Dolphinity:: The Twin Essence

By Sioux Rose

Dolphinity traces the lives of twins, separated at birth, as they grow up on opposite coastlines. Jennifer's is a life of privilege based in California, while Daniel grows up on a houseboat in the Florida Keys. There he develops a special bond with dolphins. As a result of a strange boating accident (where hes presume drowned), Daniel enters the realm of the dolphins. Witnessing his own transformation into dolphin form, Daniel learns that a sect of dolphins descended from Atlantis. The priests of that era mastered the mysteries of genetics, and altered their forms to withstand the Great Flood. Instead of letting Daniel drown, the dolphins elect to make him one with them. Witness to the growing devastation of the worlds oceans, it is Daniels destiny to one day reveal all that he encountered. Living a parallel life, Jennifer marries and raises two children. However, a health crisis sends her on a vision-quest to Florida where her path intersects that of her brother! The dolphins are able to use Jennifer's genetic template to reverse engineer Daniel's form. He then becomes a powerful voice, speaking on behalf of sacred ecology. The story of twins returned to wholeness serves as a key metaphor for our times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462047666

Sioux Rose

Sioux Rose's horoscopes and astrological columns have been published for nearly three decades. She's spent time studying shamanism in the U.S. Southwest as well as in Peru. Ms. Rose learned much about the power of Mantra in Singapore, and experienced the essence of group meditation both at Sai Baba's Ashram in India, and at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. Sioux has practiced Yoga for years, and has had the privilege of aligning powerful postures with powerful places like the jungles of Puerto Rico and the cliffs of Maui. During sacred moments, Sioux is able to tap into powerful messages. At this juncture of expedited Earth Changes (as prophesied by a diverse array of sources), Ms. Rose has penned a work that synthesizes what she has dedicated her lifetime to learning. Dolphinity weaves the teachings of The Masters into an engaging story line that's intended to guide us through the current Transition.

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Copyright © 2011 by Sioux Rose.

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ISBN: 978-1-4620-4765-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-4766-6 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 10/03/2011

Contents

DEDICATION

PRELUDE

WHERE THINGS

ARE THOUGHT TO BEGIN

HEADING SOUTH

PARADISE ISLAND

MEET THE GOLDS

ROCKING ON

FIVE YEARS LATER

X RAY VISION

UNLUCKY? THIRTEEN

NOT AGAIN!

KNOWING OTHER

TO ENGAGE

WEDDING BELLS

DÉJÀ VU

DOLPHIN MERGER

THE TRAP

DUTY BOUND

COMPLEMENTS

GROWING PAINS

AS TIME FLASHES BY

THE HEALING JOURNEY

COUNSELOR TO COUNSELOR

JOURNEY TO

THE DOLPHIN’S DREAM OF OTHER

MESSAGE AS MEDICINE

REUNION ECHOES

TREASURE? ISLAND

AMISTAD POOL

ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVED

COALSCENCE HAPPENS!

HOMECOMING

LAND, HO!

SAGES GATHER

LIGHT HAPPENS!

THE FINAL SUPPER

DANCE ON

THE ESSENCE OF THE PRESENCE

INTO THE INDIGO

FINAL WORDS

DEDICATION

This work is foremost dedicated to all persons committed to environmental justice, along with those who strive to raise global consciousness with respect to the integral web of species. I wish to personally thank: Evo Morales, Bill McKibben, James Hansen, David Korten, Al Gore, Sting, Sun Bear, Earth First, Environmental Justice, Green Peace, Ralph Nader, and The Sierra Club. My gratitude also goes out to all those musicians who touch hearts with lyrics and melodies meant to inspire, while teaching people to care about our majestic planet and its long-term sustainability. Also thanks to Dr. Seuss for his important work, The Lorax, designed to teach children the basics of wise ecological stewardship.

I also acknowledge the great mystics whose knowledge has informed my work. In fact, their insights, if not their direct overseeing, continues to guide me. Thank you to: Edgar Cayce, Ruth Montgomery, Jose Arguelles, Carlos Casteneda, Richard Bach, Alan Leo, Mary Summer Rain, Robert Hand, Gordon Michael Scallion, Pat Rodegast, Jane Roberts, Carl Jung, Baird T. Spalding, Deepak Chopra, Merlin, and Yogananda… among the many adepts and light-carriers.

