was nothing for him to worry about, and now she was silently freaking out. Do not panic she told herself, just move slowly towards the boat.
The two made it safely to the ladder and climbed up. Once safe, they both sighed with relief. Maria looked over at Sam, who was still sweating bullets, and started to laugh. She could not help it. He started getting mad at her, which made her laugh even more.
“Maria, I am not kidding, stop it! That just about gave me a god damn heart attack. I have never been so fucking scared in my life.”
Maria had to control herself, the best she could, but the expression on his face and how large his eyes got, was priceless. The rest of the day was uneventful.
The days seemed to fly bye. The three going about their business. Maria liked to spend part of her day reading and working on crossword puzzles; when she was not sunbathing and relaxing, listening to the water and feeling the sun shining on her bronze skin. Sam puttered around, fixing things, and looking at maps and charts. He would sometimes do business work, and would join her with the crossword puzzles after, which always helped Maria, as he was a wiz with the puzzles.
After several weeks, Maria, containing herself no longer had to ask.
“Sumshi, how much longer do you think it will be?”
“Mam, I think we should be there in just a day or so.” He replied.
“Oh my God Sam! We are really going to be there. I cannot believe I’ve been reading about this Island for months, and now in less than two days, we’ll be there. What do you think it will be like? I hope it is just as wonderful as the book says. Maybe we will discover something; an unknown animal or even a lost tribe that never got cultivated by the white man. This could really be something big, Sam.” Maria was rambling on as she stood along the railing, gazing out into the horizon.
“I suppose that could be, Maria, but I doubt it. Who would travel this far out and furthermore, who could possibly survive out here? How big is this Island anyway?” Sam asked, with a slight hesitation to what he would hear. Sam never thought to ask too many questions about this trip. He was just so excited that she wanted to do this, and now he wondered, maybe there is a reason why this is an Island that no one knows about.
He went to Maria and encircled his arms around her tiny waist.
“Maybe it will be a paradise, with waterfalls and hot springs. I could really use a nice freshwater dip right now.” A smile coming across Sam’s face thinking that it’s better to think and wish for the best.
“Well, according to the stories the Island sounds like it is quite large, with rainforests and waterfalls. I am not sure of its exact size. I gave Sumshi the map to study. He asked me just prior to leaving. I know that the description sounds beautiful; although nowhere in the story does it mention any living animals or people. Just a legend that no one has ever pursued it.”
“What exactly is this legend about?” Sam asked, with a real curiosity this time.
“Well, it’s kind of a long and confusing story, as much of the information I found was in bits and pieces. I sort of had to piece it all together and draw my own conclusion. It is said that the Island is like a paradise of knowledge. Something like going to the highest peak of a mountain and glancing down upon the world and somehow knowing everything about your existence in that one moment. You are in awe of the world and nothing, but perfection and beauty fills your eyes. If you know the meaning of Euphoria, then you will understand the meaning of knowledge. It describes a lot of natural beauty, waterfalls, and lush greenery, with all sorts of tropical flowers and plants. It is supposed to be an Island completely untouched. I am not sure who documented all this information. Someone had to have gone to the island to get the description unless it’s just a fantasy. Gee Sam, maybe we really are going to be the first people to set foot on it.”
“Well, you never know, right?” he commented. “Supposedly, in the center of the island, there is a mass of crystals, that form the heart of the island. That is why it is called the Crystal Core. The crystals are supposed to be the finest and rare, making them the most valuable ever. The legend says that there is only one entrance to the core, where one can absorb the beauty of the crystals and the sight alone is the most healing and peaceful experience a soul can encounter and will leave those who see it with eternal peace and having full knowledge of their life.”
“Ghee, doll, this sounds like an expedition into the unknown,” Sam said, as he started rubbing the beads of sweat off his forehead.
“It’s all really quite amazing, and other than my first findings, there was little information on it. After I took the book home and read it, I went back to see if they knew any more about it. The bookstore had no idea the book existed. They could not find a record of it. I do not know Sam, but it was just so intriguing to me that I had to figure it out. I have not been so wrapped up in anything like this before. I literally could not put this book down. I feel like this Island contains all the answers that I have been looking for. And honestly, there really has not been anyone that shares my interest in this sort of thing.”
Sam shifted a little. “Well, hey Maria, what am I, dear?”
“Oh Sam, I didn’t mean it like that. You have been a great friend, and yes, you have always been there, but this is different. This is something bigger than me. I would like to think others could relate, but maybe it is something only I must deal with. All I know, is that this is what I have been waiting for, all my life. This trip, I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me, and Sam, I really thank you for taking me here, and not ridiculing me or asking me questions I can’t answer.” Maria turned to Sam.
He hugged her and took her chin in his hands and lifted it to his. He kissed her gently on the nose. They had a great friendship and he loved her dearly.
“Well love, we’ll have the pleasure of seeing this Island soon. Hey, maybe there will be something there for me. Let us get some sleep though. Hey, Sumshi, are you all set? Let us call it a night.” Sam yelled down to Sumshi.
“Okay, as soon as I finish the dishes and the deck needs to be secured Sam.” Sumshi responded.
“Sam, you get the deck all set and I’ll help him downstairs.” Maria started clearing the table and headed down below.
“As usual Sumshi, you prepared a great meal. You know you can join us for dinner on the nights that Sam does not have something all planned. I feel guilty eating while you are down here. How about you join us tomorrow? I insist.” Maria smiled, while helping him clean up.
“Thank you, mam.”
“Do you ever get bored taking care of Sam and all his crazy adventures? You seem so carefree about things. Don’t you miss your family and friends?”
“I have worked with Sam for an awfully long time. He takes good care of me. I grew up working on a cruise line. We were at sea months at a time; so, I know the sea very well, and that helps Sam.”
“Boy, that must have given you quite the experience. I can imagine it being remarkably interesting, but I am sure that it was hard work. I have been on a cruise a few times and always wondered about the crew on board. It was nice to be taken care of so well, but I always felt a little guilty, because it seemed like so much work for them and it made me wonder what that life was like for them. I thought it might be hard to be away from their family.” Maria added.
“My family also worked on the ship; we did it all together. It was hard work, but it was what we had to do to survive. Our country is extremely
