Touch and Glow - The Coconut Chronicles: Two Guys, One Caribbean Dream House - page 187

I still have a photo (taken by Michael after he'd hauled himself back onto the boat and
thawed out for a few minutes in the sun) depicting me with the captain's pet bird perched
atop my head.
And I still play two-handed solitaire when I can convince Michael to join me.
Which isn't often.
☼ ☼ ☼
Our fellow bio-bay enthusiasts hurled themselves into the pitch black water that night with
apparent delight.
Not us.
I wasn't remotely tempted to join them, and even Michael looked skeptical.
Meanwhile our new friends, Colin and Denise, who'd been among the first to plunge
into the murky depths, good-naturedly harangued us to join them.
“Come on, you wusses,” Colin cried, his body glowing eerily amidst thousands of over-
stimulated flagellates.
“Sticks and stones,” I recited half-heartedly.
“What are you scared of, sharks?” Denise laughed.
“Don't be silly,” I replied as the theme music from Jaws pounded through my head.
“But the bay's full of jellyfish.”
“Rubbish!” Colin cried dismissively. “There's not a jellyfish for miles.”
As if on cue, the father of the Canadian district-attorney-in-training emitted a loud, girl-
ish screech. “Oh my God!”
“What's wrong?” asked his portly wife, flailing her short, fat arms.
“I think I've been bit!” he gasped.
“Bitten,” I said under my breath. There's really no excuse for poor grammar, even in
times of duress.
“Help!” his wife cried. “Help!”
Admirably enough, one of the fully-clothed tour guides leapt into the water (I can only
assume there were liability issues) and paddled wearily to the man's side.
“I'm going to bring you back to the boat,” he calmly informed the victim, who sobbed
loudly before surrendering to his rescuer's embrace.
Michael and I hauled our Canadian comrade back onto the boat. Cate with a C trained
a flashlight on his leg, which bore a nasty-looking red mark. “Jellyfish sting,” she said.
“Nothing to worry about.”
By now the other swimmers were showing signs of concern. Even Colin and Denise
had paddled nearer the side of the boat.
“What's going on?” Colin called out.
“Jellyfish,” I announced with enormous satisfaction.
He catapulted himself out of the water like a shot, leaving Denise behind.