In addition, this work is dedicated to the following persons who have been integral to my personal web of life: Gabrielle & Rachel Fernandez, Phoenix & Chloe Merced-Fernandez, Mirtha Castro, Estella Valles Acosta, Dr. Aida Guzman, Millie Rivera, Sandra Schindler, Leslie Artigue, Shari Eve Rosenberg, Bernice & Abe Rosenberg, Judi Roth, Nanci Porter, Vincent Procida, Dennis Littleton, Mario Carabarin, Lori Webster, Darlene Nash, Ted Iseli, Arturo & Anna Molina, Ron Lane, Emmanuel & Nora Casiano, Nelson & Grace Wee, Denei Morehouse, Bob McKendry, Billy Rousch, Leonardo Sloms, Carol Christine, Fred McCreedy, Robin Margolies, Robin Matthews, Cynthia Civil, Lynne Grossman, Suzanne Schwedock, Alexandria Cole, Frank Lambert, Mary Prados, Judit Child, Richard Clark, Bill Reed, James Caruso, Carlos Valdes, Sybil, Sandi Antonelli, Piquette Price, Millie Arango, Francisco Domenech, Scott Campbell, Lynne Sallot, Ron Weaver, Chaun Muir, Kevin Trudeau, Roberta Surina, and Loren Bliss; and, from my favorite political website, Commondreams: Peaceman, Star of the Sea, Dave Bronstein, Memory Hole, Minitrue, Durrutix, Giovanna, Karlof1, Fake French, Golden Mean, Ephraim, Justice Arcs, Eric Blair, Kay Johnson, GW North, Vashkar Kim, Ready to Transform, and any forum allies inadvertently passed over.

Special thanks to Sandra Schindler for editorial suggestions.

Special thanks to Maribel Ramos for assistance with Spanish dialog.

And special acknowledgement goes to Earl Curtis, a Florida artist, for providing the beautiful cover art.

Gratitude also extends to the dolphin kingdom, for without them, this story could not be told…

PRELUDE

Whatever it was that possessed her that night sent Mary out to the end of a small weathered pier. Its wooden planks were bent both from age and the tidal waters rocking relentlessly beneath them. There she lay down. Above was a luminous, near golden moon. Sometime before dawn its fullness would be eclipsed. She felt the raw power of the forces of nature in the quietude that engulfed her. No one seemed to notice that she’d walked off. Nor was there a plan in her mind for having done so. Only that the waters seemed to call out to her, and drew her footsteps to the end of that abandoned pier. Strange that she’d find herself on this relic under a full canopy of stars. Yet there she was, invisible to the world on so tiny, a remote island. Before she allowed her mind to probe the existential possibilities, the naked stillness suddenly shifted, something having pierced it. Clearly she was not as alone as she’d presumed. The presence of other was felt, but unseen. Still, before her colorful imagination could fill in any blanks, its breath spoke in the language of eternity, as utterances echoed from the proximate waters. Etching circles beneath her, its movements were deliberate. This being knew she was there, and appeared to be reaching out, desirous of making contact. There was no mistake on the creature’s part. A magical eclipse night brought a companion from the sea to quell her loneliness, while above the celestial sea pulsed to primordial rhythms.

Rapture was the sound her accidental companion made as he lifted from the waters to gasp for air! The intimacy was breathtaking! Mary inadvertently found herself on the receiving end of something in the order of an erotic mating dance (if of the inter-species sort). Lacking direct physical contact, the melding took place inside intangible dimensions. Whatever the full truth of that inexplicable encounter, it marked Mary as nothing else had. Thus as the years passed, and the man she thought she’d build a life with left her for another, she questioned if there was a mate for her at all. Perhaps something from the deep claimed her that strange evening, never to free her to a partner’s committed embrace.

Odd that she’d vividly recall that event now. True, its memory never quite left her. Still, she didn’t exactly cling to it the way a child does a treasured object. Her life was far too encumbered by mundane necessities to allow for such a luxury. Mary wagered that The Designer of this universe devised that special night’s moonscape for a reason. Sometimes she’d return to it while dreaming at night. Was it her unconscious insisting that the memory endure? How could the encounter not live on when it was periodically rekindled? Touched by the extraordinary, what soul can forget?

During waking hours Mary made a conscious effort to keep the island of dreams at bay. Work, as a nurse, at a busy, albeit clandestine clinic in Mississippi left little room for flights of fancy. Given the logistics of her demanding schedule, Mary never thought she’d step foot on an exotic island again. The days of her life followed, one after another, in a long unbroken chain until The Unprecedented ruptured the pattern… to radically alter her trajectory.

WHERE THINGS

ARE THOUGHT TO BEGIN

Initial appearances suggested another routine night at the clinic; that was until fate elected to send a monkey wrench. Situated at the end of a long, dusty road, the clinic’s private setting was clearly intentional. Sure, it took care of local emergencies, but its ultimate purpose was far more sinister. Given the morality of the day, young women who succumbed to inconvenient (which is to say, out-of-wedlock) pregnancies were kept under the radar if their families were of sufficient means to pursue this covert course of action. Even a few Hollywood starlets were purported to have made use of the clinic to assure their hold on unblemished reputations. The free love ethos of the sixties was yet a decade away, while the timeless fact of libido assured a steady stream of clientele. Thus a lucrative income was guaranteed for one doctor, Lionel Harrington, a consummate opportunist if ever there was one. His personal frame of reference had cause to cast his work under a more altruistic light. Was he not the one providing solid homes for emotionally abandoned babies? Enough said. His time was valuable, so why not charge a handsome fee? It was not like he was selling babies!

