Caribbean Dreaming

The small, seedy bungalow rocked and shuddered from the storm’s violent winds. Judith rushed through the door, slammed it shut, and then engaged the bolt. “Zee,” she shouted, “Bring me the big towel. I’m dripping everywhere.”

Xiamara, or Zee, handed their thickest terrycloth to her roommate.

Vigorously rubbing herself head to the floor emphasized her comments. “I’m sick and tired of this lifestyle, Zee. I work my butt off for chump change.” She thrust out a ball of soppy bills pulled from her pocket. “Here, put this away.

“We don’t have time for fun. I’m as worn out as you are, Zee. I told another cutie no thanks to the diner and a movie because I work the opening shift. Maybe four hours of sleep tops. Two more days to our day of rest.”

Zee unfolded the wad. “What’s with all the pennies?”

“It’s for a table dance, whaddya think? Good night.”

“Judith, your lingering odor smells like soggy old socks. You might want to shower first. You’ll rest better too.”

“Fine, fine, fine.” Resonated from behind the bathroom door.

Zee counted the funds and mumbled. “I’ll bank this tomorrow. She’s right. Something needs to give. I gotta find a solution.”

******

“Zee,” whined Judith, “can’t you tell me why this is so important? I hate blindfolds, especially when I could be with my pillow. It feels like the twenty-first birthday party you hosted for me. You had me play pin the umbrella on the mojito that I didn’t want to drink. Is it like that?”

Undeterred, Zee bubbled, “Jude, you’ll love this, trust me.” Zee slipped the blindfold over Judith’s eyes, wrapped it around her nearly perfect white-blonde hair, and giggled. “I’m glad we decided to be roomies. Working together is fun, but school is our goal. I love thinking of things we’re going to do when we graduate. There. You’re all set. Let’s go.” It was a clumsy navigation effort to get Judith through the doorway of their hut and down to the beach.

Zee bounced with dance-like steps tousling her curly copper-brunette hair, tugging Judith down the beach’s packed sand.

“Slow down, Zee. I can’t see where I’m going.”

“Keep that blindfold on, Jude, or I’ll clip that beautiful hair while you’re asleep. Relax. Feel the gentle warmth of the winter sun. Listen to the lapping waves. Inhale that fragrant salty air. And those breezes that make life here on San Juan...”

“You takin’ me somewhere, Zee, or writing a travel brochure?”

Zee stopped her friend and whipped off the blindfold. “TADA! And for only three-quarters of our savings.”

Judith followed Zee’s spread hands. “Ah...what is that? A boat?” A dark cloud covered them briefly as the breeze increased.

Stunned for several moments in the shadow of the cloud, Judith stood stock still, rubbing her eyes. She stomped her feet on the sand as her face reddened. “Zee, you bought this almost boat with our tuition fund? No, strike that.” She added, shaking her head. “You got fleeced out of our university monies.”

“But listen, Jude….”

Judith fisted her hands at her sides. “We agreed to pool our earnings to go back to school in the fall. The chump change we make allows us a one-bedroom flat and almost two square meals each day. That left us just enough to pay the tuition fees for those computer classes.”

“I know, but if….” Zee watched her friend growing angrier by the moment.

Judith railed, “What is it with you, Zee? You enjoy our day and night jobs as booth babes and checkout chicks so much that you’ve sentenced both of us to a third job? Really?” Judith’s eyes fill with tears. “Those degrees promise us high-paying tech jobs. You didn’t think of our future.”

A grimace contorted Zee’s sweet features as she tried to recapture her excitement. “You miss the point, Judy. We can use this boat to take tourists from the cruise ships’ daily dockings out snorkeling. We know the entire San Juan shoreline, with its neat hidden places. I thought we’d advertise a modest touring service run by two geeky computer nerds trying to earn tuition monies. People love helping, especially for a cause like education.”

Judith scowled. “Zee, don’t call me Judy. You know better. I’ve hated that name ever since my mom’s live-in, or whatever he was, called me that.” Judith fanned her hands, encompassing the beached wreck. “I told you when we moved in together; I gotta have more. That tuition money was my ticket out of poverty. Heck, a single bank account saves us bank fees. You gave up our savings that took months to scrape together—geez. We shoulda talked first.” She turned and shot a fist to the sky, shook it, and took a breath. “Please, tell me you at least got some magic beans to go with this deal. Maybe we’ll bump into Jack and can climb the beanstalk to find our degrees.”

Zee opened her mouth, but Judith sarcastically continued, “Exactly how did you think we would get this boat from here to anywhere without an engine? Were you counting you or me to row this tub full of passengers, gear, and refreshments to our target destinations? Wouldn’t one of us have to steer? Argh.”

Tired of the tirade, Zee faced her friend nose to nose. “Boy, you do have your panties in a wad. How ’bout letting me finish? You don’t see the sailing mast and jib that are also part of the deal. Ronaldo agreed to throw in his labor to add the rigging to our private ship. So, STOP calling it a boat.” A dreamy, glazed expression crossed Zee’s face as she continued. “We use our natural, free wind supply to reach destinations no one else sails, so there’s zero competition.” Setting her jaw, Zee refocused on Judith with a grin. “Then we anchor in some nice coves so our guests can snorkel. I’ve got a line on some used gear, too. I know we can do this.”

