My Anguillan x When The Rhythm Changes

So, David, after spending his summer holiday with us in Jamaica, turned around and invited me to Christmas. In Anguilla. Now my first thought wasn't yeh! It was 'how on earth would that even work?' I told him straight, I couldn't afford it. But David, he'd already bought the ticket. Calmly said so. Left me speechless.

My mind raced. I don't know why but I wanted to say no. So I said, 'I don't have a passport.' Which was true. His reply... 'No one has a passport until they apply for it.'

I sat with that. Turned it over and over. Had that been one of our university mock cases he'd have won hands down. Not something that has happened yet.

But where David was winning was with his travels. He'd seemingly been everywhere. At least in my eyes. England, Germany, the grand ole US of A, Bahamas, next door St Maarten. Though he tells me he didn't need a plane for that. And if David was winning with his travels, his brother, Elliott was on an un-imaginable travel itinerary with his job. East Asia, South Africa. His list envious. I on the other hand, am yet to set foot outside Jamaica.

I told Aunty Shelly about David's plans for Christmas. Told it in such a way that she'd have no room to agree for me to go. But instead she wrapped her frock skirt and sat us both down at the kitchen table. Her blue enamel cup of bush tea now cold, she drew nearer her and started in the way any good lecture from Aunty Shelly starts.

'Liv, between me an' you...'

Of course from the lecture, I'd have to excavate my own meaning. Make my own decision. And I'd tell her. plus, depending on what it is, tell my father too.

On this occasion, my decision came weeks later. And she responded on not knowing why it took me so long. And that she hoped I'd not kept David waiting all that time.

'It's impossible for that man to keep his eyes off you, Livie.' She went on to say.

I wasn't ready to own up to that knowledge, so instead told my Aunty Shell (as David likes to call her), that he's gay.

'Olivia,' stopping in the doorway she's walking towards before turning back to me. 'If David is gay, I am Mary Magdalene.' And continued on her way.

Up till then, this small island boy was just 'My Anguillan'. One of the ways we islanders addressed each other on campus. My strongest opponent in moot court. So when he said he wanted to spend his summer in Jamaica, I was more than happy to offer him a stay with us. I mean, I did enjoy our sparring, his company. Him. I liked David though I never got past seeing him as anything more than that. After all next June, when university finishes, he'll be back home on his island for good. What good was that to me? How was I ever to see him again? The truth is, I knew he wasn't gay either. It was the guys at university who joked, called him that because he's always so nicely turned-out. And a little on the sing-song side. Plus he'd more than once jumped off a packed university bus in the Kingston pouring rain. Gave me his seat. I wasn't familiar with this level of chivalry, not unless I was watching some American movie. But once Aunty Shelly said what she said, my brain recalibrated. Not that I knew how to change up out of the 'Tomboy' David had witnessed all summer.

Still, here I am months later and days before Christmas, touching down in Anguilla. Jeans rolled up just above my ankles where my brand new Clarks began. Leather, Oxford and laced up, I kept looking at them. At my hard earned dollars. Sticking them on show every chance I got. I think I might even have walked a little different.

'You really like those don't you.' David said to me when I kept checking for them on the flight.

'I think I like me in them.'

'They do look good on you.'

Not only did I buy a new pair of Clarks and a pair of jeans, I got me a white t-shirt too. Tucked it into my jeans and rolled up the sleeves. Wore the largest hoop earrings I could find so that they'd show out of my half up-half down Patra braids. Because Aunty Shelly said I needed everything new to get on the plane.

David's dad picked us up from the airport. 'Hello Olivia' he said, as if we'd met before. As if we knew each other. 'Welcome to Anguilla,' then gave me a hug.

Call me Gregory he added when I referred to him as Mr Ellis.

His son has the same speakey-spokey but his just that bit more eloquent.

But If first impressions count, I'm down two notches. I'm not accustomed to being hugged by people I don't know. But I do like him.

David and his dad, they hugged easily. No feeble slap-pat, I see some family men do back home but an unguarded I'm really glad to see you son. I watched and smiled.

We piled into his car after declaring my little luggage case was all I had. I don't need much I said. Gregory chuckled. I couldn't tell if that was good or not. Except when he told David his mother was at home with Catherine, I could tell that wasn't so good. But for whom? Me or David?

'I didn't know she was on island?' David replied.

So who's Catherine.

It couldn't have been fifteen minutes when we pulled up to a set of glossy-black iron gates. And they parted. Slowly. Palm trees lining the drive of the greenest manicured lawns I'd seen outside my own and Round Hill Hotel's. And as we know, both are managed by my father. But at the end of this drive, one of those white villas. Just like the ones at Round Hill. The said place David and I spent the summer serving drinks to guests. Only now we weren't driving around the back to the staff car park.

No one said we were detouring anywhere. But having just done my first flight I was open to new adventures. The car stopped. And as if it owned the place, a golden retriever trotted out the front door ahead of two women chatting to each other. He went straight to David when he called him. Then came over and sniffed me. I froze. Back home, a dog that approaches you like that is either lost or about to...

Gregory notices, calls the dog over and saves me. Gave me time to settle to greet the Mrs Ellis who'd just hugged David. Every bit the person I garnered from tid bits I got out of David. It was hand shake territory with the Mrs Ellis. And now I wasn't so sure. I wanted more. A hug. A hug was important now.

I watched as the other woman, who looked like she'd dressed for an Essence Magazine summer cover bounded up to David. Face flushed with a smile, hugged him fully. Reached for a kiss on his lips and landed on his cheek instead. The little 'oh' that left my lips before I could stop it caused her to look at me.

'Olivia.' David said. 'I'd like to introduce you to Catherine. Catherine this is Olivia.'

Something David said or maybe did, spoiled the look on Catherine's face. Still I went in for the hand shake, matched the look she had on her previous face.

But It was I who came under evaluation.

So...

This is Catherine!

*** Part One ***