From the time she could recall, Mary believed it was her destiny to become a nurse. How it happened that she came to work for Dr. Harrington involved a number of odd coincidences, too many to mention. The clinic was not a bad place to work, since it was clean and efficiently run. With time invested came savoir-faire; and Dr. Harrington succeeded in establishing a reliable reputation. He expertly assembled an underground network that provided a ready demand for the supply of babies the clinic covertly delivered. Mary was present at many of these births; yet her heart always managed to stir at the miraculous sight of each newborn’s arrival. This sense of tangential fulfillment eased the passage of her years. Nonetheless, in vulnerable moments she wondered if something vital had passed her by. She was 35 and childless. As much as she embraced her professional calling, she wondered if the prospect of motherhood would bypass her altogether. With no serious romantic prospect on her horizon, a childless fate seemed a virtual certainty. Inwardly she wrestled with a poignant dichotomy. Could her life be complete without a child, or mate… for that matter?

That full moon night Bonnie, a pretty sixteen year old who’d been receiving regular checkups, was officially admitted to the small, cozy birthing center. Her parents were nowhere to be found having carted their rebellious offspring off to the home of a distant cousin who thankfully lived close to the clinic. Mary wondered if they offered to pay their formerly estranged relatives for the girl’s upkeep as well? Nothing noteworthy stood out during Bonnie’s prenatal visits; yet back in the l950’s sophisticated fetal monitors were not yet in use. Thus as Mary attended to Bonnie, whose labor pangs were accelerating, her intuition sensed something amiss. In spite of that intimation, Mary maintained the well-trained calm of a consummate professional.

Dr. Harrington made the rounds, and showed up to check on Bonnie’s progress. He was far more harried than usual since another young woman had unexpectedly gone into labor. It was something of a rarity for the small clinic to manage two simultaneous births. And twins would pose an inconvenient anomaly to the clinic’s smooth operations. Once the doctor left, the atmosphere took on a sense of gravity that Mary had no words to describe. She tried to brush off the sentiment. After all, it was natural to feel responsible for a patient under her care; but deep inside Mary knew this was different. The bond that wove itself around the pair on nonverbal levels became more pronounced when Bonnie implored Mary to stay with her. The young girl’s vulnerability raised Mary’s empathy level considerably. With no one else by Bonnie’s side, Mary became the accidental relative. Meanwhile the laboring cries of the other birthing mother kept Dr. Harrington busy, while managing to scare Bonnie; that is until something transcendental came over her to induce a stream of absolute serenity. Whatever its source, it drew her body into that ancient initiation to motherhood, a dance designed to insure the continuity of the species. Volition, not required, Bonnie’s being enacted the full art of dilation; and the timeless covenant linking the already living with the one preparing to arrive once again renewed.

Doctor Harrington’s latent intuition drew him to the scene before Mary had a chance to inform him that Bonnie was nearly fully dilated. Perfect synchronicity guided his ready hands to receive the head of a well-formed baby girl just then endeavoring to emerge. Harrington swaddled the newborn, and rushed off to carefully examine, perhaps even assess, his latest bounty. That’s when the mayhem began. Caught between the dual commitments of two young mothers both laboring at once, he was also inwardly torn between his medical oath and his business avarice. Harrington earned his reputation by providing smooth operations for his mostly wealthy patrons; and few families held more clout than the Golds. They were scheduled to fly in from sunny California, and anticipated returning home with a healthy, Caucasian baby girl. Dr. Harrington took pride in assuming the role of deliverer… for a nice price. While Mary comforted an exhausted Bonnie, she imagined the doctor dialing the telephone with one hand, while balancing the newborn in the other. But her musings were unexpectedly aborted by Bonnie’s suddenly aching howls!

Mary’s initial reaction was to sooth the young girl before remorse for the baby, just taken from her arms, had a chance to fully take hold. Fortunately Mary’s formal training reflexively kicked in before she fully noticed the girl’s unseemly change of color. It signaled that her tired body was struggling with something greater than longing. There was no time to call Dr. Harrington either, since Bonnie began to jerk uncontrollably. Once more her birth canal dilated, and before Mary could take in the scope of what was happening, she found herself delivering a baby boy, the twin Dr. Harrington hadn’t expected! A rush of feelings swept over her! She’d never before served so directly as midwife. The intimate nature of the contact generated instinctive feelings, what with Mary being first to hold the infant. Yet there was something else, too. When she looked into his cloudy eyes a dormant connection was triggered from deep inside, and it left Mary momentarily forgetting the disoriented young birthing mother. The ensuing commotion did manage to rouse Dr. Harrington. He arrived on the scene to find his trusted nurse holding this other infant. The fiery glint in her eyes resembled a lioness protecting her pride. Harrington’s senses sharpened at their instinctive recognition of danger. Although he hadn’t been gone for more than a few minutes, fate had taken possession in the short interim. He knew that look. Mary’s eyes made clear that the baby boy now in her arms had been destined to remain there.

Sensing he was up against more than an unexpected anomaly, Harrington was not certain how to proceed. Doing his best to defuse the situation, he requested that Mary continue to attend to the newborn. As she nervously bathed the infant, Harrington lent his medical assistance to the physically spent new mother of unexpected twins. Cords were simultaneously cut on multiple levels.

