Tropical Balm

by Franny Armstrong

  Cam was thinking like a cop, as he planned their escape.

  “Well, seems to me that you are not in a position to leave. I have an idea, and I want to share it with you both. Since you are newlyweds and all, you Brooke, are going to watch your wife have sex with me. Teal, if you don’t cooperate, I’ll kill your husband, and have you anyway. It’s your choice. The only choice you have.

  “Ah…that’s why,” Cam said, grinning.

  Uncertainty crossed Tyrell’s face. “Why what?”

  Laughing, Cam said, “Well, why you have to drug little teenage girls of course. You see, right now you are threatening my wife with my death if she doesn’t cooperate. Do you see what I mean?”

  Anger in his eyes, Tyrell yelled, “No! What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it, love?” he asked, turning to Teal. His eyes were trying to tell her something. She thought he wanted her to prepare to run.

  “Absolutely, sweetheart. Big gun—itty-bitty dick! He has to drug or threaten us, because he can’t even screw a blow up doll without a magnifying glass to find himself.”

  They both laughed, turning to see Simeon smirking. At least he’d enjoyed their observation.

  His jaw dropping, Tyrell’s face began to darken, his eyes narrowed with anger.

  “That’s a lie! I have a big dick, a very big dick. The women love having sex with me!” he shouted.

  Snorting, Teal crossed her arms. “Prove it. Let’s see this big dick,” she taunted.

  The wind had picked up, and the building began to groan.

  Tyrell ignored it, his hand shaking in his wrath as he held the gun. Looking at the smirking Simeon, he swore.

  “Fine!” Lowering his gun, he began to undo his pants. Teal and Cam kept their eyes focused on Tyrell’s pants, ignoring Simeon.

  When Cam saw Simeon turn his head to look at his boss’s member, he launched himself at Simeon, and yelled, “Go Teal. Run!”

  Teal was having no part of it. She rushed Tyrell, taking him to the ground. The two of them fought for the gun. Remembering the pressure points in the hand, from her self-defense days, she applied pressure, trying to get him to drop the gun. His other hand grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. She ignored the pain, and focused on his hand.

  Pulling her head forward, Teal ground her teeth against the pain, shouting her triumph when Tyrell’s hand released the gun. She shoved it, sending it beneath a shelf full of stock and out of sight. Taking his baby finger, she bent it backwards, bringing a scream from him. She kept up the pressure, waiting for Cam to call her.

  When Cam landed on Simeon, bringing him to the ground, they too fought over the gun. Simeon cracked Cam over the head with the butt of the gun, causing Cam pause.

  The building groaned louder now, thunder booming directly overhead. The back door flew open, and three men came in. Cam prayed that it was the good guys, keeping his focus on Simeon.

  The men rushed over, one of them taking Tyrell away from Teal, tying his hands behind his back once she’d released him.

  Turning, she saw Cam, with blood pouring down his face. He still fought Simeon, rolling with him on the floor. The image was similar to her dream, and she shuddered.

  Leon came over to Teal, helping her up. His friend stood, pulling Tyrell up as well. They all stepped back, out of the way of Cam and Simeon.

  “Can’t someone stop them?” Teal yelled over the noise of the storm. There was a loud bang from the wall near the door as something slammed into it outside. A piece of the roof lifted, the rafters shuddering under the stress.

  “We have to get out of here. Come on Cam!”

  Phillip came up to them, stopping with hands up when Leon made ready to tackle him.

  Placing her hand on his arm, she said to Leon, “He’s a friend. He helped me.”

  Nodding Leon turned back to Cam.

  The gun went off and everyone ducked. Realizing that they were all right, they all stood up again. Cam had knocked Simeon out, retrieving the gun. When he stood up, he looked at Tyrell with surprise.

  Blood was pouring down Tyrell’s chest. On his face was a look of shocked disbelief. He dropped to his knees, staring at Teal with sightless eyes. Then he simply fell over and went still. He was dead.

