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 Sun and Sea 27 A James Gang Story by Mike C

   More work and a broken foot to delay things...  And today, no heat at
home! Best of the New Year (and Decade) to all... Feedback : mikec (at)
nspace.net

   = = = = =

   We'd no sooner filled the dive tanks, stacked the firewood and settled
back to start discovering the woman inside the Diveskin when the girls
returned.

   "How's the aquarium going?"

   "We had to let them go..." Sherri shook her head, "There were fiddler
crabs living in the tide pool and they ate Zorro and Fred."

   "You named the fish?"

   "Well, Zorro was a black sword-tail and Fred was light orange with
spots, like Fred Flintstones." Sherri explained mournfully.

   "You should see the crabs do their thing though!" Amanda continued,
"They stayed very still and sort of waved their claws slowly.  When the
fish swam by, they snatched them up with the big claw and used the little
one to rip small pieces to shove in their mouths." She demonstrated
animatedly, then added "And all the while the fish was still moving!"

   "And you're not troubled by that?" Hazel said.

   "Should I be?" Amanda considered, "Well, I AM a bit sorry..."

   "That the fish died?"

   "Oh no - it's just too bad the crabs were not bigger, otherwise we
could've added them to the dinner!"

   "Ahh yes," Brenda laughed, "Thus spake PETA's poster girl for the
decade! Fortunately we've got enough food without having to totally destroy
the eco-system here!" She looked at me, "You've stashed away our catch,
haven't you?"

   "Yes, I put everything in the cooler." I said as I led them on board
'Jester.' "We've also recharged the tanks, but I'm pretty sure there's not
a whole lot of light left for a long dive."

   "No," Hazel amended, "We could do a night dive, but this is not an ideal
place to do it.  But, with what you've accomplished, you're already met the
requirements for an 'Open Water' certification.  You should have no
difficulties with temperate water dives limited to a tankful of air and
within 45 feet of water.  Deep diving, which we've covered but haven't done
will require more equipment and planning - mainly due to the need to make
timed ascents to avoid the bends.  There will be other specialty dive
sessions as well, like night diving, wreck diving or cave diving that you
can participate in.  There's even dedicated courses in wildlife
identification and camera work, both video and stills."

   "I wouldn't mind learning more about taking underwater pictures," Brenda
said, "I'd like some reminders of the gorgeous stuff I've seen here."

   "If you want gorgeous, we could do some nude pictures of Hazel for you!"
Amanda suggested.

   "Behave, young lady!" Hazel said.

   "Only if you show me how to shell the conch!"

   "Of course," Hazel gave her a hug, "Just give me a minute--" She turned
back to Brenda, "Other than professional equipment, which are quite
expensive, not to mention very bulky, you might be interested the so-called
'Indestructible' cameras - I've seen some good results from the guests. 
They're simple point-and-shoot digitals but rated underwater for 10 meters
or less, but given that the light fades so quickly under water, you'll need
the flash for practically every shot, which means you'll have to be quite
close to get good results."

   "Now?" Prompted Amanda.

   "Of course, my impatient sweetheart." Hazel fished the large shell out,
a full 9-inches across.  "Basically there are two ways to do it, the slow
way lets you keeps the shell intact - you boil it to kill the animal, then
carefully pry the foot--" She indicated the heavy bony plate blocking the
opening "--off.  Then you can wiggle the meat out after that..."

   "What about the fast way?" Amanda prompted.

   "Ah yes," Hazel smiled at her fondly, "The less patient uses a knife..."

   "Wait, use my dive-knife - it's still on the BCD!"

   "That won't work - the blade has to be thin, and at least 4-inches long,
like a boning knife..." Hazel said, "And I'll also need a screwdriver, lime
or lemon juice, and vinegar..." She waited until we collected the items,
then, holding the conch down and pointed away from her, she continued, "In
the groove between the second and third spiral, use the screwdriver to chip
a hole to fit the blade in..." She matched action to words, "This step is
called knocking...  Then, slip the knife in at an angle and run it along
the top grove on the opposite side...  This separates the brain from the
body and kills the animal.  Then we'll be able to pull the 'foot' out,
along with the meat." She grinned, "With some practice, all it takes is ten
seconds...  BUT, the next step is VERY messy, so make sure you have a sink
and water and lots of vinegar to wash away the slime and the smell..." She
placed the animal in the sink and gently pulled on the bony covering.  With
a gurgle, a large chunk of slime-covered meat slurped into the sink.  Her
grin widened, "That sound is why we call it 'jooking' and the next part is
called 'slopping,' also with good reason."

