The Summer Island Swap

by Samantha Tonge

‘Now that we’re alone… is… is everything all right?’ asked Amy. ‘Why the icy atmosphere between you and Rick?’

  ‘We’ve had a row.’ I sighed. ‘He’s angry about Chatty and blames me for the whole hotel idea and these troublesome guests.’

  ‘What an idiot.’ She put an arm around me.

  ‘To be fair… I lied to him about something and that’s made him think I have an ulterior motive for the whole plan.’

  She took her arm away and shrugged. ‘A lie? That’s not like you. I bet there was good reason. He’s lucky to have had access to your expertise, if you ask me, all the research you’ve done these last months.’

  I stared into my lap. ‘I lied to you as well – or at least, I didn’t tell you. I thought it was for the best but I realise now… you’ll always be my younger sister but it’s time I started treating you like an adult.’ I looked up. ‘Sorry if I haven’t. I’m so used to looking out for you.’

  She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. I took a deep breath.

  ‘Rick thought my ulterior motive was to create a job here for myself because… just before this holiday Prue sacked me because I’d made a decision without consulting her and—’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve lost my job.’

  She paused. I waited for the look of anguish on her face – concern for me and how we’d pay bills.

  Instead, she folded her arms and smiled. ‘Good riddance, I say. It’s been a long time coming, sis. This could be a positive thing.’

  ‘It could?’

  ‘Maybe this is the push you need to take the next step with your career. So why is Rick so upset?’

  ‘I didn’t tell him either – pretended I was still employed, in case you got wind of it. Now he thinks that all along I’ve been planning some sort of takeover with my hotel idea – that trying to help him was more about me creating a job for myself here.’

  She placed her hand on mine. ‘Rick’s a decent guy. He was just upset about Chatty. You’re no liar. He knows that deep down.’

  ‘The thing is… I… I do lie occasionally. To you. I did when we arrived. Because sometimes I worry that the truth might hurt. But this trip has opened my eyes. I won’t do that anymore.’

  ‘What was that lie about?’

  ‘Fancying Rick.’

  A puzzled look crossed her face. ‘But you do?’

  I sighed. ‘Yes. That pretence came true. But it wasn’t the case at the start. I told you he was the reason I was staying on this island because otherwise I knew you’d work out I was only doing it to keep you happy – and you wouldn’t have allowed that. But Amy… I am going home now – it’s time I sorted out my future. Sent off applications. Also, the way things are, I can’t stay here near Rick. Tomorrow I’ll head over to the airport and see if I can change my flight. You finish the month here.’

  ‘But that’s only seven days away! Don’t go. Just avoid him. Move back to the camp.’

  I shook my head vigorously.

  Amy stared. ‘Perhaps this growing up malarkey is about respecting each other’s decisions,’ she said, softly. ‘It doesn’t mean we don’t care.’

  She really had grown up. How had I not seen this before?

  ‘How about making the most of our last day here? Have you got anything planned?’

  ‘I was going to hang around with Jackie. I’ve learnt so much, these last three weeks. I assumed you’d be busy helping Rick with the stag party. But Jackie must be sick of my company, to be honest, and all my questions about bird species, reptiles and insects. Did you know that spiders eat tons of mosquitoes? Respect.’

  ‘I still don’t much like them,’ I said and managed a smile. ‘How about… I know! How about a picnic? Just you and me. Somewhere quiet. I’d love to visit the turtle beach, again. It was so secluded, so beautiful… We’d keep our distance of course – avoid the stretch of sand where they are nesting. It’s going to be hectic once I get back to England. I’d love one last tranquil afternoon.’

  Amy jumped at the chance. She disappeared to let Jackie know. I went to the canteen to ask Malik if there was any chance of a packed tea. He was more than happy to provide cheese sandwiches, mangoes and slices of his famous coconut tart that he made every weekend.

  I caught Jonas’s eye. He and Benedikt were having lunch with their shack mates who’d be heading back to Scotland later this afternoon.

  He stood up and wrapped his arms around me. ‘It feels as if we haven’t chatted for ages.’

  ‘Why, have you got something to tell me?’