Mary began to sing to the newborn. His pure innocence stirred parts of her being she’d all but forgotten. Everything inside her echoed: It’s now or never. And it was not exactly intellect that was calling the shots. At a primal level Mary understood that she would not leave the clinic without this baby, even if it meant leaving it for the last time. She braced herself for the inevitable showdown. Dr. Harrington also sensed the line now drawn in the sand; and in spite of his delaying tactics, he realized his strategy was doing nothing to counter Mary’s intentions, still firm if unstated. At the definitive sound of his approaching footsteps, Mary turned to face the doctor as an equal, no longer as his subservient. He read the shift in her demeanor accurately, yet was unable to shed his all-too familiar paternalistic role.

Now Mary, you know full well I can’t let you take that child! His command was relayed before he assessed the vulnerability of his own position. Unaccustomed to challenges to his authority, he trusted in the established perimeters of his previously secure world.

And you must know that I can head straight to the press, and tell them about all the cozy deals you’ve made in this baby trade for… how many years is it now?

He was a keen enough chess player to know that she’d found the one move that would mean certain checkmate. The only strategy left was the art of the bluff. He turned his gaze momentarily away to compose himself. Clearly the clinic, fruit of his efforts, had provided him with generous harvests in return. The operation prospered due to its relative anonymity. If the delicate matter of finding homes for inconveniently conceived children went public, he’d be forced to change his life considerably. And what about Mary? Harrington’s swift gift for logic prevailed. Now Mary, you need to think things through here. Do you have any idea how hard it would be to raise a child on your own? How would you pay the bills? A nurse without solid recommendations would be hard-pressed to find work… especially in these parts. So just how do you suppose you could support yourself… and this child?

Although Harrington raised crucial questions, precisely the ones Mary could not yet wrap her mind around, she refused to see her plans thwarted. Her gut told her this baby was hers, and no one, not even Dr. Harrington, would be given a chance to step in the way of destiny.

Doctor, she momentarily paused, I think the time has come for us to part ways. And if you intend to keep this clinic, as is, you’ll let me walk out that door with this baby. I have an Aunt down in Florida; and I believe it’s time I paid her a visit. Mary surprised herself with the sheer definitive power of her words. It was as if they issued from a distant source.

Dr. Harrington attempted one last approach allowing his genuine fatherly persona to kick in. He moved closer to Mary. She recoiled, while reflexively clasping the sleeping infant nearer to her heart.

Now Mary, he stated with exaggerated concern, have you considered what people will think? You showin’ up all by yourself with no husband to support you… and this child. Would that kind of stigma be fair to this little boy?

I have some savings, Dr. Harrington. We’ll make a new start in Florida. She responded, suppressing the anxious feelings that began to gnaw at her. She knew she just had to get out of there! The longer he kept her, the greater the chance she’d reconsider, and lose her nerve; but no couple was waiting for this baby, so how could he be missed? The doctor could virtually count on a steady stream of future adoptions. Surely he could do without this one child, the one she already knew she’d risk hell and high water to raise.

Harrington had worked alongside Mary long enough to read her unspoken thoughts. In a flash of spontaneity he succumbed to righteous resignation, and yelled, Then take the boy, and be gone with you! Get the hell out of here now!

A simple enough recipe, that’s exactly what Mary did. Following doctor’s orders had never been easier! Due to her precarious exit, all Mary had were the child’s swaddling cloths, and those few diapers she’d quickly managed to squeeze into her bag. Luckily she’d held onto the bottle of infant formula acquired just before the verbal fireworks began. As she walked briskly towards her car before she (or the good doctor) had a chance to change her mind, she realized that nothing so premeditated or necessary as a baby’s car seat was on hand! She opened the back door and laid the quiet baby gently on its worn seat. Quickly she opened the trunk and gratefully scooped up the emergency blanket waiting there. She made several expert, deliberate folds, ones she could trust to secure the precious infant. Then she looked the baby over carefully, kissed his delicious pink toe, and made a sincere, and equally expeditious prayer… essentially asking that he remain content for the short drive to her home.

Mary fired up the engine, not yet fully grasping the gravity of what she’d done, nor having a clear plan upon which to proceed. Trained to marshal her wits in those instances where medical necessity warranted as much, she would now need to apply a form of triage to her own life. Her mind raced over all immediate logistics. First thing to consider: her lease would be up in less than two months. Next: that her car, old faithful, was paid off. Everything else would prove a gamble, for she hadn’t planned on becoming a mother on a moment’s notice. Fate’s knock had been decisive. She had no choice but to respond decisively.

With her apartment just minutes from the clinic, she’d need to rapidly tie up loose ends. Demonstrating respect for her body’s needs, she’d put the long drive off till dawn, and in the meanwhile, secure whatever sleep she could. This strategy would hopefully preempt the doctor, should he change his mind and drum up a story deliberately portraying her as a kidnapper, or dangerous, disgruntled employee. Approaching the still-lit, reliable corner drugstore, Mary wagered it would be best to stop for formula and extra diapers now. Anything else would have to be purchased somewhere along the way. She took advantage of the baby’s apparently blissful sleep, and rushed in to get the necessary supplies. Returning in a flash, she already felt the grip of haunting anxiety. There was packing to do, and at least a few phone calls to make; but these would have to wait till morning, and by then, she’d be gone.

