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A Quite Day On The Beach
I often go to a quite little beach were I know I will be all alone to do all my thinking. I could walk, swim, read, write at will.
Sitting beside me is my handbag full of everything but the kitchen sink plus my ruck-sack with my sandwiches, flask coffee crisps, bag of oranges and a bottle of coke. A book to read, a note pad and pen just incase I wanted to read or write some letters more than likely neither. I was all set for the day. Oh this is heaven
Basking in the sun is really what I like doing best.
I felt something on my face tried to brush it off then I felt myself drifting and drifting and then nothing.
I came to, with such a pounding head I opened my eyes and thought I am moving then reliesed it was not me moving but the boat I was on. I laid there for what seemed a long time just to try to clear my head and right get my bearings. Beside me someone had put all of my belongings I suppose as not to leave any trace of me on the beach.. I could hear voices up the stairs that were in front of me so I crept to them and climbed the first 2 so as I could get a view of them, 3 in fact. They seemed to be looking at a chart of some kind and getting annoyed at each other. I was starting to feel a bit angry at these three men as what was I doing on this boat. Before I charged up the steps I had a look around in the draws and cupboards found clothes that yes fitted me so I put on a pair of shorts over my bathing costume and found also a t-shirt. By this time I was ready to confront my abductors. On the cabin door was a small axe I suppose to break open a door if it ever jammed. I had a quick thought that this might come in handy later maybe to be used against one of the abductors, so I put it in my rucksack and carried on up the steps.
I was very afraid of these men but I hoped to god that it was not showing. I shouted above them and said what the hell am I doing on this boat? Why did you bring me.? Where are you taking me? But they just looked at me and shrugged there shoulders. Then of course I understood, they could not understand me as these men were Dominicans and I could not speak their language. They just turned away and carried on with their arguing which left me really gutted as I was no further on as to why I was here.
I sat on a seat on deck and looked out to the ocean and thought well maybe I should just jump off into the sea but then shuddered and decided not to. I spoke to the men again and made them understand I wanted a life jacket. They gave me one! well there’s a start I thought. I did feel much better now.
All the time I was trying to see the chart to see if I could find out where we were going. I gave a thought to who was driving the boat and guessed maybe they had put it on auto pilot as this was a lovely yacht not there’s I think possibly stolen like me.
We had been going for about 4 hours when all of a sudden there was a tremendous noise scraping on rocks maybe. I just froze to the seat but the three men just ran passed me down the stairs and into the cabin to check the damage I suppose, me I just could not think what I was going to do but it did not take long to decide as then the boat started to go down and I sure as hell was not going down with it.
So with my life jacket ruck-sack on my back and my handbag over my head and shoulder I jumped off the side and swam away from the boat as fast as possible.
I watched in horror as the boat was going down and thought of the three men but they did not given a dam about me did they? but it was just a waste of lives.
I got my thoughts together and saw a lot of debris from the boat floating and thought if I would be able to use anything to cling to.
There was an ice box which I thought might be handy to put my bag and ruck-sack in so I swam to it and managed to get my things in it. There was the long piece of cushion that was floating by so I grabbed that as well. Now I started to panic were was I going? STOP! Think, look around, what can you see? OH!! there are trees far away in the distance maybe a port or something,so I thought if I take two days to get there so what at least then I would be home a dry as I thought.
I swam some rested some for all of three days had my coffee which kept me warm for a few hours at a time. Each time a new day broke I thought that I might have drifted away from where I wanted to go but some one was looking after me up there in that big blue sky.
“I MADE IT”
After three days very tired hungry and all alone. Found it was only a small Island just big enough for me but I was safe now, tired but safe. I was alive, that’s all that mattered
I waded in and went on my knees and prayed which I had not done for many a year.
I then sat and looked “Oh my god” This really is only an Island. I just got up ran around and looked to see if I was all alone. I was it seemed.
My lack of sleep got the better of me so took all my things and went beside a rock which was out the way from maybe the incoming tide and made a bed from the long cushion and used my towel from my ruck-sack to cover me, they were wet but who cared it was not cold and the rock sheltered me from the little breeze.
I woke from my much needed sleep and thought I am starving. I looked in the ice box found biscuits and of cause a big bottle of Rum a big bottle of Whisky and a six pack beer. I thought well I might have guessed Dominicans don’t go far without there drink. I still had my sandwiches which I had the good sense to put in a zip lock bag to keep the sand away and they were well not fresh but five days old now. I just had two of them to keep me going.
I will really have to start making plans for how I am going to survive. First I had to dig a deep hole away from were I was going to live. This was for a toilet I hid all my things in an open cave, not far from were I had slept then went off to explore. I felt just like a child a bit
Apprehensive of what I might find or who. There were coconuts, bananas, papaya lots of ground roots, something that looked like onions, and would you believe a little fresh stream. Oh!! I thought Fresh water to drink I could fill my flask and coke bottle everyday, this would give me enough.
