Our Island.

Sophia her involvement in the solar arrays on the island as the resident engineer, but there was plenty of time to share with the child care of Squid (Gabriele) and Giant Clam (Santiago), and Seahorse (Delphine). There were no suitable husbands for her so her maternal feelings were sublimated by her involvement with the three children.

A few weeks on she was asked by her employer to return to St. Christopher’s to help with the assembly of the extended solar array that was needed for the village and the hotel/casino. The panels and superstructure was delivered by large twin rotor helicopter and a team of installers erected the array on an area of semi derelict land above the village and hotel.

After the team of installers had left on the helicopter she was left with one engineer, a lot of cable and a motorised digger that could be used to make a trench to bury the cable down to the distribution building near the village and the hotel. The two worked as a team, digging the channel about 100 metres a day. The hotel was providing accommodation in a suite with shared facilities for the two engineers.

Each night Sophia was very tired and went to bed promptly. Enrique seemed to be more resilient and stayed up later, but several times Sophia was woken with the sounds of Enrique’s mattress moving in a suspicious manner.

During the evenings, Enrique made various suggestions that they might share a bed, but Sophia rejected this. She didn’t like him that much and his personal cleanliness was a bit of a challenge. Some of his comments were sexist, and whilst she remonstrated with him, he just smiled and shrugged.

“It has always been so, and will remains so. Women have their place in the bedroom and the kitchen.”

One night she awoke 2am to find him naked beside her in bed with his erect penis between her buttocks.

She told him to get off, but he was both taller and heavier and stronger than her, and he was going to have his way with her, whatever.

The sex was without any foreplay, it was brief, unsatisfying and made her sore. He fell asleep as soon as he had had his climax and snored in her ear. He was not interested in satisfying her.

In the morning he made out as if nothing had happened, but that she should be grateful for the interest he was showing in her. That night he made it clear that he expected a repeat of the previous night.

He called Sophia his girlfriend, much to her annoyance.

When the installation job was completed some days later he decided to take some holiday and come with her back to her Island, but he spoke no English and when they arrived on the steamer he was nonplussed by the social mores of the island even when they were explained to him.

“We need to move to the mainland he said firmly, but Sophia would have none of it. This is my home. I don’t want to move to the mainland with all the corruption and violence.”

They agreed to disagree for a short while, and Sophia had to work on the island. Enrique was still on holiday and spent most of the day on the beach having made himself meals from her shrinking stores in the cottage.

Sophia wanted to end the one-sided relationship and Enrique’s holiday was coming to an end. The steamer only travelled back to the mainland every two weeks and Sophia decided to tell him the day before he left, so she agreed to meet him on the beach after she had finished work. At one end of the beach was a small plantation of shrubs that had been marked with red paint.

It rained on the island every day and when it rained the islanders simply took off their sarongs. Put them somewhere dry and carried on as usual. Enrique stayed in his normal clothes and did not want to get wet, so he sat under the thicket of shrubs and leant his back against a trunk of one of the larger plants.

He saw a number of ripe fruit at the base of the shrub. They looked like small apples and they smelled good. It is thought that he may have seen a couple of iguanas sitting in the branches of the tree and she thought he would have seen them eating the fruits with relish.

Sophia thought that Enrique must have thought that the fruits were tasty after seeing the lizards enjoying them, and must have tried one.

The taste has been reported as good by people who have recovered from small amounts of juice. These fruits would have been sweet and full of juice.

Sophia read a description subsequently of what was likely to have happened. Very soon afterwards he would have got a peppery taste in his mouth, and following that, his throat would have begun to swell and the pain would have become impossible to bear, and his stomach may have blistered, ulcerated and perforated.

What he didn’t know was that the red paint indicated that these shrubs with their apple like fruits were Manchineel which was found on many beaches on the archipelago. Had he spoken English or known more about living in the islands then he would have recognised them as ‘the little apples of death’ and would have known that they were probably the most toxic tree known to man. The black iguanas has a commensal relationship with the tree, and were unharmed by it.

There were reports of the symptoms of being poisoned by even tiny amounts of the toxins received from rain droplets that ran off leaves. Touching the bark, might have been fatal on its own, but in addition, eating a whole fruit would have been a death sentence. Within the hour he would have died in agony even before Sophia had left her work to meet him on the beach.

There was a crowd around the corpse when she arrived. Enrique’s body was contorted from the pain he must have suffered. His back was arched in his final moments of anguish and his face was held in a rictus-like stare with his lips drawn back showing the blisters on his lips and inside his open mouth.

The doctor and mayor were called and had already decided that the death was as a result of misadventure, and most of the islanders had forgotten him within a week. Sophia was saddened by his death, but it freed her from his thoughtlessness and machismo behaviour. She thought afterwards that he should have been convicted of rape, but there was no real law on the islands and she knew that their time together would have been limited.

He had never accepted that she would not follow him to the mainland to be his partner, mistress or wife, and was constantly badgering her to abandon her job and come with him. She could do without his constant demands for sex that left her unsatisfied. She thought that her body was more than a masturbation aid, and she could have been an inflatable sex toy for all he cared.

Sophia saw him buried decently, and sent a report to their employers who would forward it to his parents.

