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.
Then Lisa said, “I am glad you’re doing fine. Just keep me posted. These kids want their dinner now. I’m sorry. Call me again tomorrow.”
“I’ll try. I only have two days on the main island. After that, I’ll board the yacht.”
“Good luck with that. Take care of yourself.” Lisa gave me smacking air kisses sounds. And the boys did, too.
I ordered a decent burger and a salad from the kitchen; they did room service. I ate my meal and spent the rest of the night researching about the island and the neighboring islands.
I was already feeling lonely, and my journey hadn’t even started yet. Before I went to sleep, I left a voicemail on my mom’s cell phone.
“Hey, Mom, I miss you terribly. I’m in this hotel in the Caribbean, and I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I wish you were here with me to hug and hold me. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I’m scared sometimes. And I’ve never felt this alone. I admit, I miss Benoit, but what he did to me just hurts. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him. I still love him, Mom. And that’s what hurts the most. Anyway, I love you, and goodnight.”
I changed out of my travel clothes into my nightgown. Then I cried myself to sleep.
***
I woke up at around six in the morning. The time difference wasn’t too bad. St. Vincent was only three hours ahead of Denver and one hour ahead of Georgia. My body was still used to Georgia’s time zone, so the time difference didn’t bother me too much.
I hadn’t done yoga in a long time; I was always too busy with my business. Today, I did the sun salutation. I sat on the floor, faced east, and performed a series of yoga poses for twenty minutes. After that, I went to the balcony and marveled at the clear water and the waves. There was something about the ocean that was so calming. I breathed in the salty air and closed my eyes, allowing the anxiety of the future to melt away.
Then I went to the bathroom and showered. Jim had agreed to meet me by the lobby at eight. When I went down, he was already waiting for me.
“Hey, good morning, Miss Harper.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“First order of the day is breakfast.”
“Definitely.”
Jim took me to Café Soleil, which was close to the water. I invited him for breakfast, which he declined at first, but I finally convinced him to go in with me. It might have been an unusual request because it took him a while to get comfortable sitting at the table.
I ordered coffee for both of us. Then, I ordered a fish sandwich, which was their catch for the day, while Jim ordered a burger.
While sipping coffee, I learned more about him as he spoke about his family and life on the beautiful island.
“How long have you been a taxi driver, Jim?” I asked.
He was sipping his coffee, too. He was relaxing his shoulders as well, feeling comfortable. It was easy with the breeze on our faces and the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
“I’ve been doing it for ten years. I started just after my wife had our second baby. Before that, I worked at a restaurant as a server.”
“Do you miss working at a restaurant?”
“Well, yes, and no. I don’t like the regular hours. But with driving, I also don’t like the irregular hours. How about you, Miss Harper?”
“Oh, I used to own a restaurant,” I revealed.
He seemed surprised by this revelation. “What happened to your restaurant?”
“My ex-partner and I parted ways. We just couldn’t work together anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What kind of restaurant was it?”
“It was a French restaurant. A small bistro in Savannah, Georgia.” I sighed. That was just over a month ago. And now, my life had completely turned upside down, with me sipping coffee with my taxi driver in the Caribbean. The ocean was clear and inviting.
Our orders arrived. Jim was grateful for the free breakfast.
“Are you interested in setting up another restaurant?” he asked.
I paused for a bit. I hadn’t really thought about it. All I wanted was to get away from Benoit as far as possible. “If I find a better partner this time, or even without a partner, I would probably set up another restaurant.”
“That’s good. You should continue. Just because the first partnership went bad doesn’t mean the next one will be.”
“You’re very optimistic. But setting up another restaurant is far from my mind for now.”
After our quick breakfast, Jim took me to the Botanic Garden. I asked him to walk with me. Our stroll lasted an hour. I wanted to do some shopping next, so Jim took me to the market, where I bought beachwear, a flip-flop, a hat, and sunblock lotion. We ended our day at a bar, where I got a cocktail and dinner. Jim politely refused to drink, but he did agree to eat dinner. He convinced me to try the grilled conch, which I was reluctant to do. I added grilled fish to our order.
“I’ve never had this grilled conch before.”
“It’s just meat from a giant shell. You’ll like it.”
Once the order had arrived, I tasted the chopped-up conch. It had a rubbery consistency, but the meat was chewy and tasted sweet and the taste of the sea. With the smokiness from the charcoal grill, it tasted pleasant.
“Do you like it?” Jim asked as he chewed a chunk of the conch.
“It has a different consistency. I’m not used to it, but it tastes a lot like snails.”
“I haven’t had snails, but yes, they must taste similar.”
I had a good day with Jim. When he dropped me off at my hotel, I gave him a generous tip. At first, he wanted to send it back, but I insisted he take the money.
