Thirty Years Ago on the Beach - #11 - Ridin' the storm out
A wonderful aroma filled the air as the winds kept whipping at the windows. Chatting and laughter joined the howling from outside. A delicious dinner party replaced the solemn silence of the safety closet.
Candle light gave a cozy ambiance to our hurricane feast. We shared stories of growing up and the differences and similarities between US and Jamaican upbringing. Remembering fun memories from long ago was the perfect antidote to relieve the symptoms of the storm.
After dinner, the dishes were placed in the sink and the reminiscing continued around the table. The groundsman would make rounds of the villa every now and then to make sure all was secure. After a while fatigue set in and we made an attempt to sleep with the cook and groundsman sharing our beds.
Sleep was not easiliy obtained. The spent adrenaline left a residual alertness to our tired minds and bodies. Candles flickered and went out as the drafts through the shutters reminded us that the storm was not finished. Explosions against the villa seemed louder in the quiet darkness. Sleep was not going to happen tonight, but all needed rest. Lying there, taking in the sounds in the complete absence of light, everyone contemplated the events of the day in their own way.
Every now and then a huge boom would shake the building. Smaller crashes were almost not noticeable. We had been in this storm for so long that nothing seemed real anymore. The hours dragged on.
Finally, the wild winds began dying down, providing a renewed sense of hope. The storm was moving off. When the noise from outside finally reached a less alarming level, the groundsman got up from the bed to investigate the property complex.
No one said anything but we all decided to join him. We had been in the villa long enough.
It was very early, perhaps 5 and the morning light was just beginning to produce a visible horizon. And we could hardly believed what we were witnessing.
Parts 10 through 1
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