(Note - The manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella), renowned as the world's most dangerous tree, is commonly known as the tree of death (or Arbol de la Muerte, in Spanish) due to its highly toxic, milky sap and fruit. Other common names include beach apple and manzanilla)

The Island quickly returned to its gentle pace of life. People cherished their children and their crops. The polytunnels provided food year round and plantations of bananas, mango and many other fruits added choices. The sea provided the rest.

The little boarding house was kept full for much of the time, and the bar and shop did well from the select group of tourists who reached the Island.

A notice board in both Spanish and English was put in front of the copse of Manchineel trees to save the tourists from themselves.

… but it was still unusual for a single woman to come to the island as a tourist.

Mariposa was in her early twenties and looked a little lost when she emerged down the gang plank of the steamer that ferried both visitors and cargo to the archipelago. Her substantial backpack was obviously meant to provide clean clothes for at least two weeks.

The usual group of watchers on the quayside asked in English if she was lost as she didn’t appear to know what to do next.

In broken English she asked for the hotel. This got shrugs from the locals.
“I need the place with the rooms for tourists.”

“You mean the boarding house.”

“Yes, that’s it. The Boarding House. I have a reservation.”

One of the locals pointed to the small group of buildings that contained the shop, Post Office, Church, bar and Boarding house a little way up the beach. The only other large building, the school was set a little apart from the rest of the village.

Mariposa hefted her back pack and strode up the beach and found the Boarding House easily. Apart from the Church, it was the largest property in the main part of the village.

The owner was lounging in a deck chair on the veranda but recognised a customer and leapt to his feet.

Mariposa spoke to him in Spanish, but he just shrugged. She tried again in her broken English and he was happy to guide her to her room. Luckily all the relevant times and other important information was written in both languages on a laminated card beside the bed.

After settling into her room, Mariposa decided to explore, but found very quickly that there wasn’t a great deal to explore. She went into the shop and bought a can of a well known soft drink, that was at least cold, then, after surveying what the shop had to offer, she walked past the school with all the girls in their brightly coloured sarongs. One or two waved cautiously to her as she went past.

After only a few minutes she felt very over dressed and wondered how easy it would be to get a sarong and be like everyone else. The fact that all the men and women were bare chested didn’t matter to her. In fact she thought she would be more comfortable with the island’s high humidity.

This decision made her return to the shop and the shop keeper was very happy to show her some anonymous sarongs. Florence tried her best to explain that the sarong was the identity of the wearer and each one changed as the person became adult and then grew older. It was an uphill task with a mixture of languages.

I will get James, Sophia or the Minister to explain it to you, and that ended the conversation.

Mariposa asked if there was a changing room to try on the sarong. Without any reluctance the shopkeeper removed her sarong to show that she had nothing on underneath, the deftly put the sarong back on again.

There was no one else in the shop, so Mariposa stripped off and tried to put the sarong on over her underwear. The shopkeeper laughed when the waist band of her knickers showed over the sarong. It was unsightly, and Mariposa deftly removed her knickers whilst wearing the sarong. Now the waist was too loose and the garment slid off her hips and fell to the floor in a heap.

In seconds she had re-tied the sarong and the shopkeeper gave her a thumbs up sign to show her approval. They shared a laugh over the matter.

The anonymous sarong came with a bilingual set of instructions explaining that the sarongs fell apart if they got wet, and that it was quite normal to do anything in the rain without one’s sarong.

Mariposa’s eyebrows went up at this.

“Does everybody go naked in the rain?”

“Yes, pretty much. Only the doctor, his nurse, and the Minister wear clothes in the rain, oh and Sophia when she is working on the solar panels.”

“When can I meet Sophia?”

“She finishes work at about 5pm and has to walk down past her cottage and then dresses like us before having tea with James and Coral and their children.”

“How do you know Sophia?”

“She knew my brother, Enrique.”

“I have come here to meet her, and see where he died. My parents would like to see photographs of his grave.”

The shopkeeper was worried by this revelation. When Mariposa had left with directions to get to James and Coral’s house, a message was sent up to Sophia’s cottage. The messenger, a girl of about ten, ran the whole way holding the written message and met Sophia as she arrived from the array some five miles away.

Sophia chatted as she had a strip wash.

In less than 15 minutes the woman and girl were able to leave, with Sophia in her mini-sarong and the girl in her’s. Neither had any shoes, and did not need them on the sandy path that lead to the village.

Mariposa was sitting comfortably in James and Coral’s lounge when Sophia approached somewhat out of breath. Mariposa was surprised to find that both Squid and Giant Clam had some Spanish as well as good English.

“They are adopted. They were orphaned as brother and sister.”, was James’ reply saying as little as possible.

“Why do they both look like little girls?”

“That is something you will need to get used to here. All children are born looking like girls. It is only when they get to about sixteen years old and the girls would mature into women, that roughly half the children go through a change in their anatomy and become boys. At this time they go through a naming ceremony and become adults.”

“Is that why there only appeared to be girls in the school?”

“Yes, all the children have, what you might call temporary names that are shown on their sarongs, so our three children are Seahorse, Squid and Giant Clam for the years until they are named.”

Sophia was introduced to Mariposa and Sophia was given a cool drink.

“Do you mind me talking about my brother with the children in earshot?”

“As long as you use ‘adult speak’ then that should be fine.”