“I have many contacts on the islands. Do you need anything? Not just here in St. Vincent, but in Grenada as well. I have friends and family living in other parts of the Grenadine islands. You name it. Whatever you need, let me know.”
He handed me his business card and then shook my hand. I was glad I had made a connection on my first day on the island.
As soon as I got back to the hotel, I tried to shake off the feeling of uncertainty. I was going to start a new life, and I had no idea what to expect.
***
I woke up at six in the morning. As usual, I did my morning yoga. Then I went for a short swim in the pool before having a light breakfast. Around 9 a.m., Paul from the Sea Eagle rang the hotel phone. It was pick up time.
I packed my bag, checked out, and met Paul in the lobby. He offered a handshake. “Hey, I figured you’re Harper?” Paul was this tall, over six feet, skinny, red-headed, freckled guy in his mid-twenties.
I shook his hand; he had a firm grip. “Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Paul, the assistant skipper. We just docked a few hours ago. I hope you’re ready for a tour of the Sea Eagle,” Paul said in his distinct Kiwi accent.
“I sure am.”
He helped load my luggage into the back of the taxi. The ride was twenty minutes. And once we got to the marina, I saw the luxury yacht, Sea Eagle. It was over 220-feet long. Paul helped roll one of my pieces of luggage onto the ramp, and I followed him. Once on board, I felt the boat sway a bit.
The crew members greeted us. There was a tall, mocha-skinned man with salt and pepper hair and a beard. He was not as tall as Paul, around five foot nine, but he looked like a man of important stature. I could instantly tell he was the captain, just based on his stance. To his right was a tall, skinny girl with a very long nose, and an Asian girl stood next to her.
Paul introduced me to the crew. As I had suspected, the man was the captain.
“I am Captain Yousef.” He had greenish-bluish eyes. He was probably Middle Eastern. “Welcome to the Sea Eagle.” His smile was pleasant, and he had a very strong handshake.
The tall, dark-haired lady looked Eastern European and introduced herself as Zofia. She was the stewardess. Next to her was the Asian girl with straight, black hair.
“I’m your sous-chef, Kathleen. Welcome aboard.”
“I’m Harper, I’m the chef from Georgia.”
“I hope you enjoy your stay with us for the next few months,” the captain said. “Zofia and Kathleen will help you get situated in the boat. By tomorrow, we will sail for St. Lucia, pick up our guests, then come back here. You’ll be joining us for lunch later.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
“Rest up, and I will see you later.”
I followed Paul inside the boat. It was bigger inside than I had thought. Paul led me into the hallway and then down to my room. Kathleen, the sous-chef, and Zofia also followed us.
“You’ll be bunking in together with us,” Zofia said.
“It’s a small room, but it would be our home for a while,” Kathleen said.
Both looked younger than me. I was nearing thirty, and they must be in their mid-twenties or even younger.
Paul opened the door to our room and placed my luggage inside. “You ladies get to know each other and enjoy.”
“Okay. Thank you, Paul,” I said.
Paul stepped out of the room, and the two ladies stepped in.
There were four beds—two bottom ones and two upper ones.
“Which one is vacant?” I asked.
Zofia pointed to the bottom one on the right side.
“I’m staying on top bed,” Kathleen pointed out.
“I’m the one across from you. I like the bottom more.”
“Wow, this is like college all over again,” I said.
“I can’t relate. Never went to the dormitory,” Kathleen said. “I’m from the Philippines. I took hotel and restaurant management, then went to culinary school. Never joined a boarding house or anything.”
“Wow, you’re far from home, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, a bit.” Kathleen bit her bottom lip.
“How about you, Zofia? Where are you from?”
“I’m from Ukraine. I went to college and had a dorm, but never this tiny. But I had at least one roommate.”
“That’s great. Yeah, you’re right. This is smaller than a college dorm room, for sure. I feel claustrophobic already.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Kathleen said. “It’s a really cool job. We get to travel, then we cook.”
“Is this your first charter experience?” I asked Kathleen.
“I’m in my third year. I had worked for another luxury charter before for two years. This is my first year, or almost one year, working for this company.”
For someone so young, she seemed to know a lot already. Kathleen seemed worldly. I turned to Zofia.
She responded with, “This is my sixth month on this ship. And my first job in the luxury charter industry. I wanted to be a flight stewardess, but I guess this one is better. You get to enjoy where you’re going and not get stuck in a tin can.”
I looked around, scanning the floor all the way to the ceiling. “Well, this is a sort of tin can still, but we’re not up in the air. We’re just in the water.”
“You can look at it that way. But the ocean is a lot more interesting. You’ll see. It’s a fun job. I don’t think it’s a job at all. It’s like a vacation, except you do tasks and you get paid,” Zofia explained.
