Helen Keller
Olivia
It had been another busy morning in Goa for Olivia. Even here, where most people preferred to spend their days lying on the beach, she had made sure her action-packed agenda continued. Culturally, it felt important to continue to explore the delights of what this new place had to offer, but also, selfishly, it helped her mentally. The more Olivia had to do, the less time she had to think about Jacob and the fact it had been two weeks since she’d last heard from him. It was true that ever since she’d left Udaipur their communication had dwindled – his replies growing less and less frequent as time passed. But this was the longest they’d gone without talking and it was, quite frankly, driving her mad. The unanswered email did laps around her brain, until the words barely made sense to her any more.
Subject:Might have found the new best dosa in India …
I know it’s a bold statement but really, truly, it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I wish youcould have sampled it yourself, and I did think about saving you a piece, but I wasn’t sure it would travel well via mail. How is Udaipur treating you, if you’re still there?! Where else have you explored? I’m off to Goa in a few days – can you believe it? My final stop! Tracey keeps hounding me to try yoga while I’m there, but let’s see. Maybe next time you speak to me I’ll be a fully enlightened being.
Yours, about to enter full spiritual awakening, Olivia x
‘Argh, stop looking,’ she cursed under her breath, shoving her phone back into her bag and forcing herself to concentrate on the horizon. She had been sitting by the water for a good twenty minutes yet had barely looked at it. This was supposed to be a moment of calm, a little slice of peace in the chaos, and she was wasting time thinking about someone who was clearly not thinking about her at all.
She closed her eyes and tried to let the crackling electricity in her brain settle. Olivia had never been one for the ocean. In fact, she was the only person in her family that wasn’t excited when their annual trip to the beach came around. The sand irritated her skin, the salt stung her eyes, and she would always – no matter how meticulously she applied her sun cream – get burnt. The whole thing felt like more effort than it was worth. Which is why, when she arrived in Goa and saw the stretch of crystal-blue water only moments from her homestay, it was a surprise that the sight nearly moved her to tears. The sound alone was a balm for her soul. The inhale and exhale of the waves as they lapped at the shore. The cool, salted breath that danced across her skin and soothed the burning glare of the sun. The force, the depth, the sheer expanse of it, was incredibly humbling, and yet at the same time wonderfully empowering. And so, shepromised herself that at least once a day she would sit on the sand and simply allow herself to be.
‘Hi there!’
Olivia practically jumped from her skin at the sound of the voice to her left. Snapping her eyes open, she turned to see a rather tall, incredibly beautiful woman standing next to her on the beach. Any thought of exchanging terse words disappeared from Olivia’s brain the second she laid eyes on the stranger. Long, jet-black hair flowed down her back, making the orange of her eyes glow even brighter. Her skin, the colour of honey, was almost completely covered in tattoos. The intricate patterns were like a living, breathing sketchbook. She was breathtakingly striking, and Olivia suddenly felt very plain and very boring-looking.
‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry! Were you meditating?’ The girl looked horrified, her deep voice lifting a little in fear.
‘Meditating? No, I was just …’ What was she doing? Trying to pull herself back from sending a panicked email to a guy she barely knew? ‘Having a second to myself.’
‘I didn’t realize you had your eyes closed or I would have come back another time.’
‘Is everything OK?’ Olivia was quite unsure why this gorgeous human being was trying to talk to her.
‘Don’t worry, everything’s fine. I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I’m staying in the hut opposite yours and I’ve been meaning to catch you ever since you arrived, but each time I’ve been home you’ve been out. I thought I’d seize the moment while I saw you sitting here.’ She presented one of her finely decorated hands. ‘I’m Cece.’
‘Nice to meet you, I’m Olivia.’ She took Cece’s hand with her own very plain and very pale one, and gave it a firm shake.
‘It’s a nice little group we’ve got at the moment.’ Shenodded back towards the rustic wooden huts that lay beyond the sand. ‘Although, past 8 p.m.’ – she came and sat down next to Olivia – ‘maybe steer clear of Patricia and Tania in number seven. They often get a bit rowdy after their fourth fishbowl.’
‘Gotcha.’ Olivia nodded, recalling the two deep-fried, bleached-blonde women she’d seen lying outside the hut across the way, slurring their words and cackling long into the night. Their bodies were so dehydrated that with a touch, Olivia imagined they would crumble to dust.
‘While I have you, I wanted to ask you about your washing line.’
‘I have a washing line?’
‘Yeah, that’s the thing, it’s currently living at my place. I borrowed it when no one was staying here and I haven’t had a chance to speak to you about it. Do you mind if I use it for one more day then return it?’
‘Sure, just give it back whenever you’re done with it.’
‘Amazing, thank you!’ Cece squeezed Olivia’s arm affectionately. ‘I teach yoga and there is no way you can get away with wearing the same stuff twice out here. The sweat isreal.’
‘You’re a yoga teacher? That’s cool.’
Flashbacks of her conversation with Tracey whirred through her brain.
Powerful stuff, that is. Healing stuff.
‘I am indeed. Six days a week, right here on the beach. Do you practise?’
‘God no! I can barely balance on two legs, let alone do all that other fancy stuff.’
‘I see.’ Cece’s face darkened. ‘Let me guess, you’ve done the type of yoga where they make you plank for eight minutes then stand on your head?’