Reeling from Zee’s infectious enthusiasm, Judith racked her brain for the right words, holding back frustrated tears. “Sailing? We know nothing about boats.” She took a deep breath. “We have challenges making the double mocha lattés infused with dandelion extract at the Coffee Shack, where we at least get tips. Now you’re talking about sailing a barely serviceable boat with some bolt-on parts?”

Zee sensed a shift and grinned. “I thought about that, and I found some free how-to-sail-your-boat videos on YouTube. This cute hunk shows how to tack into the wind, use the jib sail, and steering techniques. We can both watch and take turns.”

Judith closed her eyes, releasing her anger and considering the possibilities. “Okay, Miss I-Thought-It-All-Out, how do we snag tourists? Ya think we can persuade them to spend money with us? When you convince me that’s solved, we can take ’em to our Lily of San Juan, where we sail them to the first cove with some fish to watch.”

Zee brightened and bubbled. “I like the name, Jude. Good one. I’ve already gotten permission to use the school printers and computers to make up some snappy brochures.

We’ll use these to hustle the local concierges to steer people our way. We can also stand at the disembarkation ramps and hawk our wares.”

Judith patted her cheeks, nearly suppressing her grin. “How is it possible that your harebrained scheme is starting to sound good? We need to hype the fact that we’re putting ourselves through school. It’s like a crowdfunding exercise for the day-trippers. They can pat themselves on the back for paying more for the underdogs than the bigger services.” With a smirk, she added. “We, of course, encourage tipping. And you can get your angelic smile on.”

Zee cleared her throat and clapped. “Good one. Since we’re planning some uniqueness, how ’bout digging out that cute bikini of yours? Isn’t the color close to um…, your Lily of San Juan?” Mischievously grinning and gesturing to their new venture, she added, “You still have it, right?”

Judith growled at her bestie. “Yeah, you mean the one that’s a bit too tight in the boobs?”

“Yep, the one that makes guys trip all over themselves to get your attention. We both know I can’t pull that off with my pear shape.”

“Are you saying I get to be the head diver too? Isn’t it a bit too revealing? We don’t want to put off their wives or dates.”

“Jude, I don’t think it’s immodest, just provocative. We’ll add an elegant cover-up that doesn’t hide totally to convince some of the male patrons to add to their tip.

“I mean, come on, Jude. Your long blonde mane and ideal bod make you a natural point person. I have the friendly smile and great chestnut curls but am far more suited to heavy lifting.”

Remembering their friendship, Judith slightly hugged Zee. “You always make me feel special. I tend to hide beneath a shapeless dress except when I’m at work. I was annoyed til you consoled me when my boss insisted on fitted uniforms. You’re my oldest friend. I don’t see the chunky, plain girl you do. All I ever see is a person with a heart of gold and my bestie. And gad, I wish I had those curls in my hair.”

Biting her lip, Judith scolded, “You could have talked this over with me before raiding our funds. It hurts, thinking that you’re becoming just another person conning me. Remember how we met? Two loners at lunch. Everyone we trusted stole money, food, or clothes from us, then vanished. I never thought you’d do that to me, Zee.”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to help get us ahead faster. I should have talked with you in advance, but I didn’t run. I’m still here—for us.” Zee grimaced. “You were working a double shift. Ronaldo needed the funds badly, and I refused to lend him anything.” Zee gestured with a sweep of her arm. “So, he sold us his pride and joy.”

With a resigned look, Judith nodded. “Okay, I see what you were thinking. We were top of our class in our first year of junior college. Tell me, can we make a profit with Lily?”

“You’ll be glad to know I negotiated four months of free dock space while our business ramps.” Zee pulled out her notebook and moved to share the contents. “Then, I found this helpful person at the Chamber of Commerce that gave us their research figures of the island’s tourist trade for the last several years. If we can capture a modest seven percent of this business with lower prices and more personalization, we should make our investment back and triple our tuition savings in seven months.” Zee noted the glint in her buddy’s eye because they’d always connected on numbers.

Judith grinned. “Even if we capture four percent, Zee, we can make the tuition. What’s next?”

“Now we just need a catchy name for the business to get the advertising started.”

Getting into the spirit of the project, Judith giggled. “Try this, Zee. We call it Fall Diving Bits since we’re hustling our fall tuition. I’ll be the Head Diving Bits, and you’re the Sailor Diving Bits. Your idea of a crowdfunding exercise with goals that continue to expand with each successful increment is brilliant.”

Zee offered a high-five and hip bump as her excitement rose, and she squealed with glee.