   Using the knife Hazel scraped away the brownish slime, "Next, the darker
and bony ridges are trimmed off, and after we remove the guts, we are left
with bright conch meat...  Except for this..." She fished in the intestine
and pulled out a tube-like appendage, straw sized and about four inches
long.  "It's supposedly the conch's penis, and like everything disgusting,
or poisonous, it's called an aphrodisiac..." A quick rinse later Hazel cut
it into five inch-long pieces.  She took one and each of us popped one in
our mouths.

   "Hmmm, this certainly has 'sashimi breath' qualities." Sherri chewed
thoughtfully.

   "The aphrodisiac qualities are pretty good too!" Brenda drew close and
rubbed her body against me.

   "Is it affecting you babe?" Sherri asked Hazel.

   "You're affecting me more than the conch." Hazel murmured and gave her a
warm kiss.  She turned and said to all of us, "You have given me more joy
and love than I could ever expect.  And I thank you all..."

   "OK, OK, what about the conch?  What do we do next?"

   "Wow, you're really into your food!  I knew those culinary courses at
ERAU would do you some good!" Laughed Sherri.

   "You see what I have to put up with?" Amanda sniffed and stuck her
tongue out at Sherri.

   "Alright girls, settle down," Hazel laughed, "This is the way my Mom
makes it - simple, and, I think, quite delicious." She cut the meat into
small pieces, about 1/2-inch thick, then gave each side a couple of whacks
with the back of the blade.  "This tenderizes it and lets the flavor come
through." She drizzled on lemon juice and tossed in some hot pepper sauce.
"Ta-da, conch salad.  Totally different tasting from the soup that Miriam
makes but just as good.  And--" She grinned at me, "--greens are optional!"
She offered the plate around.

   "Mmm, it is very good!  Tender too!"

   "Can't believe the meat's so sweet!"

   "We've got to go get ourselves a few more of these!"

   "Tomorrow sweetness," Hazel smiled, "They hide in the sand during the
day, but if we're quick, we'll get them in the morning."

   "Oh, I'll be ready!" Amanda vowed, already licking her mental chops.

   "Now that we have an appetizer, let's get cooking with the rest!"

   From our afternoon's dive, we had collected four langoustines and five
urchins, which we dispatched and served and consumed with great efficiency.
Even Hazel seemed a bit more predisposed to the uni - taking three pieces
without too much distress.  Besides ocean-fresh sashimi, we also roasted
lobster tails over the fire, accompanied by various light dipping sauces
and I added steaks from the boat's larder for a truly splendid feast.

   For desert, Hazel served up a papaya with starfruit which she had
brought along.  The tartness of the starfruit was just the right balance
for the flavor of the papaya, and the food that went before.

   We had to start cleaning up as the sun reached the western horizon; tide
had risen and waves were already lapping the edge of the fire.  By the time
we disposed of the remnants of our meals, a deep evening gloom was upon us.
Without clouds, pollution or city lights to delay it, the sunset was like
the throwing of a light switch - total dark except for a pink glow in the
west.  It had faded almost completely by the time we retraced our passage
into the protection of the atoll.

   "Can you tell us about the University you are going to?" Brenda asked as
we sat around the small aft table enjoying a coffee, and the company.

   "It's the same school in Freeport where I got my diploma, but they've
expanded the campus and has affiliated itself to the longest operating
Medical University in the Caribbean.  So now their degree is recognized in
the States and Canada.  In fact, doctors from the Caribbean account for
over a tenth of new Doctors in the States."

   "With those numbers, how come they're not more well known?"

   "There's an assumption that they're not as good as US school graduates
because their level of acceptance is slightly lower.  But the real reason
is that students from the Caribbean are generally weaker in the sciences,
which reflect in the M-CAT and SAT scores, so the school's curriculum
adjusts for it and has even more emphasis on Maths and the Sciences.  The
school's graduates has the highest acceptance rate to hospitals of all
universities in the world!"

   "That is real good to know!"

   "How long with it take?"

   "Five years...  Plus the two or three year for my undergraduate...  Wow
seven years..." Hazel sighed, "That's a long time...  Although the last two
years I'll be interning at a hospital in the States."

   "Does the university offer self-monitored studies?  Usually like
web-accessible lectures or course-on-demand programs." Brenda said, "We've
found that you can usually use that to bypass most of the time to get a
degree."

   "They have something called PACE, which is based on courses on the
Internet, but lab times are still mandatory."

