My sister swims beside me, a medusa's head of hair frames her face, her dark eyes sparkle as she points. A spotted eagle ray glides below us. I look at the majestic creature and watch my sister chase after it. Long brown limbs propel her forward. She is so beautiful, I think, remembering a baby version of Leila. I am under water in a world of blue, watching as she dives deeper. Time is a mysterious force, one which transforms a child into an woman. I marvel at the person before me and hold my breath, willing time to slow down so I may savor this moment, these kicks through Caribbean sea, following my sister, following a ray.
Hawksnest Bay
Water
Maho
Petroglyphs
| So sun kissed it hurts to cross my legs. When midday sun hovers overhead it consumes all thoughts and there is nothing but one step in front of the next, seeking shade, water, wind. In the evenings we bathe ourselves in aloe. The green slime is immediately soothing on our skin and the plant grows everywhere, a cure for the blistering bulb that hangs over the islands. Leila and I are all-day outside. We’ve hiked from the center of the island to the south coast, which is dry, hot, boiling. We’ve sailed the northern coast from Cinnamon, to Maho and Francis Bay (Leila is the captain and I take orders). Life here, I think, as my sister adjusts the sails or paddles in front of me, is simple, physical, sweltering, breathtakingly beautiful. |
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