I could not find any sign of anybody else on this island.
I am glad I came to the island on the other side as where I was looking it was very rocky and hard to climb.
Now I had to find real shelter for me to live in and to keep me dry for when it rained.
I put my wraparound on the sand and put out all the worldly goods. I really did not believe how much rubbish I carried in my hand bag, a comb, scissors, nail file ,nail clippers, a knife for my oranges, cigs plus lighters ,hair band,3 packets advil,1 strip of antibiotics, front door keys, when would I need them again? If ever. Also I did not forget I had the axe which I did find very useful indeed. I had my watch on still and it was working to my utter surprise. So not all watches bought in the tourist shops were crap.
About ten days after I got on the island two of the men’s bodies were washed up by the tide. It were an awful sight to look at.
I went through there pockets and they had a lot of money in there wallets and there cedulas which I put away with mine in my bag. Then buried the young men and said a pray . No third body ever came.
Over the next few months I learned to spear fish cook it over an open fire, Also had taken the tomato pips out of my sandwiches that first day on the island and had a very good crop from them and I keep planting a few every time I eat one. Also used the ice box for catching rain water. When it rained I would go out and wash my hair and also scrub myself with sand to take all the dead skin away. This was so refreshing.
I made myself a nice little house with a bed made with bamboo
I made a table and a chair so I could remain civilized, by sitting to eat my meals.
Made a lean to for protection against the sun as most of the time I spent all day in my birthday suite, who would see me anyway.
Every day that past I would mark it on a tree trunk when full I went to the next.
I was getting really fit and lost a lot of weight
I would go swimming most days to catch the fish and even started to dive to the ocean floor. There I found oysters more than enough to keep me happy.
The days went by, the rainy season came and went had a few very bad hurricanes but would hide in the cave and even my house survived. After went around and gathered up all the fruits that had been blown down.
My hair was longer than I had ever known it to be. No illness as no one to give me germs. Well my smoking days were over as no cigs now which also helped me.My life was great. I really am a sun seeker and enjoyed this life so much. There’s a lot I missed BUT.
At night I would lay under the stars try to work out which was which .I had never seen so many. I thought of the star I named for my Mother and Father some years before. I called it Olly and Fred after them. I could still see the look on my mums face when I gave her the plaque with the certificate showing her where the star was. This made me very sad as the day I went to the beach my Mum was still alive at 87 and hoped she was still ok
I have not spoken about my family as I do miss them very much but have tried to put them to the back of my mind, This does not mean I don’t ever think about them because I do but I can’t afford to dwell on them to much. This would affect my mental state .
Three years 70 days later a cruise ship was cruising past the island, mind some distance away and one of the crew was looking through a pair of binoculars and saw a naked lady strolling along the beach. He immediately told the Captain who right away sent a boat to the island. All the guests were there waiting to see if there was indeed a lady on this small island.
I out of the corner of my eye saw the boat approaching so of cause went and put on my old shorts and top. Also got my bag with all money and things of value and stood at the shore crying as I just could not believe my luck I was going home at last.
I welcomed them with open arms showed them MY ISLAND.
My home for the last 3 years 70 days. They took pictures of my island and then I was taken on the boat.
I looked back and cried and cried and said a silent goodbye to the place that had really taken care of me. I would miss it so much.
I really don’t remember much about the journey to Puerto Plata.
You see I come from the Dominican Republic. Paradise it’s self.
This was where they were going to spend a day looking around.
So with all my thanks said and all hugs and kisses I went looking for a taxi to get me to my home and to see if my husband was still there alive as when I went to the beach all that time ago he was 81 now 84. Me I was no spring chicken either 65 when I went to the beach now 68.
I got to the gate and there he was .
I called his name and he looked up and both he and I started to cry as he really thought I was dead.
We loved each other so much more than life itself.
I think we did not let go for maybe half an hour as we both were afraid I would disappear again.
Well it was really hard to get back to the normal way of life all family and friends helped me, I spent many hours crying at my lost time with them but here I was as large as life my feet on solid ground.
I one day sat and started writing a book and added the photos the crew had taken, which when finished I sold and of cause with my little nest egg out of oyster shells I sold these and was able to have quite a lot of money behind me.
My hubby and I sat and talked about what we would like to do. Would you believe me if I said we are both going back to my Island for six months of each year.
Yes we did exactly that hired a boat to take us to our Island but before we did this I bought the Island for a measly $10.000s and it was worth every dollar.
We call It
My Hide Away Island Written by
Fran Dilloway
All Rights Reserved.
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This intel was contributed by gabtar1
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May, 2012
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