   "That's what I mean - to maximize your study time, make sure you are
one, or two chapters ahead of the lecture, then you will know if you need
to attend to get extra explanations, or clarification.  And of course, get
to know the other students who could fill in for you as well.  By
concentrating on the lectures where you need the most answers, it allows
you to carry a heavier course load, and still maintain a good standing."

   "That is what you do?"

   "Yes, plus, by choosing courses that are available for distant learning,
we can get a few extra credits towards our degrees without working much
harder."

   "I will have to do that."

   "Spend a month to get used to the system first - get to know your fellow
students, and the admin staff, they're the ones who can really help you in
getting a good syllabus and can give you helpful advice."

   "Hmmm...  it doesn't sound as terrifying as before..."

   "And of course we'll be there if you need us!" I smiled.

   "Yeah, I know.  But I will need this month to get my mind back to
school..."

   "No problem.  How 'bout I come here and take you to your exam?"

   "That would be nice...  But..."

   "Don't worry about it - we'll work out the details later, plus I
understand your Mom has a restaurant there?"

   "Aw, I knew it!  There IS food involved!"

   "It's a conch stand," Hazel answered, "But it's on one of the busiest
corners of Freeport - that's in Grand Bahama Island.  She has as many as
twelve people helping her and she goes through a hundred conches on some
days."

   "Sounds like quite the operation."

   "And quite the lady!"

   "Yeah, I'm really happy for her!" Hazel smiled.

   "No wonder you're such an expert on preparing conch!"

   "Not enough to want to make it a lifelong career!" Hazel grimaced.

   "I know you'll be really busy," Brenda said, " but I'd like to ask you
do a couple of things for us."

   "Like what?"

   "We want you to be our local rep and keep an eye on the property we're
leasing from the Bentels..."

   "That's easy," Hazel grinned, "I can look at it every day."

   "Second, we need you to tell us how Donnie is doing - be our go-between.
I get this feeling he may be too proud to ask for certain things, but if it
makes his life easier, then I want you to work out how we can help him,
OK?"

   "I can try...  I've arranged to move in with them - Jo-An's going to
stay at the Dive Shop - it'll help him take over quicker."

   "I also have a request for you, Hazel..." I said.

   "Which you can say No to," Amanda said.  "In fact you probably
should..."

   I grabbed Mandie, "That's fine then, since you volunteered..." I started
nibbling on various parts of her body.

   "Stop!  Stop!" Amanda giggled, "Do it to Hazel!  I dare you!  She'll
probably beat you up!"

   "You won't beat me up will you?" I asked.

   "Of course not!" She smiled and slid under my arm when I held it out. 
"Even if I do this?" I kissed along her face and worked my way around her
neck.

   "Mmm...  ahhhh..." She shivered and her arms went around me.

   "Another one bites the dust," Amanda sighed.

   "Thanks to you, babykins!" Hazel nuzzled her, "You're are such a
beautiful person, how can anyone you love not be equally lovely and
caring?" She looked at me and gave a a dazzling smile.

   "What about me?  Am I not lovable as well?" Sherri preened and flashed
her lashes.

   "You are lovable, and just as irresistible!" Hazel eased Sherri in a
soft embrace.  "I really want to spend time with you..." She reached around
me and took Brenda's hand, "And I want to be with you as well, Brenda!  It
has been so amazing with you guys," Hazel sighed deeply, "And you've helped
me discover so much - about myself, and about life.  I'm a bit overwhelmed,
but I also realized that each one of you are special people, in your own
right.  That is why I am looking forward to spending alone time with each
of you...  In fact, if it's possible, I'd like to meet everyone else too."

   "You mean Nicole, and the others?"

   She nodded, "Yeah, then I'd know they're OK with me being part of the
group..." She looked at me, "Is that OK with you, James?"

   "That would be nice - I'm sure they would be thrilled to meet you!  Umm,
Haze, do you have a passport?"

   "Yes, Bahamas."

   "So, OK, you'll need a visa..." Brenda continued thoughtfully, "I think
we can work it into what you'll be doing for us here.  I can start the
paperwork to get you a B-3 visa as a local-hire for an American firm, which
can be applied against the employment experience for a Green Card - you'll
need one if you ever want to practice in the States.  In fact..." She
mulled, "The Bentels have a holding company registered in the States... 
I'll see if we can transfer your two years' employment here towards
Immigrations requirements...  I'll have to work on it..."

   "And of course there's Uncle Choo-choo if you need him..." Sherri
smiled.