“Now that you’re putting it that way. Will someone be showing me the kitchen later?”
“You want a tour right now?” Kathleen asked. “You just got here.”
“Well, I’m used to working. I don’t mind if you can show me around. Let’s start with the galley. And who restocks?”
“Wow, work mode right away.” Kathleen laughed.
“Good luck. She’s going to be your new boss.” Zofia smirked.
“I don’t mind. It’s all good,” Kathleen replied, and to me, she said, “Follow me!”
I set my luggage on the floor and followed her to the galley. She showed me the kitchen, which was bigger than I had expected. Of course, it wasn’t as big as my kitchen.
The mention of the word ‘kitchen’ suddenly made my heart sink. I missed my restaurant. I missed my staff. And most of all, I missed Benoit. I hadn’t spoken to him since I left. I let my lawyer, Kyle, handle all the affairs. He was our lawyer for our business, and with the separation, he was dealing with that as well. Kyle had been e-mailing me almost weekly, giving me updates, and he said it would take months for him to ‘uncouple’ my business ties with Benoit.
The galley had all the equipment—stainless steel counters, two ovens, a microwave, a Kitchen-Aid mixer, a freezer, a pantry, and a refrigerator. We also had a wine refrigerator and a dishwasher. It might not be an enormous kitchen, but it had all the essentials.
I looked at the food stocks and asked Kathleen where we restocked them. She showed me the food inventory and the menu that was planned out by the previous chef. I would have to check our supplies to see when we should restock.
“Whatever happened to your previous chef?” I asked.
“Well, she got sick and couldn’t work. That was like a month ago. We thought she could go back to work, but unfortunately, she must rest for several months. Not sure if she’ll be back. But now you’re here,” Kathleen explained.
“Wow, and how were you guys doing without a chef?”
“It wasn’t easy. We did hire someone momentarily from one of the islands to help with food preparation. The chef I worked with before had great organizational skills. She already had a menu planned out for several weeks. I just followed it and had the help of a local cook with cooking and food prep. It wasn’t easy, but we managed.”
“Wow, good for you,” I said, sounding really impressed. I would have hired someone like Kathleen back in Georgia. She was the person I needed on my team. “You guys got lucky in hiring another chef.”
“Yes, we really did. It was like sending out an SOS. James, the recruiter we hired, was superb about posting jobs. We’re glad you’re here now.”
“I’m glad, too.”
After the kitchen tour, it was Zofia’s turn to give me a tour of the guest rooms. The yacht could accommodate twelve guests. I peeked into one of their rooms and discovered it was more spacious than the one we were staying in. There were four staterooms on the yacht, and the rest were double beds. The staterooms had an oak finish and a full bathroom, with a bathtub and shower.
After the tour, I returned to our room and suddenly felt claustrophobic. It wasn’t like the Victorian-era house I had in Savannah that had three floors, and I had a giant bedroom with a King-sized bed. I felt some self-pity because of my current state.
But then I looked at Kathleen and Zofia’s faces.
“It’s really going to be fun,” Kathleen said. “You’ll enjoy feeding the guests. The perk, of course, is the downtime when we can explore the islands and swim all day!” She mentioned she had been doing this for three years, and it seemed like she loved her job.
“This is the best job ever! I really enjoyed it. Plus, Captain Yousef is so chill. And Paul, too. We really have a good crew this time,” Zofia added.
It was hard to dwell on self-pity while looking at these ladies. They seemed genuinely happy living this simple life, enjoying themselves, and didn’t mind these small quarters.
“You girls are just a bundle of sunshine, aren’t you?” I said.
“Of course, we’re in the Caribbean. We’re in paradise!” Zofia said cheerfully.
“Maybe I need to have what you guys have. A little sunshine in my personality.”
“Time for me to prepare lunch,” Kathleen announced.
“You don’t want me to help you?”
“If you want to. But I think, officially, you’re just onboarding. Today is just technically your orientation day. So maybe you should relax. There will be plenty of work once we start.”
I started tapping my feet. “I’m not used to doing nothing. I can’t be idle.”
Zofia looked at me with her dark brown eyes. “You should just learn to relax. Go with the flow. We’re not on city time here. We’re on island time. It’s a different lifestyle.”
“Oh, okay.”
“I’ll fix lunch, then you can just relax there. Read a book, or maybe you can go to the office and browse the internet,” Zofia suggested.
“That’s a good idea. Where is it?”
“We’ll show you,” Kathleen said.
Kathleen and Zofia led the way while I followed them like an obedient puppy. After a few turns, they led me to a room with a small library and a computer.
