Pearl River Community College's award winning literary magazine

Special Edition—Spring-Summer 1998

Special Section

MCCCWC entry—short story division

Tradewinds

by Nicholas Rutledge

The boat swayed gently, from side to side, floating in the pristine water like a feather on the wind. Sarah could see the island of St. Vincent stretched lazily across the southern horizon. Small mountains jutted up from the center of the island like prominent beacons in the noon sky, signaling the island's existence to the careless ocean in which it so diligently floated. They had been at sea for weeks now and she was finally glad to see something solid. The small white dots of the buildings of Georgetown were becoming apparent on the growing horizon.

"There it is, darling. Land!" A voice came from behind her. She turned to see her father standing at the door of the cabin. The white suit and top hat made him look very distinguished. She smiled, her auburn hair gleaming like fire in the warm tropical sunlight.

"And not a moment too soon, Father." She smiled. "I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see land again."

"Well, don't get too used to it," her father chuckled. "We'll only be in Georgetown for a few days. Then we're moving on to Caracas. Hey you! Be careful over there!" He turned and walked toward one of the crew members who was struggling with a heap of rope. Sarah turned and looked out across the deep blue ocean once more, wondering.

On the outside, her father was the placid, rock solid, pleasant man she knew him to be. But, she was curious as to how he was doing on the inside. World War I was at its climax and most of Europe was in shambles. Her father's steel company had taken a turn for the worst and he had fallen out of favor with some of England's finest, thereby forcing them to relocate and abandon their London townhouse. They were on course to Venezuela. Her father had some friends there and he owned stock in some of the local companies in Caracas. Her father, Captain James Salisdale, had been a famous British naval officer in his yesteryears and enjoyed spending as much time on the open ocean as he could. This sea venture seemed to cheer him up a bit. Her mother had died six months earlier and her father had done everything but take it well. The past year had been tough on her family. She was hoping this would be a fresh start. And she couldn't really say she would miss the gloomy skies and political nature of her former home. Living in the tropical Southern Hemisphere would be a pleasant change--or so she hoped.

Suddenly, pleasantly pungent smells of spices and sugar cane and fish wafted their way off a salty wind and into Sarah's nose. She shifted her gaze and saw the small fishing village of Georgetown spread before her, sitting in the nook of a small cove at the base of the now larger mountains. Little white buildings with red clay tile roofs dotted the small village like little rusty accents of the canvas of some very inspired artist. A smile crossed Sarah's delicately beautiful face. The sails of ships both large and small jutted up from the small bay like clouds floating on the crystal blue water. The new and sweet smells became stronger and stronger. She could now see that the small village was teeming with life. Hundreds of dark-skinned people were moving around on the docks and the cobblestone streets. Their ship slowly docked and some very casually dressed deck hands helped Sarah off board. She walked cautiously behind her father along the wet wood of the docks, smiling as she absorbed all the new sights and smells that flooded her very existence.

"Thank you, good sir." She saw her father give a fifty-cent piece to a man whose skin was as black as the night. Another group of dark-skinned men loaded their bags onto a cart. The black-skinned man just smiled and nodded.

"This way, dear." Her father said, motioning toward an open-topped carriage hooked to two horses. Taking her father's hand, she lifted the hem of her lavishly elegant dress, and stepped into the cart. Her father took his seat beside her. The bronze-skinned courtier snapped the reigns, the carriage gave a light jolt, and they were off.

The village streets filled the air with an aromatic sweetness unmatched by anything Sarah had ever smelled before. The colors were so vibrant and the air so fresh and new. Merchants and traders abounded in the city streets and shoppers absorbed the commotion vigorously. Small children and goats and chickens were scattered here and there, and the sounds of merchants' carts rumbled through the village like a South Atlantic hurricane. The shouts of the merchants and venders and commoners could be heard above the din of it all.

The small carriage made its way through the outskirt slums of the town-not that there was much distinction between the perimeter and central portion of the small village-headed toward a small road which wound into the jungle at the western base of the mountains. Many commoners halted in their track to watch the fancy carriage make its way through the city streets.

"I think you'll like where we're staying." Her father said. His speckled gray beard shifted in a grin.
 

"The hacienda that I've arranged for us has an excellent view." She gave her father an inattentive smile. She turned her gaze back to the very attentive assembly of commoners.

