Cayman Desires Read Online Free PDF Page B

the water and then dove
under a shallow breaking wave, forcefully swimming forward in the direction she
saw the little boy go under.
    Luckily, the Caribbean
waters were very clear and she could see the thrashing arms and legs as the
little boy desperately tried to clear his head above the water.  She grabbed
him around the waist and pushed him upwards, trying to find her feet in the
force of the backwash at the same time.  This time of the morning, the current
was extremely strong and people generally did not swim.
    They both cleared the
water and she gasped for breath, alarmed at the weak, apparent lifeless body in
her arms.  She surged forward, falling to her knees and laying the little boy
down.  She brushed his black hair from his brow and quickly turned him on his
side, pressing firmly on his back.  He was breathing shallowly, but she was
worried that he might have swallowed a lot of water, He started coughing and
spat out, it felt to her, liters of seawater!
    “Robby…Robby…oh my God,
Robert!   Miguel, come quick it is Robbie!”  
    Clarissa glanced up and
saw Retha staggering down the beach towards them, with Miguel shortly on her
heels.
    The little boy, Robby,
sat up and gazed at her with clear, silver-black eyes. She stared at him with a
start of recollection.  Something about him seemed so familiar!
    “Are you okay, little
one?”  She brushed his wayward flock of black hair back from his eyes again.
    “Yes … are you a mer …
a mermid … merm … you know, one of those people from the sea? Like Ariel!”  His
innocent question and little boy look played with her heartstrings.
    “A mermaid?”   His
bobbing head confirmed her question.  “No, I’m afraid not.  I’m just a normal
person who pulled you from the sea.”
    “Oh … are you sure you
are not a mermid?  
    She laughed and stood
up when Retha fell down on her knees, pulled the little boy in her arms and
hugged him tight.  He struggled and pulled away, the look on his face clearly
indicating his dislike in the public display of emotion.
    “Auntie!  Stop!”
    “Oh Robert, are you
okay?  I got such a fright when I saw the lady pulling you from the water.  I
surely thought you had …”
    “That’s quite enough
Retha.  Well, boy, what were you thinking frightening your aunt that way?”  
    Miguel clearly was not
going to show the same emotion his wife did, but Clarissa could see the relief
in his eyes when their gazes met.
    Robert pulled himself
upright and looked his uncle square in the eyes.  For someone his age, which
could not be more than five or six years, he showed tremendous courage.
    “Sorry, uncle.  I
wanted to swim and I could not find Dad.”
    “Then you wait for
him.  You know very well your father goes jogging every morning!”
    “But he promised we’d
go swi…”
    “Yes, and he will keep
his promise, as soon as he is back from his run.  Now, no more of this.  You
gave us all a very big fright and I want your promise that you will not go near
the water again unless one of us is with you.”
    “But uncle. I …”
    “No buts!   Promise
Robert!”
    Roberts’ bottom lip
thrust out and his chest literally huffed out.  He pulled a deep breath and
whispered, “I promise.”
    “That’s better.   Well,
thank goodness you were close by, miss.   My goodness, Clarissa?  Is it you?  
I hardly recognize you!   Retha, look it is Clarissa!”
    Retha exclaimed in
surprise too and came over to hug Clarissa to her.  “My darling, girl, it has
been three years!  You are so thin, and your hair so long … you look absolutely
amazing!”
    Clarissa laughed.  “I
lost some weight, but not that much, surely!”
    Miguel hugged her and
planted a kiss on her cheek.  “We missed you last night, but Bette explained
how busy it has been over the past few months.  I’m very glad to see I have my
business in such capable hands!”
    “Uncle … this lady is a
merm … a mermaid!”  
    Little Robert