Chapter 4: Aboard the Golden Cowrie

The weather was calm, much to Jon's relief. He could see clearly across the ocean to the line of the distant horizon, broken only by a few islands that seemed to sprout out of the water.  The leaves of the coconut trees that lined the beach barely swayed in the almost imperceptible breeze and the sky was a bright blue with a few seagulls flying across it. The occasional call of the birds could be heard in harmony with the rhythmic sound of the waves gently lapping the sandy beach.

In other circumstances, Jon would have enjoyed relaxing and swimming in these turquoise waters. He could imagine himself hanging from a hammock between two coconut trees and sipping a glass of ice cold tropical fruit juice as he listened to the soothing sound of the waves. He wanted to close his eyes that very moment and lie on the sand as he listened to the sea that beckoned like a welcoming innkeeper, inviting wearied travelers to rest.

The sound of laughter caught Jon's attention and he turned his gaze to the dock. He saw three people, two men and a woman, conversing noisily and laughing as if at some joke. The man telling the story was standing up and had his back towards Jon. He was moving his arms animatedly as he told what seemed to be a funny story to his sitting companions. A red bandana decorated with white ethnic designs was wrapped around the storyteller's head while on his right wrist were a number of black rubber bracelets that moved with his gestures.

The man in the audience was sitting down across the storyteller. He wore a faded blue shirt that was riddled with holes and the sleeves cut off while a pair of dark sunglasses sat high on his forehead. He was laughing loudly at the storyteller's story and was clapping his hand against his thigh. The woman sitting beside him wore a sarong with colorful floral designs and was giggling at the same joke. The string of white pearls hanging around her neck blended with the vibrant colors of her sarong. On her hair was a wooden comb decorated with mother-of-pearl. The three people seemed oblivious to Jon's approach.

Jorge took out the luggage from the car and followed Jon. Upon reaching the dock, Jorge deposited the luggage in the shaded area not far from the three people Jon observed earlier.  "We're an hour early," Jorge said, looking at his watch. "The boat that will take you to Orsica has not arrived yet."

"Jorge!" cried the storyteller as he walked towards the newcomers. "Who do you have there?" looking at Jon as if he were some specimen in an anthropology museum.

"Hey, Gringo! This is Jon, my client." Jorge then turned to Jon. "This is Gringo, my old buddy." Jon and Gringo shook hands. Gringo then proceeded to introduce his wife and his brother who also shook Jon's hand.

Everyone then conversed in the local language of which Jon could only catch a few words. When Jorge said 'Orsica' and 'Dante', Gringo's wife suddenly looked at Jon, her eyes showing deep concern. Gringo's brother, on the other hand, looked away at the sea and the gathering clouds on the horizon.

There was a sudden change in the tone of their voices and Gringo's voice lowered as he shared glances with his wife and his brother. The rising intonation in Gringo's statement signified it to be a question and Jon observed that Gringo asked it after being prodded by his wife.

Jorge took out his phone and tapped the screen. He waited silently as he made the call, his eyes scanning the horizon and the gathering clouds. Hearing a 'no network coverage' recording, he turned to Jon and spoke.

"The phone signal here is very weak and I can't make a call. The captain of the boat is not replying to any of my messages either. It's possible that he's already on his way here, but we can't be sure." Jorge paused. "Gringo said it's quite perilous to go near Orsica as it gets late in the afternoon. If you are planning on getting there today, you should go now. There is a storm brewing and with the high tide coming in, it will be even more dangerous to go out to sea as it gets late." Jorge pointed at the dark clouds in the horizon as he talked to Jon. Then, Jorge turned to Gringo who was talking to his wife.

After exchanging a few words with the couple, Jorge told Jon what they talked about. "They were asking if you can still be persuaded not to go to Orsica," said Jorge. Jon saw Gringo's wife nod at him.

Jon paused for a moment and said, "If there's still any chance that I can get to the island today, I think I will have to do my best to get there. Besides, it looks like it's a long way to any accommodations where I can stay for the night." Jon was definitely concerned, but it would not do to change his schedule without informing his client first.