“Jude, after our shift tonight, we work through those sailing tutorials. The high tide here in San Juan is on its way, so I’ll phone Ronaldo to help me get the Lily of San Juan into her berth to get ready for her maiden cruise.” Inclining her head to the approaching strangers. “Can you work your magic charms with those guys walking this way to help push Lily into the water? The dock is only half a mile up the shoreline.”

Judith immediately transformed into character, tossed her hair back over her shoulder, and tied her dress around the waist, exposing her stomach and short shorts, with shapely legs that met at her curved bottom. “Like this?”

“Uh, let’s not overdo it. Wow, those are tight short shorts, but you look great. I know you don’t want charm on display that promises too much collateral in return. Lower the tie-up just a little.”

Judith chuckled. “Point taken.” She motioned to the three guys on the beach, who happily accommodated the two smiling flirts.

******

The girls spent all their extra time outfitting the Lily of San Juan during the remainder of the week. When the mast and sail were mounted, both girls daydreamed of non-stop business. As fresh glossy turquoise paint adorned the hull, the craft’s name in white script gained oohs and aahs from other boat owners and the marina regulars.

They were nearly ready for the cruise ship docking next Sunday. The photo at the top of Lily of San Juan made a difference in the brochures. Positive comments, permission to distribute, and contributions to their college funds boosted their confidence.

Every day they diligently practiced their YouTube training, with mixed results. By the end of day four, they were sore but competent sailors. The breezes on this side of the island were ideal for practicing. They scouted the deep enough coves with minimal surf to allow them easy maneuvering. They rehearsed securing their position with an anchor and then releasing it until they felt efficient.

After the success with the small businesses, Judith was surprised by the response from the tour brokers. For them to promote to the shipping lines, they wanted positive reviews. When the first ship docked, and passengers exited, they acted like carnival barkers to get attention. Finally, after Judith’s umpteenth ten-second sales pitch, they snagged a single, elderly gentleman.

“Ladies,” John Maling said, “show me your boat and perhaps a pretty beach where I can take a couple of photos. My prior visits were spent in town.”

Zee pulled Judith aside and whispered, “Is this guy okay? He’s not a letch, is he?”

“Nay, he’s okay. Besides, we can take him. Don’t worry. Let’s be polite.”

Turning back toward their first customer, she exclaimed, “John, I’m Xiamara, Zee for short; we’re glad you decided to sail with us. But don’t try anything funny. We know how to fight!”

John laughed uproariously for nearly a minute until they finally joined in.

“You two are a hoot. No funny stuff, I assure you. You’re too young for me, but your spiel was good. Show me the cove, ladies.”

Judith held out her hand. “I’m Judith, John.” As they reached the boat, she handed him a life vest off the rack next to the dock and waved her hand. “Welcome aboard.”

Judith hopped onboard after him while Zee secured the ropes. They snapped on their vests as they sat. Using the oars, they maneuvered Lily out of the slip. Away from the other crafts, Zee unfurled the sail. They caught a nice breeze that propelled them toward their destination.

John pitched in to help as the wind shifted. “You know if you lean slightly in the direction you are headed, it will help your rudder get a better turn ratio.”

Zee applied his suggestion. “You’re right. Thanks, John.”

Anchoring at the cove worked after the second try. John again made suggestions that proved correct.

“I work most of the islands in the Caribbean, setting up wind power for local governments. As many years as it has plagued this region with fierce storms, the idea of harnessing appeals to them. That part of your pitch convinced me to try this little outing.”

Judith beamed. “Yes, Zee had the original idea with the sailing aspect. I’m glad she was right. Do you think we have a chance to gain more customers? The ship tour brokers want references.”

John smiled like an indulging father. “You seem to want to work hard, Judith. A little more practice and your steering will get smoother, Zee. The spots you showed were good as they are hard to hike to and not in line with the cruise ships’ path. Let’s try some snorkeling, Judith!”

Judith became the instructor and showed John how to put on his gear. They went to a couple of rock formations below the surface she had previously scouted. John was delighted with the marine life that darted in and around the coral. He helped Judith get back on board.

Zee broke out the snacks and sodas. They all laughed at John’s jokes. The girls explained a bit more about their school plans, then headed back to the docking point. John got out of the boat, saluted the two girls, and then paid them.

“John, you made this trip a lot of fun. Thank you,” Judith said with a grin.

“Come back soon, John,” Zee added.

“Don’t worry; I’ll be back. Plus, I’ll give your information to several tour brokers I know. Your business will pick up.” Then he added with a grin. “So, I was a good first customer?”

The girls chorused, “Yes.”

He laughed. “You’ll do all right. See ya in a couple of weeks. I’ll call the number on your card and leave a message about my next arrival date. Take care. And, oh, next time, have a little beer, wine, and rum for your guests. I like red, myself.”

As they cleaned up the boat and stowed their gear, they talked about making the trips more enjoyable. John had suggested they point out landmarks for the tourists as a high runner that Judith did well. Zee spoke about practicing her sailing during her spare time. They picked up a tour a day over the next week. Each one improved, but they liked the idea of taking out a couple, so they focused on those targets. They started to get positive ratings on the website Zee had built for them.