MESSAGE ON A TREE BARK

PART II

SHE felt a little fear, not sure who it was, but she had been living literally imprisoned and lonely for so long, those words gave her a little hope for something new.
Looking across the water though, she wondered,
“How did the person who found the message knew it came from me? Has someone been watching me?”

The rains came that night for it was the May/June season and it continued for more than a week, so she could not go back to the beach. The water level in several areas along the coast continued to rise although pumps were working. Farms were becoming flooded and in some areas, houses were being inundated by the floodwaters.
“It’s happening again,” she said deeply disturbed, “Another disaster that will severely affect farmers.”

Her husband donated food hampers and other flood-relief items, but she wanted him to go on the ground so the damage and losses could be properly assessed.
“The government’s people are there on the ground in every region,” he told her.
“I know,” she answered undeterred, “But they can’t possibly do everything or reach everyone in time.”

After two days and her determination to do more for the people affected, he finally agreed and assembled a team to visit flooded areas. She requested to go with him and from the deep concern in her eyes because of her past experiences as a farmer’s daughter, he just couldn’t say ‘No’.
It was heartbreaking to see the devastation and hear the desperate cries for help.

For the first couple of days, areas visited were given great help and on the third day, closer to home on the West Bank, the pineapple and citrus farmers were in danger from the rising waters of the conservancy. She stood in close to knee-high waters talking to a few women farmers, then turned to look when one of the women said, “Stephan is back.”
He was mooring his boat, a sleek craft, different from the farmers and when he stepped out words died in her throat.
Tall, young, rugged good looks and no shirt on a muscle-toned body.

“Damn,” she gasped, “Did he just step out of a dream?”
The women farmers, though older, looked at him admiringly too.
“Who is he?” Anuradha asked finding her voice.
“A businessman. He owns a resort in Region Nine, but his brother owns farms in the backlands, so he visits sometimes.”
“And he’s single.”

“A Portuguese-Amerindian with—,” there was a pause, “How to describe his looks?”
“Incredible…” Anuradha said and couldn’t help smiling, but wary of the fact her husband might be watching her, as he often did. The handsome stranger was walking towards the relief team and casually pulled on a t-shirt, which was to her a sensuous movement and she almost gasped again.

“What is going on with me?” she questioned silently, surprised at her reactions and took a deep breath to compose herself.
Not long after her husband concluded his talk with the engineers and signalled to her he was ready to leave. She was about to walk towards him when his phone rang and he gestured to her to wait for a little, as he took the important call. The stranger walked up to where she was standing with the women farmers and greeted them warmly, but when he looked at her, there was something else in his smile.

His presence, undeniably attractive, made her nervous and as the women engaged him in light conversation, she warned herself silently, “I think I am going to get into trouble for this by just standing here.”
The women thanked her as they took their leave, for her support and advice on the flood situation and as she turned to leave also, the stranger’s words stopped her in her tracks.
“I can feel your desire.”
She turned and looked at him stunned for a short moment.
“You—you wrote that?”
He smiled, a deep warmth reflecting in his eyes and a new, unique feeling entered her being that seemed to lift her to a place she had never been. Her husband’s voice broke the magic of the moment.

“Anuradha.”
“Yes,” she answered obediently and walked past him, not daring to turn back to look at the stranger.
On the way home, she wondered, “How did he know I wrote those words on the tree bark?”
The beach was private and she had never seen anyone except the egrets, and occasional speed boats further on the horizon.
That night she thought of him so much, the intense feeling took away her sleep, although she had a tiring day.

“Is this what it means to fall in love?” she asked herself.
It was like a breath of fresh air in her life and even though she was not sure how she could see him again, if ever, at least she now had something to dream of, finding within her a little joy and happiness.
“One day maybe I’ll see you again,” she said with a hopeful sigh.
To be continued…

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