Page 40 of Strictly Friends
‘Nope.’ She shook her head. ‘Not today. Mac’s working on the background scenery, so I’m free as a bird.’
‘Zeke’s on his way over to drive me downtown. Why don’t you come with? You said you wanted some more pictures for the website.’
‘Now that, my friend, is a great idea,’ Ruby agreed. Downtown was one part of Sorrel Island she had yet to explore and, without Jake present, it would be a good opportunity to talk to Griffin about her mixed-up feelings when it came to Kenny.
‘I’ll fetch my camera and see you down here in a few minutes,’ she said happily, scooting past him to run up the stairs two at a time.
28
Downtown was a world away from Sorrel Island’s palm trees and pristine beaches. Leaving the now familiar coastal road, Zeke drove them further inland and before long they were on the main road leading to the commercial district.
Ruby opened her window and snapped a few shots as Zeke drove along a busy thoroughfare with narrow pavements crowded with people going in and out of shops selling a range of clothing and household goods.
‘This here’s Church Square,’ Zeke announced shortly after the taxi had navigated the congested roads leading into a busy central square. He pulled up in front of a tall, whitewashed building topped by a steeple and switched off the engine.
‘The business district and the harbour are that way,’ Zeke said, indicating one of the streets leading from the square. ‘If you folks want to walk round Central Park or visit the island museum, take that road over there. It’ll take you past Nathan’s department store, and you just keep going till you reach the park.’
Clearly having concluded his tour-guiding responsibilities, Zeke switched the engine on again and waited for them to step out of the car on to the dusty pavement. Reaching through the open window for the notes Griffin handed over, Zeke tipped hisstraw boater, pressed hard on his horn, and pulled out into the heavy stream of traffic.
Although it was warm with bright sunshine, any breeze coming in from the coast was trapped between the surrounding high-rise buildings, making the air feel thick and humid. The noise of the traffic and the crowds of people milling around also came as a shock after the serene beauty Ruby had come to associate with the island.
‘Where do you want to go first?’ Griffin asked, looking around the busy square.
Ruby was still trying to digest Zeke’s instructions, and she slipped on her sunglasses and checked the strap on her camera was secure.
‘I don’t know, you decide.’
‘Why don’t we check out the museum and park first, and then double back and head down to the harbour for lunch?’ Griffin suggested. ‘MissIda recommended trying one of the restaurants along the front. Apparently, they’re famed for their fresh fish and seafood.’
Downtown was clearly going to involve a lot of walking. Relieved to have swapped her heels for comfortable rubber-soled trainers, Ruby followed Griffin’s lead and they strolled out of Church Square and headed down the road Zeke had indicated. Judging from the packed pavements and the loud honking from cars and taxis stuck in slow-moving queues of traffic, the area was popular with both locals and a surprising number of tourists.
After being stopped for the third time by holidaymakers asking for directions, Ruby and Griffin exchanged rueful smiles.
‘Isn’t it ironic that we look more like we fit in over here than we do at home?’ Ruby observed wryly. ‘Still, it’s a relief to look like everyone else for a change and not be stared at the whole time.’
As they walked past a large department store, Griffin stopped to peer through the window. ‘I’m guessing this is Nathan’s. Do youfancy going in? From what I can see, it looks more like Tesco than Selfridges.’
Ruby grabbed his hand and pulled him along impatiently. ‘Come on, I want to see the museum. I’m hoping they’ll let me take some pictures inside.’
A few minutes later, they found themselves at a junction, facing the entrance to a huge expanse of parkland where tall trees and colourful shrubs could be seen behind high railings.
‘That must be Central Park.’ Ruby looked around, trying to remember Zeke’s instructions. ‘Look, there’s the museum over there.’
This time Ruby took the lead, striding towards the entrance to a single-storey red-brick building. Handing over a few dollars to the sleepy-looking cashier, they wandered through a series of air-conditioned, interconnecting rooms where Ruby took advantage of the security guards chatting among themselves to quickly snap pictures of a few exhibits. As they circled back to the museum entrance, she noticed a small crowd gathered in front of a display and waited for them to move away.
The exhibit, simply entitled ‘Legend’, was made up of a set of three paintings featuring a young Black couple. In the first painting, the couple were holding on to each other in a small boat being tossed on tempestuous waters. The second painting showed them walking together along a deserted beach, while the third depicted them building a cabin from twigs and giant fronds.
Griffin came up to Ruby as she took a few surreptitious shots of the exhibit. ‘MissIda told me all about this.’ Ruby pointed to a large placard below the exhibit detailing the legend of Sorrel Island, alongside a picture of the now familiar aerial view of the heart-shaped island.
‘She’s convinced it’s true and that this island is magic. Apparently, I’m going to find love here.’
‘Stranger things have happened,’ Griffin countered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. ‘I’m getting hungry. Shall we head to the harbour for lunch and do the park with Jake another day?’
Leaving the museum, they headed back past Church Square and onwards towards the harbour. The walk, longer than Ruby had expected, took them through the central business district of high-rise glass office buildings with nondescript facades, many of which housed lobbies with cash machines visible through the windows. The restaurants in the area looked rather more upmarket than the family establishments Kenny had taken them to, and clearly catered to a more corporate clientele.
Leaving the built-up business district, they passed through a quiet residential area with streets of apartment blocks, and as they drew closer to the harbour, the apartments gave way to bars and street-food stands. Hearing steel-band music blaring from the open doors of a row of barber shops and hair salons, Ruby stopped to take some snaps while Griffin leaned against a stone pillar with a martyred expression.
‘Okay, let’s go! I can tell from that face you’re starving,’ she laughed, linking her arm through his. ‘We should definitely bring Jake here before we leave, though. I really hope he’s having a good time with his dad, because I was worried Kenny wouldn’t show up today.’
