It was so hard saying goodbye to Betty, and it was painful walking out of my family home, knowing I would never return. I was only given a week to prepare, and I used it wisely. Betty helped and drove me to a car boot sale on Sunday and we sold as much as we could to raise some money. My parent’s clothes, personal possessions and anything I could get some money for, was sold out of the boot of a car in a terrible act of desperation. I know they weren’t mine to sell, but the thought of this foundation rifling through their things made me angry even thinking about it.
Betty helped me every day, and we systematically sorted every room and the only things I kept were personal photographs. Betty promised to store them for me until I could get straight and invited me to stay with her when I returned from Florida to continue my education. I don’t know what I would have done without her these past few weeks, and saying goodbye caused a fresh bout of tears to drench my face. Puffy eyes are all the rage right now, at least that’s what I tell myself because mine are now permanently that way.
She drove me to the airport, and we bid one another a tearful farewell and as I checked in, I hoped I wasn’t going to regret this decision. I tried to google islands off the coast of Florida, but it appears to be a private island with very little details on it.
Madelaine sent my ticket along with instructions and it couldn’t have been any easier. I’m to hop on a flight to Miami, where a car will take me to Naples. Then I must wait in the coffee shop by the dock where a boat will arrive to take me to the private island.
It all sounds simple enough, but I’ve never travelled alone and certainly not as far, so it’s with a great deal of trepidation mixed with some excitement that I touch down in Miami and prepare for hopefully a life changing experience.
* * *
Madelaine certainly knows how to organise, and I am met on arrival by a man holding up a sign with my name on it.
As I head towards him, he nods respectfully.
“Miss Darlington.”
“Yes.”
“Welcome to Miami. I’m Joe, your driver.”
He reaches for my case and as we walk from the terminal, it feels as if this is happening to somebody else.
The heat hits me as soon as we exit the building and warms my spirit just as much as my body.
“Ever been to Florida before?” Joe says cheerily.
“No, never.”
“It’s a special place. You’ll love it.”
“I’m sure.” I’m feeling quite nervous as we walk towards a smart minivan, and I watch as he opens the back and places my case inside.
Then he holds open the rear passenger door and says pleasantly, “You’d better make yourself comfortable. We have quite a drive.”
It feels as if I’ve been travelling for days instead of several hours and it doesn’t take long before I drift off to sleep.
When I wake, it takes a moment to remember where I am and then it hits me again–I’m all alone.
I wonder if I will ever recover from this because it’s not getting any easier as the days go by. It will be a month tomorrow when the accident claimed the lives of the most important people in my world and now I’m here in Florida to work for the summer. I don’t even know where I’m going, and I was so desperate, I just trusted a stranger and came here, anyway.
I look with interest at the passing scenery and love how the sun shines brightly and I see the clear crystal water of the Gulf of Mexico glittering outside. It feels as if I’m on the edge of the world looking in and for a moment, I allow myself to let go of the past and look with interest at my future. Clear skies, without a cloud in sight. Brilliant sunshine high in the sky, casting its rays across the sparkling water, making everything appear magical. I’m not used to this. I’m used to dull days and cold nights. Even summer in England is hit and miss sometimes and I can see why Florida is called the Sunshine State because this place is paradise.
My driver doesn’t say much and so I’m left with my thoughts, which scare me sometimes. If I dwell too much on the future, it fills me with fear. I need to think of the way forward because I want to finish my education and study to be a doctor. We spoke about it often enough and my parents supported me one hundred per cent and I know they would be encouraging me now. Pretending this isn’t happening to me isn’t an option because I’m in survival mode and need to think of a new life plan because the old one has crashed and burned–literally.
If I think about that day, it’s with the hope it was quick. A moment of distraction that had devastating consequences. I expect an animal ran into the road and my father lost control that he never got back. I don’t like thinking of the car toppling off the cliff into the valley below before it burst into flames. They must have been terrified, and that’s what hurts the most. At that moment, there was nothing they could do because fate decided their time was up.
“Soon be there.”
The slow drawl of my driver grabs my attention and I look with interest at yet another amazing scene out of the window.
Naples, Florida, appears to be a beautiful place. Large houses and wide roads all set in view of the clear, sparkling ocean.
“Is the island far?” I’m curious, and Joe shakes his head. “Twenty minutes by boat. You’ll soon be there.”
