The Islands (31 page)

‘I couldn't live like you do,' said Catherine.

The three women were unoffended.

‘Times are changing compared to our mothers' day,' said Summer. ‘Going on the pill, sleeping with anyone who takes your fancy, having children out of wedlock, or by different partners, getting high on pot, whatever. Didn't go on in their day.'

‘Those things don't go on in my world either,' said Catherine. ‘It's true, I haven't ever been a bit wild or tried anything unconventional. And I don't feel the need to do so. Though meeting you lot is a bit unusual!'

The girls laughed and Pink paddled to Catherine, trailing long strands of mossy green seaweed she'd pulled from the rocks. ‘Look, a necklace.' She dropped longer strands over Catherine's head.

‘Or a crown!' Ginger pulled up fat fleshy brown leaves of seaweed with clusters of grape-like pods filled with water and twisted them into a circle and handed one to each of them. ‘C'mon, Ziggy, here's your crown. You can be king!'

Laughing, they splashed around, inventing a silly game and the subject of Bradley and Catherine's marriage was forgotten.

‘What are you doing after Kauai?' Summer asked Ginger.

‘Haven't decided. Doobie wants to try and surf some uninhabited breaks people are starting to talk about. Micronesia. South Africa. A bunch of them want to make a little film – searching for the perfect wave, or something.'

‘Tricky with a baby and Ziggy,' said Sadie.

‘I'll probably visit my mom for a month or so. Then see where we all end up. I might base myself somewhere closer to the guys. I've always wanted to visit a big game park.'

Catherine listened to the ping-pong talk of plans, marvelling at the flexibility of their lives, the lack of responsibility or worry about the future. She wanted to ask how they could afford this lifestyle but decided it'd be rude to ask.

‘Okay, time to go. The kids are getting tired. Me too,' announced Ginger.

Catherine hopped out, wrapped a towel round herself and grabbed her camera to take a few photos of the women and kids still wearing their seaweed crowns and frolicking in the pool.

‘These are just for me. I won't give any hints about where this place is,' she assured them.

When they were dressed Sadie opened her bag and took out a taro root, some flowers and some coins and handed them around. ‘An offering to the goddess of the pool.' She threw the taro root into the deep centre and the others followed her, though Ziggy was a bit reluctant to let go of his shiny coin. Then they stood in a circle, holding hands, and Summer, who had a beautiful voice, sang a short Hawaiian chant.

‘What's that mean?' asked Catherine as they all headed back along the path from the secret pool.

‘I can't translate exactly. I learnt the words from our friend, but it's like a blessing. A thank you for letting us bathe in the sacred water and a prayer to keep our women and children safe.'

‘You've been blessed too, Catherine,' said Sadie. ‘So you'll be watched over on the island.'

On the way back, Sadie carefully replaced the stone in the centre of the boulders, obscuring the tiny track.

Nirvana
was deserted when they returned. Surfboards were missing as well as the old van but the women didn't comment on this and as Summer took the baby and the two children in for a nap, Sadie put a large coffee pot on the old stove.

‘Any suggestions about dinner? Anything you don't eat?'

Catherine shook her head. ‘Not at all. Though I'm wondering if maybe I should start back . . . Eleanor could be wondering about the car . . . me taking off . . .'

‘Is she your mother? Aren't you rambling round taking photos? Relax, Catherine. Maybe you should've gone with the guys. Got some good surfing shots.'

‘I've taken a few of those.'

‘Ah, you can't say you've been there and done that. Surfing, waves, the riders, it's an eternal smorgasbord,' said Sadie. ‘I've put in my time waiting and watching.'

‘Do you surf?' Catherine asked Sadie.

‘No. I like swimming but I don't surf. Ginger does. Not at the moment, though. She thought it would be a way of, first, getting Doobie interested in her, then holding onto him. We're no beach chicks sitting chastely on the sand like Gidget,' she laughed. ‘Ginger got his attention more than most and with the baby coming, he's hanging around. But, as you heard, finding some unknown surf heaven will win out every time.'

‘How will she support the baby if, say, he takes off and leaves her?'