  Simeon was unconscious, and they were free to run. The storm was building fast.

  “We have to get to a safer location. There are three concrete buildings across the road. We have to try and get to them. Let’s go!” Leon yelled.

  Cam put his arm around Teal. “Hold onto me, and don’t let go for any reason.” When she nodded, they started for the door. Just then, the roof peeled off the building in one large sheet, sending wooden and metal beams crashing down around them. They ran for the exit.

  Opening the door was another matter. It seemed like it had been glued shut. It took three men to push it open, and when the wind caught it, it smashed against the exterior wall, ripping away, before flying up into the maelstrom to disappear.

  “Hurry!” Cam yelled.

  The wind was so strong that they had a hard time breathing. Putting their backs to it, they half-slid, half-walked across the parking lot. Tyrell’s car was smashed like a pancake into the rear wall of the building.

  With the wind pushing them, they all made it across the road. The storm pushed them away from each other. Cam held Teal tight to his body, helping her into a building. It was abandoned, but made of solid concrete. The noise level was so loud that Teal couldn’t hear him yelling.

  Motioning to a Teal which way to go, Cam fought his way to a corner where the building would be the strongest. They sat with their backs to the walls. Cam leaned over her, his lips a hairsbreadth way from hers. Her eyes met his and in them, he knew that she was telling him that she loved him.

  The way his eyes softened told her that he loved her too. Their lips met, and they kissed as though it was their last. Teal was frantic, pulling him closer.

  Something crashed overhead on the second story and she screamed, but increased her passion instead of stopping.

  Teal’s hands pulled at his shorts, slipping inside to grasp him. His groan was swallowed up by the storm. Kissing him, she moaned as his hand moved up her thigh, pushing her skirt up. When he found her panties, his fingers slipped inside.

  Arching her back, Teal gave in to the power of the storm, the power of Cam’s love. She wiggled her way out of her panties, pulling her skirt up. Another crash made them jump, the whole building shuddering at the impact.

  A moment later, Cam found her, plunging deep inside. He moved with a desperate rhythm, his lips drinking from hers, swallowing her cries. Faster, and faster he thrust, grinding his hips against hers.

  Teal wrapped her legs tight around him, as she screamed her passion into the wind. She felt Cam nearing his peak, and joined him, at one with the storm, at one with her husband. Both of them crashed over the threshold, like the waves crashing in from the sea. Shaking, and shivering from the cool rain, they huddled together, still connected.

  Hours later, the storm finally subsided and they sat up to look around at the damage. When they stepped outside, they froze. They were inside the eye of the storm. A swirling darkness moved in a circle around them, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The stillness around them was eerie, making the hairs on their necks stand up.

  Trees lay on their sides, cars were upended, buildings destroyed. The warehouse was gone entirely. They looked at each other, wondering about their friends. Hearing a muffled shout, they turned to see Leon and Phillip running toward them.

  When the men finally reached them, they stopped, panting for breath.

  “Its about to start up again. We have only gone half-way through the storm. We wanted to make sure you were okay,” Leon said, trying to catch his breath.

  “We want to find the other men. They might be in the third building. Will you two be okay here?” Phillip asked.

  Cam took Teal’s hand, and smiled. “We are fine now, Phil
lip. When the storm is over, come and see me. I believe I have a job you can fill.”

  Grinning, Phillip nodded. “Thank you sir. I would appreciate that. See you later, Teal,” he said. The two men ran off toward the third building.

  The wind began to pick up.

  “We’d better get inside, love.” Cam led her back into the building.

  When they’d settled in their corner, Teal caressed his cheek.

  “I was so afraid of losing you Cam. My dream. It came true to a point, but then it changed.” Touching the cut on his forehead, she shuddered.

  “Teal, you and I can change the world if we want to, as long as we have each other. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere without you.”