“My parents were distressed to find out that Enrique had died in such a strange way. They need some closure.”

“Enrique and I were left on St. Christopher after the rest of the team had left. We had to complete the connections from the new solar panels to the distribution boards that supply the Casino/Hotel and the village. This took nearly three weeks.”

“During that time we were given two rooms with shared facilities in the hotel. They also fed us. During that time Enrique seemed attracted to me and when it was time to leave he tried to persuade me to leave my job and move to the mainland and live with him.”

“I was not prepared to do that. He was not really my type, and I enjoy living here too much to give that up to live in the rather depressing area where he was from.”

“The next steamer was leaving from St. Christopher the long way back to the mainland stopping at all the other islands and there really wasn’t a lot I could do to stop him joining me on my trip home. There also wasn’t anything I could do to stop him sharing my cottage. It is owned by the Power Company and any visiting engineers can expect to stay in the spare room.”

“I had to work each day, and Enrique had a fortnight of doing very little using up his vacation time. He spent most of it either in the bar or on the beach. If one doesn’t have fishing to do or food plants to tend then there really isn’t a lot to do here for an outsider.”

“It was also apparent that he wasn’t comfortable in local dress. He stayed in his uniform and sweated the days away. He even used a swimming costume. They do sell them in the shop for forgetful visitors, but no one bothers who is local.”

“Everyone knows of the local patch of the Beach Apple plants and it is drilled into the children that they must never go near them especially they mustn’t touch the fruit.”

“From his position when he was found, it would seem that during the afternoon rain he had gone into the thicket to get out of the rain, and then had, for some bizarre reason chosen to eat one of the fruits.”

“No one could have helped him, even in a major hospital. The toxins in the fruit are complex and no single anti-toxin could have helped him. I regret that he died a very unpleasant death all on his own.”

“I shall not go into the details of how he was found as there are little ears here, but I will tell you later if you wish. There are no photographs of the scene, but I will take you out to the place tomorrow so you can photograph it if you wish. I will also show you the grave and pass on his death certificate.”

“I know it will be dark soon, but can you show me the place now. I will go back tomorrow with my camera and take some photographs from a safe distance.”

“Yes, we can do that.”

“When Sophia has shown you the spot, would you like to have some dinner with us?”

“Thank you that is most kind. I was wondering how I would get some food here. The Boarding House only provides breakfast.”

Sophia and Mariposa walked off down the beach to the spot where the trees were.

Mariposa was in tears.

“Would you like me to leave you here with your thoughts?”

Through the sobs Mariposa replied.

“No please don’t leave. Would you mind just holding me. This island with its strange habits is just so odd and I feel like a fish out of water. This place where my brother died looks so ordinary and the safety notice seems almost an invasion of the quiet here.”

Sophia slipped an arm round the girl. She noticed that Mariposa was smaller than she had thought. Her shoulder just tucked under Sophia’s armpit and their breasts touched and were slightly squashed as Sophia held Mariposa firmly but sensitively. Mariposa sobbed into Sophia’s shoulder and Sophia was moved to stroke Mariposa’s hair away from her very pretty face that was now tear streaked.

As Mariposa’s tears subsided she seemed to take on a steely look on her face and ran her tongue down Sophia’s breast that was conveniently within range and gave her nipple a gentle suck.

Sophia gasped at the invasion of her person. Her chest rose instinctively and she did one of those deep shivers where the body is massively stimulated. Her breast was forced further into Mariposa’s mouth.

Sophia was obviously take aback by this change in Mariposa’s demeanour. Tears to seductress in seconds.

“Did you mean to do that?” was a particularly inappropriate question.

“You have lovely breasts. I always enjoy playing with another woman’s boobs.”

“I have never had my breasts licked by another woman. It was a shock, but I enjoyed it. What made you want to do that to me?”

“I think you are attractive and I can sense that you think I am also attractive. I can see both of your nipples are erect. Can I do it again?”

“If you want to.”

Mariposa’s mass of black curly hair was thrown to one side with a proud head toss and she set to work with her tongue.

“I would like to kiss you in other places as well of course.”

“I have never had a relationship with another woman, but I am strangely attracted to you. There must be some chemistry between us that I cannot fathom at the moment.”

After their lips grazed each other, they clamped them together in a firm embrace that lasted much too long for a social kiss between women friends.

“What about your distress over your brother?”

“I was sad for the loss of him and the way he died. It is the place here that moved me, not particularly his death. He was not a nice man. He manipulated women and you were perhaps the first who had stood up to him. I am sure he forced sex onto you. He always did. He has two children on the mainland from different women, but never visited or helped financially. He just went from woman to woman, flattering at first then manipulating them into sex and supporting him. It is my parents who support the children.”

“He forced himself on me the first time. He was about as inconsiderate as he could have been. I just felt like an inanimate sex toy and he couldn’t understand why I wasn’t falling over myself to go to the mainland and pander to his needs.”

“The steamer was due to take him back to the mainland as his vacation was all but finished, but I though it was likely that he would come back into my life at some point.”

It was now nearly dark and the two women walked separately back to James’ and Coral’s house for dinner. Until they could be seen, Mariposa and Sophia held hands as gesture of what had been triggered between them.

Coral could see the flush in both their faces and chests as they returned to the lighted room, but chose to say nothing in front of the children of course.

