Wishful Steps

4

The trail they followed was well-wooded and almost a straight line from the mansion to the Seagulls' Lookout, which was northwest of where the hike began. Luckily, there were not many steep climbs or descents to test Demerval's sedentary joints. As Guilherme had said, after an hour and a half of walking, they reached the Seagulls' Lookout. The view was breathtaking. Near the coast, limestone formations protruded from the water 7 km from the shore and rose to almost 50 meters in height.

"There they are, the famous Fingers of Iemanjá," Guilherme introduced. "The Fingers of Iemanjá were formed by the erosion of the original coastline, which began between 10 and 20 million years ago. The relentless action of the sea on the limestone slowly wore away the rocky cliff, as you can see, gradually leaving these pillars. The cliff is still being eroded at a rate of about 2 cm per year, and in the future, more 'fingers' are likely to form. Notice the seagull nests scattered around the pillars. Hence the name of the lookout."

The explanation was received with "ohh" and sighs from the tourists who were photographing and recording everything Guilherme was explaining.

"You can take a walk and take photos if you want. Let's meet here at the lookout in thirty minutes to return. It is not allowed to leave food, packaging, or cigarettes here. Use the trash cans, everyone! And do not cross the protective fences," Guilherme said as he sat next to Demer on the staircase of the lookout. He continued, "And you? Aren't you going to take photos?"

"I left my phone in the room. It was out of battery."

"If you want, I can take some with my phone and send them to you later."

"No need. I want to come back here with Tina. Then we'll take as many photos as she wants."

"Yes, she would enjoy photographing everything. How long have you been married?"

"Twenty-five years."

"Wow, it's been all that time already? What's the secret?"

"I'm trying to find that secret, my friend. Are you married?"

"I'm getting divorced after 7 years of marriage."

"Time corrodes everything, even feelings. Just like it did with those rocks back there."

"It wasn't for lack of love that my marriage ended. In fact, it was because of an excess of it."

Demer looked at Guilherme and drank the remaining water in the bottle.

"I don't understand."

"Marriage is a balance, my man. On one side, there's love; on the other, sex. Any exaggeration on one side can turn the relationship into something abusive or too fraternal, and the relationship ends. In my case, I loved my wife so much that I no longer felt the desire to... you know... with her."

"And she? Was she okay with it?"

"It's a process, man."

"Sometimes I'm afraid that my marriage is heading the same way as yours, you know?"

"What I can say is that new cycles bring new experiences. We discover things about people and ourselves that we had never noticed before."

The eye contact at that moment made Demerval's body shudder involuntarily.

"Sometimes I wish I could live another life. Try to fix the things I've done wrong, experience all the emotions and passions I desire, and then come back to this life, more experienced. It's tough to have dreams and not have the courage to fulfill them."

"Then you came to the right place, mister. This island is enchanted. Close your eyes and make a wish, and I'm sure it will come true. This contact you'll have with nature, away from the pressure of the big city, will put you in balance. I'm sure of it."

Guilherme winked at Demer and patted his shoulder friendly. Then he turned his attention to a group of oriental ladies who wanted more information about the place. Demerval watched Guilherme and the attention he gave to everyone who approached him.