‘He won't leave her, he just drifts in and out. He does okay for money. Some of the boys move hash and other stuff around the world. Officials don't seem to know about hollow boards,' said Sadie. ‘Not my business, I don't pry.'

Catherine was still digesting this piece of information when there was the sound of a car.

‘That's not the guys.' Sadie put a jug of hot milk on the table as the door opened and Abel John stuck his head inside.

‘Anyone home? Hey, Sadie, hey, Catherine. Hoped you'd find this place. PJ around?'

‘They're gone. We've been out, too. Coffee's on.'

Catherine jumped up and hugged Abel John. ‘Great to see you. Is Eleanor okay, does she want the car back?'

‘Course not. She said she'd loaned it to you for the duration.'

‘Where've you been hanging, Abel John?' asked Sadie pouring another mug of her thick local coffee.

‘Escaping. Been fishing. Got a few. As I was on this side I wondered if you guys could handle a decent chunk of mahimahi.'

Sadie winked at Catherine. ‘The universe provides. We were just discussing what to cook for dinner. You staying?'

‘Thanks. Have to get back to the family. Always something happening. And I need to check in at the Palm Grove.' He smiled at Catherine. ‘Glad to see you're getting into the local groove. Say hi to PJ.'

He went out to his car followed by Sadie to collect the fish.

Summer appeared, rubbing her eyes. ‘What's happening?'

‘Mahimahi for dinner. Abel John has been fishing.'

‘Groovy. You cooking, Catherine?'

‘Er, not really. Happy to if you show me what to do.'

Sadie came in flourishing a big silver fish. ‘What a beauty. We'll cook it over the open fire outside. What else will we have with it?'

‘Salads?' offered Catherine, remembering all the fresh greens and vegetables that were left over from lunch.

‘And baked yams. In the coals,' added Summer.

Catherine sat on the verandah as the women organised the children and made preparations for dinner. They'd handed her a glass of not very good red wine and told her to lay back. She assumed she'd be given chores later. She felt herself unwinding. She hadn't realised there was such tension inside her body. Staying at
Nirvana
was a bit like being in a big family, or with a bunch of school friends. How Mollie would love this. She'd be right in there arguing, chatting, laughing, cooking with the women.

As Catherine sipped her wine, knowing that Abel John would tell Eleanor that she was okay and with no family or husband to report to, she started to relish this taste of freedom. She put her feet up on the railing, closed her eyes and hummed along to Diana Ross singing ‘Touch Me in The Morning'.

She jerked as a hand lightly touched her shoulder.

‘Hey there.'

She looked up to see PJ smiling at her. ‘Where'd you spring from?'

‘Not far. Came back to get a different board. Thought you might like to come down. It's going to be a great sunset,' he said.

‘Okay. I'll get my camera.'

‘Don't hurry. Finish your wine. I'll grab some drinks to take down. Maybe some pupus.'

‘We won't be too long? I'm supposed to help cook dinner.'

‘It'll happen. Don't worry. The guys'll be back to eat.'

‘I don't s'pose you can surf in the dark anyway,' commented Catherine as she collected her bag.

‘Full moon is good. Inside the reef. Wouldn't risk the bities in the dark in deep water.'

‘Sharks?'

He nodded. ‘See you shortly.'

They drove to the opposite end of the rocky beach from the Goddess pool. PJ drove slowly, glancing at the sea or up at the green hills as if searching for something. He didn't talk much and Catherine felt comfortable, not feeling the necessity for making smalltalk or filling in the space between them.

PJ pointed as they came around a bend in the road. ‘Out there. Word spreads when there's good waves peeling like that.'

There were a dozen or so board riders out where he pointed.

‘Peeling? What's that?'

‘When the wave breaks evenly from one end to the other along its length. It makes for a good long ride,' said PJ.

‘Oh, I see. There must be a lot to learn. About the ocean, the waves, the best way to ride them, I suppose,' ventured Catherine.

PJ glanced at her. ‘Yeah. And more. It's not just a sport, a physical thing, it becomes a mystical thing. Hypnotic, some say spiritual, it's a control thing, intellectual exercise, all kinds of things. Hard to explain to someone outside – only a surfer really knows.'