I feel relieved about that because I’m desperate to change and grab some sleep if I can, although I am nervous about meeting new people.
Joe stops by a pleasant looking coffee shop overlooking the marina and says, “End of the road.” He jumps from the car and opens my door, and a burst of heat hits me as I step outside. It’s as if I left all my problems back in England and I feel a lightness to my spirit that wasn’t there before.
He hands me my case and nods towards the coffee shop.
“Wait in there. You may want to grab a coffee because I think you’ve got a while before the boat arrives.”
“How will I know which boat it is?” I’m a little anxious about that and he grins. “Don’t you worry, honey, they’ll find you.”
I’m not sure if I should pay him and reach for my purse and he shakes his head with a grin. “All paid. Keep your dollars for the coffee.”
“Oh, thank you so much.” I feel bad that everything is being done for me by strangers I never heard of until now. Ordinarily I would be worried about that, but after the month I’ve had nothing surprises me now.
Joe heads back to his cab and leaves me alone in a strange country in a place I have never even heard of until now. If someone asked, I would probably have said Naples was in Italy. That was the only place I knew, but Naples, Florida, is a spectacular vision of happiness, and I am looking forward to seeing what it has to offer.
The coffee shop is half empty and I feel the curiosity of my fellow customers as I wheel my case inside and look for a table. The woman behind the counter shouts, “Candy! Customer!” I look up and see a young girl heading my way with a smile and she says, slightly breathlessly, “Sorry, I was out the back. Do you need a table for one?”
“Yes – please.” I smile nervously and she cocks her head towards my case and says with interest, “Just arrived; where are you heading?”
She shows me to a booth near the window and I smile. “An island not far from here. I don’t have the name, but apparently a boat will come to take me there.”
“I expect you’re talking about private island.”
“Is that its name?”
I’m a little surprised at that and she laughs. “It’s what the locals call it. Nobody really knows its name. In fact, I doubt it’s even got one.”
“Surely it has a name.” I feel a lot more nervous now as she shrugs.
“Well, if you find out, let me know.”
She looks around and says quietly, “The thing is, nobody ever comes back to tell us the name.”
“What do you mean?” Now I’m confused and she sighs. “Plenty of people turn up here with their cases waiting for the boat to private island, but we never see them again.”
“Maybe they go straight to the airport.” I’m not sure why I’m making excuses for them, and she shrugs.
“Maybe.”
She doesn’t look as if she believes me, and I feel a tiny doubt creeping into my mind as I contemplate the journey I’m about to make. Is it safe? Looking at the expression on Candy’s face, I’m not so sure and she says cheerily, “Well, you’re here now, so what can I get you?”
“Just a coffee, please.” I would love to order something else, but I’m so worried about money and need to save as much of it as possible.
“Coming right up.”
She turns and heads off at a brisk pace, leaving me worrying about what I’ve let myself in for. If the locals don’t even know the island’s name, then that concerns me–a lot.
It must be thirty minutes later the door opens and I see a man smartly dressed in white shorts and a navy open-necked shirt head inside. I take a moment to appreciate how stylish he looks. He can’t be much older than me and appears to have none of the worry attached that I now live with as he scans the room, his eyes resting on me with a spark of interest flaring in his dark brown eyes. His hair is blonde and close cut and he smiles as he sees me openly staring and heads across towards me.
“Hey, you must be Katrina.”
His easy manner and open, honest face relaxes me a little and I smile. “Yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“It’s Nathan, Nate for short. What about you? Can I call you Kat?”
His infectious grin makes me smile. “If you like.”
It doesn’t matter to me, but my parents hated it when my friends called me Kat because they always said I had such a pretty name and should be proud of it.
He nods towards my suitcase. “Let me help you with that. I’m here to collect you and take you to paradise.”
He tosses some dollars on the table and winks. “Coffees on me. Come on, let’s get you settled into your new home.”
Candy waves as we leave, and I follow Nate outside and towards a white speedboat tethered to a cleat on the dock.
I watch as he jumps inside and stows my case securely before offering me his hand.
I feel a little embarrassed as I take it and allow him to help me onboard and his cheerful smile and slightly suggestive wink makes my heart race a little faster because quite honestly, Nate is the best-looking guy I have ever laid eyes on and I am more than happy to follow him wherever he likes.