An engineer took his first Caribbean cruise-ship vacation and was enjoying the most luxurious experience of his life! But late the second night as he was strolling on-deck, mesmerized by the awesome sight of a sky lit by brilliant horizon-to-horizon stars, an unexpected freak wave suddenly engulfed the ship sweeping the man into the sea. He managed to cling to some floating debris and at day-break found himself being washed-up on a small island.
During the day he explored the whole island and found nothing but a few banana and coconut trees and some strange-looking rock formations. By the end of the day he was tired, desperate and forlorn, but being resourceful, he set about to survive until he was missed and a search effort could mounted to find him.
He started a large, smoky signal fire on the beach and rounded-up bananas and coconuts. He built a lean-to from palm branches and made himself as comfortable as the meager resources available would allow. Many days passed which he spent laboriously gathering wood to keep his signal fire fueled.
A month passed without sign of a search party and he was beginning to lose hope of rescue. Then one day he spotted a small boat rounding the corner of the island. As it approached the signal fire, he could see that it was paddled by a woman.
Helping her beach the boat, he was stunned by her sun-tanned beauty! Certainly she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen, or at least the most gorgeous he'd seen in the last month! She was tall and tanned, and her long blond hair flowed gracefully with the sea breeze.
In disbelief, he blurted, "Where did you come from? How did you get here?"
"I'm living on the other side of the island" she replied. "I've been there for about a month since I was swept-of my cruise ship by a large wave. I hollowed a log into a dug-out canoe and set off to explore the island when I spotted your fire. How did you get here?"
"Amazing," he answered. "I guess I somehow missed you when I explored the island! You and I must have been swept overboard by the same freak wave! How the devil did you hollow a log? Where did you get tools?"
"Oh, no problem," replied the woman, "on the south side of the island there is a very unusual strata of exposed alluvial rock. Fired to the proper temperature in my kiln, it melted into ductile iron. I used that for tools. The oars I whittled from Gum tree branches. But enough of that," she said. "Tell me how you survived, where do you live?"
"Over there" he replied proudly, "in that lean-to".
"Oh, I see" said the woman, and what about food? What are you eating?"
"Well, I've got coconuts; I drink the coconut milk, and then there's the bananas" he answered, beginning to realize what an unappetizing diet he was describing.
"Look, I want you to come back to my place," she said. "I've managed to gather some things you may be interested in." So they got into the the dugout and paddled around to the other side of the island.
She skillfully beached the canoe and secured it to a tree with a beautifully woven hemp rope. They walked up a stone path that wound through the palm trees to an exquisite thatched bungalow. "It's not much," she said, "but I call it home."
Inside, there were four rooms furnished with wicker furniture and lined with wooden shelves, filled with beautiful conches and shells of every color and description.
"Would you care for a drink?" asked the woman. "Oh no, thank you" stammered the man, so overwhelmed by his surroundings that he could barely talk. "I've had about all the coconut milk I can handle for one day".
"I'm not offering you coconut milk," she replied. "I built a still. How about a Pina Colada?" I am worn out from all that paddling, and could use one myself. Here, while we enjoy a drink, sit down here with me and tell me about your experience."
The man tried to concentrate on making his story interesting, but was distracted by how close the woman sat, and the fact that her bare leg was leaning into his thigh. He couldn't help but notice she smelled of gardenias, and that her self-made clothes were very revealing of her tanned figure. He also couldn't help but notice the warm glow of the alcohol as it mellowed the stress of the past thirty days. He also noticed that she wasn't really listening to him, but seemed enraptured by his eyes. He let his narration taper-off...... he slowly became aware of a bare foot, rubbing his shin.
For minutes, there was only electric silence and very subtle leg and foot rubbing. Then the woman leaned over and he felt her cool breath as she whispered in his ear "We've both been out here for a very long time with no companionship. Haven't you been lonely.... isn't there something you really need.... something that all men and women need.... something that both are thinking about right now?"
"Yes there is," the engineer replied, suddenly coming to life. He took her shoulders in both hands and looking deep into her eyes he said "Tell me..... do you know how I could check my e-mail?" |
