Jumping Ship: Island Hopping

Dedication

To Big H—Him & Little ‘h"—him, with love.

The Island Hopping Series

When the pursuit of love trumps obligations...

Jumping Ship (The Introductory Novella)

*Coming Soon...*

Island Hopping Book 1: Trinidad & Tobago

Island Hopping Book 2: Grenada

Island Hopping Book 3: Barbados

Island Hopping Book 4: Saint Lucia

Island Hopping Book 5: Martinique

Island Hopping Book 6: Antigua

Island Hopping Book 7: Guyana

Author’s Note

The Island Hopping Series is a journey unlike any other. The series showcases a variety of amazing locations in and around the Caribbean, while providing a bit of history and mystery. Within the introductory novella, Jumping Ship, the framework is set for a colorful and remarkable exploration through time and place. Yet, at the heart of this awesome series is a love of family, friends and culture. Enjoy!

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Jumping Ship

On the 3rd of June 1975 in New York, Edward and Pearl Riley receive the ultimate gift of love - a newborn baby, wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in a burlap bag. The child's name, Sakkara, is written out on a torn sheet of paper, and immediately fills every void the married couple has ever had.

Pregnant seamstress Petrina Dugal becomes a runaway at the age of twenty-six. She flees the claws of a brutish husband, despite her adoration for a well-loved South American country known as Guyana. At the heart of the rebellion resides an enigmatic lover named Michael Chen. The journey to escape their choices lead the couple through the Caribbean's treasure trove of islands:

Trinidad & Tobago

Grenada

Barbados

St. Lucia

Martinique

Antigua

The journey of the young couple from Guyana to New York is chronicled in very specific clues, left with baby Sakkara. But as she comes of age and begins learning the truth of her abandonment, the Caribbean calls out to this love child. Sakkara is set to unravel the mystery of her true heritage, and hopefully reunite with her long-lost parents.

Jumping Ship is the introductory novella to the Island Hopping series. This explosive collection boasts the rich culture of the West Indies, deep love, and a mystery unlike any other.

Contents:

1975

New York, USA

Pearl & Edward Riley

Georgetown, Guyana

Petrina & Michael

1999

New York, USA

Sakkara’s Journey

Notes

1975

New York, USA

Pearl & Edward Riley

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The Rileys hurriedly left a Sunday afternoon rendition of Pippin at the Imperial Theatre, on the third of June 1975. Edward didn’t typically enjoy spending his weekends out, much less in the rugged Times Square area, except for the sake of love. Pearl’s thirty-fifth birthday had just passed, and Edward had sacrificed his sanity for an outing with his depressed wife. The two forced smiles and allowed instinct to be their guide. The crowd was lively, prompting a reaction from the married couple. Edward had to admit that the show was good. Pearl didn’t think much of it because she couldn’t truly appreciate her spouse’s efforts.

Inside the theater, viewers were thrilled to be a part of the lively Broadway production. Edward and Pearl followed along, attempting to mimic, as though reality hadn’t escorted them into the Forty-Fifth Street playhouse. But it was a blatant farce. Anyone could tell that their enjoyment was a fallacy. The laughter was too intense and too deep, even forced most of the time. Although silent pleas cascaded from their robotic actions, the Rileys convinced themselves that they were okay.

Now, after the show, fear and doubt reappeared. It was a difficult march from playtime; still it was one that needed to be made. Edward gazed down at Pearl, avoiding direct eye contact as much as possible. Around them, everyone scurried about the place. Soon it would be dark, but the Rileys carried tons of concealed baggage, so their movements were slower.

Edward and Pearl had been together for seventeen years and married for fifteen. Long enough to know how to appease each other, yet long enough to know not to appease each other. From a mere reach of five-five, Pearl would glance up into her husband’s familiar eyes. His were usually a gentle shade of hazel. On this day however, slight aggravation caused his iris to flood with deep storm clouds.

At times it was quite difficult to see them―truly see them beyond the thin, deceptive double layers of his featherweight spectacles. Especially when she needed to see him. He was several inches over six feet and looked down to the top of his wife’s light golden blond tresses. He wanted to avoid her smoky gray irises at all costs. They were a sad type of shade, with hues of regret and loneliness.

They had not always been that way. Now they were. So he pecked her soft, delicately lined forehead and nuzzled against her colorless cheeks. With all of his might, he did what little he could to eliminate the eye-to-eye exchange so many needed. It was easiest for him, in order to protect his sanity. Edward’s ultimate focus rested on Pearl’s happiness, and the ability to appease his delicate wife. Yes, he knew how to appease her all right.

They had very little to discuss, because although he’d yielded to her wants from time to time, her ultimate desire had not yet been fulfilled. The couple sighed in one accord as if rehearsed and clutched tighter together.

I want a child, Ed, she confessed. This was not a secret statement, yet she desired to treat it as such.

Trembling lips almost disappeared beneath her bite. The radiance of a peach-colored blush faded almost entirely from thin cheekbones. Lengthy lashes fluttered several times. Tears lingered on the brim of her lids. A stampede of sensation trampled up and down her spine. Her arms welcomed a similar sentiment. A temporary dip in temperature played on her senses, or perhaps her mind. She shook wildly. It was the battle to calm her nerves that stunned her so.

I know, dear. He cleared his throat as an out-breath threatened his wife’s delicate nature. They were quite close already, but he drew her even closer. He was constantly caught between understanding and irritation, fully conscious of the limitations between need and want. Choosing the easiest route, the sympathetic husband’s palms moved up and down his woeful wife’s arms. Her frame was petite and was easily swallowed up in his embrace. Thin summer sleeves crumbled beneath his touch. His fingers could completely lap her upper biceps. The comfort was enough to distill her qualms, at least for the time being. She allowed her shoulders to slump forward and over, resting against her once stocky mate.

Edward and Pearl proceeded forward, getting lost in an environment that was quite unfamiliar to either of them. Their direction was off, if not for the fact that it was pretty much impossible to get lost in this area. Still, their march was steady and quiet.

After the show, almost everyone rushed out of the theater and far from the area. There weren’t many couples seeking the enjoyment of a Times Square outing. Not then at least. There was talk of renovations. Plans were being made to revamp the region to greatness. Looking around, it was hard to picture prominence in the midst of sin. Eyeshadow drenched, red-plastered orifices, and high-haired fashion appeared to be the norm. Trash and perversion were the billboards for immorality’s appeal. The Rileys were clearly out of their element. This was not Long Island.

On just about every single corner, projections of Hell flashed from makeshift storefronts and entertainment-ready displays onto concrete paving. Women in platform, neon pumps rushed in and out of sturdy brick buildings. Some for work and others for play. Teeny-tiny sequenced tops, skirts and dresses bedazzled all.

Even if they were not one’s desires, innocent eyes would wander. Very little was left to the imagination. Bold men slapped at exposed female skin, while the shady male character slithered around corners, progressively gaining on their dirty paradise. Prestige was not associated with the region; however, a push would eventually reform the area. Its present state was iffy; those who knew better were cautious enough not to overextend their welcome.

As the Rileys walked on in a daze, a rather tiny young woman rushed towards them. The stranger was a breathtaking beauty. The culprit knocked into Pearl but didn’t say a word otherwise. This petite offender halted in front of Pearl.

Lingering.

The women locked eyes and exchanged friendly, nonverbal apologies. An unspoken pact encircled the two. And for the first time this day, Pearl’s lips intuitively curved up at the corners. There was no explanation to this sudden phenomenon.

The other raised her head. She didn’t fatigue