Her Indigenous Surrender

CHAPTER 7 THE ARRIVAL

As Kitchi steps out onto the top deck of the ferry, he is impressed by the marvellous, luscious foliage of his destination. The way the mountains rise from the sea, stretching their bodies upward together, is something he has never seen before. Cloud masses hug the tallest peaks, hiding their true heights from onlookers as they pass by.

Civilization appears as mere specks on a green canvas as the ferry travels south to the capital. The island is a true herald of unspoiled beauty, an unspoken testament to a tropical paradise.

Kitchi is truly delighted that he got to see Dominica from the sea. Initially, he was supposed to fly to the island from Puerto Rico a day ago. However, due to mechanical issues with the plane, his flight had to make an emergency landing in Guadeloupe. With no connecting flights from Guadeloupe to Dominica for another three days, he and his fellow passengers decided to take the ferry across at the airline's expense.

So here he is, standing on the uppermost deck of the ferry, phone in hand, soaking in the wondrous sights before him. Hearing his name called from the direction of the bow, Kitchi turns to see Marlon Joseph, a silver fox of a Dominican man, trying to get his attention. The two men have been traveling together since Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, even sharing adjacent seats on both modes of transport. Kitchi suspects the older man may have deliberately influenced the seating arrangements to avoid Caroline Benjamin, a seasoned beauty who has been eyeing him the whole journey.

Making his way to where Mr Joseph is, Kitchi spies Miss Benjamin standing nearby. Understanding why he is needed, Kitchi lets out a soft chuckle. The sly fox is going to use him as a buffer between the determined woman and himself.

As soon as he arrives, Mr Joseph engages him in conversation, pointing to the different villages along the coast as he subtly walks Kitchi towards the stern of the boat. He regales Kitchi with wild escapades he had in each. Kitchi simply enjoys the man's sometimes sobering tales of his youth while taking photos.

Finally, the ferry arrives at the capital, Roseau. True to how Mr Joseph, and even Amaziah, described it, the town is large and vibrant in colour and teems with life. It is no San Juan but it holds its own unique exuberance. Taking a few more photos with his phone, Kitchi then returns below, with the others to get ready for disembarkation.

Immigration was a breeze thanks to Mr Joseph. Though that might be largely due to Marlon Joseph's cunning plan, which somehow included Kitchi, to get away from Caroline Benjamin. They quickly left the compound with the goal of disappearing into the town before Miss Benjamin caught up with them.

Declining Mr Joseph's request to share a taxi, Kitchi looks for Amaziah, who is waiting for him outside the ferry terminal with a rental. How the teenager achieved that, he is still clueless. He recalls that he had great difficulty getting a rental after he changed his itinerary yesterday. He makes a mental note to ask him about it.

"Hey, Kitchi! Over here! Over here! Kitchi!" Amaziah is on the opposite side of the street, waving his hands. Upon seeing him, Kitchi crosses the pedestrian crossing to what he now notices is the Post Office. He then takes in what the teenager is wearing: a short-sleeve maroon dress shirt with the state college's crest and a dark pair of jeans. In his hands is a cap of the same colour as his shirt, and he has aviator sunglasses on.

"Aye, man. Glad you could make it," Amaziah says, flashing a smile.

"Same here," Kitchi replies, giving him a fist bump and side hug. "So, where is the rental?"

Pointing to the 2016 Nissan X-Trail behind Kitchi, Amaziah states, "Sorry, that's all they had available. It is basically unused. That's how ridiculously low the mileage is on this baby. Here, let me help you."