Twisting the key to open her front door, Mary turned on the hall light. Then like a sailor gazing out on the horizon, she took in the details of her little place for the last time. Just then the baby began to stir; so she lifted him out of the vehicle, and brought him inside the quaint home that would soon act as their launch pad. She lit the stove to heat a small pot with water. The baby was no doubt in need of some warm formula. Was there time to give him a proper bath? This darling miracle was fast becoming an extension of her own flesh. How she wished she could just lie next to the little one, and let the hours leisurely pass as she closely regarded his near perfect form. Unfortunately a hundred tasks called out to her at once, and Mary had no choice but to succumb. At that moment she wished to do nothing but join the infant. She’d begin the necessary tasks now, with last minute packing accompanying the dawn. Nor would there be any time for good-byes. She’d have to send out letters to the few she trusted once she was newly situated. With a little luck, and a generous check, one from her intimate circle could be relied upon to mail her the items she failed in her haste to pack.

HEADING SOUTH

Mary barely slept. Adrenalin would have to carry her the full distance. It was one thing to have the baby secure by her side on a sturdy bed, and quite another to plan for his comfort in a car. With necessity acting as the mother of invention, she deftly adapted a prized wooden box that had served as a family heirloom into an ad hoc cradle. Strangely enough, it was just the right size to hold the newborn securely. She wouldn’t need her coat or any heavy sweaters down south, so she packed lightly. Luckily intuition had prompted her to keep a small savings jar buried under a loose floorboard in her closet. This windfall represented the available funds on tap to cover her unexpected exit. The rainy day fund had apparently been earmarked by fate to finance her great escape… an escape into something that would quite possibly resemble another life.

Mary was ready to roll before the sun illuminated the horizon. With all necessities secured, she placed the baby into the box-cradle, and then it was all systems go! They were on their way! To negotiate the long hours of road time, from time to time Mary tested out radio stations in search of one fit to listen to. Slim pickings made silence preferable. Yet the absence of sound worked to unleash a storehouse of memories. How much could she afford to let in? Suddenly feeling fragile, she began to question the ramifications of shedding the life she’d known with no promise of security on the road before her. Plus now there was a child for whom she was responsible. She’d need to muster the courage to remain focused, in part to offset road fatigue. She wondered, too, what the baby’s tolerance for travel would be? Certainly she’d pull over if he began to cry vehemently. One way, she learned, to delay frequent stops was to talk to the baby, or even sing. That’s when it hit her that maintaining a captive audience worked better if its most attentive (actually only) member had a real name. How should she address him? Looking over the blessed figure of the tiny boy, she sensed the magnitude of the feat. What name would suit the little one that destiny had seen fit to place close to her heart? Daniel came suddenly to mind, as if sent. So Daniel it would be.

Mary hadn’t been down to Florida in years, not since that magical night on Cedar Key. But this time she would head farther, to the very last of islands that spanned a long, unbroken chain. She had no choice but to reach the end of the road; nor did the irony of her newfound destination escape her. Traveling the length of the state, its peculiar shape suggested two things. First, by anatomy it extended itself well beyond the mainstream. Did such a location influence those compelled to travel there? And then there was the phallic thing, given that the entire landmass perpetually jutted itself out into the vast, surrounding, womblike waters. Quite exotic, she reflected, to be where the Gulf of Mexico merged with the wild Atlantic. She pondered what it would be like to live inside the rapid mood changes revealed through radically shifting climate patterns. Florida’s fierce hurricanes were legendary, and presented a colossal contradiction to the tourist industry’s favorite mantra: that of endless sunny days spent in paradise.

Mary experienced her imagination taking hold long before she reached the first of those compelling islands. These, like steppingstones, would soon deliver her to the last horizon. But it was already late, so she would set her sights instead on finding an adequate motel for the night. That prospect didn’t take long to satisfy. Both she and little Daniel, it would seem, were still moving to the momentum of the road when the car was brought to a full stop. Once inside the little hotel room, Mary ran hot water into a stopped-up sink, and set the baby formula in it to warm. Once it was ready, she held Daniel in her arms and fed him. He was such a good baby. It seemed like he understood how much she needed him to trust her, and to remain calm. That same little sink would soon after make due as his bathtub. Although the motel soap was a bit rough on his smooth, sweet skin, Daniel seemed utterly at peace from the moment his little toes dipped into the waiting water. Mary’s fingers stroked him gently and the pair readily enjoyed a few still moments. At last they could begin to bond at a deeper level. Perhaps it was the peace Daniel emitted that enabled Mary to sleep sweetly and deeply beside his tiny precious form.

