Bright Inspiration
Like the kindling of a flame, the people of Nevis have brought back the spirit of youth, which has been lying dormant until now.
The lunchtime sky so peacefully blue, so prestigiously calm, yet possesses a distinct serenity to the remaining scene. The lunchtime parades of children, not so calm, are racing at speeds that would amaze even the most undisturbed bystanders. "More drinks, more drinks!" Resounded by the 'happy-clappy' couple awaiting their next round at the Sunscreen Bar.
Hour after hour, herds of sun-kissed tourists would pass by the bar for their next round. Whether 'Rum and Coke' or a glass of Lilt, these daily visitors continue to dash back and forth, for their next shot of joy. It seems that their quenching thirst, compounded by the ever glowing beams of sunlight, overrides their desire to carry on with the beach race.
Splashes of ecru, green and gold, flawlessly painted on the sides of ocean-going boats, lined up for soil, are being scrupulously cleaned. Night-time races, across the oceanic floor, are being prepared for, to allow no room for any last minute halts.
Across the way, several deck-chairs, randomly arranged, seemingly vacant, have now been left to glory the sun's glaze, as its visitors are making their way to the final leg of the lunchtime racing. "Win him, no man! Slaughter him!" Comprise the last minute urges hurled by the local bystanders, helplessly waiting. A gust of ceremonial choruses, accompany loud screams and bellows of shattered excitement, across the glistening beach.
A final race has begun, with several young males racers, shooting across the distance, in search of credibility. Such sought out admiration has been placed upon the one and only winner of the '2006 Beach Race'. Sheer amazement, solid laughter, and an echo of praise are all thrown towards the slender athletic boy. Unable to get a word in edgeways, this handsome young star simply collapses in a heap of escapism.
"Derek, mi say Derek, nuh buoy pick up yuh raas up out of di sand, no man!" Punchi's bickering meant nothing to Derek, who lay helplessly on resplendent sheets of exotic comfort. "Punchi", whether yuh tink mi is buoy or man, di fact is, mi tired, so nuh bother mi peace and mek mi sleep little while!"
Five in the morning and Derek has come to realise that the onset of the 'Culturama Festival' was due. Lady Isabella Watts, the reigning 'championess' of the island's beauty contests, had still to be outclassed. Whether her success was based on sheer talent, or dependent on her radiant complexion, without a doubt, she was the inspiration of many, year after year.
Born to a father of Caribbean descent and a mother of European descent, Isabella has always perceived herself to be somehow different from other young girls on the island, in which she constantly sought for a higher meaning regarding her purpose in life.
"Isabella... 'Lady Royal', how long it a go tek yuh fi comb out two piece of hair, tink sey yuh a go find a partner at di pace yuh a move now. Mek mi remind yuh sey, time is money, an mi have none, so mi case, speed up yuh beauty regime!" Known for her hasty demands, Isabella's younger step-sister, Chandy, was forever on her sister's case to get her act together.
"Chandy now why yuh always de pon mi case, an always a rush mi? Just cause mi is smarter than yuh, nuh mean sey mi entitle to a few extra minutes, fi sort myself out, nuh gal!" Time was going to wait for no girl, not even for Lady Isabella.
Crowds upon crowds arrived, and people had already seated themselves upon the famed array of deck-chairs placed towards the front of the arena, which was indeed analogical to the ethnic diversity of both tourists and residents alike.
As the night drew nearer, and the masses grew quieter, the island's chairman was all set to read aloud the moving words of the National Anthem. 'Ah hem.....O land of beauty! Our country where peace abounds, thy children stand free, on the strength of will and hope...." Crowds that had sat in a ray of soundless contentment now began to applaud the chairman, as he came to the close of the island's graceful words.
Derek had now arrived and made his way through the gates of musical paradise, into the bubble of cultural entertainment. Punchi walked alongside his fellow mate, and like the grapes of a vine, attached himself to Derek. "Derek, nuh move too fast, mi a try fi identify how many hot gal is in this place tonight!" "Punchi, why yuh always a focus pon gal first, nuh look fi love, mek it find yuh!"
Unlike Punchi, Derek was more interested on the grounds of focus and self achievement, in which the hunt for casual romance was not written on his daily list of duties. "Derek, Derek, mi spot a gal, dat nice trim one, yuh nuh see!" Indeed, Punchi had instantly noticed Isabella, standing just yards from the dancer's entrance. All 'kitted' out in her flash golden garments, her inviting pose, and knee length sequinned dress, she stunned the amazement of just about any passerby.
The batter of an eyelid, the rotation of a neck, was all it took for Lady Isabella to be at Punchi's beck and call. "Hey sexy lady, may I take the pleasure of knowing your name?" Isabella turned towards them both. "Why Lady Isabella of course, and your name is?" Punchi nervously responded. "Why I'm Punchi and dis is mi good friend Derek, erm, what say we go 'limin' as soon as dis show done?" "Well okay, I'll meet you at the front gate, and mi a go bring me wicked stepsister wid me too!"