  Jonas smiled shyly and stepped back. ‘Let’s just say,’ he whispered, ‘the way things are going, I may not be single by the end of my stay here. Me and Benedikt… my gut feeling about him was right – we just seem to click. And before you ask for all the details, don’t – Helga worked it out and has just interrogated me. I think she’s almost as excited as me!’

  ‘Oh Jonas, I’m so happy for you.’

  ‘I can’t stop thinking about him. It’s torture – in a good way. And I don’t even mind the fact that he’s never read a Harry Potter book or watched a Marvel comic movie.’

  We both grinned.

  ‘I like it when he teases me about my South German accent. Love is weird, right?’

  I wasn’t sure. I realised now I’d never had it with Callum.

  ‘I’ll miss our little chats. You see… I’m going home tomorrow, all being well. I’ve got to get a new job. I can’t put it off any longer. I hope you’ll send me updates about everything, on Facebook.’

  ‘You’ve lost your old one?’ His face fell. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Although I’m not sure how I’ll manage without you.’

  ‘Really?’ I glanced over at Benedikt and then looked back at Jonas, raising an eyebrow.

  He shrugged and laughed.

  ‘You aren’t on your own anymore. Not that you need Benedikt’s support. You’ve fitted in here brilliantly all by yourself.’

  ‘You’ll visit me in Germany? Remember what we talked about? Me taking you for coffee and my favourite apple cake?’

  ‘Of course – as long as you keep your word and come to London. Don’t forget I promised you afternoon tea and a trip to Buckingham Palace.’ I playfully pulled the end of one of his dreadlocks. ‘Thanks, Jonas. I couldn’t have done this without you – my buddy for emptying the compost toilet. You kept me sane, knowing that I wasn’t the only one struggling.’

  ‘Same here,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of you, Sarah; proud of us both. I thought this place was hell on earth when we arrived, but now…’

  ‘It’s actually a little bit of heaven,’ I said softly.

  He nodded.

  I sat down with Amy and Helga to eat lunch – the dreaded fish soup. Except now that I was leaving it didn’t seem nearly so bad.

  Who’d have thought I would ever miss this place?

  But I would.

  The apricot sunrises.

  Dusky pink sunsets.

  Dear, dear Chatty’s tail wrapped around my neck.

  The fragrant frangipani flowers.

  Volunteers’ camaraderie.

  Jonas’s harmonica playing.

  Even… well, no. I’d never miss the eight-legged shower companions.

  Amy collected up our crockery and went ahead to visit the toilets before we left. I smiled my thanks at Malik as I collected our packed teas, barely hearing him say something about incoming cloud.

  Tomorrow I’d return to England.

  I shivered as I walked outside.

  35

  We took it in turns to carry a rucksack that held our food, bottles of water and a rug. I’d hesitated over whether to bring waterproofs. Malik had to be wrong. There were no signs of bad weather approaching. Sunlight still broke through the clouds and we hadn’t had a single drop of rain in three weeks. I doubted it was going to start now.

  We passed the animal enclosures and headed up hill. The breeze became stronger and offered welcome relief from the afternoon heat that wh
ilst cooler than normal, still made me yearn for a siesta after lunch. We passed the flame trees that only had a few flowers left now. I’d never cease to admire the delicate, fluffy blooms of the powder puff trees and felt quite sad this could be one of the last times I saw them. When we passed the cacao pods, I told Amy about my idea for chocolate production. She chuckled at first, thinking it was a joke.

  ‘I’m deadly serious,’ I said as we stopped to examine a pod that had fallen onto the ground. I picked up a stone and smashed it several times in the middle before prising the tough skin apart.

  ‘Wow,’ said Amy. ‘The inside looks like a white, slimey pine cone.’

  Carefully I took that part out and we both breathed in.

  Amy pulled a face. ‘It has a chemical smell.’

  I sniffed again. ‘Yes, but also a fruity fragrance. Apparently the white flesh covering the beans is edible.’

  ‘No way am I eating that!’

  I pulled out a clump, counted to three and put it in my mouth.

  Slimy, slippery and not completely unpleasant, but nowhere near as delicious as chocolate… I swilled it around in my mouth and finally pulled out a recognisable bean.

  ‘That’s amazing,’ said Amy.