Taking out his own phone, Jon tried calling Dante, but like Jorge, he was also outside network coverage. It was Gringo's wife who spoke to Jorge and Gringo nodded in agreement.

"Jon, they are proposing something," said Jorge. Jon gave up trying to contact his client and faced Jorge. "If you want, they are willing to give you a ride on their boat. They are on their way to another island, but they could pass by Orsica."

Jon looked apprehensive so Jorge continued. "I've known these people for a long time, Jon. You can trust them. They're far more experienced in navigating these waters than anyone I know. In any case, I will contact Mr. Dante once I get a signal."

Jon was apprehensive at joining Gringo, but Jorge seemed comfortable with his friend. Besides, getting on the boat with Gringo seemed the best option against waiting for a boat that may not come or navigating through treacherous waters during a storm.

After agreeing to the proposal, Jon thanked Jorge and bid him goodbye. He then got in the boat with Gringo and his small crew.

Gringo started the boat's motor as Jon took his place on one of the seats in the middle of the boat. Gringo's wife looked at Jon and tried conversing with him, but they were not able to talk a lot because of the language barrier. Jon, however, got the impression that Gringo's wife was trying to dissuade him to go to Orsica, possibly because of the same belief that it was dangerous to go there, especially on this day.

When everyone in the boat seemed to have settled to their routine, Gringo and his brother navigating the boat and Gringo's wife also busy with her own tasks, Jon simply sat and passed the time looking at islets and rock formations. The rocks formed grotesque figures that could easily find their place in a surrealist landscape. Between Salvador Dali and nature, nature definitely wins, thought Jon.

They passed more islets, each one having its own character - one rock formation looked like a sailboat and another looked like a cathedral with towers that jut out against the sky. Jon was starting to enjoy the scenery when he noticed that the wind had started to pick up and the waters getting choppy. Gringo left the navigation to his brother and went to Jon.

"The wind. It is getting stronger." Gringo said, not quite fluent in Jon's language. "We go to nearer island to be safe," he added. Gringo then motioned to his brother who steered the boat sharply to the right.

They had not gone far when coming from behind one of the islets, a white yacht appeared and quickly approached them from the left. It was the only thing that was new and glistening that Jon saw since coming from the airport.

The yacht blew its horn and proceeded to the side of Gringo's boat. In stylized gold letters, the name of the yacht was painted on its side – The Golden Cowrie. One of the crew then shouted to Gringo who then told Jon that it was the boat from Orsica coming to fetch him.

Gringo and his brother helped with Jon's luggage. Before Jon transferred to the yacht, he thanked Gringo and his crew for their help. Gringo merely nodded and smiled. Gringo's wife, however, held on to Jon's wrist as if to make one last attempt to stop him from getting aboard the yacht. Jon gently removed her hand and smiled at her. She finally yielded and bowed her head when she saw that there was nothing that could change Jon's mind.

Aboard the yacht, Jon made himself comfortable as he was handed a glass of iced tea and a plate of biscuits. He was quite happy to be on a bigger boat just as the weather seemed to be getting worse. He thanked the yacht's crew for their hospitality. They all seemed friendly, but somehow, even with their wide smiles, they lacked the warmth that he felt when he was with Gringo and his small crew.

In a while, the yacht's captain went to see Jon and shook his hand. He was a tall man with long limbs and a tight grip. "Welcome aboard the Cowrie. I am Captain Salazar. It's a good thing that we were able to track you after you left the dock," he said. His face was dark and his gaze intense.

"How far are we from Orsica? The weather seemed to be turning for the worse," said Jon.

"Not too long now. Don't worry about the weather. Mr. Dante told me to take care of you. My crew and I will do our best to make your trip comfortable." At this the captain smiled, revealing his white teeth that looked sharp, even menacing, probably if seen in the dark.

Jon looked out to the sea and the ominous clouds that portend the worsening weather. As he looked downwards, he was taken aback at seeing two dorsal fins jutting out of the water. A little farther on, there were two or three more.

For some reason, sharks seemed to gather around the Golden Cowrie.