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Chapter Five

Wednesday-Mazatlan, Mexico. It was 8:00 a.m. and the last of four thick tie lines was tied off, securing the Sunbeam to the dock. Mazatlan offered such attractions as para-sailing, deep sea fishing, water skiing, and most of all, bargain prices for jewelry, leather goods, etc. Excited tourists, sporting baggy shorts, and with cameras around their necks, hurried across the gangplank to waiting tour buses and taxies. Many preferred to stay aboard ship in air-conditioned facilities rather than subject themselves to the humid climate.

Lisa was among those who elected to visit the city. By choice, she hadn't befriended anyone in the ship's entertainment group, so she went alone. It was indeed a paradox-while entertaining, she felt exhilarated, one with, and a part of, the audience. But privately, although there were unavoidable contacts of trivial nature, she chose to be alone.

"Sharlet, watta ya think about getting a taxi for the day and save our feet?"
"Sounds good to me. Let's see as much of the city as we can in one day."
Up to this point, their relationship had been casual and Ricky was pleased that Sharlet accepted his invitation after being turned down by Bernice Chandler. However, unbeknownst to Ricky, Sharlet had been seeing a wealthy, eccentric, bald man named Harold. Ricky, on the other hand, had not given up on Bernice.
"Come, geet in," motioned Gus as he swung open the back door to his taxi, an old, unmarked seventy-eight Dodge.
"Let's go," said Ricky, as he took Sharlet by the hand.
"My name Gus, where you wanna go?"
"You tell me, Gus. We're newlyweds, so you be the judge."
Sharlet was angered at Ricky's audacity. Her first inclination was to admonish him, but a warm glow inside stopped her. 'It feels good, so why be angry,' she thought, little expecting that this simple moment was to be a big turning point in her life.
"Yes, Gus, what do you recommend for a couple of love birds like us?" asked Sharlet with a half grin and wink directed toward Ricky.
Gus flashed an ear-to-ear smile in the rearview mirror. He took them to the best local shopping and sightseeing spots and then steered the beat-up old Dodge out of town.
"I take you to pretty place. Nobody go there. I take my wife, Maria, sometimes."
They drove up into the hills where they turned off the paved road onto a grassy trail, and then across flat terrain to the edge of a tropical forest. There, they parked in the shade of the tropical foliage. Gus guided his fares into this tropical jungle to a small pathway.
"Go look," he said, pointing to the pathway. "I come back in one hour."
"Hope we can trust this guy, Ricky."
"Me, too."
In a few minutes, they emerged from this tunnel-like passageway to see before them the most stunning display of nature's beauty that either had ever seen. It was a small area enclosed in bright green foliage with a delightful pond in the center. On the pond floated lily pads with assorted flowers of all colors. Gorgeous sweet-smelling flowers of varied sort and soft grass adorned the surrounding alcove where Ricky and Sharlet were now resting. The pond was fed by a sparkling waterfall that came right out of the side of the green foliage-covered cliff wall, which was about thirty feet high. From the other end of the pond, a clear, trickling brook disappeared through the camouflage of this secret place. Ricky and Sharlet gasped in awe at the splendor of it all.
"Ricky, this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."
"It kinda makes you forget about all the stuff that's going on in the world out there, don't it," replied Ricky.
"Yes....yes, it does," she said in a solemn voice."
Sharlet rested against one of the surrounding shade trees, consciously aware of this heavenly environment and the sweet songs of tropical birds. Ricky laid his head on her lap. It seemed the natural thing to do and she didn't resist; instead, she began running her fingers through his hair with one hand while removing one of Ricky's hands from her bare thigh and placing it on his stomach with the other. They relaxed, mesmerized by the positive energy of this delightful atmosphere.
"Ricky, can I ask you something?"
"I guess so," he replied, sensing a personal inquiry.
"Have you ever been in love?"
There was a pause as Ricky's wheels turned. "Ohh...maybe once. There was a girl in high school named Margie Grace. That was ten years ago, but I still think about her sometimes. Even though I liked her a lot, I don't know if I knew what love was. I didn't treat her right. Don't know why."
Ricky's remark struck an involuntary emotional chord within Sharlet. She immediately abandoned the feeling but would attempt to understand it later.
"How about you, Shar?" asked Ricky, as he looked up at Sharlet with a long repressed boyish grin. He suspected she had been married.
"Hey, come on yous guys, we gotta go now," came Gus' voice in the distance.
Relieved she didn't have to answer Ricky's question, Sharlet looked at her watch. "My God, can you believe an hour has passed already?" While contemplating their departure, she experienced a sense of connectedness to creation, here in nature's sanctuary.
Ricky jumped to his feet and slowly pulled Sharlet up behind him. He looked into her pleading eyes, pulled her close, and they kissed and embraced in this peaceful place that neither of them would forget.
As they exited, Sharlet looked back at Gus's secret hideaway. With an introspective glance, she observed the younger Ricky as he slipped by her to lead her out. Had she gained a degree of wisdom here in nature's sanctuary? And how about Ricky, who was still emotionally captivated by the sights and aromas, the experience itself, with Sharlet.
Once again on a paved road in the hills of Mazatlan overlooking picturesque Mazatlan Bay, Ricky tenderly laid his hand on Sharlet's. She responded by placing one of hers over his. They lightly smiled at one another. Gus drove them to a secluded restaurant overlooking the bay. There they stayed, enjoying fine food in a romantic atmosphere, until Gus came to pick them up for the return trip to the ship.
"Thank you so much, Gus, for sharing your special place with us." With that, Sharlet kissed the short, pudgy man on the cheek and Ricky paid his fee adding a well-deserved twenty dollar tip.
"Thank you, thank you from my heart." His eyes amply expressed his appreciation. Gus had seven mouths to feed and could use the money. And with the look of a true wise man, Gus went on to say, "when you marry, please send me picture." Dumbfoundedness on the part of Ricky and Sharlet was followed by accepting Gus's address. The three of them were laughing as they parted.

