This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago.
This story begins on a cool Friday evening in May. Fridays are the best days. Already a great start. It had rained earlier in the day and the clouds were moving away and the sun peeking through. I walked from the apartment where I was staying to Pigeon Point beach. Along the way I stopped for coconut water freshly extracted from the nut and straight into my mouth leaving traces on my cotton jersey. They say that coconut water is the drink of God—fresh from the nut, sweet with a hint of salt, a liquid reminder that paradise can exist in small and simple things. They did not say that but my friend Chatty did. It is my friend Chatty's first trip to Tobago. I asked him what he thinks of Tobago so far?
He grinned, wiping a drop of coconut water from the corner of his mouth. "Man… it is like stepping into a painting. The air, the colors, the way everything smells after the rain—it is unreal. I did not know paradise came with a soundtrack of waves and wind." I agree, my friend. I agree. Ride the waves of happiness and let the wind do the talking. Chatty laughed, tossing his hands up to catch the breeze. "Ride the waves of happiness, huh? I like that. Let the wind do the talking… I think the wind just whispered something about staying a little longer." It is true what they say and it is really they talking this time, when you come to Tobago you never want to leave. Whoever thinks of leaving paradise? We would be foolish to think that way.
We passed by the craft vendors and in the distance we could see a few small yachts anchored. Closer to Pigeon Point we passed the fishermen and their pirogues nicely tucked away in the calm waters. A snow cone vendor passed us on bicycle with his small player playing a remix of "knocking on heaven's door". We paid our money and we were now inside the Pigeon Point beach facility. We had a choice between sharing the winding paved road with vehicles or getting the sand between our toes through the sandy shores, to continue our journey. We passed under the coconut trees and chose the beach front view. Be careful of the falling nuts they say. My friend Chatty says that this surely beats the humdrum of his job talking to the servers all day.
We met a couple who were vacationing from England and we shared a table with them, sitting on the opposite bench to them. They said I was lucky to be enjoying warm weather all year. We live where they vacation. They said they were waiting for the sunset and that the experience so far has been better than what they had seen online and read about. They asked for some food recommendations for dinner and I suggested La Cantina pizza and especially the Melanzani or baigan pizza as I call it. Time passed and the sunset came and went and it was getting close to leaving time. We chatted some more with the couple only to be interrupted by their ringing phone. It was the taxi driver. We shared good byes and they darted to the front to be shuttled away to their next stop. My friend Chatty then noticed that the lady had left the book she was reading titled "Breezes of Tobago". I gave it to the security guard to keep for them if they ever tried to return for it.
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