When Daniel began to stir, and was no doubt impossibly hungry, it was already past 7:00 am. Mary was surprised at the hour; for both had missed the summoning of dawn. Nonetheless, she was grateful for a long, nourishing sleep. The race was over! The doctor could not find them now. She was halfway to Key West, and would begin a new life this very day. A wave of optimism eased away her remaining fears.

Before checking out, Mary helped herself to the motel’s hospitality breakfast bar. She’d barely eaten a thing in 24 hours. Sooner or later she’d need to take in a real meal. For now, the road called; and she had this grand, inescapable feeling that she’d make it to Aunt Rae’s in time for sundown. That is, if the baby complied with her plans. What she hadn’t accounted for were the breezy winds dancing off the balmy Keys’ waters. They pressed against her bare skin making erotic, exotic contact, and parts of her inner being that had long lay dormant suddenly awakened. A fierce aliveness worked its way through her, delivering a magic that stirred every sleeping cell. Deep inside a craving echoed in an ache for real romance. Therefore, upon spotting the first tiny star blinking her way, Mary set forth a prayer. The wish for intimate contact would be left in its safekeeping. She couldn’t deny to whatever force might be overseeing this world, that quite simply she wanted, needed really, to make love again. She’d managed to shelve that basic desire for too long. Now, with an unleashed will of its own, it clamored for expression.

Mary had to admit there was something about the drive itself that changed the contours of her inner world. Was it all those passages across threads of narrow bridges, the world in momentary suspension with the vast seas on either side? One could almost see the primal forces of Yin and Yang dancing so irresistibly close to the moving horizon. Mary already knew that in a place like this, nearly anything could happen.

In spite of the open road’s assertion of unlimited, future possibilities, Mary’s mind tugged against an equivalent reverse gear. The undertow of memory had her reflecting on the father she never really knew, certainly not in any close or loving way. She hoped she would, in time, secure a better fate for Daniel. Her father had passed over while she was still in high school. That absence sealed his legacy as forever, the distant stranger. Now, with both parents deceased, Mary’s only living relative happened to live at the end of the road she was traveling down, U.S. 1. Aunt Rae was a colorful character. She’d managed to live life on her own terms long before the feminists institutionalized the concept. Acting on a long-standing invitation, Mary believed Aunt Rae would understand her impulsive behavior. Besides, wouldn’t Aunt Rae fall in love with Daniel at first sight as she had?

Mary gave the baby a glance and realized that his eyes were open! He seemed to be taking in the sights and senses allotted by the moving auto. She hadn’t had time to bond with him the way she wished to; but if her efforts to establish a homestead in Key West worked out, there would be plenty of time for that later. Beyond the immediate prospect of securing roots, she entertained no further possibilities. Accepting the gift destiny had placed in her arms left her with no foreseeable option. Aunt Rae would have to understand. Given the exigent conditions, there had been no time to call to properly explain. Without any navigational aid apart from the street address, Mary was forced to make the inevitable telephone call. She clearly didn’t know her way around Key West, and from what she could tell, for a tiny island, it had an awful lot going on. The road from Miami had been a straight shot, a single route to the coveted southernmost destination. Daniel had already shown himself to be a blessing. His easy-going nature meant few stops. When she needed to pull over at the occasional rest stop, she always found a peaceful spot to provide him with formula kept warm in a thermos. Although there were moments where she wondered what she was getting into, and had to fight the urge to turn the car around, ultimately she sensed the life she’d known had already closed like a curtain behind her. What she’d soon be facing would require adaptation. Necessity, not unlike herself, would soon become the mother of invention.

Mary’s mind slowed down to savor the possibilities. Lingering fears that likened her getaway to that of bank robber faded. As a nurse Mary became fluent in the language of biology. Clear chemical cues prepared a woman for motherhood throughout the gestation cycle. Having bypassed these precursors, Mary would have to draw directly from the instincts of her heart. It was too soon to know what quality of mother she’d turn out to be; but she was committed to giving it her best shot. Now it was up to the island to support or thwart that intention. Perhaps she’d know the peace of sleeping, without fear, beside that tiny body of radiant innocence? Could she have discovered a true home?

PARADISE ISLAND

A planet with seven distinct continents holds a great many wonders, yet few compete with the views of sunset displayed nightly in the Florida Keys. Observing the glowing disk’s slide into open waters stretched endlessly out against the horizon quickened Mary’s heartbeats. Her instincts affirmed the wisdom of accepting the rare invitation, the one issued directly by the Spirit Of Life. And although she couldn’t be certain, for newfound maternal feelings were known to fog objectivity, there also seemed to be something special about the serene baby beside her. Could it be that his little soul understood the trajectory the pair by necessity had followed? He offered no cries of protest, and almost seemed to smile when they landed on the tiny sphere lodged in so remote a zone. Hallelujah! They’d made it to take their places on the isle of untold romance. With the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, this pivotal piece of geography had attracted pirates and conmen for centuries. Mary would have to be mindful of both; for established human personae resided like ghosts in the geographies that once upon a time sponsored them!

