Page 39 of Wild for You
“Of course, you did.” She rolls her eyes. “The golden boy made out of sunshine and rainbows,” she huffs under her breath.
Am I sensing a note of … jealousy?
I make a mental note to come back to this conversation because I’d love to dig deeper into it, but right now, I’ve got too much work to do.
I tie the last rope to the raft and note how many more pieces of bamboo I’ll need to finish, then switch off the camera. I don’t want to build the sail until the day I leave, just in case another storm comes through. It’s my only blanket, and if a strong enough wind hits it, I’ll be paddling my ass off to get anywhere.
I walk toward Gwen, extending my hand to help her to her feet, but she just shakes her head. “I’m good right here. I think I’ll stay here until dinner tonight.”
Now that I’m really looking at her, she looks pale, even more porcelain than usual, with dark circles under her eyes.
“Are you feeling ok? You look … off.”
“I’m fine. Just go back to camp.”
“Why are you being weird?” I cock my head to the side and study her.
“I’m not.”
“Whatever you say.” I roll my eyes and pull the hem of my shirt over my head. Extending my hand once again, I say, “Come on, it’s time for swimming lessons. I’m not taking no for an answer.” I pull her up and grab my spear, hoping to kill two birds with one stone. I can’t leave Gwen alone on this island without knowing for certain that she’s able to swim if she needs to. And if I can give her a spearing lesson, we won’t have to worry about dinner either.
“You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope. But the faster you learn, the quicker I’ll leave you alone so you can growl and hiss in peace.”
“I don’t hiss, but if you’re not careful, you may get scratched.”
“Trust me; I can practically feel the murder in your eyes right now,” I admit. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. Can we get this over with already?”
“Sure thing.” I lead the way, and she follows a few steps behind me, huffing and puffing the whole way until we reach a shallow tidepool just past the shore.
We have to wade through the clear waist-deep water to get to the tide pool. It gets deeper before it’s shallow, and the waves crest over Gwen’s head as she struggles to keep up with me.
“Come on,” I grab her around her small waist and pull her toward me until we finally get to a spot she can easily touch her feet on the ground. I look down at the white sand beneath our feet. Various shells and sea glass float by, and that’s when I see the most beautiful coral reef I’ve ever encountered. I dunk my head under water to get a better view, taking in the vibrant colors of nature. I’m so happy I have my camera with me. I’ve only got one fully charged battery left after this one, and I hope to use it for at least some of the escape plan. I’d like to document my time at sea when I’m in stable water, and it’ll keep me occupied.
“Gwen, hold on to my neck. There’s a coral reef a few meters ahead, and I think it’s shallow enough for you to touch.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea …” She sucks in a shaky breath as a wave crashes into us. “Won’t there be fish, and … I don’t know, predators near the fish?”
I hold up my spear. “I’ve got a weapon. Come on,” I plead. “When do you think you’ll ever get another chance to see something so incredible?”
She thinks it over for a minute and eventually nods. I can’t help but grin. This is exactly the kind of shit I live for. It’s the reason I do this. While everyone else learns about the earth from the Discovery Channel, I’m wading in the ocean and seeing it firsthand.
I swim toward the reef with ease as Gwen clings tightly to my back. Once we’re within a few feet, I set her down, testing to see if she can stand. It’s close, but if she stands on her tiptoes, she can keep her mouth above the water.
“Just stay here for a second, ok? I’m going to swim under the surface and see if I can get some shots of the reef up close.” I place my hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “I’ll be right back up. You can even watch me; the water’s so clear.”
“Just hurry up. It’s freezing, and something slimy just touched my leg.”
“Ok, why don’t you practice your breaststroke while I’m down there. Remember, it’s like this.” I show her, and she rolls her eyes.
“Fine. But hurry.”
Without answering, I dunk underwater and make my way toward the reef.
Mountains of bright pink coral weave through the water, and many different fish swim in and out of the coral’s crevasses. I see anemones and eels and even some clownfish. When I make it to the very bottom, I’m startled when a bright pink octopus shoots its ink and jets off away from me. The ink pools together and then fades as if it’s drawing a circle around something. I maneuver a little closer and find a large clam shell sitting alone as if it were placed there just for me. I quickly shove it into my shorts pocket. I’m never going to pass up an easy source of protein. I swim up for air for a brief moment and make my way back down, bringing the spear with me this time. If I see a big enough fish, we may actually get full tonight.
