Chapter 6

I knew exactly how Adora felt. True I had never seen this island before and I had just found out about it very recently but I too could see the beauty and I felt as if I were home. I was about to say something when we heard a loud banging sound coming from inside the boat.

The banging sound was followed by Tali cussing in a few different languages, one I’m sure was Klingon. Then she yelled out, “Hey, Kimiko! What’s going on with your boat? Our Mom and our Step-Dad won’t be too happy if you’ve broken another one. And this one’s brand new.”

Kim came out of whatever the room’s called that you pilot the boat from and yelled out, “Hey that first one was an accident. And I’ve told you not to call me Kimiko. Besides, this boat isn’t brand new. It’s used. The previous owner warned us that something might happen. Never should have bought this without checking it out first. I told Mom and Dad that. Jeez. This is the last time we buy a boat while still in the air on the way to said boat. I brought the tools to fix ... Uh, where’s my tool bag?”

June, Emma, and Adora all looked panicked. Raven, on the other hand, looked calm as she said, “Don’t worry about tools. There should be some on the island. We keep all kinds of tools there for emergencies like this. We’ll just have to take your life raft to the shore and find them and then bring them back. I’d say, Will, and one other person, and I can fit on one of your life rafts on the first trip. While the rest can stay here.”

“That sounds great. I’ll go with you so I can get the correct tools.” Kim told Raven.

“Isn’t the captain supposed to stick with the ship? Especially if there’s a chance it goes down?” June asked angrily.

“Ha. That doesn’t go for this kind of boat. Besides, who else would know what kind of tools to get?” Kim shot back at June.

“Easy girls. Don’t make me call for help already. We just got here. With what I know of Dave Safely I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s keeping an eye and ear out for any kind of transportation distress calls that five people could be making. He may be keeping a watch out for any distress calls involving women who don’t know how to go without breaking a boat or other transportation. We don’t want to give our location away so soon do we? Despite any precautions, you may have taken. That man has messed with my family enough too, you know,” shouted Tali.

“You have a point there Tali. Except for one thing. We can easily settle this. Let me take a look at the engine. I’ve learned a thing or two about engine repair and care. My ex-husband never trusted any mechanic, and he has been paranoid for a long time that someone would place tracking devices in his car or boats or even his favorite yacht,” Raven chuckled at that. “So he appointed me to learn what I could about engines for cars and boats and other things. Besides, I think Kim should stay with the boat. We do need someone who knows what they’re doing here. Just in case of an emergency. Besides, I think that if anyone should go with Will and me, it should be Adora. This was her birthplace after all. It’s a good thing I didn’t take that sleeping pill earlier. Or I wouldn’t be able to help out now.” Raven informed everyone.

Tali looked pleased with what Raven had said but Kim, on the other hand, didn’t. It took Raven a few minutes to look the engine over and she seemed confident that she’d be able to find the tools needed on the island. While she checked the engine over she had me blow up the inflatable life raft.

“Why did Dave have you learn this stuff and not Will? I thought Dave wanted his women to be delicate arm candy. Or to be barefoot and pregnant. Not someone who was smarter than him in any area.” Kim muttered.

“Normally that would have been correct. But before he became so paranoid Dave always insisted on only women mechanics working on his cars and such. I think he thought it would make the ladies believe if he could afford fancy stuff like that, it meant he had a big package in his pants. Crazy I know.” Raven explained. And under her breath, I could swear she said, “too bad it was so small and he didn’t know how to use it.”

Raven and Kim chuckled at that but Tali remained mostly emotionless. She did turn a little red though. After that statement, it was quickly agreed upon that Adora was the one to go along with us to the island. As we rowed away I looked back. Kim was looking after us and June was glaring angrily at Kim.

When we were out of earshot of the boat I said, “Things are going to get interesting if Tali and Kim get stuck on the island with us.”

“True. Although it has been nice talking with someone outside of the family for once. We haven’t been free of that man for long but we’re already able to do so much we weren’t allowed to do before.” As if an afterthought. “Will, just in case we are stuck here with those two girls, keep an eye on June and make sure she’s not alone with Kim for long. We don’t want any fights on our hands.”

I was about to respond to Raven’s comment when I noticed that Adora was looking a little off. So I asked, “Feeling seasick?”

Adora looked in my direction but still avoided direct eye contact as she said, “There aren’t sharks in these w ... wa ... waters are there?”

“I wouldn’t think so. This is the wrong season for them to be in this area. Due to migration, water temperature, and the mating season, the sharks should be farther that way.” I said pointing in the direction we came from. “By quite a few miles.”

I had checked the area and different reports and many other things beforehand. I knew that some of our group really loved swimming and would want to know about any dangers of swimming around our island. I thought it would be helpful to check different things. It took about ten minutes to get to the island from the boat. And when we did Adora almost looked as if she had been spinning around in circles. Luckily it didn’t take long for that to stop. Of course, it stopped when she fell down on her behind.

“I’m going to stay here for a while. You two can go on without me.” Adora whimpered at us.

Raven suppressed a laugh and said, “You may want to move about ten or twenty feet further into the island. The tide is going to be coming in soon.”

Adora sat up a few inches and then went back down. She held up her arms and said, “One of you will have to drag me then. The evil waves of the ocean have killed me. At least I’m way too dizzy to walk.”

Raven just looked at me with a smile on her face and nodded. So instead of dragging Adora by her arms, I dragged her by her legs up the beach. Mostly because her head was in the direction of the water and her legs were towards the land. The entire way there she didn’t move but from the look on her face when I first started to drag her I could tell she had been surprised. When we stopped she played dead.