The children were intent on eating their meal quickly so they could be excused and return to some favourite programme on the TV.

The four adults chatted after the remains had been cleared away.

“How was your journey here?”

“Long and tiring, but this is a beautiful place and I am glad that I made the trip. I found the place where Enrique died rather emotional. It is a lonely place, even though it is so close to the village. I hope he wasn’t frightened, but I think he probably didn’t understand what was happening to him until it was too late.”

“Do you think your parents will want his remains transferred back to the mainland for a burial nearer to your home?”

“I don’t think so. There is no suitable refrigeration on the steamer and as I understand it bodies are just buried in a shroud here, so his remains may be difficult to exhume.”

“That is true. I don’t think we have ever had an exhumation. Much of the soil is acidic here and human remains do not last long under ground.”

“I will suggest that my parents accept the photographs, and do not come here. It would be a very long journey for them and there is not much for them to see as visitors.”

“I think that is sensible, although we would make them welcome if they did decide to make the journey.”

Coral went off to see to bedtime for the children, and Mariposa took her lead from Sophia that it was time to leave.

When the two women reached the Boarding House, and would normally have parted, Mariposa asked if she could come with Sophia and spend the night with her.

Sophia looked at her in the street lighting and saw an earnest face.

“I don’t want to become a one-night stand.”

“What are your intentions if I take you home with me?”

“I am not a fortune teller. I know that I want to make love to you. I am very inexperienced as a lover, but you seem to be doing things to me that I cannot explain. My heart beats faster just looking at the rise and fall of your breasts as you breathe. My chest is flushed, and I am sure I am wetting my sarong.”

“Sophia grabbed Mariposa’s hand.”

“Come with me and we will make love. As soon as we get out of the street lights take off your sarong. It will spoil if you get it wet.”

Sophia used the torch on her phone to light their way. She shone it on Mariposa’s body more often than she needed to, and they stopped frequently to embrace gently and then more and more vigorously until they reached the cottage. Had they been wearing clothes they would have been ripped off in their urgency to reach the bed. As it was, they fell into the bed. A tangle of arms and legs, and two very willing bodies until sated by a sensory overload, and they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

The morning dawned and after a brief wash and a quick breakfast, it was off to work for Sophia. Mariposa left before to get back to the Boarding House in time for the breakfast she had paid for. She had time to disturb the bed, but the room was only serviced every other day, so she didn’t need to worry about wagging tongues.

Dressed in her sarong and sporting a camera she photographed the site where Enrique had died, and his grave for the parents to see, then took some extra photographs of the village and its surroundings.

She sat in the bar looking through her photos on the back of her camera when Gracie the barmaid came over to see.

Gracie was noted for her mobile bosom that jiggled as she laughed. It was part of her charm. No one could resist a smile when Gracie got the giggles.

Mariposa bought a mainland beer at a ridiculous price, and made it last as she sat and looked at the wavelets wash over the crystal sand of the bay.

“What”, she thought, “have I let myself in for.” I have never thought of having a female partner and now there seems to be a chemistry between us that I cannot understand. Sophia doesn’t understand it either, but I cannot wait until we meet again. Our lovemaking made me feel so good. It has buoyed me up all day. I want to kiss her all over and use my fingers and mouth to bring her to climax after climax.

Gracie didn’t know any Spanish and Mariposa’s English was basic at best, but somehow they communicated that they were both happy. Gracie, because she was always happy and it rubbed off on her clients. Mariposa was no exception although she really had no need of Gracie’s ministrations.

As Gracie chortled and guffawed over some story that Mariposa barely understood, she watched the mobile bosom seem to move in several directions at once. A sight that she found more attractive than perhaps she should have done.

“What hidden emotions have I allowed to escape?” She wondered.

The one beer couldn’t last all day and Mariposa drifted off to find some lunch. She hadn’t had to think about meals yet, as breakfast had been provided, but Gracie put her right to visit one of the long polytunnels where the owner had a café of sorts as long as one didn’t want a big menu. Much of his time was spent growing all the things needed by the village, but he had a basic kitchen and a couple of plastic tables and chairs at one open end.

Mariposa looked at the menu in both languages and ordered a fish soup with croutons and a parsley oil dressing. She took her time over it but still managed to spill a little down her front. The owner looked on appreciatively as she dabbed her chest with her serviette.

What am I doing here? She asked herself. I am a session musician who plays keyboards. I am tempted to stay here with Sophia if she will have me, but how do I earn a living? I must sleep on it. I don’t know how Sophia feels about us but I have nearly two weeks here before the next steamer voyage back to the mainland. I must see what happens and see what decision is right for both of us. As I feel at the moment I would be devastated if Sophia didn’t want me. We both want to be needed so much. God I hope it works. I yearn for her with every fibre of me.

Mariposa paid her very modest bill and drifted down to the beach and had a leisurely swim.

With Sophia at work, Mariposa could see that she might get very bored with two more weeks to kill, but her phone rang, somewhat to her surprise. Apparently she could link up to James’ network.

It was the company who provided care to Mariposa’s elderly parents.

“Your mother has had a fall. She is bruised but otherwise well.”

“Thank you for letting me know about the fall.”

