“You know I want the details, too,” Addison mutters with a wink.
“I know, and when we are at a place where I can tell you the whole story, you know I will.”
The ranch is full of picnic tables covered with pavilions. ATVs are lined up in six different rows—there’s a ton of them. The parking lot is bustling with activity as more buses continue to roll in. Our group isn’t the only one on this tour today. The smell of the exhaust from the buses is a bit much. As they leave, it seems to dissipate.
We’re guided toward a table where a few employees with red shirts sit and hand out waivers. With paper and pen in hand, I review and sign the waiver. My friends sign, and we all hand the papers to Kendall who gives them back. When the last of our group submits their papers, we listen to the tour guide, who goes over the safety rules for operation, the detailed itinerary, and then he leads us to our assigned ATV.
As I stand by, waiting for everyone to mount their machines, I take a moment to slather on some sunscreen. The sun’s rays feel intense, and I’m glad I remembered to lather up. I rummage through my bag until I find my sunglasses and bandana. I slide the sunglasses onto my nose, their dark lenses casting a shaded view. The bandana is next, tied securely around my neck. It will be easy to move it over my mouth when the dust flies from all the ATVs in front of me. Finally, I pick up my helmet and place it on my head. It fits and I snap the buckle into place.
Kendall and Lane are on machines behind me, and Addison is on the one in front of me.
I yell, “Are you guys ready?” as I look back. Both of them give me double thumbs up. It’s getting loud as another group’s machines roar to life. The day is about to begin, and the excitement rolls through my body. I’m so ready for it.
It’s our group’s turn to start our machines. Once they are all running, and the guys in red shirts walk up and down the row to confirm everyone is all set, we roll out. Our guides lead us upthe desert hill until we arrive at the top, where we can see the darkness of the ocean in the distance. I keep pace with the group. It takes longer than expected to park and dismount. I leave my backpack and take off my top layer of clothing. All I have on is my bikini, and I remove my sneakers. Finally, I slip on my water shoes, ready to experience the cool water of the caves. I find the girls, and we walk over to our assigned group.
What I didn’t realize from the description of the water caves is that a single, weathered ladder is the only way down to the rocky terrain below. Descending is a careful process. Once we finally reach the bottom, I see a line has already formed. As we wait, the relentless waves crash forcefully against the jagged rocks, sending up sprays of salty mist that lands on our skin. The deep blue ocean on this side is tumultuous, its surface churning angrily, lined with sharp, menacing rocks that jut out. The ocean roars with a fierce and untamed energy.
“I can’t wait to jump in the cave pool!” Kendall shouts over the crashing ocean waves.
“I’m nervous, but I’m glad I’m doing it with you ladies,” Addison says with a nervous laugh.
Lane slings her arm around me and pulls me closer. “It looks like we have to wait. So, Faith, you have plenty of time to tell us the rest of your story.”
I want to push her away, but I’m afraid she’ll fall and crack her head open. “He apologized a couple times. The fact is, I forgave him years ago when I was working tirelessly with that one therapist, you guys remember. It helped me move on. Well, you know, the best I could. There’s a drastic difference between forgiving someone on your own and being face-to-face with them. I can’t explain it, but I’m glad he invited me out and that I actually went.”
“You are going to need to give me more details than that. Did you kiss?” Kendall drawls.
“No, we didn’t kiss. There was a lot of hugging and holding hands, if you must know. Both times it was unexpected, and I felt wrapped in his comfort and his apology filled some cracks in my heart. It was like he was using his words and touch to heal me. As I held his hand, an electric shock surged through my body. I’ve never felt that way with anyone else. I may have gotten some of the closure I was looking for, but I also think I gained a soft spot for his perspective in our story. We were both hurting,” I say as tears roll down my cheek, but they feel different, like relief and happiness.
They all have a shocked look on their faces. Their mouths are slightly open, almost as if they can’t believe what I just said. Until Kendall pulls her sunglasses down to really look at me, “You went into this with an expectation of closure and left with hope?”
“Hope—it’s fitting for what transpired last night. He asked me if he could see me again,” I say shyly.
“And you said yes?” Lane jumps in before Kendall can get a word in edgewise, which is rare.
“I told him I’d like that, which is the truth. There’s more to talk about, but last night was heart-warming and I want more time with him.” The words come out of my mouth, and all I can imagine is him kissing me like he used to. I’m betting he wanted to last night and opted for the hug instead, so I felt comfortable. It was the right move.
We’re next in line, and it will be exciting to jump together. It’s so fun to watch everyone else take the plunge. And in no time, it’s our turn. We jump in unison into the cool water below. That was exceptional, and the wait was worth it. The guides allow us to linger a little while in the cave to take it all in. The rock cave surrounds us as our bodies float in the turquoise water; it’s so clear we can see the sand beneath our feet. There’s an earthy, damp smell from the rocks and water.
“Have you ever seen anything so captivating?” Lane asks as she looks all around her in awe.
I swim around to take in the depths of the crevices in the rock formation. It’s a natural water cave created by the harsh waves. Mother nature gives us these gems to relish in, and I can’t help but stare at the beauty in front of me.
As I kick my feet and drift on the water, I say, “I’d stay here for hours just floating around.”
“This was worth going down that sketchy ladder,” Addison says as she floats by us.
All too soon, the guides signal us to make our way out. We linger a bit longer and then carefully push our bodies out of the water and onto the large rock. With our footing secured, we make our way back across the rocks to the ladder. The climb up is much less sketchy than going down was, and I’m thankful for that. As we head back to the ATVs, the sun warms my chilled skin.
The machines all start up, the humming of all the engines together like a symphony. We move a short way up the coast to the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins. It's a precisely constructed rock building—or what remains of it.
“To think people constructed these hundreds of years ago in the middle of nowhere,” I say as my eyes roam the ruins.
We ride by where the natural bridge used to be. Sadly, rough seas destroyed it years ago. My surprise comes when they lead us to what they call the “baby bridge.” It’s just as spectacular. We have our picture taken on top. The sand on this side is rough, and there are volcanic rocks.
“The memories we are making are unbelievable,” Lane says with her arms slung over us.
As we loop back to head to the beach, which is our last stop of the excursion, the tour provides lunch and drinks. It takes aboutten minutes to arrive. The machines line the parking lot, and we all hop off. The guides are wheeling lunch over to the beach.