"Father, how long do you think" And then she saw him. The most handsome creature she'd ever seen. His skin was the color of bronze, and his hair, drenched with sweat, was as black as the earth itself and hung down below his large captivating brown eyes. Feeling her piercing eyes upon him, he slowly looked up. Their gazes locked and every sight and sound present faded into nothingness. She could hear her heart beating like the drums of a thousand native tribes heading into battle. Her deep green eyes blazed with wildfire, and she suddenly couldn't find her breath. The world began moving more slowly than life itself. She could see his bare bronze rippling chest rise and fall with every slow breath. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed an eternity.

"What did you say, Dear?"

She was abruptly thrust from her timeless world back into the noise and motion of reality. She snapped her head around, almost in a desperate frenzy, just to make sure what she had seen had been realand there he was. Staring after the swiftly moving carriage.

"Sarah, what's wrong?" she heard her father ask. "What were you about to say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, FatherI was just wondering how much longer we were going to be on the island."

"I should say we would leave day after tomorrow." The carriage made its way through the jungle around the bend of a magnificent cascading waterfall toward their hacienda. It was perched on a shallow cliff overlooking the pristine ocean. Her father was right. The view was beautiful.

That evening she was standing on the veranda, watching the sun set slowly into the western sky. The sun drenched the western horizon, permeating the water with every shade of gold, yellow, and red imaginable. The soft, cool salty wind tossed her auburn hair playfully about her shoulders. She closed her eyes and absorbed everything around her -- the wind, the sound of the waves lapping hungrily at the crystal white shore. Suddenly, something caught her eye. She noticed something near the beach, something white, fluttering in the wind. She looked closer. It appeared to be a person wearing a billowing overshirt that was dancing softly in the wind. The figure turned and looked up at her. She drew a sharp breath. It was the boy from the village. All the blood in her body rushed up into her head. She quickly looked away.

When she slowly turned and looked back toward the beach, he was gone. Her heart resumed its normal rhythm. It had been a long day. She looked up to see the first evening stars blink into existence. That night she slept restfully. Dreaming of far off places, and a dark-skinned stranger.

The next morning she awoke to the sweet smells of a fresh breakfast. She walked through the house and out onto the veranda to greet her father. The Caribbean Sea beat down thunderously on the shore of the small island. The squeaks and chatters of gulls could be heard from the balcony and the glare of the morning sun shone from behind them, rising triumphantly above the eastern horizon. Her father peeked out from behind an old newspaper.

"Sarah! Good morning, Darling!" He greeted her cheerfully. "Have a seat, my dear."

"Good morning, Father." She took a seat opposite him at the table.

"How fares thee, Sweetheart?"

"I feel very rested, thank you. Last night was the first time in a month my bed wasn't swaying to and fro."

"Very good to hear!" he said chuckling. "A full month on the open ocean is enough to tire a hungry lion!" Her father let out a jolly laugh. Sarah was worried that he was building a wall between himself and the world, that the cheerfulness and optimism were strictly temporary. She noticed that the paper he had been reading was one out of London-probably a good two weeks old-no doubt discussing the recent downfall of his business.

"May-lay! Breakfast for my daughter!" A few moments later a black-skinned woman with a red handkerchief on her head wearing the largest earrings she'd ever seen stepped through the doorway carrying a tray of fruit and bread, setting it on the table beside Sarah.

"Sarah, this is May-lay, the house maid." Her father introduced her to the gypsy-like woman. She mildly bowed and smiled, revealing a row of ivory-like teeth. Sarah returned the warm smile.

"May-lay, I have some business to tend to today and I was wondering if you could take Sarah into town for the day."

"Of course, Sir." She had a thick Caribbean accent and smiled at Sarah pleasantly. She gave another slight bow, then receded through the doorway.

"I'll meet you two for lunch in the town square. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off." He rose and left the table, kissing his daughter on the forehead before walking through the doorway. Sarah nibbled almost reluctantly at the fruit before her. She looked out across the beautiful water. A vivid image of the previous night's occurrence flashed through her mind. She shook her head and breathed in deeply.

"It has definitely been a long trip." She said quietly. May-lay appeared beside the table to take the dishes back inside.

"You'd betta be gettin' dressed Miss Sarah. We got a long day ahead o' us at da market, eh?"

"Of course, May-lay. I'll only be a few minutes" Sarah retired to her room to dress for the day, adorning herself in a rather casual dress.