   "Hazel's uncle is a prominent government official here..." I explained
to Brenda.

   "Yeah, I can ask Uncle Choo-choo to help push through a Visitor's Visa,
or even a Student one for now." Hazel grinned excitedly, "Then I can visit
everyone..." She leaned her head on my shoulder, "That would be so
wonderful!  The M-Cat is the end of the month and I will have a few months
before school starts..." She paused, and looked at me, "And wasn't there
something else you wanted me to do for you, just now...  boyfriend?"

   "I can think of plenty..." I leered, "Which we'll get into later...  But
I also want you to talk to Reef Relief when they come by.  In town today, I
showed them my plans to move the wrecks over to the back bay and use them
to block the sand drifting back out into the channel.  They said the crane
will be there in the next two or three weeks, and I'll be a lot more
comfortable if you can watch over that."

   "You'd better show me everything you want them to do!"

   "We'll go through it - but you were there and you know what we want..."

   "Yeah, I'll try..."

   "We'll leave you some money in case of unexpected expenses, plus we'll
start paying you a salary." Brenda added.

   "You don't need to..."

   "No, it's a good idea," Brenda continued, "Having a bit of extra income
means you worry less about trying to make ends meet, and that will help you
focus on what really needs to get done."

   "But...  but Amanda - she doesn't get any salary!"

   "That's because we can make sure money is always available when she
needs it - either in her bank account or her credit cards." Brenda
explained, "With at best intermittent banking service here, you'll need to
have some cash on hand."

   "I'll return whatever I don't use!" Hazel promised.

   "Don't be too frugal, honey.  Think of it as just a tool to help you
accomplish your real goals.  Right now, it's to free up your time so you
can stay focused on the M-Cat!  What about a computer?"

   "I have one at the Dive Shop...  of course that'll stay with Jo-An now.
Eva has one I can use though."

   "That we will fix next time James comes here..." Brenda stopped Hazel's
protests, "It's just another tool to get where you need to be."

   "I just hope I don't disappoint you...!" Hazel let a long sigh.

   "You won't, hon.  You have a good sense of what you can do, and you're
strong enough not to let others dictate to you.  Just make sure it's YOUR
decision, and not something from the 'List.' "

   "I think I'm coming to grips over that...  I have learned so much from
all of you.  And you cannot believe how grateful I am, and how happy you've
made me!"

   "You've made us very happy too!" Sherri murmured, "And you've showed us
so much!"

   "There's an obvious punchline there," Amanda declared.

   "You mean like I've shown you everything already?" Hazel supplied, with
a smile, and a hint of rosiness.

   "I wouldn't be that crude - besides, HE hasn't seen everything, yet. 
Has he?"

   "No, not by a long shot..." I supplied.

   "He would've, if you'd given us some more time this afternoon..." Hazel
said with a wide smile.

   "Oh-ho!  So you guys want to be left alone now?"

   "Ahh, I'm sure he'll have a chance before long!" Hazel answered, adding
a squeeze on my hand.

   "And what about the rest of the peanut gallery here?" Brenda wanted to
know.

   "Just name a time, sweetheart - I'm totally at your disposal..."

   "Whoa...  that's quite an offer!"

   "My offer is exactly the same as what you've offered me, correct?" Hazel
said, "So I'm just re-stating the obvious!" She sighed again, "Being part
of this is...  is so amazing, I hope I'm strong enough..." She held Sherri
and rocked her, humming softly.  Then she sang,



   "Bajo el tejado de cristal

   duermen el odio y la pasión

   sueños de Gloria y de poder

   calman su gris desolación.

   Tristeza de amor

   un juego cruel

   jugando a ganar

   has vuelto a perder

   Son muchos los que mienten

   para resplandecer

   pagando por su vida

   un interés..."



   "Wow, that is so beautiful, is it Spanish?"

   "Yes."

   "It's such a lovely language...  What does it mean?"

   "It's called 'The Pain of Love,' " Hazel said slowly, "It says that we
should always choose love over hate, and only love can keep the hate
behind, but if you ask for too much, love will become pain.  But if I'm
afraid to try, then I'll fail, and the pain will be that of regret my
entire life." She leaned in and held us, softly, "I won't be afraid, I want
love, not regret..."

   = = = = =

   (C) Copyright 2001-2009.  MikeC. All Rights Reserved. All Reproduction
for fee or profit forbidden.

   Copies of this and other stories can be downloaded from:
<http://www.asstr.org/files/Authors/MikeC/JAMES/Sun&Sea/>
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