The Demarcation of Jack

by Blakely Bennett

  *****

  “Hi there. Are you wearing a suit underneath?” Summer asked as she approached Jenna. “Yeah. I have a feeling we’re going to get wet,” she said, feeling nervous seeing Summer and Marc again. “I think we walk up the actual falls, don’t we?” Not making eye contact, she placed a baseball cap on her head and pulled her ponytail through the hole in the back.

  “We climb them?” Summer asked. She leaned in closer to Jenna. “Are you and Jack all right?”

  “We’re doing much better I’m happy to say. Did Marc fill you in about last night?” Jenna asked, tension filling her stomach.

  Summer didn’t answer right away, instead she scrounged in her tote bag for lip balm. When she found it, she looked up at Jenna and held it out it to her. “Yeah, he told me about it.”

  “Uh, no thanks,” she said. “Everything?

  Placing her arm around Jenna, Summer said, “Yes, everything.”

  Jenna’s stomach dropped and she didn’t know what to say.

  “Don’t worry about it. Hey, I’m glad that you guys are feeling better. That leaves me feeling better.”

  Jenna breathed out a sigh of relief and said, “Could you do me a favor in case I don’t get a chance to talk to Marc alone?”

  “Sure, what?”

  “Please tell him that we’re alright and … well, thank you.””

  “Yeah, he’s a keeper.” She hugged Jenna and winked at Marc who stood next to Jack outside the French doors. “Is this our bus pulling in now?”

  “Yeah, that’s right,” a familiar British accented voice answered.

  “Oh hi, Cliff, how are you?” Summer asked.

  “Bloody well, considering. By the way, this is the lovely wife, Becky.” He tilted his head toward Summer and whispered, “What a bleeding hangover.” He rubbed his forehead and shook his head. “I love this all-inclusive idea, but I don’t have the discipline for it.”

  “Hi Becky, I’m Summer, this is Jenna and Jack and my husband Marc, short for Marcus,” she said, pointing to each of them.

  “Yeah, we remember you,” Cliff said, shaking hands with Jack.

  Jack furrowed his brow and said, “Uh … it’s you, ha, didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.”

  They laughed and Jack began to side step, back and forth, waiting for the go ahead to board the bus. He stopped moving briefly and then walked over to the check-in desk. He spoke to the woman behind the counter and Jenna could see her pointing across the lobby. She watched Jack go through an open door. A few minutes later, he strolled back to Jenna, smiling.

  “What was that about?” she asked, shifting her bag to the other arm so they could hold hands.

  “It’s a secret,” he whispered. “You’ll be the first to know when it happens, my love.”

  Everyone shuffled aboard the bus, finding seats with their circle of friends and settling in for the ride to the falls.

  “Here we go again,” Jack said, taking a seat toward the back.

  “Aye mate, can I ask you a question?” Cliff asked, turning around in his seat. “Did you happen to catch the barmy highway signs coming in from Montego Bay?”

  “Yes. Tell me what you saw,” Jenna said, moving in close to Cliff. “I thought I was losing my mind. I saw 80, then 65, then 80 again,” she said laughing.

  “You know what, she was starting to freak me out, man,” Jack said, chuckling. “She looked like a person on the edge.”

  “That’s the Jamaican D.O.T,” Marc said. “They put the ‘high’ in highway.”

  “You’re so funny sometimes,” Summer said, squeezing his thigh.

  “So, ‘ow long you lot here for?” Becky asked.

  “We arrived yesterday and we’re here for ten days,” Marc said. “We haven’t decided whether or not to spend time at Couples Negril.”

  “We spent a week there,” Becky said.

  “And a small fortune,” Cliff interjected.

  “Oh shut up, it was lovely. There wasn’t much to do. At least it seemed that way. Wish we had come here first. We were married over there though, and it was stunning.”

  “It was lovely, wasn’t it? Still, I would’ve rather been here. We practically live on the island. Good people over there,” Cliff said, looking over the back of his seat.

  “Wow. You got married in Jamaica. That’s very cool,” Summer said, leaning back against Marc.

  It wasn’t long before the bus bounced into an unpaved parking area lined with similar buses that had already dropped tourists from other resorts.

