“G’day,” I greeted her mechanically, and returned to the novel.

“Good day to you too, sir,” she replied and continued, “It sure feels like forever.”

“What? Sorry, I beg your pardon.” I looked up from the book.

“Oh, my bad. Didn’t mean to invade your private space,” she apologised. “I was just thinking aloud.

“I have this nasty girl habit of talking to myself,” she said with a smile. “I was thinking boat trips on the open sea can sometimes feel like an endless journey.”

“Um, I guess so,” I responded. “We should be happy that we know our destination and time of arrival.”

“Yes, you’re right.” She glanced at her watch. “And we have about six hours before we arrive.”

“Six hours doesn’t seem like forever, does it?” I grinned and extended my hand. “I’m Constantine … with an ‘e’.”

“No, it doesn’t,” there was a tinge of amusement on her face, “My name’s Jewel.” She paused. “Jewel with a single ‘l’.”

I smiled, closed the novel and tucked it into my duffel bag. “That’s a beautiful name. It sparkles and sounds priceless. Great to make your acquaintance, Jewel. Do women nowadays spell Jewel with two ‘l’s’?”

“I’ve no clue?” Her look was flirtatious. “You should ask…..” She motioned to some other people on deck. “I think you will find a fair sampling on the boat.”

We both chuckled and then for a moment just sat there and observed our fellow passengers.

There were about twenty in all. Men, women and children, almost all islanders returning home from the mainland.

I looked at Jewel again. The dimples hugged her cheeks when she talked and smiled. She had lovely brown eyes and a straight nose. Her hair was a soft fuzzy afro.

Then I realised she was talking to me.

“I’m sorry, were you talking to me?”

“Yes. You look detached, like hypnotised or something.” Her brown eyes held mine.

“Sorry, I, umn, I was just thinking about something,” I stammered, thinking of good excuse, guess I lost track of time somehow … talk about being forgetful.” I gave a nervous chuckle.

“That’s all right … thought you froze up or something,” she quipped, “If you literally freeze here everyone on this boat will think I have superpowers.”

I chuckled again. Embarrassed.

“So we are even now. I speak my thoughts aloud and you freeze up, I guess.” She paused and looked at me.

I noticed a dash of flirtatious humour in her eyes.

“So what was it again you were saying? I didn’t get what you were saying?” I said.

“Oh! I was asking if it’s okay for me to call you by your name.” She looked at me, studying me.

“I don’t mind,” I feigned surrender. “We’ve been sitting and talking for like…. It sure feels like eternity.” I paused to let in the humour.

I couldn’t help noticing her dimples, and her face lighting up.

II

“So Constantine,” she crossed her legs and reclined in the seat, “what’s your reason, going to the islands?”

I looked around at the other passengers. “I’m returning after years on the mainland … never felt I belong there … I’m heading home.”

“I gather it’s just you,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“Just me, myself, I….” The jocular line tried to erase the shitty life I was leaving behind on the mainland.

“My only companions are this duffel bag and the book. Just us on this boat, out on the sea, travelling to the islands.”

“Whoa! Ha Ha Ha! … That’s a…. Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to pry or anything, I was just….”

“It’s fine … it’s fine … it’s okay,” I reassured her.

We sat there, again looking at the other passengers. I felt awkward and stupid.

“So Jewel, why the islands?” I asked. “You’re not like me or the rest of the travellers here … why the islands?

“Well … To be frank … after most of the passengers disembarked at the first stop … I was there,” she pointed to a seat in front of the boat’s canteen.

“I looked this way and saw you sitting and reading … and I felt this strange connection.” She looked over, her brown eyes intense.

“I don’t know where we’re heading with this conversation…” I began to feel uncomfortable.

“No wait! Hear me out… Let me finish my story,” she sounded fervent, her brown eyes even more intense.

“I looked over and saw you and I had this premonition like I had seen you once, before … doing exactly what you were doing.

“Maybe it was a dream … maybe it was … you were waiting … at a hospital … in a queue … I don’t know … some obscure place.”

I chuckled, trying to take control of where the conversation was heading.

“You say you had a premonition … a sort of déjà vu … involving me with a book!” I reached into the bag, pulled out the novel and turned it over and looked at her.

“Yes! That’s what I’m saying! A déjà vu experience! What am I saying? This is stupid, I feel like a child! This is going nowhere,” her tone was embarrassed. “I apologise, I thought I …”

“No! No! It’s okay! It’s fine, we’re good ... I didn’t mean to deride you … it’s just that from our idle conversation, it somehow caught me off-guard.”

“I’m sorry, it feels so stupid. It feels crazy and I feel stupid dipping you into this brash spiritual experience…! I feel so childish.”

For a few seconds we were silent. Then instantaneously as if by instinct we both laughed, we laughed until we had tears in our eyes.

III

“Oh, this feels good!” I finally exclaimed. “It feels like a table has been removed from my head.”

“I agree,” she replied, rubbing her eyes. “This is crazy, right. See, the passengers are looking at us. I don’t know what’s rubbing in their minds right now.” And she laughed again, her pearly teeth showing through her full lips.

I replaced the book in the bag and turned to her.

“So Jewel, I know now, you are not from the islands….”

After a moment, she spoke.

“I’m a volunteer with the National Volunteer Service. I’ll be helping a woman by the name of Apollonia set up a women’s association on the islands. I’ll be there for two years … “

She paused and looked at me searchingly. “I’m sorry but you look shocked … did I say something?”

“Oh! No! No! Please continue … “I gestured with my hands.

“Okay, so yes ... two years on the islands and …” she paused, “I believe I’ll see you there.”

“Of course you will. Like I said, I’m heading home.”

“So Constantine, what do you plan to do in the next five hours? We’ve been talking for, like, almost an hour now.”

“I really don’t know … I am still trying to adjust…”

“Oh! That’s not fair!” She slouched into her chair, crossing her arms.

“Okay, to answer your question. What I’ll do is continue to dig into this novel here, that’s what I’ll do.” I reached for the book again.

She smiled her beautiful smile and I felt something in my chest. A slight pull, an inconspicuous beating that wasn’t there before.

She looked at me and glanced at the book.

“Read on then, maybe you’ll tell me something … like who the handsome hero is.”  Her eyes searched mine.

She got up from her seat.

“Certainly, would love that.” My response was calm even though I felt a hot flush.

Calm brother! Calm! Breathe in, breathe out! Breathe in, breathe out!

“Before you go, is the name of the woman you’ll be working with Lavu … Apollonia Lavu?”

“Yes, that’s her name,” she looked at me surprised, “how come you know?”

“I know her. She’s my mother.”