“After the exchange of some pleasantries, including the fact that she couldn’t return to the mainland for another fortnight because the steamer was not due, they rang off.”

Mariposa knew that the company they employed had a good reputation, and she was pleased that they had let her know about the fall, even if the injury seemed to be minor.

Dressed once more in her sarong, Mariposa drifted from one part of the village to another, and almost at random she entered the square where naming ceremonies took place. The dais used by the mayor was there and under an awning was a fairly basic keyboard connected to speakers tied to trees.

She pressed the on/off switch and the keyboard lit up. She turned the volume down and sat at the keyboard and began to play. After some minutes she had garnered an audience and she was encouraged to turn the volume up a bit.

After some more minutes, the audience had grown and at the end of each piece the applause grew.

After half and hour or so, she tried to stop but it was clear that he audience wanted her to continue, so continue she did, until the school had finished for the day and all the houses were empty.

She had run out of memorised material but there was still a demand for more.

“I will bring my tablet out tomorrow and will download some music to play.”

Her audience would have happily continued to listen for much longer, but Mariposa’s hands were not used to marathon playing sessions and the audience drifted away leaving Coral and the children.

“I would say that you are a hit here.”

Mariposa got the gist of what Coral was saying and smiled and said thank you in her broken English.”

“Who normally plays the keyboard? Who do I thank for allowing me to use it?”

“It is owned by the village, but it is normally the Minister who uses it to play hymns.”

In fact the Minister was hovering in the background and came forward to stand beside Coral.

He had passably good Spanish. Coral raised her eyebrows at this. She didn’t know he could speak the language.

He was a dapper man of mid sixties with a round jovial face, sparse hair and soft hands. He wore a sarong, but had a clerical shirt and collar tucked into it.

“I enjoyed your playing as did the whole village. You are clearly gifted. Is that what you do on the mainland?”

“Thank you for your compliment. I am a session musician for some of my time and also have a number of clients as a trained psychotherapist.”

“That is interesting. I have a thought that might turn into an employment proposal if you were interested.”

Mariposa was dumbstruck with the ramifications of the Minister’s comments.

“I don’t know what to say. I have only been here a couple of days and I remain very aware of the commitments I have to my elderly parents. I came here to pay respect to my late brother who died here largely through his own ignorance. The people I have met here are charming and I am already fond of them. I am getting on well with Sophia who knew my brother through work.”

“Being a Minister with a congregation but also with a pastoral role for the whole village gives one a sort of extra vision. I imagine you are at a turning point in your life and have a number of conflicting avenues that ought to be explored.”

“I would not have agreed with that a week ago, but it is true now. It is both exciting and daunting.”

“Let me add a little information that may help or hinder. I hope it will help.”

“In my role as pastor of this island I am allowed to have a salaried pianist or organist to help with the services, but there has never been anyone able to take on that role. You have made friends easily here and are at home here even after only a couple of days. What I am wondering is if you would like to become the organist for the church and the musician for the village. There is a small single manual organ in the church that doesn’t get used enough. I can bash out the melody line of hymns, but that is all. The job is yours if you would like it. Any work you wanted to do concerning your psychotherapy would be extra, but I know there are a number of people who could benefit from your skills. I am thinking particularly of adults who have not transitioned easily.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say anything yet. Talk to Coral and to Sophia and others, like James. I recognise the chemistry that there is between you and Sophia, and I am sure other residents do as well. This is a small place and people know each other well. Not a lot goes on behind closed doors.”

Mariposa blushed. “I didn’t know we were so obvious.”

Coral laughed. “It was as if there was static electricity between you both. I think you are made for each other. Sophia has been lonely for some time and relationships with men have not been satisfactory. I suspect that the same applies to you.”

“It is true that I have had a number of best-forgotten relationships with men, and I watched my brother hurting women repeatedly. He had two children with women on the mainland and it was my parents who had to support them. I understand that he was totally self-centred with regards to Sophia.”

“I am sure that was true.”

“All I ask is that you give it some thought. You have responsibilities on the mainland, and I cannot ask you to abandon your parents.”

“I will certainly give the idea some thought. It is very appealing, but there are, as you say lots of things to think through.”

Sophia arrived as the group were parting.

“I see you have found the village keyboard.”

“Yes and she has been entertaining the whole village with an impromptu concert.”

Sophia put her arm round Mariposa and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

“I have made an offer to Mariposa.” the Minister said.

“I will leave you to discuss it, and will look forward to your decision when you are ready.”

Are you both coming to supper with us and the children?” Coral asked as she also left the village square.

“Yes, certainly if you will have us?”

“You know you are always welcome.”

“Then we will see you in a little while.”

“Take your time, but I will have to feed the children in about an hour. You have a lot to discuss.”

Mariposa and Sophia walked along the beach and sat together on a small mound that the tide had created.

“It seems as if the village is as much aware of the attraction we have for each other, as we are.”

“Yes, they don’t miss much.”

“Tell me about your day and your feelings about the Minister’s offer.”

“I got to know the village better and chatted to people. I had lunch at the café in the polytunnel and then found the village square with the keyboard. When I am mixed up in my thoughts, I like to play. It helps me to think things through.”

“I heard from my parents’ carers that my mother had had a fall, but they she was ok apart from bruising. It just emphasises their vulnerability now they are in their eighties.”