The now breezier nurse spied a pay phone while passing a corner gas station. She pulled in and parked close to the phone. This way she could keep an eye on Daniel while she dialed. It only took two rings before Aunt Rae picked up; yet there was so much background noise it left Mary wondering if her Aunt had actually recognized the caller’s voice or pronouncement? She did manage to get directions, and scribbled down what she could. The telling detail was: Just follow the music and turn right off US1… just after you get to the marina. No doubt a charming cue had Mary not felt so tired, and in need of a nourishing meal. She was too close to journey’s end to lose it, or get lost now!

Pleased that they’d nearly arrived, with Daniel still calm, she got the car started. And by following Aunt Rae’s simple directions, sure enough a band could be heard from the instant she took that last right turn. Having never navigated by echolocation before, it came as something of a surprise to realize it actually could work!

Cars, bicycles, and innovative hybrids of the eclectic sort were parked all over the yard. Mary assumed she’d found the spot since it was precisely where the music led her. She parked in the only remaining slot, tight as it was, and lifted Daniel into her arms. She sensed his hunger as she walked towards the ramshackle cottage. One bicycle sitting out front was painted in wild colors. It set the tone for the festivities that waited inside. The modest home was situated on a canal with ready access to the Gulf. Fortunate were the folks in Key West who resided on those few streets that led to, or occasionally ended up, in open seas, unless, of course, a hurricane was headed their way. Mary immediately noticed the large weathered sailboat parked out back as she made her way through a maze of vines and exotic, highly aromatic plants. The jasmine especially stood out to perfume the atmosphere. She took a minute to breathe it in, now that she actually stood on the formerly remote island. Already she sensed a unique feel to the place. It made her wonder: Did I manage to cross a threshold into an alternative reality? Certainly that prospect seemed real enough in this strange, new locale. Making a deliberate attempt to compose herself, she knocked on Aunt Rae’s door with the peaceful baby clasped close to her heart.

The sun had just set, and the details of the place became eerily illuminated by a nearly full moon as it began to rise in the open sky. Mary wasn’t sure how Daniel would take to the loud music. He’d tolerated the long trip better than any baby should have. The boy’s life began in a whirlwind that had hardly lost its momentum.

It took several knocks before the door opened. Mary was greeted by the priceless look on Aunt Rae’s face. It said more than Mona Lisa’s unspoken volumes. By sheer instinct Aunt Rae recognized the mature woman standing at her threshold. Then her eyes fell to the unexpected contents held in her arms. Like a welcome apparition, there in her doorway stood the vintage version of the young girl she hardly knew, and hadn’t seen in decades! Rae did her best to draw a welcoming arm around her niece as the baby began to stir from the sudden chaos. The twinkle in Aunt Rae’s eyes bypassed a number of unarticulated questions, like how was it that Mary should so suddenly arrive, and with a child in tow? But this was no time to learn the answers, for there were guests to attend to. And as Mary was about to note, Keys’ guests were not those found among any ordinary garden-variety set. The unstated rule was that inhibitions stopped at the mainland. Once within The Conch Republic’s unique dimensions, the weird seized the opportunity to turn pro!

Before Mary had a chance to freshen up, she was led to the back patio where a colorful assortment of people had assembled. No one appeared to be particularly sober, which substantially lowered the bar on protocol. This relieved Mary, as the newcomer, from the need to walk on eggshells. Nor did it take long for one stranger in the local crowd to notice her. And while she was long out of practice, and equally quick to conclude that she was probably imagining it, evidence suggested that sparks were flying.

Aunt Rae, who enjoyed local fame having once been a dancer in New Orleans, still retained a striking appearance, especially for a woman who’d weathered almost seven decades. She made the rounds to insure that everyone’s cup was full, and then drew an arm around Mary while guiding her directly into the pivot of the party circle. Everyone! This is my niece Mary. Haven’t seen her in years! Make her, and her new baby, feel right at home… would’ ya? And the gumbo’s almost ready!

The first person to come forward to introduce himself just happened to be Mr. Sparks flying. He extended a huge hand, the type suited to manly occupations. Mary was quite certain from his appearance that he could fix anything. The years had elegantly sculpted the roughhewn beauty of his youth, and as far as she was concerned he was still drop-dead good looking. She hoped her eyes hadn’t given her entirely enthusiastic assessment away.

With a hand extended and eyes sparkling, he tried out the little bit of French he’d picked up from Aunt Rae. Enchante, Mademoiselle… Marie. Noting that it did the trick, he flashed back into the local vernacular. Ma’name’s John. John Love. Round here people generally call me Dr. Love.

How could Mary not swoon? Drawn into the sudden swirl of events, and left to spin on her own somewhat rusty, interior axis, she was yet to prepare a bottle for Daniel! The clear and unmistakable chemistry of the unlikely pair caught the attention of several guests, and whispers projected the nature of said findings.

Aunt Rae rushed forward dragging a weathered seaman on her arm. Mary, this is my husband, Joe.

With something of a spicy, mocking tone he challenged, Husband? Who said anything ’bout being anyone’s husband? He laughed, half-drunk while the raucous crowd offered affirmative grunts in response.