“This is the office. You can browse the internet, read a book, and play games. There are board games over there, card games, and other stuff we haven’t really looked into.” Zofia pointed to the nook, which they called the gaming area. A foosball table, a mid-sized pool table, and a giant Connect Four table were present. Several bean bags also lay on the floor, and a 75-inch television set was on the wall. And the room had a very psychedelic carpet.
“This place is cool. It’s already my favorite place besides the kitchen, of course. Is this computer connected to the internet?”
“You can. We’re connected to the internet.” Zofia said. “I’ll probably help Kathleen set up in the kitchen for our lunch. We’ll come back for you.”
I took out my laptop from my luggage, logged in to my messenger, and called Lisa. It was around ten in the morning where I was, and it should be around seven in the morning in Denver. After a few rings, she answered. She was on her phone, so all I could see was her face close to the screen.
“Hey, is that you, Harper? I can’t see your face.” She was moving around.
I forgot to turn on the camera. Once I figured out where the button was, I popped up on the screen as well.
“There you are, Harper!” Lisa beamed with a huge smile on her face. However, her face seemed distorted because of her proximity to the screen.
“Hey, Lisa. How are you and the kids?”
“We’re good. How are you? How’s the Caribbean treating you? Did you get a tan?”
“Not yet. I just took one swim in the swimming pool.”
“What? You’re surrounded by a beautiful ocean and you swim in the pool? Girl, you better jump in the water today! And that’s an order!” Lisa laughs.
I laughed too. “Yeah, ironic right? Yes, there will be swimming, but maybe not tonight.”
“You better get in the water soon!”
“How are the kids?” I changed the topic.
“You realize it”s seven a.m. on a weekend here, right?” Lisa started moving to another room. She opened the door to her boys’ room. They were still in bed. “Hey boys, your Aunt Harper wants to talk to you.”
Atticus rubbed his eyes and yawned. With sleepy eyes, he said, “Hey, Aunt Harper. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing good. How about you?”
“I’m sleepy.” Atticus yawned again and seemed like he was going back to sleep.
Lisa moved the camera to show me Beckett, who was sleeping and wrapped up in his blanket.
“When Beckett wakes up, let him know I said hi,” I told Lisa.
“I will. Just enjoy yourself over there. We’ll visit you once we get the chance. Just don’t worry too much about us.” Lisa gave me an air kiss. “It’s back to my morning yoga.”
I waved at Lisa and ended the call.
I quickly checked my email for news from my lawyer. So far, there was nothing.
It was a little jarring to realize that I had left that part of the world to work in a ‘tin can’ in the middle of the Caribbean Ocean. I didn’t know what the future held, but I knew it was going to be a much different reality than the one I had left behind. Whether my future was going to be better than the life I had left behind remained to be seen.
***
After an hour, the staff served lunch. Zofia invited me to join them at the mess hall. Captain Yousef was seated at the head of the table, and Paul was on his right. Kathleen had made a family meal style. A large bowl of salad, soup, fried fish, and brown rice were served on the table. It was a very simple meal.
“Welcome, Chef!” Yousef said.
“Hi.” I waved.
“Make yourself at home,” Paul said.
“We’re all family here,” Zofia said as she pulled a chair. She invited me to sit next to her.
I already felt welcomed by the crew. They looked like a really close bunch.
“Hope you like our simple meal. It’s fried fish and beef soup. It’s a simple Filipino meal.” Kathleen beamed. She seemed proud of her dish.
I’d never had Filipino food before. My mom was Moroccan French, living in Chicago, and Benoit was French. So, I was most exposed to American food, Moroccan food, and French food. I had tried other Asian dishes before but stayed with the Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
I sat down, and we proceeded to pray. Zofia and Kathleen held my hand—Zofia held my left hand, and Kathleen held the other. Captain Yousef led the prayer, which surprised me. I thought he was an Arab.
Zofia probably saw my questioning eyes, and so she mentioned, “Captain Yousef is Palestinian, but his parents were Moslem and Christian. But he’s a practicing Moslem, but he knows Christian prayers.”
“Right,” I said. I didn’t pretend to know anything about that region. All I know was that three major religions came from there.
“We always pray during meals. I’m Catholic, and so is Kathleen.” Zofia was still holding my hand after our prayer. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Then she let go of my hand.
“Let’s all eat!” Captain Yousef said then.
Zofia handed me a plate of fried fish; I chose the fish’s tail. She gave me a soup bowl for my beef soup. I could taste fish paste and some ginger in it. Although I wasn’t accustomed to the flavor combination, it tasted good. And so was the fried fish with the lemon-lime soy sauce.
“This is very good,” I commented.
“Thank you!” Kathleen said.
“Thank you, Kathleen,” the captain said.
Since I was a newbie, they asked a lot of questions about where I came from and then told me where they came from. Then we talked about the upcoming days with our 12 guests for seven days. It was a very casual talk.