“It is difficult to decide whose happiness is the more important. I am happy to listen, but would not want to try to influence you one way or the other.”

“What do you feel about us?”

“I have never felt the way I feel about you, about anyone else, male or female. Everything just seems to fit. I don’t know how to explain it any better than that.”

“What do you think about the Minister’s offer?”

“He has said that it is a paid post and that I can offer my psychotherapy to the residents if there are any takers. He thinks a number the children who made poor transitions could benefit, and it is certainly possible.”

“I think there is one thing that it would be useful for you to know about our Minister. He has never married, and has a male Minister on one of the other islands who is his partner. They see each other every few months. He also runs a house group for gay couples on the island. There are, I think, nine couples that live together openly on the island. We would be the tenth.”

“Is that a proposal?”

“I think is is. Do you want it to be?”

“Yes with all my heart. It is a very short time since we met, but the rightness of this is beyond question in my mind.”

“Then that must colour your thoughts about your parents.”

“I wonder how they would cope living here?”

“I cannot answer that. Certainly the pace of life is slow here. You would be available of course to support them, but the standard of medical care is basic, as you know.”

“I will talk to Bart in the morning and see what he thinks.”

“Good idea, now I am getting hungry and Coral will be waiting for us.”

The children had already started eating, but all got up from the table and gave Sophia a hug.

“So have you cleared the air?, James asked.”

“Somewhat, but there are questions to be answered. Mariposa replied.”

“Can we help answer any of those questions?”

“My parents both speak reasonable English as they worked in the USA for some years, and actually met there. My concern is whether to bring them here. They are both over eighty and moving them from a familiar place to somewhere so different may be too much for them. It would also mean selling their apartment. I am going to see Bart tomorrow to see how he feels about having two extra elderly residents.”

“Most people live to a very good age here if that is any help. The paths are not easily negotiated with a buggy or walking frame but the beach area is solid. There is no problem with keeping warm but with the sea breezes it doesn’t get hot enough to be harmful to older people.”

At this point Mariposa’s phone rang.

She excused herself and walked down the beach a little way and could be heard talking very fast in Spanish.

She was ashen faced when she returned.

“My mother has had another fall. This was caused by a stroke, and she is now in a coma in hospital.”

“We must go to her.”

“How do we get to the mainland in a hurry?”

“I will ask in the harbour. Maybe one of the fishermen would take us at a sensible price. It would certainly be cheaper than going by seaplane or helicopter.”

“Finish your meal, and then we will both go and ask if someone will help us.”

An hour later and they had visited two of the three fishing vessels based on the Island and had been refused most politely. Their last hope was the third vessel. Their captain had heard Mariposa play the keyboard and wanted to help.

“I will take you both in the morning for the price of the diesel. It will not be cheap but I have enough fuel to get to the mainland and I will expect you to pay the bill for a full tank to get me back here, and leave enough in the tank for a couple of days fishing.”

“We are so grateful. When do you want us to be ready to leave?”

“The tide will be right at 6am. Please bring a packed lunch. The journey by the shortest route will take about eight hours.”

The rest of the evening was used in packing, and sorting out leave for Sophia.

At 6am they were both breakfasted. They had been given breakfast at the Boarding house, and lunch had been provided in lieu of the breakfasts that would not be needed.

The journey to the mainland was not rough, but both women felt queasy from time to time, and their lunchtime sandwiches remained uneaten as they approached the harbour on the mainland.

The captain guided the boat to the fuelling bay and within minutes they had paid for his fuel and the last they saw of him was the boat disappearing into the horizon.

“We must get to the hospital.”

A row of cabs were lined up at the beachside restaurants, and one soon guided them though heavy traffic to the hospital.

Mariposa was on her phone to her father.

“I am told that she has a very short time. Get here as soon as you can.”

Mariposa’s father met them at the door of the ward.

“You are just too late.” he said through tears. She passed away peacefully a few minutes ago.”

Mariposa fell into her father’s arms and the three of them were entered to see her mother who remained looking peaceful but empty of life.

The woman was still warm, and Mariposa raised her mother’s hand to her lips.

“So sorry I missed you, Mum. We did everything we could to get here sooner, but it was just not possible.”

Sophia didn’t know how to help. She had never met the woman who lay before her, in life, and Mariposa was trying to comfort her father more than take notice of her.

Eventually Mariposa and her father separated. A nurse came in to explain that they had to lay her out before too long, and the trio left her to her important work.

“This is Sophia.” Mariposa said to her father, as if there was someone else present. She is a good friend and has come with me for support.”

“I am happy to meet you Sophia. I wish it had been on a happier occasion.”

“I am also happy to meet you. If there is anything I can do to help, then I will, of course.”

”We need to inform the carers and have Maryuri looked after by an undertaker.”

The nurse came out of the room, and said they they could go in and visit again. She gave them a printed sheet with the contact details of various undertakers.

When you are ready she will be moved to the hospital morgue. Here is the certificate authorising you or the undertaker to recover her body, and a certificate giving the cause of death.

The trio didn’t stay long. They said their goodbyes and nodded to the staff at the nurses station that the body could be moved.

It was a sad group who caught a taxi to Enrique Senior’s home on the outskirts of the city.

Mariposa cooked them a simple pasta meal while Sophia listened to her father recount many of Maryuri’s virtues.