  Cam claimed her lips, showing her the strength of his love. Around them, the world became chaos again, but neither of them noticed. They were lost in each other, ‘til death do they part.

  Chapter 16

  Making Peace

  Maggie and Shane had just left for the airport. They had married the summer before, and brought their new daughter to visit. Noel was three months old, and the apple of Teal’s eye. Since there was a fine line between Nanna Teal, and Auntie Teal, the family had decided that they would stick with Nanna.

  When given the choice, Teal had primly told them that she was much too young to be a grandmother, but when offered the title of Nanna, she took it willingly.

  Things were getting back to normal, and Teal had decided that it was time for her bath. The air was heavy with the promise of rain, making her skin sticky.

  Cam had been gone all day, working on the final touches of the school. It had taken them a full year, but they’d built a magnificent school. It was two stories tall, and built to withstand any hurricane, no matter how strong.

  Running her bathwater, content to have it cool to the touch, Teal left the classical music cranked up, and went behind the curtain. Stripping off her robe, she hung it up on the post Delon had built for her for her clothes. She climbed in, and lay back with a sigh. Thoughts of the past two years circled in her mind, and she looked back to when she’d first arrived in Jamaica.

  Teal barely remembered the first six months. The depression she’d been in had been so deep, that she’d lost that time. Glancing at the curtain, she chuckled, thinking of the day Cam had come to rescue her from the big green monster, and they’d gotten tangled in the curtain. That was the turning point in her life. He was her sun, and her moon.

  Sitting up, she picked up a bar of lavender soap, and washed herself. Putting the bar close to her nose, she sniffed it. Poppy had taught her how to make her own soap, and she’d had fresh lavender shipped down from Canada so she could make naturally scented soap, an-d essential oils for the bath.

  Cam loved it when she used lavender. It was his favorite scent. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something green flash. Laughing, she leaned over, and saw one large lizard, and four small ones.

  “Now you listen to me, Kermit! I am not afraid of you anymore. I don’t care if you name all your kids after Godzilla, you don’t frighten me at all now!”

  Deep laughter came from the other side of the curtain, and she grinned.

  “Hey, you’d better not be a peeping Tom, mister! My husband is an ex-cop, and he’ll kick your butt!”

  The curtains parted, and Cam came into her ‘bathroom’.

  “And I’m fairly sure that you can kick anyone’s butt yourself, Mrs. Brooke.”

  Leaning over he brushed his lips over hers in a feathery kiss.

  “I’ve come to take my wife for a drive. Out you get, love.”

  “Where are we going, ex-officer Brooke?” she asked, flicking water at him.

  “We won’t be going anywhere if you don’t get out of that tub, madam!”

  Cam jumped back when she splashed him, giggling. Tripping on the bottom of the curtain, he went crashing to the ground.

  “Oh, my God! Cam, are you all right? Teal jumped out of the tub, avoiding the lizards as she rushed to Cam’s side. His face covered by the curtain, he was moaning.

  Naked and dripping wet, she straddled him, pulling the curtain off his face. Grinning, when she saw that he was laughing so hard, he had tears in his eyes, she leaned over ,and kissed him.

  “Mr. Brooke, you are certainly a bit klutzy today!” she said, screaming when he rolled, placing her beneath him.

  “Klutzy you say? Now is that any way to treat the man of your dreams?” he chuckled, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

  “Well come inside then husband, and I’ll show you just how I want to treat the man of my dreams,” she teased, pulling his head down for a sweet kiss.

  Once she released his lips, he groaned. “Much as I’d like to take you up on that, love, I have a job to do, and I’d like you to come with me. Please?” he asked, his eyes pleading.

  Sighing, Teal said, “You know I can’t resist those sky-blue eyes when you look at me like that. Help me up, and I’ll come with you.”

  Cam helped her to her feet, and as soon as they were standing, she gently pushed him, knocking him off balance. Tumbling into the bathtub, Cam made a big splash!