We been livin together near half’ a century. Now if that don’t qualify as no husband, what in blazin’ carnation would? Aunt Rae knew how to lay down the law when the occasion, like this, called for it. Joe’s been bringing his sorry ass home here, good catch or bad, for more nights than I can remember.

Good catch this week, huh, Joe? A congenial younger man offered to strategically change the subject. Aunt Rae took the cue, and turned to Mary. So honey, you’ve come a real long way. I suspect you’d be needing some genuine home cooking, and something for that baby a’yours. We got fried grouper, and might be some steamed shrimp left if they all didn’t end up in my gumbo. Best you can find anywhere ’round here! Don’t mind the chaos, you’ll get used to it. Just go ahead and warm up some milk for the baby in the kitchen, less you wanna put little Daniel down and let someone fetch you a plate ’a food?

Aunt Rae, I sure hope I’m not imposing on you, showing up like this, and… are you sure you have room for us?

Fate expressly had John, Dr. Love that is, strategically standing by; and Aunt Rae gave him a quick look-over. Somehow her glance managed to ignite a serendipitous switch which drew a marvelous, spontaneous solution into play. John read Rae’s motive intuitively, and sprung into affirmative action. Mary had no idea what was going on; for she was about to receive the strangest invitation of her life.

Placing her now familiar arm around Mary, Rae guided her through the backyard foliage straight to the dock out back. John followed. Tiny Daniel suddenly became animated as if nearness to the salt-smelling Keys’ waters roused his little spirit.

John here’s offered to loan us this houseboat. Been parked out here for years, and he sure doesn’t use it much. So it’s yours for as long as you need it. And just foot-steps from my cramped, comfy cottage. It’ll give you and the baby a bit a’ privacy, and time to relax and get to know each other.

John looked Mary over in an effort to determine her reaction. It wasn’t like she was in a position to complain. She’d never slept on a boat before, and had no idea where one showered or what the toilet facilities would be like. Yet with no work prospects, nor a male partner and protector on hand, she certainly would do her best to make do. Sensing her apprehension, John boldly reached out to take hold of her hand. C’mon aboard, Mary. Let me show you around. It takes some getting used to, but there’s a lot to be said for living on the water.

Aunt Rae jumped in to seal the sale. It’s very peaceful out here, Mary. Some people refuse to return to land once they’ve had a taste of this kind’a livin. And don’t mind us… we only throw parties on weekends, so it’s usually quiet around here. Now I best be gettin back to my kitchen. Get to know your way around the old boat, then come back in and fix yourself a big bowl of gumbo.

Rae walked off to warm up Daniel’s bottle, and left the couple to the boat and the dancing tides beneath it. John cast his gaze upon Mary. True, he’d never seen her before, yet somehow she felt familiar, like someone he’d known somewhere across the long expanse of time. Seems this party was waiting for you, he offered in a flirtatious tone impossible to miss. Aunt Rae, seasoned by some of life’s more exotic offerings quickly recognized the chemistry underway. With the practice of a dancer, she left the stage having noted the unspoken cues.

Mary held onto Daniel tightly as John helped her find her way around the old sailboat. He opened the cabin door, and while its musty odor overwhelmed her, she was pleasantly surprised to discover how efficiently the vessel made use of limited space. There was a tiny sink, foldout benches with a table between them, a little stove, and a small, discreet closet that doubled as a restroom facility! It would take some getting used to, no question about that; but she sensed she could sleep rather well being rocked by the Gulf waters. With no compelling alternative to contend with, this was it! She determined at worst she might grow to like it, and had to admit there was a certain romance to the absurdity of her present circumstances. Plus Dr. Love wasn’t exactly bad company; nor an unattractive leading man for the opening act of this, her next life! She was stunned by the fact that her comfort genuinely meant something to him. He was, after all, just a stranger, even if an unmistakable sense of déjà vu enveloped the pair upon first meeting. John demonstrated good instincts. He knew just how long to linger. Moved by a keen, innate sense of timing, he dashed off, only to return with a full plate of sumptuous delights. While not prepared to hold Daniel, he did fix a cushion right next to Mary so she could be close to the baby while enjoying the plate full of seafood delicacies. No initiation to the Florida Keys could have been better.

Before Mary had done justice to the platter fit for a queen, Aunt Rae returned with Daniel’s warm bottle. The baby seemed to purr as he lay there, enjoying the bottle, while his eager eyes took in the heavens. Mary wished she could dance to the music filtering through the air, courtesy of a talented local guitar player. That would have to wait. Still, she already liked the Keys. Maybe had even fallen in love… for a door had opened.

MEET THE GOLDS

Although it was outside the orb of baby Daniel’s perception, he happened to have a twin sister; and life was busily designing a very different script just for her. For while Dr. Love did his utmost to get Mary settled in for a night of sleep, rocking along with her little one inside the trusty sailboat, the Golds had meanwhile arrived at the clinic, flying in from sunny California. They were prepared to expedite all necessary paperwork, so they could get right back on the plane, this time with their adopted newborn in hand. Dr. Harrington did not think it prudent to mention the inconvenient fact