9.
The renovations were finally complete except for a few little jobs that I was easily able to do myself. I had been shopping to my heart's content and was very impressed with the décor items and linen that I had purchased. The little three bedroom guesthouse looked cosy and homely. The pastel colour shades in the rooms gave them a cool, breezy feel that kept the humidity and heat of the Mauritian weather outside. I had finally received an offer on my property, a lot less than the original selling price but at this point I just wanted to get rid of it. The buyer's bond got approved a few days later, and then I had to wait for the legal work to get finalised and then finally I would be able to relax over money issues.
Markl and all the other fishermen had a few days off when fishing was impossible due to high-speed winds, torrential rains and massive swells. I invited Markl and Estaban over for dinner, a simple meal to say a huge thank you for everything they had done for me. We enjoyed one another's company immensely and the evening flew by with our laughter and chatter. I told them tales of the renovation and in return, they told tales of their fishing trips. We ate every morsel I had made and finished both bottles of red wine. During all of this, I tried desperately to avoid too much eye contact with Markl, afraid my nerves and silly discovery might cause me to say something stupid and ruin the evening by chasing him off.
Estaban decided it was time for him to retreat to bed and I presumed Markl was going to leave as well. I stood up to start locking the back doors and to gather the dishes for the dishwasher. But Markl was not leaving. He put the kettle on and prepared the cups for chamomile tea. My nerves were wrestling with me. I had not been alone with him since my little discovery. When the tea was ready, he made his way to the porch and beckoned for me to follow, which I duly did. I sat on the balcony railing as I always did and rested my back against the pillar. He sat down on the balcony railing next to me. My nerves were fluttering madly through my body and I could feel my skin flush. We sat in silence for a while looking out over the harbour. The wind and rain had subsided to a breeze and a drizzle and the lights from the buildings danced over the water. I couldn't take the silence any longer.
'Why have you and Estaban been so kind to me?'
Markl sighed, and then he looked towards the sky and sighed again, I instantly wondered whether I was worried and so afraid that I had said the wrong thing. I looked at him through the shadows of the night and wanted to tell him not to answer since it had clearly unsettled him. He looked down at the strip of timber we were sitting on and sighed again, still not answering me. I was about to say something when I felt a strange sensation caressing my mind, soul and body. A sensation I had never experienced before. A sensation that invited me to want more. I felt the gentle touch of his lips against mine, softly checking whether I would accept or reject him. When I leant into him, he slid his hand behind my neck and pulled me into his embrace. The passion and craving for each other parted our lips, and we succumbed to the yearning of our needs that turned the kiss from soft and sweet to powerful and strongly overwhelming. I felt my body lift into another dimension, to a universe where if he were not holding me I knew I would have flown away.
Managing only for a brief moment to tear ourselves apart from each other, both out of breath, Markl whispered, 'I've always been in love with you, even when you never gave me the time of day. When I saw you on the beach, that day I knew God had sent you to me.'
He stroked my face and gently kissed the tip of my nose, my lips and my lips, and my lips again. I gave into the wonderment of love. His fingers caressed my back and arms and my scars and for the first time, I felt nothing but elation, even my scars tingled with glee. He kissed my neck and ran his fingers through my hair, and there were no shivers of shame only that of pure ecstasy.
'I am going to ask you to marry me one day,' he said in a low almost seductive voice while resting his forehead on mine.
I lifted my eyes to him, 'And I am going to say yes.'
He lifted his head and looked at me very seriously.
'Marry me please?' he said almost pleadingly.
A glow lit up my face and joy filled my heart and I laughed, 'That day came by very quickly!'
He giggled, and if I wasn't mistaken even in the light of the night, I noticed he blushed a little.
'Yes.'
With my hands holding his face I said again, 'Yes.'
He flung his arms around me forgetting we were still sitting on the railing of the balcony, nearly tipping us over the edge. Finding our balance again just in time we laughed, kissed, hugged, kissed and laughed again in jubilation. We rejoiced in our love for each other.
Reluctantly Markl dragged himself home. Sleep eluded both of us, and we lay in our beds just metres away from each other. We messaged each other until the sun let us know it was a new day, the first day of the rest of my life. Was it possible to be so happy?
Before the sun was above the horizon, Markl was knocking on my door. That we had not slept did not show, the adrenaline of happiness ensured that we were still wide awake and bright-eyed.
'Let's make my dad breakfast and tell him,' he said as soon as I had opened the door but after he had kissed me hello of course.
We skipped over to their house like two excited children running after candy. I detected a tear in Estaban's eye when Markl burst into the kitchen holding my hand and giving him the news. He was too excited and too happy to wait until after breakfast got made served to get it off his chest.
'I am so happy my child, my son has been in love with you for so long,' He said hugging me lovingly.
I looked at these two wonderful men that had come into my life with direction from God and had to pinch myself to believe I was so lucky to get blessed with a second chance. Over breakfast, we discussed the wedding.
'Why wait?' Estaban said, 'I met Markl's mother, and we got married two weeks later. It worked out for us.'
Markl's eyes were bright as spotlights with the idea while he reached over to take my hand in his.
'What do you think or do you want to wait for a while?'
It was impossible to misinterpret the pleading in his eyes, he wanted me to be his wife sooner rather than later, and I only had to say the word.
'As soon as possible,' I replied.
He jumped up from his chair, did a little celebratory dance and ran to get his phone from his room. He phoned the minister of our church and his close friends and before I was able to count to three it was all arranged for the following Saturday on the beach at ten o'clock.
***
I took one last look at myself in the mirror, hardly recognising the woman that was gazing back at me. This woman had on a light cotton summer dress, with lace sleeves and a wide straw hat. This woman was glowing radiantly in the ambience of love. This woman was gentle, considerate and kind. This woman was able to be loved and to love in return. This woman filled herself with God's love. I was in love with the woman that was staring back at me in the mirror, who was smiling excitedly at the prospect of getting married within the next half an hour. I remained standing in front of the mirror, closed my eyes and thanked God for my accident, for my scars and for returning me to the paradise island to find my true soulmate and to find my true family.
Suddenly there was a sturdy knock on the door and my heart jumped ten beats. The time had finally come and I dashed to open the door, greet and hug Estaban and get to the beach. It seemed to me that Estaban was just as eager as I was and we almost ran to the car and from the car to the beach. On the beach, a foot away from the edge of the ocean, everyone was waiting for me. There were Markl's friends who were now ours, the minister and then to my extreme surprise, and I squealed when I saw then – there were Leah, Merwyn and Molly. How had they even known?
'A little surprise from me my dear,' Estaban said happily to have surprised me so.
I embraced him with so much love I was unable to hold back my tears of joy. We linked our arms and began our short walk to Markl. My eyes linked with those of my very soon-to-be husband, and as though there was a string between us, we were drawn towards each other. Markl and Estaban shook hands and Estaban gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek before Markl took my arm and we stood before God and our witnesses.
'You may kiss…'
We enraptured our hearts in our kiss of sheer love before the minister was able to finish his sentence. Everyone laughed and clapped and threw petals over us, but we were oblivious to their existence. The first to congratulate us was Estaban, but then I made a beeline for Leah and threw my arms around her, unable to control my happiness at them joining me for this momentous occasion. I wanted eagerly to introduce them to Markl and Estaban only; they had already met the previous night. My surprise was clearly entertaining to them, and we all burst out laughing.