Derek remained unmistakenably quiet, while Punchi carried forward his usual lyrics. "But Madame, is she as pretty and as sweet as you?" Isabella hurridly replied. "Well not exactly, for her features are not as striking as mine, yuh understan!"
It was now exactly thirty minutes, and thirty seconds past the dead of night, in which the luminosity of the moon, now conspicuously displayed itself in contrast against the sky. Like pins on a cushion, the party of four glazed eyes upon each other, in which their 'cross-examination' of each other was to be imminently verbalised.
"So we meet again! So let me introduce myself to you both, I am the one and only Chandy, and which one of you fine young gentlemen would like to engage in a romantic walk with me, for the next hour or so?" The air was now conditioned with an aroma of silence! "Erm, which one yuh does like Derek, out of these two most delicious ladies?" "I will be accompanying you for the night!" Derek non-reluctantly pointed out Isabella, who was already in her own world of celebration, after winning the beauty contest that night.
While Chandy and Punchi made their own way towards 'Sandollar Beach', Isabella and Derek proceeded their way towards Mount Lily. The road was somewhat rocky, yet somewhat smooth and Derek carefully escorted her up the hill, carefully avoiding any potholes.
The current atmosphere already resembled a ghost-town, as they are reached a small bridge, forming the stepping stone to their night of unspoken romance. Derek's beaming eyes met hers, and her striking features, as they blissfully sat in sheer awe of each other's physical presence. The next few moments in time continued in both stillness and amazement.
The same bridge now occupied by the voiceless couple, was the very bridge that a widely known taxi driver has fatally driven off unintentionally some years beforehand. Potentially the bridge still posed a threat to current drivers, as the night lights were still to be established. This particular bridge still stood devoid of its side barriers, but this young couple had their attention fixated on each other.
"What lovely healthy skin you have!" Said Derek, "So other people nuh look healthy too?" Isabella questioned abruptly. "Well, it's not dat dem nuh healthy, but there's such a radiance with you! Isabella watched him in a somewhat perplexed stance.
"So tell mi, does yuh have other family members dat radiant like me?" While questionable running his broad, 'thirst for cream' fingers through her fine-textured tresses, Derek remarked. "No such person exists in my family, unfortunatly, but thinking of it, we could one day have a family of our own!"
Isabella now stood up in unmistakeable fury. "Buoy, so yuh is sure sey di pickni would be like mi, man yuh nuh really acknowledge your heritage too!" She resumed her position on the bridge-side. "So suppose dem did look like yuh, would yuh be disappointed, or value them any less?" Derek endeavoured to interrupt in vain. "Nuh even talk, and suppose dem did have fi yuh hair, would yuh be displeased?" Before having any opening to voice his opinion, Isabella stormed off, leaving the night's atmosphere to speak for itself.
As the sun rose and the cock's resounded their crows, Derek still sat in utter disgust, at both himself, and his powerlessness to turn back the hands of time. The bridge was his place of rest last night, and was his place of deep thought the very next morning. By this time now a passer by had wondered towards him, trying to identify what was puzzling this young man.
"Buoy, wha wrong wid yuh no man, something a trouble yuh nuh?" Derek looked up, with a few drops of sorrow and despair in his eyes. "Please, just sit beside me a while, I need to talk some truth wid yuh!" The empathic stranger sat alongside him, providing him with the much yearned for moral support. "Look, I've just been thinking my life over, yuh know, analysing the basic foundation of why I does mek certain decisions."
Derek puffed out a sigh of what was now apparent relief. "In retrospect of mi childhood, I can recall de times when mi mother a tell mi dat mi wasn't up to par wid she!" The young man looked uncertain. "Why yuh mean nuh man? What yuh is getting at?" Derek went on. "Well yuh know how I is only interested with how a woman appears on the outside?" The passer by instantaneously replied. "Yuh mean, your bessotted love with specific beauty elements?"
Like a soldier being called to attention, Derek abruptly stood to his feet. "Yes, I realise, mi nuh have an unconditional bone in a mi body. Surely as an older and wiser man, I now realise that relationships are more about compatibility, inner qualities, regardless of what in on the outside. I seem to only focus on the physical aspects alone, like me a receive some kind of trophy or prize fi show off to mi friend dem!"
"So what yuh a go do bout dat den buoy?" Derek responded. "As a man of integrity, I am going to take 'time-out' from di hustle and bustle of romance and go on a journey to find my true inner self. I can then choose to reveal my heart to a sincere woman who I can also appreciate from within. In spite of mi hard upbringing, but for which I am grateful, I have now made the decision to accept myself for everything that I have been made to be. I realise now that I need to tek di time to understand myself and my intentions.
A sudden applause filled the air, whereby what was just now the bridge of tears and fears, was now the connection of hope. Derek had now reached a spiritual yardstick, in which he had come to ascertain from his own heart, the essence of a deeper meaning. In lieu of being a boy, yet still to sail to his inner ocean of peace, he had now become a man, who had come to appreciate the true meaning of unconditional love, with no force and yet no barriers.
Derek was no longer a sheep without a shepherd, but a man who chose to embrace valuable virtues and continued to stay true to his own heart.
Written by
Geraldine Taylor ©