Chapter 8

I awoke to the sounds of the gentle surf and another fine morning. The sky was overcast, but the temperature was just right. I thoroughly enjoyed going through my morning rituals and then waited for Anna to make her appearance. This time I would be watching for her.

When I saw her coming down the path, my heart gave a little leap. It was a feeling that I had not experienced for a long, long time. I quickly rose to greet her.

"Dobra-ye ootra," I said with a big smile.

"Dobra-ye ootra," she responded. "I see you study Russian language, kharasho."

That was a new word I would need to look up. I put a small pack on my back and we headed down the trail that led to the lighthouse. From what I could figure, it was about a mile away.

I asked Anna about her evening and learned that she had spent the time profitably with her family. I told her that I had enjoyed a book on the beach. She responded by saying that maybe next time I could come with her and meet her relatives.

It was a beautiful walk to the tower. The sun broke through the clouds at various times and highlighted that specific shade of green that make a morning walk so special. The birds seemed to be extra happy, as we were serenaded with a wide range of songs. In response to an inquiry from Anna, I explained where I lived and what I did for a living.

I stopped and pointed to a small sunny clearing. There stood a small deer, highlighted, as if by a spotlight. Anna smiled and studied the animal with great interest.

She whispered, "Back home that would make great meal."

I think the deer must have understood, because it suddenly jumped and disappeared into the brush.

We continued our hike and eventually began to get glimpses of the lighthouse through the trees. The path began to widen and it was not long before we arrived at the site, which was bordered by a fence. The structure was mainly a tall tower that grew narrower as it rose to the warning light above. Inside we found a spiral staircase that contained 187 steps. It wound up the tower until it finally reached an observation platform at the top. Just above that was the reason for the beacon, the prism light.

Anna climbed the stair with the grace of a mountain sheep. I followed after her. As we neared the top, we would occasionally need to wait on a landing while other visitors moved past us on their way down. Finally, we stepped out onto the external platform.

Anna let out a little gasp.

"It beautiful," she said.

And indeed it was. We had reached a level that was high above the treetops. Toward the ocean, it looked like a poster of some tropical shoreline. The beach was almost white. There was a variation in the shoreline that formed a small bay. The foliage contributed to the appearance of a much more exotic location.

We walked around the platform and proceeded to take in the various views. We spotted a large ship, far out on the ocean. The backside of the beacon provided a view of the treetops and an occasional marshy area. Anna found it all to be very interesting.

I asked another couple if they would take a picture of us. They were happy to oblige and I reciprocated by taking a picture of them also. After we had observed everything there was to see, we headed back down the staircase. At the base of the tower we toured some of the facilities buildings. We observed tools that had been used in the daily task of keeping the light in operation. That particular beacon had saved the lives of many sailors who otherwise may have been shipwrecked on the ocean.

We decided to walk back along the beach. We stopped to take off our shoes and marveled as the warm sand ran between our toes. We walked along the wet sand, just above where the water lapped at the shoreline. When we came across a picnic area, we stopped and I prepared our lunch.

While we ate the sandwiches and chips, we talked about our lives.

"How old you are?" Anna asked.

"I am thirty-five," I responded.

"I be twenty-nine," she offered.

There was a few years age difference, but not so much as to cause a problem.

I told her that I was divorced. She seemed surprised at that bit of information. I learned that she had married young, but her husband had been killed in Kosovo.

She asked me, "Is true that people are more important in your country than military equipment?"

I was surprised at the question, but answered, "Yes, it is true."

"That not true in my country," she responded with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"My husband hate to be in Kosovo and want badly to come home."

I saw a look on her face that I had not seen before. That beautiful face had lost its normal vibrancy. It was easy to see that the loss of her husband was a source of deep sorrow.

I also learned that she was only going to be around for a couple more days. Her cousin's vacation time was up and he had to return to work.

Now it was my turn to be sad.

Suddenly, I spotted a flash of pink. I looked out to see that a spoonbill had landed in a little bay, a short distance from our picnic table. I pointed it out to Anna and her eyes opened wide.

"What bird?" she asked.

"It's a spoonbill. Notice the wide rounded beak at the tip?" I commented.

"It pink," she said

"Yes, it is pink," was my response.

Her happy demeanor seemed to return and after that, we tended to stay clear of topics that would bring us down. We packed up our trash and dropped it off in a bin, then headed on down the beach.

When we arrived near my campsite, Anna asked, "We go in ocean?"

"Sure, I responded. Just let me change into my suit."

Anna headed back to the camper to change while I went to my tent. It wasn't too long before I spotted her heading my way.

There is absolutely no way that I would be able to describe what I saw walking toward me. Just let me say that it was an incredible sight. I cannot imagine how anyone could fill out a bikini better than the woman who was making her way in my direction.

"Why eyes so big," she asked with a bit of a tease in her voice.

"You look amazing," I stammered.

"You like," she asked.

"Uh huh," was my intelligent response.

"Let's go," she said as she took my hand in hers.

Her hand was so feminine. It felt so small and delicate. It was so different from many of the woman I knew. She was all the things that I had subconsciously hoped for in a woman, but had passed off as merely the dreams of fantasy.

When we arrived at the water's edge, she let go of my hand and plunged into the water. I followed. When I located where she had come up, I swam over to her. Reaching her, I grabbed her by the waist and lifted her in the air. She squirmed and giggled. I held her up as I turned in the surf.

When I let her down, she splashed water at me and then swam away. She was a very good swimmer. I pursued and eventually caught up with her. She splashed me and took off again.

This time, when I caught her, I grabbed her tight. I looked intently at her face, water streaming from her hair. Giggling, she looked up at me. Our eyes locked, and before I knew it, our lips were moving together.

It was one of the sweetest kisses I had ever experienced. I swear I felt a tingling in my lips. When we separated, I saw that Anna's eyes were closed. It was evident that she was lingering on the moment. Her eyes opened and she looked intently into mine. I liked what I saw. In those magnificent eyes, I saw an expression that could not be faked. I knew that she was falling for me also.

"Clint," she said softly. She didn't need to say anything else. I held her tight. I could feel her womanly body pressing close to mine. We held each other tight as if someone was trying to steal the other away.

Suddenly a rogue wave hit us and I almost lost my footing. Anna laughed and pushed away from me and ran toward shore. I quickly followed and slid next to her on the large beach towel. We didn't speak. We were both lost in our own thoughts.

I made up my mind; I was going to pursue this woman no matter what it took. I had found something in life that I wanted more than anything. I wasn't sure was of the path ahead, but I knew what the objective was.

"I need to go," Anna finally said.

"When can I see you again? I asked.

"Tomorrow, I have most of day free. I come by in morning."

This time she did something that she had not done before. She stepped close to me and lifted her face toward mine. She softly placed her hands on each side of my face. I instinctively responded and our lips touched in a warm and gentle caress. The she turned and walked away.