It was difficult for them to eat, but they all managed some food and a coffee.
“Mariposa lived about fifteen minutes away by tram from her father. If I give you my keys, can you get a cab there and make the best of the night. I have to be here with my father and there are only two bedrooms here.”

“Of course. I know the city well enough and it is still early.”

Mariposa gave the keys to Sophia. Sophia in turn, kissed Mariposa on the cheek then disappeared into the evening with her back pack.

The apartment was easy to find, but it was strange for Sophia to visit the apartment of the woman she loved in her absence. The lingering smell of her perfume was everywhere. All her cosmetics were lined up in the bathroom and various underthings had been left to dry on an airer.

She emailed James and Coral from her phone and let them know the sad news of the day.

“If Mariposa gets very involved with the funeral and her father’s needs, I might have to come back on my own. I have only arranged to have a week’s leave from work.”

They replied immediately.

“If you need to take the time. This is too important to just leave when Mariposa needs you.”

“You are right, of course.”

“Keep us informed. Sleep well.”

Sophia went to bed in the one bedroom in the sheets that Mariposa had left on the bed. They smelled just a little of her and Sophia took a little comfort in that. She surprised herself that she did sleep reasonably well, and found a few bits and pieces to make a breakfast before washing and leaving to return to Enrique’s apartment.

The undertakers were there when she arrived talking about the funeral and coffin and so on. Sophia gave Mariposa a brief kiss on the lips out of view of her father or the funeral director.

“How was the night?”

“He cried himself to sleep in my arms, but then slept well. He is much more involved with the formalities this morning.”

“In common with many tropical countries, the burial will be very soon. Probably in two days time. I must get on the phone to various relatives to let them know as soon as we get a place and time.”

Sophia was left on her own for most of the day. She went shopping and kept Mariposa and her father supplied with drinks and food.

On the next day, after Sophia had spent another night on her own, Enrique seemed to notice her for the first time.

“Please explain who you are, and thank you for all the help you have given us.”

“My name is Sophia. I live on the Island that Mariposa has been visiting to find out about her brother. I am also an engineer with the power company and I look after all the solar arrays on the archipelago.”

“You must have known her brother.”

“Yes I knew him briefly.”

Enrique must have sensed some reluctance to carry on the conversation and changed tack to ask about the Island.

“The Island is my home. I visited first of all when I was student doing my doctorate on the clothing the residents wear. It is very distinctive and forms part of their social structure.”

“What makes it so distinctive?”

“Everyone wears a sarong that is made for the individual. It shows their name in picture form and details about their lives, marital status and children. The garments are made from the fibres of retted coconut fronds beaten into a felt. They do not last long and have to be renewed frequently.”

“I would like to visit.”

“There is no reason why you should not, but the steamer that acts as a ferry takes three days normally.”

“How did you get here so quickly?”

“I know all the fishermen, and one of the boats brought us in exchange for a tank of diesel.”

“You must let me pay for that.”

“It was Mariposa who paid for it. You will need to sort that out with her.”

“The messages from Mariposa over the last few days have been very positive. She seems very happy on this Island of yours. She has not been happy for the last few years. There have been various unhelpful relationships and she doesn’t enjoy the crowded city.”

“How about you. Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life.”

“No not really. I put up with it for Maryuri’s sake. She enjoyed theatres and dances. Restaurants , bars and night clubs were her thing as a young woman. She resented being too old to enjoy those things. I never missed them.”

“When you have laid your wife to rest, you should come back with us for a holiday to restore your strength. The next few days will be very challenging.”

“Yes, I think I would like that. Could you make the arrangements for all three of us in a week’s time.”

“Yes, of course, but wouldn’t it be a good idea to discuss it with Mariposa first.”

“Yes, I am forgetting myself.”

“Mariposa, I have taken it upon myself to take a vacation with you two on your island starting in a week’s time. There is nothing to hold me here now.”

“I am surprised but happy that you have made that decision. I can leave the planning to Sophia.”

“I shall look forward to seeing everyone dressed in just a sarong. Perhaps I will get one of my own.”

It was the first laughter in the apartment for 24 hours. They all felt better for it!

The funeral was just 36 hours after Maryuki had died as was common practice. The family were not religious and there was no nine days of prayers. There was a simple wake after the interment for those who had attended, but Mariposa’s family was uncharacteristically small so the numbers of mourners was also small.

So it was that Mariposa, Sophia and Enrique watched from the old steamer as they left port on the three day journey to their Island.

A weight seems to lift from them as the shoreline disappeared over the horizon. After a fairly uninspiring meal the three sat together in the small bar area.

“I need to talk to you, Dad.”

“I thought you might.”

“Sophia and I are sharing a room. This is because we want to. We have got very close on the few days I spent on the Island. I have also been offered a job on the Island. If I accept it we will live together there as a couple and you would be very welcome to join us.”

“Regard this holiday as a dry run for living on the island. You would be very welcome as a resident and there whilst the village is quite small, the residents are very welcoming. There is a church, a school, a shop and a post office, a small boarding house, a bar and a little café.”

“What is the job you have been offered?”

“I would become the church organist, and keyboard player for the whole village. I could carry on my psychotherapy work with the community and there are reasons why I think I could be needed there.”

