tale #49

“We need to get back soon and shower,” I nagged Jaycee for the third time.  I couldn’t believe I had let her talk me into this.

“It’ll be fun,” she had said when I suggested that a bicycle ride around the island might be too strenuous.  “It’s not that far,” she had countered to my objection that circling the entire island might be too ambitious.  When I pointed out that the road around the island wasn’t completely paved, she shrugged and played the “last day on island” card, similar in nature and power to the “it’s my birthday” card.

“Don’t worry so much,” Jaycee called over her shoulder.  “The party can’t start without me.  Not only am I the guest of honor, but I’m always the most fun person in the room.”

I pulled the water bottle from the cage and drank.  It was hot and humid.  Of course, it was always hot and humid, but I wasn’t usually exercising like this.  Not on dry land.  “Yes, well, I’m not the guest of honor.  I’m the hostess.  I need to be there.”  I took another swig from my water bottle as sweat ran down the side of my face.  “And it would be polite if I showered first.”

“Oh look,” Jaycee exclaimed, pointing directly ahead.  “A bluff overlooking the ocean.  Let’s stop.”

“Noooo.  No more stopping.”  We had started out early in the morning, both on borrowed mountain bikes.  We had covered the paved terrain fairly easily.  But the road turned to packed dirt around the time the sun climbed directly overhead.  We had stopped in the shade to have a snack.  We had stopped at the Pohnpei Agriculture and Technical School to fill our water bottles and have a snack.  We had stopped at Telly’s house to fill our water bottles.  Since leaving Telly’s, we had stopped every ten minutes to look over a bluff and admire the ocean.  “We are never going to get back,” I said, exasperated.

“Would that be so bad?” Jaycee asked as she brought her bike to a stop and climbed off.  Father Steve said that someone’s annoying conduct could be attributed to one of two reasons. Either they were annoying you to get your attention, or they were acting that way for another reason and you just happen to find the conduct annoying.  Until now, I had thought Jaycee was just needling me.

I stopped behind her and watched as she set the bike down and walked over to the edge of the road.  Beyond two palm trees, the ocean lay a tranquil and sparkling blue.  It was a stunning view.  I realized with a start that I had been here long enough to take this type of scenery for granted.  I thought about seeing it for the last time.  From where I stood, I could see Jaycee in profile.  There was a sadness to her face I had not seen before.  And something else, worry.

“You must be excited about going back to the real world,” I said as I swung my leg over the center bar of the bike.  I unzipped the front handle bar bag and pulled out a baggie with gooey, crumbling oatmeal cookies.  I laid the bike down and went to stand next to Jaycee.  “Just think,” I said as I opened the baggie and held it out to her, “bagels and latte on the way to work, supermarkets open on Sunday, actual movie theaters, fresh vegetables, paved roads.”

Jaycee reached for a cookie piece.  “Traffic, noise, pollution, crowds, my family” she said.  She turned and looked at me.  “Pantyhose,” she added in a horrified voice.

I nodded with sympathy.  “I know,” I said.  We ate cookies and stood watching the ocean in silence for awhile.

I heard the sound of a car engine and looked over as my truck pulled to a stop in front of Jaycee’s bicycle.  Lake opened the driver’s door and climbed out.  He walked over to us and stood on the other side of Jaycee.  The three of us looked out at the ocean.  “So,” Lake asked after a minute, “what are we doing?”

Jaycee didn’t answer, so I said, “We’re delaying the inevitable.  What are you doing?”

“I’ve been sent to check on your welfare.”  Lake took the almost empty cookie baggie from me.  “The clan was getting nervous.”

Jaycee looked over at him. “Tell Kelly I’m fine.”

Lake nodded.  “I’m also supposed to remind you that you haven’t finished packing yet.”  He pulled some cookie crumbs out of the bottom of the baggie and ate them.  “We can toss the bikes into the truck.”

Jaycee shook her head.  “We’re not done with our ride,”

Lake looked over at me.  I shrugged at him.  I heard another car engine and Katherine’s car came around the bend and pulled in behind my truck.  Katherine and Lisa got out.  “Y’all alright?” Lisa asked as they walked over to us.

“Fine,” I said.  “Just taking our time and enjoying the scenery.”

Katherine looked over at Jaycee, who was doing her best to ignore the growing crowd, and then at me.  I gave her the same shrug I had given Lake.  Katherine nodded.  “We have water, if you need it,” she said.

“And bandages,” Lisa added.  “And sunscreen, and Aloe, and protein bars and bananas and a bicycle pump.”

“Protein bars?” Lake asked with interest.

“We could use some water,” I said.

Jane pulled up as Lake was fetching the water from Katherine’s car.  “What a lovely gathering,” Jane greeted us.  She turned to Lake as he came up with a container of water.  “I need the key to Austen’s place so I can run things over to Rumours and begin setting up.”

Lake handed Lisa the water and reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a key, which he handed to Jane.  Jane turned to me.  “Steve wants to know if he should wait for you.”

I looked over at Jaycee.  She looked in need of rescuing.  I walked over to Jaycee’s bicycle, picked it up and wheeled it over to her.  “Jane,” I said turning to the group.  “Tell Steve that he shouldn’t wait, I’ll meet him there.”  I took the water bottle from Jaycee’s bike and handed it to Lisa to fill.  “Lisa, would you please go with Jane and help her clear out my refrigerator and haul everything to Rumours?”  I walked over to my bicycle and picked it up.  “Katherine, would you please go over to Jaycee’s and help Kelly with any remaining packing.”

I wheeled my bike over to Lake who was standing near Jaycee.  I held out my hand to him and he placed two Cliff sports bars in it.  “Thank you,” I said.  “Thank you all.”  Jaycee swung her leg over her bicycle and I followed suit.  “We won’t be too long,” I said over my shoulder as we pushed off.  “Feel free to start the party without us.”