  I slipped it in my pocket and we continued our walk, passing sugar apple trees. Just before the top of the hill I tripped over a root and landed in a face full of soil. Laughing, Amy helped me to my feet. I brushed down my trousers and winced before joining in.

  ‘Everything okay?’ she asked.

  I leant against a palm tree. We both drank out of our water bottles. No, it wasn’t. I was thinking about Dad. I didn’t often mention him to Amy, for fear of bringing back bad memories. But she was strong, I was realising that. Maybe I’d been wrong. Perhaps it would help her – both of us – to talk more about our childhood.

  ‘Remember when we went out for that meal for Dad’s birthday? I was fourteen,’ I said tentatively. ‘You’d have been ten. We were meeting an important client of his, with their family. He used his big day as an excuse to take them out for a posh meal and claim it all on expenses.’

  Amy thought for a moment. ‘The restaurant with swings for chairs? And a waterfall in the middle? Yes, it was unforgettably lush and I also remember because beforehand…’ She looked at me.

  ‘I tripped and fell outside and laddered my tights,’ I said. ‘Dad was absolutely furious. He didn’t even ask if I was all right. I couldn’t help crying. It was a bad graze, full of gravel.’

  ‘I went with you to the toilets and helped wash it out. He wanted Anabelle to stay with him.’

  ‘His only concern was presenting the image of an idyllic family, with his slicked back hair and Italian cut suits and that stupid, oh so highbrow accent he’d put on when talking to anyone related to business. I commented on that once. I thought it was funny. But he shouted so loudly. Told me to never make fun of him again. I thought he was going to hit me. Fortunately, Anabelle stepped in.’

  I waited for Amy to tear up at the memory.

  Instead she surprised me.

  ‘But just look at how we turned out,’ she said. ‘It hasn’t defined us. We’ve both had relationships – some good, some bad – that’s normal. He didn’t put us off men for life. He just made it clear what we don’t want in a relationship. I’d say that makes us winners.’

  Normally I would have nodded and changed the subject. But me and Amy – our relationship was heading towards a more open territory…

  ‘But aren’t you wary of his type? You know, good-looking, charismatic…’

  ‘Like Rick?’ She smiled.

  ‘To be honest, Amy, I’ve always steered clear of anyone remotely like him.’

  ‘You mean sexy as hell?’ She pushed my shoulder.

  ‘I’m serious.’ I took another swig. It was as if the water was alcohol and loosening my tongue. ‘That’s why all of my previous boyfriends have been more…’

  ‘Like friends? Really?’ The humour left her face.

  ‘It’s been scary, meeting Rick and feeling such a strong attraction.’

  ‘Sarah… Rick isn’t Dad. He was a one-off. Just because a guy’s good-looking and confident doesn’t mean he shares Dad’s crap qualities as well.’

  ‘But Rick’s hurt me, all the same. He’s accused me of—’

  ‘You lied to him, Sarah. What was he supposed to think?’ Her shoulders bobbed up and down. ‘He’s nothing like Dad. Trust me, if he was, I’d be the first to chase him away, but you’ve seen his passion for the environment, his love for Chatty – our dad never put anything or anyone before himself.’

  Something stirred inside me. It didn’t feel good. ‘But… but what about Sebastian who broke your heart and split up with you the day after your twenty-first birthday? He was a smooth charmer, just like Dad. You were so upset afterwards.’

  Amy’s face blushed a deep pink.

  ‘Sorry. You probably don’t want to talk about it.’ I put away my drink.

  We started to walk down the hill.

  ‘I don’t want to discuss it, Sarah, but not because of what you’re thinking. The truth is… I’m not proud but it was me that cheated on him. A friend of mine got drunk at the party and let slip that I’d had a one-night stand. It was someone I met in a nightclub. A stupid mistake. To be honest I was getting bored with the relationship but didn’t have the guts to tell Sebastian. He was a good guy, Sarah. A perfect gent. Fun. Loyal. Honest.’

  I spotted an iguana but didn’t even point it out to Amy. Sebastian was in the clear? It was Amy who’d cheated on him? So… when it came to romance had I been playing unnecessarily safe? Amy and I should have talked about all this years ago.

  ‘You must be ashamed of me,’ she muttered.