  “Bet he says, ‘I’d be writing down the number to this bus, mon,’” Jack said, staring out the window at the dizzying replication of buses passing before his eyes.

  The microphone clicked on. “There are areas to the right for shopping. Your guide will pick you up in a few moments. I would be writing down the bus number and remembering where we’ve parked.”

  “What does he mean, a bloody guide?” Cliff asked.

  “To guide us in our climb up the falls,” Summer said.

  “Doesn’t sound right to me a’ tall,” Cliff said, his eyes darting and his head bobbing as he looked out the large side window. “Judas Priest, I’ve done it this time.”

  “What’s up?” Jack asked.

  “I thought we were coming to take pictures of a bloody waterfall. Balls, I had no fucking idea we had to climb the bloody thing. Christ, what’ve I done to myself?” he said, shaking his head.

  “We’ll all be together,” said Summer. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “It’s quite simple really. I’m so fucking hung-over, I can’t see a black cat on a white wall. It’s your fault, isn’t it ducky,” he said, turning to Becky.

  “Yes, of course it is, love. You don’t have to climb, you know,” Becky said and turned around to look at the foursome. “I can go with you, can’t I?” she asked, searching their faces for approval.

  “Sure, no problem, mon,” Jack said, looking over the top of his sunglasses at Becky’s ample bosom, straining her bathing suit top.

  “Sure you can. We’d love to have you,” Summer said.

  “Fine by me,” said Jenna.

  “Fine by me as well,” Marc said.

  “Lovely then. You can stay here and we’ll come get you when we get through,” Becky said, holding Cliff’s hand.

  “Oh god. I can’t fly all this way and not climb the falls, can I? Bollocks, no more drinking for me,” he said and then added, “Until I recover from this hangover.” He looked up and struggled to smile.

  A loud, energetic voice at the front of the bus pierced the quiet mumbling and caused Cliff to crouch for cover, holding his ears. “Gooood mooorrning,” he said, smiling and bowing. “I am Ramous. I am responsible for getting you up the falls in one piece.” He laughed as he bent backwards. “Eeee … Eeee … Eeee.” His laugh went into his body instead of out and repeated the same sound each time he drew in air. “You need not worry, mon. I am the best and I know exactly where to take you so you don’t come tumbling down to the bottom again,” he said, flashing his infectious smile.

  “Ya gotta love that Eddie Murphy laugh. This is going to be a trip,” Jack said.

  “I love the shorts and shirt,” Summer said. “What is that print?”

  “Marijuana leaves,” Jack whispered. “I’m sorry, marijuana leaves,” he restated in his normal volume.

  “Okay. Follow me to the bottom of the waterfalls and we’ll take a group photo so you’ll have a picture before any injuries,” Ramous said. “Eeee … Eeee … Eeee.”

  The group off-loaded the bus, chattering their excitement and filing in behind the guide for a hike into the rainforest. At the bottom of the trail, a sugar-white beach turned into small rounded pebbles that led to a view of the Dunn’s River Falls. The group stood shoulder-to-shoulder, admiring the magnificent volumes of water and spray rolling over the big boulders and bouncing in slow motion to the next step on its way to the Caribbean Sea.

  “Everyone say ‘ya mon,’” R
amous said and took a group picture. “Eeee … Eeee … Eeee,” he laughed. “You are a fine-looking group.” He then instructed them to divide into teams of three couples.

  Summer locked arms with Marc and Jenna. Jack reached for Jenna’s hand and grabbed Becky who had her arm around Cliff’s waist.

  “You must stay together,” he called out over the roar of the falls. “Gentlemen, there are places where you must help your ladies. If you have cameras and want pictures, give the cameras to me. I will keep them dry as a skeleton bone in the desert.”

  “Is the water cold?” Becky yelled over the sound of the roaring water.

  “Oh no, my lady, it’s as warm as a jaquizzy. Eeee … Eeee … Eeee,” he said, leading them into the merge of freshwater and sea.

  “This isn’t so bad,” Summer said.

  “I thought it would be colder than this,” Jenna commented.

  “You’ll be climbing 960 feet to the top of the falls. You will have to climb even farther if you slip,” he yelled, using his hands as a megaphone. Ramous then displayed a pearly white toothy grin.