A courtier escorted Sarah and May-lay into town by carriage. They rocked and tossed along the dirt road leading into the village. The jungle that infested the island was a magnificent one. There were things she'd never heard or seen before. Birds flew through the emerald presence of the jungle like rainbows, singing happily their foreign song.

Sarah could hear the shouts of venders and the rumble of carts some time before they actually reached the village. The small town was a living, breathing entity within itself, and even more alive than it had been the day before. With morning came a fresh new attitude of vibrancy and life.

The courtier, a black-skinned man whom May-lay called Jeaseaux, dropped them off in the central portion of town at the marketplace.

"Now don't you be a strayin' too far, Miss Sarah. A pretty young lady like you don't need to be a gettin' lost on this island." Sarah acknowledged her but did not respond. The two of them wove in and out of a network of stands filled with fruits and vegetables and breads and spices. The smells were wonderful, and most of the items Sarah had never seen before in her life. She noticed a shop across the street with some surprisingly lovely dresses in the window. She couldn't resist. She was nineteen-year-old lady by social standards-but she hadn't been on a true shopping spree in quite a while. She had to indulge herself.

"Ah, May-lay, I think I'm going to browse in that small shop across the way. If you need me, I'll be there."

"Yes, Miss Sarah." Sarah smiled with mildly victorious satisfaction. Dodging a few goats, she trekked wistfully across the Cobblestone Street. She stopped, stared into the window, and gave a sigh of yearning at a velvet dress as blue as the deepest ocean. Suddenly, in the reflection of the window, she could see the boy from the village standing behind her. She whirled around hurriedly. The single fiery lock of her braided hair whipped over her left shoulder. There was no one there. She looked around frantically. Nothing. She noticed a few people looking at her strangely. Flushed, she turned and walked into the small shop. At present, she could see no one in the room.

"Perhaps I didn't get as much rest as I thought." She said to herself quietly. She bumbled around in the shop for a while, looking at this and that, here and there. Finally, she found the blue dress from the window. She took it from its rack and admired it extensively.

"Blue is definitely your color." A thick Spanish accent echoed softly in her ear. Sarah was beginning to wonder when a salesman would approach her. She turned around.

"Oh, it is lovely, but" She stopped mid-sentence. It was the boy from the village. Sarah was in a state of shock, which she attempted to keep hidden.

"Or perhaps it is you that makes the color so beautiful." She was almost embarrassed.

"I beg your pardon. You do not know me nor what colors best adorn my person." Sarah had no idea why she was being so rude. He smiled nevertheless.

"I am Paul." He said. Sarah was astonished at the mysterious darkness of his hair and eyes.

"I'm Sarah." She replied, reluctantly. A saleswoman appeared from a door in the back of the room. The boy hit the floor, falling from sight.

"What are you doing?" Sarah extorted.

"Sshh! My kind aren't allowed in here."

"Your kind? What are you " Sarah suddenly realized a harsh reality. The black woman began approaching her.

"Do you need help, Miss?" she asked.

"Ah...yes." Sarah hesitated. " Could you check in back and see if you have this a few sizes smaller?" She held up the blue dress.

"Certainly, Miss." She disappeared into the doorway.

"Now go!" Sarah whispered. He crawled across the floor toward the door.

"Meet me at the waterfall in half an hour."

"Do what? But" He stood up, then disappeared through the doorway. Sarah smiled. When the saleswoman returned with the properly sized dress, the room was empty.

The trek to the waterfall wasn't what one would call a short trip, but that didn't stop her. She climbed down the narrow dirt path through the jungle to the waterfall. Perched high above the dark lagoon, she could see his bronze body weaving its way through the water like a beautiful fish. She was mesmerized.

"Hello!" he shouted from below. She was instantly ripped from her dreamworld. She could feel her face turning red.

"It's a hot day." He said. "Want to take a swim?" She began descending the small trail toward the lagoon, laughing on her way. He swam toward her.

"You are one of utter audacity, aren't you?"

"You're the one who came." he said with a sly and almost alluring grin on his face. Sarah flushed.

"Do you do this often?" she asked him smiling.

"Do what?" he said innocently, realizing what he had inevitably been drawn into.

"Ambush all the foreign girls from fancy town shops, then coax them to your little romantic hideaway in hopes of winning them over." He lifted himself onto a large rock next to her.

"Yeah. Something like that." He laughed. "So, Sarah. What brings you to my little island?"