After lunch, some had coffee, and some had tea. Then it was back to being idle again, which I wasn’t used to. The girls and I went to the upper deck to check out the view. We brought iced sodas and sipped them as we watched the ocean view around us.
“This is just amazing,” I told them.
“Yes, this is our view all the time, and I can’t get used to it. We’re so lucky,” Zofia said. She had her hand on her chin as she rested her arm on the side of the boat.
Kathleen chimed in, “This is just the best! I’m excited about our new round of guests!”
“When do I review the menu your colleague prepared?” I asked. I wasn’t used to working on someone else’s menu. It had always been my menu and my ideas that got implemented. It was hard for me to lean back and just allow things to happen.
“You can review it tonight. I’ll show you. For now, let’s enjoy this wonderful moment,” Kathleen said.
The two girls enjoyed the sunlight and their sparkly drinks. I tried to sit there, uncrossing my legs. Whatever this relaxing thing was that they were doing, I had to learn how to do it. I looked at the view of the ocean, the island, and the other boats on the marina; it was a lot to take in. Then I closed my eyes and just listened to the sound of the waves. I felt the warmth of the sun as it hit my face. I just listened to my breathing.
The girls started chatting about their celebrity crushes and other trivial things. It was hard to relate to them. Although they were only a few years younger than I was, it was hard to talk about boys. By the time I was twenty, I was already in a serious relationship with the same guy. Thinking about Benoit sent waves of anxiety and sadness into the pit of my stomach.
When I opened my eyes, the two girls were staring at me.
“I don’t think you heard our question,” Zofia said.
“What was your question?” I asked. I completely zoned out.
“What’s your type of guy?” Kathleen asked in a teasing manner.
“Well, I was with him for eight years. I guess the typical tall, dark, and handsome type.”
Zofia sat next to me and probed, “What happened to your guy?”
“I don’t really like to talk about it. Our relationship just ended.”
“Fresh breakup? I’m sorry. Is that why you’re here?” She looked so innocent. They both do.
“Yes and no. It’s a fresh breakup. But it’s not really why I’m here. Not technically. Maybe when I’m ready to talk about it, I will.”
“Well, take your time. It’s normal to be calm during your first few weeks. We can’t wait to be your new besties.”
“Besties?” I asked.
“We didn’t get along at first, Zofia and I,” Kathleen interjected.
“But now, we’re besties,” Zofia said rather proudly. She placed her arm around Kathleen, and they both smiled like little kids.
“Okay, then.”
I knew the girls meant well. But I guess I had matured because of my life experiences. I just didn’t have a rose-colored view of the world anymore.
After our quick break, Kathleen showed me the previous chef’s prepared menu. I could see from the chef’s notes that she was very organized. She had already pre-planned several meals that my only job was to execute.
We had dinner around six, and the setup was similar. We prayed together, then ate. After that, the girls and I went to the office/game room, where we played a few board games. Around 7 p.m., the ship started moving, and suddenly, I felt queasy.
“Are you okay?” Zofia asked with a concerned look on her face.
“Does the boat sway this much?”
“You’ll get used to it. You may get seasick for a couple of days,” Kathleen answered.
We were playing Monopoly at this point.
“A few days?” I asked.
Zofia rolled the dice and moved her token on the gameboard.
“Each one is different; it took me around three days. Kathleen took five days to a week to get used to it. But you will get seasick. If it gets worse, just let me know, and I can give you something for motion sickness.”
“Okay.”
We played the game until almost midnight. When it was time for bedtime, I changed into pajamas. I felt nauseous, but the sleepiness won over. I slept under a warm blanket. The room was rocking back and forth, and I could hear the hum of the engine.
***
I woke up when the sound of the engine slowed down. Even while sleeping, I could feel the room rocking back and forth. The girls were still asleep, so I slowly tiptoed out of the room. I looked at my watch to see it was almost six in the morning. It was still dark out. Even if the engine had stopped, I could still feel the floor rocking back and forth. I went out to the deck and saw the captain standing and looking at the horizon. The sun was rising in the east, and the sun’s rays were pouring out. It was a marvelous sight.
I was still in my pajamas, but I didn’t mind. The view was breathtaking. I walked towards Captain Yousef, and he turned with a look of surprise on his face.
“Good morning. I didn’t know you were an early riser,” he greeted me.
“Yeah, I sort of am. I like to work. It’s hard for me to sleep in.”
Slowly but surely, the sun emerged, as if the ocean was birthing it. The sky changed color from dark violet to orange violet. Then, a more intense orange color emerged after the sky turned blue. The sun was at first a semi-circle, and within minutes, turned into a full circle as it rose from the horizon. It was the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen.