  He motioned for them to come forward. He used gesturing to communicate with them over the rushing sound of the river seeking its resolve at the foot of the sea. He gave them instructions to pair off as couples and to stand underneath the first waterfall for their beginning shot.

  Jack and Jenna were the first to plunge underneath the flow of the clamshell shaped fall.

  “Ah fuck … it’s freezing!” Jack yelled as Jenna wrapped her arms and legs around his body. Jack lunged with Jenna, struggling forward, to free them from the icy rush.

  “It’s so cold. Oh my gosh. I’m numb,” Jenna squealed.

  Ramous approached the group putting his hands on Jack and Jenna’s shoulders.

  “No mon, warm like a jaquizzy,” he said, finding their plight amusing. “Who’ll be next?”

  “Maybe it’ll cure my hangover … or give me a heart attack. Either way, here we go,” Cliff shouted over the thundering of the falls, pulling Becky by the hand. They made a charge at the wall of water and disappeared for a moment only to scramble out wide-eyed like two children running in fear.

  Ramous clicked away. “You’re going to love these shots,” he said.

  “That’s not possible,” Cliff yelled. “People could die from that! It’s so bloody cold, mate. What, they got an ice machine at the top?”

  Becky stood next to Cliff, holding her legs together with her hands folded in front of her crotch, bouncing up and down.

  “Let’s go, baby. It’s our turn,” Marc said to Summer. They joined hands and looked at one another. “One … two—”

  “Well, there goes the hair! Wait!” Summer hollered. “Look at me in case this is the last time we see each other.”

  Marc let out a monstrous, “Yahoo!” as the two of them ran into the cold shimmering pool boiling from the weight of the torrent. They stopped just short of the waterfall, turned around, and walked slowly back toward the group, smiling. “Sorry, I detest cold water,” Marc said.

  “Same here,” Summer said.

  “It’s not fair, then. At least you could get wet,” Cliff said in his British singsong.

  “Go on then. Give it a go,” Becky called out.

  Marc looked at Summer. “Alright?”

  “What the hell.”

  The two plunged into the pool of ice water screaming obscenities.

  “Ya mon. Strong,” Ramous said, pointing at Marc and flexing his biceps. “Follow that path and I’ll meet you at the next level.”

  When they rejoined hands, Marc took Jenna’s hand trailed by Summer, Jack, Becky, and finally Cliff bringing up the rear. Making a human chain to assist in scaling the boulders, they fought against the powerful onslaught of the rushing current.

  Jenna couldn’t help but notice that the feel of Marc’s hand in hers had somehow become familiar. The electric current that entered her palm caused her nipples to peak.

  Upon arrival at the next plateau, Ramous said, “Irie, mon. No problem. Everybody still with us! Eeee … Eeee … Eeee.”

  They safely scaled to a place where the river swirled quietly in a pool surrounded by large dark stones and boulders highlighted by a fortuitous shaft of sunlight. Jenna quickly let go of Marc’s hand and trudged through the water to Jack. Each couple took a turn having their photograph taken while kissing.

  “Wow. This is so unbelievable,” Summer said as she slowly turned in the pool.

  The placid island rainforest hung thick and lush with a towering canopy that barely allowed the hot Jamaican sun to filter to them. The environment inspired an unspoken reverence.

  “Welcome to the other Jamaica, mon,” Ramous said quietly. “Listen carefully and you can hear everyone who has been here in the past. Don’t pay any attention to the screams of people sliding back down the falls. No one has ever died from the slide,” he said, wagging his finger toward the group. His jolly laughter echoed throughout the forest.

  The steep climb required the vine of people to assist those below them, up the tenuous rock shelves and over slippery patches of fungus growing on the river stones. At different stops along the climb to the top, Ramous had the couples strike a pose for a picture.

  “Why don’t we swap partners for this picture?” Summer said, her eyes locked on Jack.

  “Great by me,” Jack said, not waiting for Jenna’s response. He moved closer to Summer, pulling her into the falls.

  “Okay?” Jenna said, more like a question.

  “I don’t bite you know,” Marc said, sidling up close to Jenna. She glanced up, swallowing hard and then tried to laugh it off.

  Ramous positioned each couple so that the men stood behind the women, wrapping their arms about their waists.

