Page 5 of The Summer Island Swap
‘Good morning at work?’ I asked.
Amy’s lips upturned. ‘The best. You should have seen this owner’s face when she came to pick up her dog, Brutus – he’s a feisty Chihuahua…’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘He’s been so ill after eating a large bar of chocolate. He almost didn’t make it, but turned a corner after a night on an intravenous drip. Mrs Smith couldn’t stop crying when he swiped her with his paw like he always used to.’ Amy picked up some strands of melted cheese from her plate. ‘She’s a really interesting woman and works for a company that makes jewellery out of recycled household objects such as knitting needles, cutlery and vinyl records. I’m going to buy something small out of what’s left of my winnings. I think it’s fantastic, the difference businesses like that are trying to make.’ Amy stuffed the gooey splodge of cheese into her mouth and then looked at me, embarrassed.
‘I’d better take that plate off you before you lick the pattern off it,’ I said and grinned as she pretended to hide it.
‘Do you remember when you got back from guide camp, pizza was the first meal you craved?’ she said. ‘You declared you could never face eating another marshmallow or barbecued sausage again. I was so jealous. Roughing it was – and still is – my idea of heaven.’
‘Yes, I had fun on that trip.’
‘Did you? Honestly? Ten days in the outdoors, away from your bubble baths and neatly ironed clothes?’ Amy stared.
‘We slept outside, under the stars one night. I’ve never forgotten how dark the sky is, away from city lights. So pretty.’ I leant back into the cushions. ‘It was great, not having to bath every night and keep my hair tidy. Building dens. Learning about orienteering. The sense of freedom was brilliant.’
Amy gave me a curious look.
‘But you wouldn’t want to go on that camp now, would you?’
I shrugged. ‘Grown-up life can become complacent. I need to be more adventurous. That’s why it’s time for me to really go for a new job. Not that I’m desperate to leave Best Travel. It’s not awful,’ I said and forced a laugh. ‘I’m just ambitious, that’s all…’ I picked up our plates and hurried into the kitchen before Amy could ask any more questions. I fed Nelly her evening snack and relished the lingering smell of cheese, tomato and oregano. When I returned to the living room, Amy was sitting at the table in front of her laptop. I headed over and she snapped it shut.
‘Holiday secrets,’ she said and beamed.
I smiled and went into my bedroom to unpack my new clothes. When I came back Amy was still in front of her screen.
‘I’ve just paid the full amount. There’s no room for second thoughts now.’
‘Good! Although there’s no worry on that score – whywouldn’tI want to go?’
‘No reason. I… I just hope I’ve done the right thing; chosen the best holiday.’
She bit a fingernail. A habit from childhood. She didn’t do it often now.
‘How could you not have?’ I said and squeezed her shoulder. ‘Like I said earlier – you’re older now… it’s time I took some adventures. I’ll have fun whatever this exotic stay brings.’
She caught my eye, thought for a moment and gave a thumbs-up.
‘And you’ve put so much thought into next month. It’s not as if you’ve made a spontaneous, last-minute booking.’
Amy’s cheeks reddened and she grinned. Looking more like her usual cheerful self, she stood up and gave me a hug.
3
‘Please tell me you’re joking,’ I said, my mouth feeling as if it were lined with beach sand. I’d just woken up with a crick in my neck, due to falling asleep against the aeroplane’s window. ‘What sort of name is Beef Island Airport, anyway?’ I yawned and snuggled down again, this time on Amy’s shoulder. ‘The island we’re landing on is actually called Tortola.’
Twenty-two hours – that’s how long we’d been in the air, to get to one of the few Virgin Islands with a main airport. And now I’d just found out we still had to take a trip across the ocean when we landed, to get to our particular destination that Amy was still keeping secret.
Twenty-two hours of lying to my sister about what happened yesterday at work. Well, not lying exactly. I just hadn’t found the right moment to share the bad news.
‘I know, exciting isn’t it?’ said Amy and flicked through a travel guide. She was looking at photos of geckos and pelicans. I watched how she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she concentrated, like she’d used to as a little girl. It was me who’d read her a bedtime story after Mum passed away.
‘Strictly speaking it’s called the Terrance B Lettsome Airport now,’ she said. ‘I believe the name Beef Island came from the fact that a nearby bay was where people stocked up with food for long voyages, in the eighteenth century – smoked beef being a staple.’ Amy smiled at the air steward who came past to make sure everyone was wearing their seat belt, in preparation to land. Not that there was any need as I’d already subtly checked my sister’s. I rubbed my neck and gazed out of the window. My stomach fluttered as the aeroplane decreased its height.
It began to sink in.
We were really doing this.
I was on the cusp of enjoying the holiday of a lifetime. I hadn’t been on an aeroplane or sailed since my last holiday with Dad. I’d been sixteen and had run out of excuses to stay at home, despite having applied for a summer camp. Dad had a business meeting at a potential client’s villa in Monaco and wanted to showcase his picture-perfect family to help close the deal. It was Amy who finally persuaded me – or rather begged. Teenage hormones had just hit and she’d become even more sensitive to his hurtful comments.
Picture-perfect.