“I never get used to the sunrise. It’s beautiful each time.” Captain Yousef was still looking out.
“I don’t even remember the last time I saw the sunrise. But you’re right, this is indeed wonderful.” I just gazed in amazement at the nature show.
I looked to the West, and we were approaching the busy port of the island of St. Lucia. There were several boats docked. I suddenly felt excited. I was officially starting my first day of work, and I couldn’t wait.
***
We docked at the port, and twelve guests boarded the Sea Eagle. Most of our guests were couples. There was one family of four—the mom, dad, and their two teenage kids. They were mostly British citizens with some Aussies and Kiwis. The family of four was American.
Our itinerary was three days in St. Lucia, then four days in St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, where we picked up the next round of guests and resupply.
For the first three days, I had motion sickness and had to take a pill. It helped a bit, but what really helped me was getting busy. I was good at ignoring physical pain and discomfort when working; it was part of the reason I could run my restaurant well.
Following another chef’s meal plan and menu took getting used to. But with a little tweak here and there, I made it work. I had to cook three meals and two snacks—an afternoon snack and an evening snack. Zofia was somewhat of a wine expert and knew how to pair my meals with the right type of wine. Kathleen was efficient at her work. She was a good sous-chef, and we worked well together.
The guests were not picky with their food, which I was grateful for. Only one wanted an all-vegan, gluten-free menu. But most of them ate whatever we served them. The evening snacks, I figured, depended on the guest. Some wanted ice cream sundaes at midnight, and some just wanted a slice of cake. I didn’t really mind serving guests a midnight snack if they wanted. I was enjoying preparing meals for them.
My first charter went on without a hitch. I was used to the 7-day schedule. When I was running my business, I didn’t really have a rest day. On weekends, when I was supposed to be off, something would happen in my restaurant that needed my attention. Although Benoit and I helped each other with running the restaurant, being the chef and part-owner, I had more responsibilities than he had. My lawyer had suggested I get more from the partnership, but I just wanted an even fifty-fifty split, considering it was Benoit who had provided the initial capital.
Speaking of my lawyer, it was unusual that he hadn’t updated me in a while.
After a grueling 7-day nonstop work schedule, it was our turn to relax. We dropped off our guests at St. Vincent, and it was on to Grenada for three days of downtime and renewing our food stocks. We anchored at the harbor in St. George’s, Grenada’s capital. Although it was just a small country with a population of over 100,000 people, it seemed like a lively and dynamic country.
The girls and I, on the first day, spent our rest day touring Grenada. The captain and Paul stayed on the boat; their rest day just basically comprised sleeping and resting. The girls told me to wear a swimsuit underneath my shorts and T-shirts because we were going to swim almost anywhere we could swim. I packed a towel, an extra pair of shirts and shorts, and flip-flops in my small travel bag. Zofia and Kathleen had hired a rental van that would take us on a brief tour of the island.
Our first order of the day was to go to Fort George, which was overlooking the harbor. On top of the fort, you have an unobstructed view of the island, the shore, and its buildings. It was the highest point on the island and was a good lookout for incoming and outgoing ships. A gentle breeze swept across the fort. The girls took a lot of selfies, and they convinced me to take some with them by the cannons. It was tacky, but I did it with them anyway.
Our next stop was Annandale Falls, which was just less than an hour away from the fort. It was a thirty-foot-high falls in the middle of the forest. Thick greenery surrounded us. Many tropical plants flourished in this area of land. Once Zofia and Kathleen saw the falls, they immediately dropped their bags, wrapped their cellphones in a Ziplock bag, and jumped into the water and swam under the waterfalls. It took me a while to catch up to them, as I was afraid of jumping in the water without assessing how deep it was. I wasn’t the strongest swimmer, and I hadn’t swum in years, so I wasn’t used to swimming against a strong current. The girls seemed to have reached the bottom quickly. When I caught up with them, they were all smiles. Their energy was infectious.
We stayed at the waterfalls for almost two hours until it was time to move on to the next destination—the Rum Distillers, with rum toasting. I wasn’t a rum person, but Benoit was. Benoit studied how to mix cocktails and was a bartender at his previous restaurant. The thought of Benoit and Mariana together made me feel uneasy. I couldn’t shake off the image of seeing them together at the bar of La Gourmandize. The image of Benoit touching her skin and gifting her with a necklace was seared into my mind. Along with that image was the sharp pain of Benoit’s infidelity. My heart started hurting again, and I could feel my eyes watering from the pain.
During this time, Zofia handed me a glass of rum; I downed it quickly. Then I took another shot, then another. After three shots, the pain seemed to disappear, but I also started getting tipsy.
“Harper, you don’t have a lot of tolerance for alcohol. That wasn’t a lot of rum,” Zofia said.