  ‘No. We’ve all made mistakes. You’ll have learnt from it.’

  ‘God, yes. I’ve never cheated since and wouldn’t again.’

  We continued through the forest. The chirp of crickets drowned out our silence. That was one thing I liked about Rick – our friendship felt comfortable. I never felt the need to fill any gaps in our conversation with small talk. Finally, we reached the beach and took off our shoes. The fluid wet sand felt blissful.

  ‘We’ll stay here, well away from the nesting site,’ said Amy.

  ‘Agreed.’ I threw down the rucksack, rolled up my trousers and headed into the waves.

  I shivered and looked up. More clouds had appeared and huddled together. The strong breeze had built into a wind. Amy sat on the beach and examined a shell. I turned back to the water and stared at the horizon. The swell of the waves looked steeper than normal.

  ‘When the clouds have moved off and the wind has died, let’s go for a swim,’ I called.

  ‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Amy and stood up. ‘I’m going to collect shells. This is the last free weekend. Next Saturday it’ll all be over.’

  I looked down into the shallow water as clear as a tear drop and bent down to pick up a piece of bright green pottery, shifting up and down with the ebb of the waves. I ran over to Amy and gave it to her.

  ‘Isn’t it pretty? Remember how we used to dig in the garden for pottery fragments, thinking they were treasure?’

  ‘Yes. Mum would help us wash them. Later, Anabelle wasn’t interested so you’d do it with me.’ She put the ceramic triangle into her pocket. ‘The pieces we found reminded me of our family, once Mum died. Broken. Scattered. Never to be whole again.’ She looked at me. ‘I blamed Dad for smashing it up, with his cruel words. Mum did a good job of acting like the glue and keeping us together, smoothing over arguments, making sure you and I were mostly seen but not heard.’

  I’d tried so hard to make her childhood happy; hoped that most of the sadness swerved by her. It hadn’t.

  ‘However, I used to think it might have been better if Mum wasn’t the glue,’ she continued. ‘If instead she left the fragments of our family behind and took you and me away, the three of us to build something new.’

  ‘Me too.’ I
slipped my arms around her shoulders. We stood for a while until goose bumps appeared on our arms. ‘I wish I’d brought a fleece. It doesn’t look as if this weather is shifting. Perhaps Malik was right. He mentioned a storm. I didn’t think it likely.’

  Amy studied the sky. ‘Look how dark those ones have become. We haven’t got protective clothing either. I hate to say it, but perhaps we should head back.’

  A speck of rain fell onto my skin and overhead a flock of sea birds left the island.

  ‘Let’s take refuge in the forest until it blows over,’ I said.

  Amy picked up the rucksack and I followed her off the sand, jumping as a clap of thunder sounded. Large globules of rain pelted down. We ran the last few steps and stood under the canopy of leaves. Then everything became much worse, very quickly. Lightning jabbed the horizon. Huge waves threw themselves onto the beach instead of gently stroking the sand. Palm trees leant from side to side. The tall rainforest canopy parted. Torrents of rain fell down. We lifted large glossy leaves above our heads but the weight of water meant that they didn’t say horizontal.

  Thanks goodness we’d managed to rescue Chatty before this weather hit.

  For half an hour we sat underneath a tree, soaking, teeth chattering. Cracks of lightning punctuated the steady beat of rain like an out of place exclamation mark in a sentence. I forced a smile when Amy looked at me. She didn’t smile back.

  ‘You don’t think… a hurricane… it couldn’t be another, could it?’ she asked.

  My instincts compelled me to say automatically that no, don’t be silly, this is just a freak rain shower.

  But Amy and I were equals and looked after each other now.

  ‘I hope not. Surely Rick would have warned us? It must have been forecast for several days. I feel so stupid for not taking in exactly what Malik was saying about the weather. What do you think we should do?’ I asked instead of thinking I had to do the fixing myself. ‘Stay or try to make our way back? I’m not sure which is best.’

  She glanced at the sea. ‘Perhaps we should move. I don’t like the height of those waves. If there was a tsunami…’

  I wanted to tell her to stop catastrophising but she had a point – we were out in the wilds, in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, not nestling in a cosy bar near the river Thames.