“It sounds ideal for you. Is the money good?”

“The money is basic, but living expenses on the Island are minimal.”

“Wait until you have experienced the island. You will have two or three weeks before you can get a return trip to the mainland.”

“Can I use my phone?”

“Yes, you can phone from various points on the Island but not from the more remote parts.”

“I am getting excited to reach there already.”

“We will be stopping off at the first of the four islands on the way to our home tomorrow. St Christopher’s is small but has a bijou hotel and casino. Sophia has spent several weeks there sorting out their solar array.”

“Later in the day we will stop for an hour at another small island, and we will see our Island in the small hours of tomorrow night if nothing delays us.”

After Enrique had gone to his cabin, Mariposa and Sophia went to theirs. As soon as the door was closed Mariposa dropped her clothes in what seemed to be one swift movement.

“Please make love to me. I have wanted you to touch me ever since the meeting on the island.”

Sophia was not as deft removing her mainland clothes, but was soon able to satisfy Mariposa’s needs.

“Does this mean that you want to live with me?”

“Yes, with all my heart. I don’t think Dad will need much convincing. He will love it. I think you are looking at the new village keyboard player.

“ I like everything about the new village keyboard player, down to every last fold and curve of her delightful body.”

“Good. I cannot wait to get home.”

————————————————————————

The journey was quite tedious. They were able to go ashore for an hour at each of the islands they stopped at whilst goods and passengers were loaded or unloaded, but it gave Enrique a chance to unwind after all the trauma of the past week. His spirits gradually rose and he was looking from the deck as their Island ‘emerged’ over the horizon, but it was late into the evening when they moored up at the jetty and could walk up to Sophia’s cottage well outside the village.

Luckily she had some spare sheets and could make up both beds. They had had a meal on the steamer before it docked, so they just needed a wash of face, teeth and hands before bed.

Enrique was used to their sleeping arrangements by now, and wished them both a fond goodnight. He kissed both women on their foreheads, and called Sophia his daughter for the first time. She blushed prettily and said ‘Thank you dad.”

The following day was all business with information and introductions. They met Bart the doctor who explained what he could and couldn’t do for elderly patients. They met Gracie of the dancing bosom and had a drink at the bar on Enrique’s credit card.

Lunch was provided at the polytunnel café and they met Brian, the Minister dressed in a black sarong and a blue short sleeved clerical shirt and clerical collar.

Mariposa took him aside and explained about her mother and father. Brian was very supportive and said that she could have as much time as she wanted to make her mind up over the job.

She gave him a peck on the cheek, then he came over and was introduced to Enrique. The two got into a quite animated discussion about being a senior citizen on the Island, but it was all smiles in the end.

“I am going to move here as soon as I can.” Enrique announced to the whole group and he bought a second round of beers for everyone including Brian.”

“When are you going to be named?” Brian enquired.

“I haven’t given it any thought, Mariposa replied.”

“It should be done while your father is here. I know Enrique plans to return, but you can only wear an anonymous sarong until you are named.”

“We must see the Mayor.”

Three days later Mariposa stood with her father in the village square. Her anonymous sarong was removed by Sophia and she stood proudly naked in front of the whole village. She walked briskly over to the dais and her Enrique named her Mariposa Maryuri and she was wrapped in a sarong covered with musical notation plus an arrow to show that she was betrothed.

The village applauded and Mariposa sat delicately at the keyboard. Her sarong fell open as she began to play dance tunes. It was the first village dance for many years and as the crowd drifted away much later, there were many compliments.

Mariposa glowed in Sophia’s arms as they trekked up to Sophia’s cottage.
“Where shall I live when I move here?” Enrique asked?

“There are a number of cottages empty in the village. It is up to the mayor to allocate them. There is one quite small cottage with only one bedroom that is near the James’ and Coral’s home. Maybe that would be a good choice?”

“Maybe we could see it from the outside tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course, but you can see the inside. No one has locks on their doors.”

“Yes, of course, I was forgetting where I was.”

“We must get my apartment onto the sales market tomorrow.”

“Not just your apartment, both our apartments.”

They sank into silence for the final metres to Sophia’s cottage. All were deep in thought about everything that had happened in so short a time.

How do we get our belongings here?

“What you need will fit in two or three suitcases” Mariposa said with a small grin.

“Get rid of almost everything. Mainland clothes are needed for occasional use and a computer and a phone are essential. A bed and the minimum of furniture are important, but almost everything else is just clutter.”

“I have got a lot to learn.”

It was beginning to rain. Very quickly it was coming down in sheets. Sophia and Mariposa just took off their sarongs, put them in a plastic bag and carried on up the hill to Sophia’s cottage hand in hand with the warm rain cascading over them. They kissed under the torrent. No need to bathe today!

Enrique stopped for a few seconds, appeared to be thinking hard, then removed his clothes and walked up the hill with the women. His clothes were screwed up into a ball under his arm.

A quick towelling down and a cup of something hot and all three were ready for bed.

Enrique gave them both a kiss on the forehead and was gone into the spare room. Sophia and Mariposa could be seen snuggled together under the mosquito net had anyone chosen to look.

The rain continued for another hour or so leaving a smell of fresh greenery and a heady perfume from many different flowering plants that grew along the path to the cottage.

Tomorrow would be another busy day.