“I’m a lightweight.” I was feeling warm and giddy.
Kathleen handed me another shot of rum, but Zofia stopped her. “Don’t give her anymore. We still need to go swimming. Let’s reserve it for tonight. We’ll go to a bar.”
Kathleen nodded and said,” Good idea.”
Our last sightseeing tour was on Grand Anse Beach. It was a white sand beach that stretched for a few miles. It had sparkling, clear turquoise waters. We put on our damp bathing suits and jumped into the crystal-clear waters. The wonderful thing about the Caribbean was that the water temperature stayed warm and wasn’t a shock to the system.
We swam until sunset. Then, we sat by the shore as we watched the sunset. Today was complete, in a way. I was able to view the sunrise and the sunset, something I had never done before since I was always focusing on my business. But now, all I cared about was spending time with the girls and watching the sunset.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go to a bar and get something to eat,” Zofia recommended.
We found a place to change into dry clothes. The girls googled a nearby bar.
“We may have a long day ahead tomorrow. Let’s go back to the boat by midnight at the very least.” I pointed to my watch.
“You’re no fun, Harper. You’re like an old lady. The captain doesn’t mind. We can do whatever we want. And it’s our rest day. Tomorrow, we’ll just have a lazy day and do nothing.” Kathleen stretched her arms and yawned.
“See, you girls are getting tired,” I said.
Zofia stood in the middle and linked arms with me and Kathleen. “We’re going to that random bar over there called The Flamingo, and we’re going to have fun.”
I looked at the Google rating, and the place was sketchy. “It has a rating of 4.0, that’s not very good.”
“As long as it doesn’t have any food poisoning warnings, then we should be good,” Zofia said.
We walked into the bar, and there were around ten people inside. It was a simple bar with two servers and a bartender. The servers were local, one woman and one man, but the bartender was a Caucasian man.
The girls and I sat by the bar and ordered a cocktail. The bartender, the Caucasian man, and I made brief eye contact, and he smiled at me. I didn’t smile back.
“Hey there, ladies, my name is Maverick.” He extended his hand. “And your name is?” he asked, staring at me. He had this air of overconfidence about him.
Maverick was not tall, maybe only a few inches taller than me. Sporting a tan, he was wearing a white shirt. He had light brown hair, green eyes, and a full facial beard.
I was hesitant to reach for his hand, but eventually did and shook it. “My name’s Harper.”
“What a pretty name.” He said it in a way that sounded too cocky. He forgot to shake the girls’ hands and only asked, “What drink do you guys want?”
“I’d like a Pina Colada,” I ordered.
The girls ordered a specialty cocktail.
Maverick was smiling as he prepared our order, but he kept looking over his shoulder at me. I was getting self-conscious.
“The guy likes you,” Zofia, who sat next to me, whispered teasingly.
“Are we in high school? No, he does not.” I was very annoyed by this immature behavior.
“He’s going to ask for your number. Wait and see,” Zofia teased again.
“No, he won’t.” I furrowed my eyebrows.
Meanwhile, Maverick was shaking the cocktail glass clumsily, reminding me how Benoit was adept at cocktail making. Maverick was a bit haphazard in his mixing of the alcohol like he was a newbie. He was also looking at a cheat sheet.
After producing the drinks, he handed them to the three of us. He finished mine first, then Zofia’s, and then Kathleen’s.
I sipped the Pina colada and spat it out. “What the heck?” I complained. “It’s too tart and sweet!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I probably added too much pineapple juice.” He blushed a bit.
“How long have you done this?” I asked.
“Well, just a couple of months.”
“A couple of months? Who’s the manager?” I hated to be one of those complaining customers, but my pina colada was just plain awful.
“Well, I’m the manager,” he replied. He didn’t sound too confident now.
“Oh, so you’re also the manager?”
“Well, yeah, sort of,” he said sheepishly.
The server, the male one, came forward and asked what was going on, and Maverick just shushed him away.
“How about you, girls? How’s your drink?” I asked them. They were sipping their drinks and didn’t seem bothered at all.
“I don’t care. It has alcohol. It tastes decent.” Zofia shrugged her shoulders.
Kathleen just kept sipping and not really listening to the entire conversation. She was in her own world.
“Why do you know so much about alcohol?” Maverick asked. He seemed to have recovered; the redness on his face was gone.
“I used to run my own restaurant. I’m a chef.” There was no boasting on my part. It was just the simple truth.
“Well, maybe I could hire you to rework our menu and drinks menu.”
“Hire me?” I was offended. I was the customer, not a prospective employee.
“I mean, if the price is right, right?” He winked.
Something about Maverick just rubbed me the wrong way. “Excuse me? I’m your customer, not the help.”