"Your little island? So you are the only person who actually resides here." She said smiling.

"Well, doesn't everything belong to everyone?"

"Not where I came from." She replied. "Actually, my father and I are moving to Caracas from London."

Then she remembered her father!

"I was supposed to meet my father for lunch! I'm sorry I have to go." She stood and began climbing the trail.

"But, how long will you be here?" he called after her.

"We leave tomorrow!" she shouted back.

"When can I see you again?"

"The beach. Sunset." She turned and looked at him. "Don't be late!" With that she disappeared into the jade forest of the jungle. He was still mystified by her awesome beauty. The smell of her sweet perfume

lingered in the fresh air, and he could still see her delicate beauty in his mind

When she made it back into the town square, she saw her father standing with May-lay talking to a law enforcement officer. She bounded across the street.

"Father!" she called. "There you are!" She ran up to them, completely out of breath. "What's going on?"

"Sarah! My God, Child! Where have you been? I was about to have the entire island out looking for you."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, father. I got so caught up with my shopping that I completely lost track of time. I do apologize, May-lay." She looked at the black-skinned woman standing next to her father.

"You had us very worried, Miss Sarah." said the gypsy. "You be more careful, ya' here?" Sarah gave a slight smile.

"Well, let's get you home before anything else happens!" Her father directed her toward the carriage across the street where Jeaseaux was waiting for them.

Later that night, Sarah sat at the dinner table in a daze, picking over a healthy filet of snapper. She looked through the window. The sun was softly caressing the western horizon.

"Father, may I be excused?"

"But Sweetheart, you've barely touched your fish."

"I've had enough fish to last two lifetimes." She smiled. Her father returned the expression with a grin.

"Certainly, Dear." She got up from the table and walked out onto the veranda. The sun was swiftly disappearing beneath the ocean's surface. She looked toward the beach, and there he was. A happy yet sorrowful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She descended the marble stairs leading from the veranda to the shore.

He stood proud and expressionless, his face placid as stone. The wind swept softly through his jet-black hair, tossing locks of coal across his bronze face. The setting sun made his face seem a priceless gold mask. He turned to face her. The pale glow of the evening sun lit her hair on fire, casting light shadows across her delicate, high cheekbones.

"I was afraid you might not come," she said.

"I was afraid you might not be here."

"Well, here I am."

"As am I." he replied. They smiled. Paul drew in a deep breath and peered out at the setting sun.

"Do you believe in fate?" he asked. "What is fate?" she asked. "And why does one believe in anything?" she said with a smile. He laughed.

"You didn't answer my question," he said with sincerity. Sarah looked down at the ivory-like sand.

"Yes. Yes, I do." She smiled. " Do you believe in destiny?" He looked at her sadly.

"Unfortunately." He looked once more to the softly breaking waters of the ocean. In the distance a beautiful dolphin jumped from the water, making a perfect arch against the backdrop of the magnificent setting sun. He pointed to the awesome creature splashing back into the water.

"My mother always told me that dolphins are very special and unique creatures. She said they carry on their backs the spirits of the ones we love the most." He stared into her deep green eyes. She thought for a moment she could see his very soul. Slowly, their bodies became closer. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers. Then, their lips met. And for a breadth of an eternity, they had truly found what their hearts had so long desired...a place in the world. Their embrace broke, and they stared into each others' eyes until the last glimmer of the sun sank into the depths of the deep, dark ocean.
 

The morning sun shone brightly across the crystal stillness of the water. The smell of salt and fish filled the air as the large boat rocked gently next to the pier. She looked expectantly and hopefully across the crowd of gathered onlookers. Nothing.

"Well, Dear, we're on our way. Next stop, Venezuela!" Her father nestled his daughter in the crook of his arm. Sarah smiled slightly. He gave her a slight hug and walked toward the cabin. With the crowd shouting their good-byes and waving their arms, the boat slowly drifted into the open ocean. She turned and looked, and, suddenly, there he was, standing amidst the crowd, staring after the boat. He stared into her eyes and smiled. She smiled back, then waved her arm high in the air. He returned the wave and the loving smile. She watched the town slowly fade away until it was but a speck on the horizon.

In the distance, a dolphin jumped high into the air, then gracefully slipped back into the water. A single tear fell from Sarah's soft, delicate cheek into the pristine water below. A cool and salty tradewind softly swept across the boat, drying her face...and she smiled.