Raven then said, “We’ll probably need to do some repairs but the building just over there with the round top has a beautiful swimming pool in it. You know for the days when the sharks are in the ocean around our island.”

When Raven mentioned a swimming pool Adora sat up in a flash. She was looking in the direction Raven was pointing.

I laughed then said, “I guess the evil waves of the ocean have failed to kill the lovely Adora. No worries, I’ll protect you.”

Adora went back to laying on the beach, “I can only see trees. I’ll lay here for a while longer.”

“Of course you only see trees. Especially when you’re sitting or laying down in that spot. It’ll take two, maybe three minutes to get there from here if you’re walking at a leisurely pace. But you can rest there if you’d like.”

Raven and I started to walk farther into the island. We looked back and Adora hadn’t gotten up so we walked more. It didn’t take long for us to hear someone following us. Raven looked back once more and then she gave me a look that said she figured Adora would end up following us. When we got to the building with the swimming pool the doors were locked.

When Adora looked disappointed Raven said, “There will be keys for this building in what I plan to be our home. You’ll get your chance to swim soon enough. Besides, I think your belly needs a little more time to settle down. I swear you were looking a little green on the beach.”

Adora looked as if she were about to argue but then she remained silent. We finally reached the building with the tools. Luckily it wasn’t locked. And again we were lucky that we found the tools we needed. At least hopefully they were all the tools we needed. She then opened a small notebook, took out a piece of paper, and wrote something on it. And folded it then placed it in her jacket pocket.

As we were getting ready to leave I stopped Raven, “That notebook that you just used. Isn’t that the one I got you for your birthday when I was a little kid? I recognized the cartoon character on the front that I drew for you.”

She looked back and said, “Hmm. I think so. It was one of the few things Dave allowed me to bring with me when he kicked me out of the house to give birth to Adora. I wanted something that I cared about close to me.” She walked back and picked it up. “I left it here because I knew he would search me to make sure I didn’t bring anything back from my little ‘Work trip’. He only wanted me to bring back the clothes I had on my back. I didn’t want him to read anything I had in it. I can’t believe I forgot about it until now.”

“Can I see it?” asked Adora.

Adora actually looked excited. And that was strange to me. Strange but wonderful. It’s not an emotion I was used to seeing on her face. She looked a little disappointed though when she found out that what Raven had written in the notebook had been in a made-up coded language. After Adora handed back the notebook we began to walk back towards the beach. We stopped at the Pool Building. I laughed when I saw a sign that I hadn’t seen on our way here. The name on the sign literally said The Pool Building.

Raven stopped and looked at me and said, “I think Adora should stay on the island instead of going back to the boat and waiting for it to get fixed. I don’t want her to get seasick again. Will, can you stay here with her?”

“Sure. I’d love to spend time with her. Should we head on to our new home while we wait for everyone?” I asked.

“I don’t think that would be necessary. Besides, our home is about two miles away.” Raven then walked to the door and moved one of the wooden signs next to the door and picked up an item that had been hiding there. She placed that object and the piece of paper she had tucked away in her pocket earlier in my hand. “Read that once you get inside.” She then kissed me on the cheek and Adora on the forehead. “Do you think you can take care of Will for me?”

Adora looked at me then back at Raven and nodded, “It’ll be hard work but I think I can manage that.”

I took a look at what she had placed in my hand and smiled when I noticed that it was a key. And sure enough, it was the key to the building. Adora and I walked inside. We were surprised when we noticed that it was clean and the pool already had clean water in it. I then took a look at the note. It said, “When I found out that I had inherited the island I called my sister to talk to her about it. She had informed me that people were still coming here to do the upkeep on some of the buildings. But we’ll have to do some on the buildings they didn’t touch. My Daddy had set up one of his businesses that my brother is running to pay the people who have been working here. Show Adora a good time. It’ll be a long while before the boat is fixed. When you fell asleep last night after we made the sweetest love of my life and we agreed to bring the family here I called ahead and made sure there were some items here waiting for you and Adora.”

We looked around and found that on one of the benches there were swimsuits. And something else. A bottle of ointment. The kind that Adora applies to her scars. Wow. Raven really did plan ahead. I had picked up my swimsuit and was looking it over when Adora tugged on my shirt. She pointed to the spot her suit had previously been. And in the spot, she was pointing at was a small packet. Inside the sealed packet was a condom. I was mystified. Had Raven really intended for Adora and me to have sex? Or was that left here by accident by the people who left the suits? What was Raven thinking? Then again we were on our own private island country. And she and I actually had sex ourselves. So maybe she had wanted this.

Adora placed her swimsuit next to the condom and picked up the small packet. I was then beyond surprised I was shocked and dumbfounded at the next words out of her mouth, “Can we use this Will? Please?”

My jaw dropped. And when I spoke I said, “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

She looked mad. And that’s a look I’ve never seen on her before. Ever.

She shouted out, “But you had sex with MOM. You didn’t use a condom with her. And you even came inside of her. That’s not fair. I’ve wanted to do this with you for a long time.” Her eyes went wide and she quickly sat on the bench and covered her face. “I’m so sorry. I ... I ... I...” she started crying.

I sat down next to her and placed an arm around her, “That’s alright. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Besides, I’m impressed. That’s actually one of the longest times I’ve ever heard you talk without stammering or stuttering around me. But for now, do you think it would be okay just to swim? It would give me time to think about ... Well, you know.”

She nodded then three feet from me she started to take her top off. I got to her as quickly as I could and grabbed onto her arms.