Zofia laughed out loud. Something about my conversation with Maverick was very amusing for her but, obviously, not for me.
“I’m sorry, we got on the wrong foot. I am just desperate. That’s all.”
I pushed the drink. He just stared at it.
“You don’t want it?” he asked.
“Of course. It sucks!”
“I can get you another one.” He combed his hands through his hair.
Zofia leaned towards Maverick. She obviously found him amusing. “Are you really named Maverick?” Zofia asked.
“Yeah, my mom named me after a character from Top Gun.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“Well, Maverick, I’m not paying for that drink.” I pushed the drink again, this time much closer to him.
Again, he just stared at it. “Oh, okay.”
“I’ll pay for her drink, Maverick. But only if you let us mix our drinks!” Zofia laughed.
“Sure. Since I’m obviously doing a lousy job at it. Why not?”
“Really? I was just kidding,” Zofia said. “Come on, Harper, let’s mix some drinks.”
“Shouldn’t we be heading home?” I pleaded.
“Let’s have fun!” Kathleen said. She finally got out of her shell. She went to the back of the bar, and Zofia joined her.
“Girls, what are you doing?”
“We’re making a drink!” Zofia cheerfully said.
“Come and join your friends.” Maverick laughed.
“You guys are crazy!” I relented but joined them at the back of the bar.
I scanned the bar for the ingredients of a real pina colada. In a blender, I put a load of rum, just a dash of pineapple juice, coconut cream, and finally, a hint of lime. And with some ice, he blended all the ingredients. After that, I poured it into a tall glass, placed a maraschino pepper on top, and then some coconut chunks. When I tasted it, it tasted superb. I let Maverick taste it, and his eyes widened.
“Wow, that’s amazing. You’re a good bartender! You’re hired.” He laughed.
Zofia made a Moscow Mule, and Kathleen made a margarita. We took sips from each other’s drinks. They tasted better than what Maverick could have done.
“You got me, girls! I am not very good at my job apparently.” He placed both of his hands up in the air.
It was fun behind the bar. Other guests started coming in, and Maverick allowed us to serve them drinks.
“Are we getting tips for this?” Kathleen asked.
“Sure, whatever you girls need.” Maverick, then, inched closer to me. “So, chef, maybe you can help me with my menu? We can talk shop. What’s your number?”
“Did you just ask me for my number?” I said incredulously.
“Yeah, how else would we talk shop?” He grinned.
“You’re something else.”
Maverick turned the music on louder, and the girls started dancing. We served a dozen guests and mixed our own drinks before we moved to the dance floor. Maverick danced along with us. He was actually a decent dancer, and we danced together. He kept trying to go near me and touched my hand, but I swatted him away. This didn’t deter him. He still kept asking for my number.
I finally gave him a tentative answer. “Maybe, but you got to earn it.”
“Oh man,” he groaned.
By one a.m., we were winding down. Maverick walked us back to our van. We had hired the van and its driver for the entire day. Zofia told us we had to tip the driver generously since he’d been driving us all day. I thought it was fair.
“It’s been fun girls!” he winked at us. Then he turned to me. “I’ll earn your number. Just wait and see.”
“Just don’t hold your breath,” I smirked.
We hopped into the van; I sat in the front passenger seat. I saw Maverick’s reflection through the side mirror, and he had a sad puppy face as we drove away.
We were still laughing and being loud as we hopped out of the van but became quiet as we boarded the yacht. We didn’t want to disturb the Captain and Paul, who were most likely already sleeping. We tiptoed as we got inside and headed for the kitchen. Zofia complained of being hungry.
We had the ingredients for a smash burger, so I quickly made a smashed cheeseburger with potato buns. We scarfed it down in no time.
“He was really into you,” Zofia pointed out, talking about Maverick. “I told you he would ask for your phone number.”
“Yeah, Maverick likes you,” Kathleen joined the tease.
“He’s not my type. He’s cocky.”
Kathleen burst into laughter and commented, “Despite his cuteness, he gives me big brother vibes. He’s more your match. He’s your complete opposite, but he compliments your personality.”
“Yeah, you guys look like you would make a good couple,” Zofia chimed in.
“You girls are like high schoolers. Talking nonsense,” I chided them as I finished the last bite of my burger.
“I see a future there. I have a feeling,” Zofia still teased and licked her fingers as she, too, finished her last bite of the burger.
“Let’s sleep, girls! It was a fun night! I enjoyed it!” Kathleen concluded.
We each took turns taking a shower and wore our comfy pajamas. I might have had too much to drink as I found my face feeling flushed. But it was good. I could sleep soundly tonight.
I slept to the sound of the waves and the rocking motion of the boat. It felt good to unwind and have fun. I suddenly felt hopeful for the future. I closed my eyes with a smile on my face.