Neither Ricky or Sharlet desired to let go of the momentum of such an enjoyable day, so they again found each other on the dance floor that night. After leaving the lounge, they strolled the decks in the warm night air. Sharlet spontaneously invited Ricky in for a nightcap.
"How about one last dance?" quipped Ricky.
"Why not," she replied, as she reached over to turn up the radio. They stood in the middle of the room as a song from the sixties began to play. Ricky put his arms around Sharlet's neck and she did likewise. The floor space in the stateroom was limited so their dancing consisted of short, shuffling steps.
This little dance seemed the perfect end to a wonderful day. Sharlet giggled, which was out of character for her, and Ricky laughed as their feet bumped against the furniture. The softly sung words, "many a tear has to fall, but it's all in the game," ignited a forgotten, unfamiliar spark of emotion within Sharlet. She pushed her face hard into Ricky's shoulder and pressed closer to him. Something was happening and she was afraid. An inner force she didn't understand suddenly dissolved her feelings of fear and tears began to trickle and she felt relieved. Ricky could feel her heart beating against his chest. Puzzled, he pulled back and looked curiously at Sharlet.
The moon was full that night, its reflection from the calm sea cast a cosmic light across Sharlet's face and her tears looked like liquid diamonds as they slowly rolled over her lovely, tanned cheeks. He looked into her eyes and she his, and they spoke without words. He softly brushed the tears from her eyes with a gentle caress and placed her head back on his shoulder.
They slowly shuffled to the last words of the song by Tommy Edwards, "It's All In The Game." These last sweetly sung words seemed fitting for the moment, "and he'll kiss your lips, and caress your waiting fingertips, and your heart will fly away." Ricky had been with countless women. His attraction to them had been mostly physical with emotion rarely no more than sexual lust. This time it was different. As he pulled Sharlet's relenting body close to his, he boiled inside with an unexplainable feeling that transcended mere sexual desire.
Not since his mother's death had he needed to choke back tears. He felt strong and protective, and at the same time, vulnerable in Sharlet's presence. They melted into each other's arms in blissful, mutual communion.

The dawn came. Ricky lightly kissed the still sleeping Sharlet and made his way to his own stateroom for a couple more hours' sleep. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind reeled.
He decided he shouldn't allow himself to take this intimate relationship with Sharlet too seriously. It didn't fit in with his plans. Although it would be difficult to deceive Sharlet, he was determined to seek his fortune elsewhere. He slept uneasily.
Sharlet, too, experienced mixed emotions. Last night, a piece of something came back into her heart that she had long ago lost. It was special and she knew that regardless of what might follow, she would have fond remembrances whenever she heard Tommy Edwards sing that old sixties song.
At this point, neither of them could accept the gift that many live their entire life without. The gift of love. Love at first sight is especially rare; but it does happen.
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