Page 18 of Strictly Friends
Against the wall was a plump sofa in a sea-green paisley fabric with emerald cushions propped at each end. Irregularly shaped and colourfully blended rugs and woven mats were scattered over the wood flooring, and at the far end of the room, a tall lamp with a black-and-white harlequin shade stood close to glass doors leading out to a private terrace. While MissIda rummaged through the drawer of one of several steel-blue filing cabinets, Ruby’s attention was caught by a large poster on the wall. The aerial view of Sorrel Island brought its perfectly heart-shaped outline into such stark relief against the surrounding blue sea that Ruby couldn’t help the tiny gasp that escaped her.
MissIda glanced up from her search and smiled at Ruby’s open-mouthed astonishment.
‘It’s real pretty, don’t you think?’
‘It’s incredible! We saw the island from the plane, but I thought it was just a trick of the eye.’
MissIda paused her search and eyed her thoughtfully. ‘Have you heard the legend of Sorrel Island and why it’s shaped like a heart?’
What Rubyhadheard was enough folklore from Auntie Pearl’s Caribbean and African friends to anticipate what was coming, and she shook her head with a smile. ‘Let me guess. It involves magic of some kind, am I right?’
‘Most definitely, Ruby.’ MissIda nodded, studying the poster thoughtfully with her head tilted to one side. ‘Sorrel Island is a place of love and healing. You might even call it an enchanted island.’
‘Well, it’s a beautiful island, no question, butenchanted? Really?’ Ruby didn’t even try to hide her scepticism.
‘Oh yes,’ MissIda assured her. ‘The legend of Sorrel Island has passed down through generations of islanders and it goes right back to the days of the slave trade, when people were forced on to ships and brought over from Africa to labour on sugar cane and cotton plantations. The story goes that two enslaved young people sent to work in a sugar cane plantation on a Caribbean island fell deeply in love. The girl was beautiful, and soon caught the attention of the plantation master. In those times, you couldn’t even look up at plantation owners, and an enslaved man could get whipped to death or lynched just for showing interest in a woman a white planter had earmarked for himself. So, knowing they faced certain death unless they ran away, the couple planned their escape, and one night they made it to the coastline without being recaptured. According to the legend, they found a small boat and sailed out to sea, preferring to die together in the ocean rather than accept the fate that awaited them back on the plantation. They drifted for days with no food and only the water they had brought with them, and with no land in sight, they had all but given up when an island magically appeared out of the sea. When they washed up on to the beach, they found a paradise of freshwater streams, fruits, and berries. Sorrel trees grow in abundance around the island and are known for their natural healing power, and so with everything they needed to survive, the young couple lived as free people for the rest of their lives. So, you see, Ruby, Sorrel Island was created as an enchanted refuge for lovers and that is why it’s shaped in the symbol of love.’
As MissIda recounted the story, her voice grew dreamier, and the years appeared to fall away. Observing the woman’s shining eyes and delicate features, it was easy for Ruby to see why Marty had fallen so hard for his wife. But while Ruby didn’t buy MissIda’s fanciful explanation for the island’s curious quirk of geology, there was no denying Sorrel Island had provided a refuge for the young couple fleeing deep racism in the American South.
Almost as if her thoughts had drifted in the same direction as Ruby’s, MissIda said softly, ‘When I met Marty, my heart knew right away that he was the one for me, and it was just the same for him. You know, Ruby, every heart has its twin, and hundreds of years ago, those two young lovers knew they had found the other half of theirs and were prepared to die if they couldn’t be together.’
‘Well, it’s certainly a charming story –ifyou believe in magic,’ Ruby conceded, trying to be diplomatic.
‘Are you in love, Ruby?’
Caught off-guard by the unexpected question, Ruby spluttered, ‘Er... I don’t think so... I mean,no, definitely not!’
‘Then you’re going to find love here,’ MissIda stated, her Auntie Pearl-like conviction putting paid to further argument. She extracted a small cellophane-wrapped card from the cabinet and handed it over.
‘The instructions are in the leaflet, sweetheart, and you can use the code to call wherever you like without paying a fortune. Stay here if you need some privacy to make your calls, and I’ll go and watch young Jake.’
MissIda headed for the door and as she went to open it, Ruby blurted out, ‘MissIda, I know it’s a bit of a long shot, but – would you happen to know someone called Kendrick – or Kenny – Baptiste?’
MissIda turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. ‘Sure, I know Kenny. He stayed here for a while when he first came to the island. Is he a friend of yours?’
‘We-ell, in a manner of speaking, although I haven’t seen him for quite some time,’ Ruby admitted after a momentary hesitation.
It was obvious from MissIda’s shrewd look that she wasn’t fooled by Ruby’s artless expression. ‘NowI see the resemblance. That sweet boy is Kenny’s son, ain’t he?’ she asked softly.
Ruby hesitated and then nodded. ‘The thing is, Kenny doesn’t know we’ve arrived, and I’ve only got his work phone number. I-I thought maybe I should call him first to let him know we’re on the island?’
MissIda pursed her lips and then shook her head decisively. ‘I don’t see what good a phone call’s gonna do when Kenny’s only twenty minutes away. He’s usually down at the marina in Sugar Bay unless he’s taking folks cruising around the island. Zeke’ll be over shortly to fix a fence round the back for me; he can drive you down to Kenny’s before he gets started.’
‘Oh... er, thank you,’ said Ruby, dazed by the speed with which things were moving. She had been secretly hoping to buy more time before confronting Kenny but that was evidently not going to happen.
‘I’ll tell Zeke to come find you when he gets here, sweetheart.’ With an encouraging smile, MissIda walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Left alone with a chest that suddenly felt constricted, Ruby took her phone out of her shorts pocket, her fingers fumbling clumsily as she ripped open the cellophane packet.Keep it together, Rubes!Having travelled this far, she reminded herself, it was time to get the job done.
12
Within an hour, Ruby and Jake were in Zeke’s yellow taxi, speeding along the coastal road towards Sugar Bay. A subdued Jake had opted to sit in the back with his mother and as soon as they left Paradise Inn, his hand crept into Ruby’s. Zeke’s initial attempts to draw Jake into conversation had fallen flat, and eventually the three of them lapsed into silence.
Ruby stared blindly out of the window at the passing scenery, her pulse picking up speed with every mile. Knowing she was minutes away from confronting a man she had once loved but hadn’t seen in years felt surreal. There was a time when she had been consumed by the idea of bumping into Kenny, imagining what she would say when their paths eventually crossed. She had rehearsed lines that would be both cutting and witty; each word painstakingly selected to wound, while also showing how well they had managed without him. She had even practised in front of a mirror to perfect the look of disdain that would convey her unspeakable contempt for his cowardice in disappearing without a word of explanation.
But that was then.
This trip is about Jake, and not about you, Ruby told herself sternly in a bid to get her racing heartbeat under control. Her son would be present when she found herself in front of Kenny, and however tempting it might be to launch into a blistering tirade oreven, God forbid, smack the man around his gutless face, she had to put Jake’s feelings first.
