holding a whiteboard with my name on it. He was a pleasant-looking gentleman with a wide smile.
“My name is Harper.”
“I’m Jim, your taxi driver, Ma’am.” He had a lovely Caribbean accent and a chirpy voice.
“Great! I can’t wait to see the island!”
“First, I must take you to your hotel.”
He helped me load my luggage and took me to my hotel, which was a twenty-minute drive. The hotel was aptly called The Mariner’s Hotel. It was a decent four-star hotel that had a waterfront view. Jim helped me unload my luggage once again.
I made a deal with him. “How much to rent you for a whole day?”
He seemed pleasantly surprised by this proposition. He quoted me a price that I found fair, and I was glad he accepted American dollars. I told him I would like to see the highlights of the island tomorrow. He suggested snorkeling, diving, and a trip to the Dark Falls and the Botanic Gardens. He had also mentioned bars and restaurants.
I wanted to do something that wasn’t too strenuous, so we opted for just a drive and a walk around town, a trip to the Botanic Garden, and then he suggested bars and restaurants. We agreed on our itinerary and the time to meet tomorrow morning.
The check-in went smoothly. My room had a Queen-sized bed and a view of the water. It wasn’t a fancy hotel, but it was a clean one. The phone signal on the island was decent, so I got to call Lisa to inform her I had arrived at Kingstown safely.
Lisa picked up the phone almost immediately. “Hey, Harper, how are you doing? How was the flight?”
“It was uneventful. It wasn’t too bad,” I answered.
I could hear the background noise; the kids were making a commotion.
“What’s going on there?” I asked.
“Well, I burned the dinner, and the kids are not too happy about it,” Lisa said. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
It was Atticus. “When are you coming back, Aunt Harper? Mom just ruined our dinner. Now we have nothing to eat.” Atticus was always thinking about food, and I found it amusing.
“No, I did not.” I heard Lisa in the background.
“Well, what do you call that toasted chicken over there?” he countered.
“Toasted? It’s not that bad. We can scrape off the black bits.”
“Eww.” I heard Beckett’s voice.
“Okay, okay. I ruined dinner. We’ll just cook spaghetti.”
“We better get to it then.” And to me, Atticus said, “I hope you’re doing fine there, Aunt Harper. We miss you!”
“I miss you, too!” Beckett said.
