Call It Paradise

Chapter Nine

The island of Antigua never failed to deliver adventure every day, abundant with new places to explore whether on the water or hidden amongst the trees. I awoke eagerly with this in mind, lost in my daze of excitement at the prospect of being with Simon again. There was little else I could be bothered with, my thoughts solely focused on finding myself in his embrace.

We met at our usual location on the dock and greeted each other with a long kiss. Reluctantly, Simon pulled away but kept his hands on my waist as we deliberated where to spend our time together.

"Well," he began, gazing off towards the marketplace. "There's a lot of people out today."

"There is," I said. "I take it you don't want to go into town."

He turned to me, the yearning in his eyes shining brighter. "Only if you don't want to."

"I've already seen everything there is to see. I could do with getting away for a while."

He smiled. "I was looking across at Nelson's Dockyard while I was waiting for you and noticed it doesn't seem very busy today. I was thinking we could hang out over there for something different."

"Sounds good."

It only required a short boat ride to the other side of the English Harbour, but we had agreed it was the quickest way to reach our destination. After docking in between the luxury yachts sitting empty of passengers in the dockyard, we disembarked and stepped onto an area of flat land. Historical buildings constructed mostly of brick lied scattered around to create a miniature town interlaced with towering palm trees. A large rolling hill served as their backdrop, thick with green vegetation that enveloped hiking trails leading off into its very depths. It was nearly deserted, as Simon had observed, with only a few tourists milling about.

Though we had both visited the dockyard many times before, we approached the museum with a subtle curiosity about the history it contained. Stepping inside the light blue building once called the Naval Officer's home, we meandered around quietly, skimming over placards that did little to arouse excitement about its history harboring the Royal Navy in the 18th and 19th centuries. It didn't take us long to cover the museum's exhibit and explore the upper rooms, and before we knew it, we were exiting out into the bright sunlight.

"This is where the regat'ta for Antigua's Sailing Week is held," Simon said as we strolled along the walkways in front of the buildings.

"Oh, do you take part in any competitions?"

"Yeah, my uncle and I do almost every year. After the competitions are over, they finish with Lord Nelson's Ball here at the Admiral's Inn." He pointed to the building ahead of us and then chuckled. "Basically, it's just a bunch of fancy yacht owners get'ting together to celebrate their winnings. I've only been a couple of times--quite a stuffed shirt affair. But I did get to dress up in a suit so that felt good. We don't do that much here in Antigua."

I smiled. "Stuffed shirt, huh? You should see the events I've attended. I would love to see you in a suit, by the way."

"Maybe you will," he said, smirking before turning away to avoid my eyes.

As I contemplated his meaning, we wandered down to the boat house and sail loft once used to repair ships. Tall stone pillars were the only remains, lining the edge of a small rectangular inlet of water. I peered up at them and touched the brick, still standing firm with only a missing roof to attest to its age after being torn off in a hurricane of a time long past.

Nearby, a hiking trail branched off from the central location of the dockyard and into the island's national park. After winding between the pillars, Simon and I took off down the path. We climbed up the hill and in only a few minutes, reached a peak overlooking the English Harbour. The trees were scarce and the vegetation low around our feet, allowing for the sun to beam down bright and hot. After following alongside the sturdy brick wall, we chose a spot to sit down and take in the view.