  Jack, barely taller than Summer, perched his head on her shoulder.

  “Cute shot,” Marc said. “Our turn,” he said to Jenna, pulling her along to the edge of the falls.

  Marc, much taller than Jack, stood a head above Jenna. He laid his large palms across her belly. He slanted his mouth near her ear and whispered, “I shouldn’t have kissed you, but I can’t make myself regret it either.”

  They smiled for the picture just as the chill of his words cascaded down her neck, firing all her nerve endings. She wondered what her expression would look like when they transferred the photos to the computer. Part of her wanted to linger in his arms but another part wanted to run away as fast as she could.

  They all ascended to the next stopping point.

  “Oh my god, I can’t believe how far we’ve come. Look down there! Look how tiny the beach looks. This is so amazing,” Summer said, waiting her turn to have her husband scoop her up in his arms for the next picture.

  “Wow, I love the way the canopy of trees creates a cave effect all the way down to the beach,” Jenna said.

  “Bloody hell, this is high up. How are we to get down?” Cliff asked, taking Becky’s hand and moving away from the edge.

  Once all the pictures were taken, they all clasped hands again. The line of friends approached another terrace with each person helping the one behind them over the top of a jutting rock.

  Jack slipped as Becky pulled him from the ledge below her. He immediately growled, “Owww! Oh man, that hurt!” Struggling up and hopping on one foot, he reached out for Marc who ducked underneath Jack’s arm to give him stability. “There’s a goddamn hole over there,” he said, pointing to the edge. “Someone needs to fill that.”

  “Honey, are you okay?” Jenna asked, carefully mounting the rock next to him.

  “That looked like a brutal slip,” Marc said. “Let me take a look at it.”

  “Oh mate, are you okay?” Cliff asked.

  “Jack, I’m so sorry,” Becky said. “I didn’t mean to lose you. It frightened me. I thought you were going to fall all the way back down.”

  “I’m okay, I think.” He stood and put pressure on his foot. “It hurts a little but I’m thinking—”

  “If you
can stand on it, we should keep moving,” Marc said. “It’ll probably swell anyway, but the water’s so cold in here, it should keep the swelling down for now. Ramous, how much farther to the top?”

  “It’s not far now, about two hundred feet. We can transfer over to the side walkway, mon. It’s stairs that run along the edge of the falls.”

  “Blimey,” Cliff said, looking in the direction of the side of the river. “You mean to say that I could’ve walked up the stairs?”

  “Did I fail to mention that?” Ramous said, scratching his head. He looked back at Jack and asked, “Can you do this, mon, or should I get a rescue team up here?”

  “I’ll be alright if it’s only two hundred more feet. Let’s go,” Jack said, looking up the incline and steadying his stance. “I can do this. Somebody needs to get me a couple of emergency Red Stripe beers when we get to the top.” He grimaced and then laughed. “Ah, man this is going to hurt like a bitch later, I can already tell.”

  The group managed to make it to the top of the falls and decided to skip walking through the makeshift marketplace. Instead, they picked up a few beers and meandered back down to the bus with Jack in tow. Jack hobbled next to Marc while Summer and Jenna walked in front of them. Cliff and Becky brought up the rear, debating which of the two should bear the blame for Cliff’s hangover.

  “When we get back, you may want the hotel infirmary to take a look,” Marc said. “If you broke something you may have to go into Ocho Rios to the hospital.”

  They arrived at the bus and assisted Jack to his seat. He stretched his leg across Jenna’s lap and tried to get comfortable.

  “It looks like it’s swelling. Sorry, man,” Marc said, examining at Jack’s foot. He returned to his seat next to Summer.

  “How’s your hangover?” Summer asked Cliff.

  “I feel better. I must, because I was thinking I should’ve gotten a beer as well.”

  “Here take this one,” Jack said, reaching over Jenna to pass the beer. “We’re not that far from the hotel.”

  “Thanks, mate. I’ll buy you one when we get back.”

  “I love how everyone offers to buy people a drink at an all-inclusive resort,” Jenna said.

  “Makes it easy, doesn’t it? I could buy him a pack of fags instead,” Cliff said, smiling over at Jack. “Those aren’t included.”