  Teals laughter rang through the trees. “Oh, Cam. You look so funny!” He was sopping wet, his hair plastered to his forehead, his shirt and shorts stuck to his skin. His eyes however had changed, and Teal sobered up quickly.

  “Funny? I’ll show you funny,” he snarled.

  Teal screamed and ran for the house, locking the door behind her. She waited at the door, but he didn’t knock, bang or call out to her. Puzzled, she backed up, turning toward the bedroom, and let out a loud scream.

  Dripping wet, Cam stood right behind her with a big grin on his face, his hands on his hips.

  “How did you get inside, Cam?” she asked, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

  “Well, Delon had a devil of a time getting into the house when you were ill, so he made a special latch on the bedroom window for me. So…we were talking about me looking ‘funny’!”

  She backed up until her back met the door, her eyes wide. “Oh, ah…well it wasn’t really that funny, Cam. I might have exaggerated a bit.”

  Coming closer and closer, Cam stalked her until his hands were on either side of her head, palms against the door.

  Swallowing hard, Teal gave him a half-hearted grin. “Sorry?” she offered, the word a question.

  Shaking his head, he bent down and threw her over his shoulder.

  Her scream was followed by laughter as he walked to the bedroom with her.

  “Cam, your shoulder! Put me down.”

  He did...on the bed. Stripping off his wet clothes, he climbed onto the bed with her.

  “You owe me for that little trick out there, wife!”

  “How will I pay you, husband?”

  “Well, I suppose the job can wait a few minutes longer,” he murmured, capturing her lips.

  Teal’s arms reached up to circle his neck, savoring his kisses like chocolate. She kept him busy for more than a few minutes.

  ***

  “Why do I have to keep my eyes closed?” she asked Cam.

  “Because, you are nosy. Now keep them closed.”

  They were driving down into the valley, and he’d made her wear a blindfold. Teal couldn’t be trusted to keep her eyes closed because of her avid curiosity.

  When the car finally stopped, she said, “Now?”

  “No,” he said, getting out of the car, and rushing to her side before she peeked.

  “Now?” she giggled as he helped her from the car, and positioned her in a specific location. Complete silence greeted her. She was at a complete loss as to where they were.

  “Now!” he said, taking off the blindfold.

  Teal opened her eyes, and dozens of people yelled, “Surprise!”

  “Oh!” Teal nearly screamed. All fifty students, their parents, Leah, and all of their friends were standing in front of the school. It was now painted aqua, just like her house. A large rectangle stood
in front of the building, covered with a tarp.

  Leah stepped forward. “Ms. Teal, we are all here today to thank you for all your hard work. You’ve given us more than just a school, you’ve given us hope, friendship, and love. We thank you.” Nodding towards Delon, she waited.

  Delon pulled the tarp off the structure. It was a sign in white with aqua colored letters that said, ‘Ms. Teal Brooke Public School’.

  Teal started crying, hiding her face in Cam’s chest.

  “Hey now. What’s this? Everyone is going to think you don’t like it, love,” Cam said. He lifted her chin with his finger. “Why the tears?” he asked.

  “Because, I’ve never felt so happy, so complete, in my whole life.” Turning to face her audience, she said tremulously, “Thank you. You have all made my life worth living.” Wiping her tears with one hand, she swallowed hard. “I honestly don’t know what else to say!” Tears flowed freely now.

  A young boy of eight handed her, her flute. “Play for us Ms. Teal. Please.”

  With a wet laugh, she said, “Now that I can do.” Sitting in the chair Phillip placed on the ground before her, she began to play. The notes floated up and over the school, filling the air with a joyous melody.

  The last tiny piece of ice protecting her heart melted and disappeared, leaving her full of love and happiness.

  ###

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Franny Armstrong is a mother of three and a grandmother of four. Her husband supports her imagination and has the patience of a saint. She’s been writing since she was a child, creating plays to act out in front of the neighborhood children. .She charged them five cents admission to join her in the family garage for the play.