He parked the wagon and sat for a few moments watching several riders weave down the wave, kick out and paddle back up to the line where they waited for another set. ‘Damien's out there. Some of the Aussies are pretty aggressive surfers. Think they have to keep proving themselves. Pro competitions are starting up everywhere now. It'll get big time for sure. Money, business will get into it and the whole thing will change. But the essence – the rider and the wave – that's the heart of it, that won't change.'

This had been a big speech for PJ. He got out and pulled out the two surfboards he'd brought along. ‘You want to have a ride? I'll take you over the other end where it's not a heavy swell, be a decent ride into the beach. Got the big board.' He pointed at the long board. ‘Be another hour before the sun goes down.'

She glanced at the board. ‘I can't manage that and you won't be able to stand out there.' The waves at the end of the beach he was looking at were nowhere near the size of the waves further out where the surfers were. It looked too serious for him to just push her onto a wave back to shore.

Catherine was still nervous of the ocean and the experience of nearly drowning in the channel remained very real to her. The sea was alive, a breathing, temperamental, unpredictable creature, a stranger to her.

‘I was glad when you went out with me after your experience in the channel. This time come in just for fun. Trust me.' He gave her a smile, half hesitant, half teasing, slightly wistful.

‘Okay. How're we going to do this?' She stripped down to her bikini.

‘Tandem. This board can take both of us. Just hang on.'

She followed him into the water. The evening was balmy, the tradewinds had dropped, the sky was mellow as the sun began its slide into night. She lay on the long wooden board, grasping the sides, centring her weight, moving into the position PJ directed. He pushed the board through the water and as it deepened he swung himself onto it, straddling her body as he knelt and began paddling them both out towards the white rim of waves.

They sped along easily, water trickling over the board and wetting her underside. It became deeper and the push of the dissipating waves more forceful so that PJ had to lower himself onto the board to dig his arms into the water more strongly. The board shot forward and Catherine breathed with the rhythm of PJ's strokes. His body, now wet, lay on top of hers, she felt his skin on hers, could feel his muscles on her back, his breath close to her ear as he dipped and pulled them towards the break.

Then he turned the board and sat up, legs dangling over the sides as he watched over his shoulder. The board moved gently, she was at eye level with the sea. The water whispered to her. The reassuring touch of PJ's body, the stillness and quietness gave her a feeling of suspended calmness.

‘Here we go!' He began paddling firmly and Catherine felt them lifted, poised in the air for a second before beginning to surge forward. ‘Hang on, lift your head and shoulders!'

Catherine arched her body, aware only of the rushing water on either side of her. PJ seemed to have disappeared, she couldn't feel him and she glanced over her shoulder to see that he had jumped to his feet and, with arms outstretched, was guiding the board through the wave. She looked at the beach rushing towards them, the dark shape of the hills lit by the golden sky and felt she was flying.

The ride seemed to last forever, she never wanted it to stop. As soon as they slowed and PJ dropped to his knees to paddle into the shallow water, she wanted to turn around and do it all again. It had been exhilarating, and more. It had felt erotic with the touch of PJ's body on hers and with the surge of the wave, the speed, the thrill, the ride was intoxicating. But PJ helped her off and dragged the board onto the beach.

‘Are you starting to get a feel for what it's all about?' There was that smile again.

She nodded, shaking her wet hair. ‘Fantastic. Thanks.'

He picked up his short board. ‘I'm heading out to the break. You might get some good shots from higher up the beach.'

Lightly he sprang onto the board and sped through the water, and it looked to Catherine as if he were one with the light turquoise board and water. A bird, a fish, he was part of the sea, at home and happy, always looking for the challenge ahead among the waves she was yet to understand.

She pulled her clothes over her body where she could still feel the weight and power of PJ on top of her. Slowly she picked up her camera. She climbed to a small green point and propped herself against a boulder to steady the camera as she used the long zoom lens to try to capture more closely the action of the boys on their boards, silhouetted against the setting sun.