A look of annoyance briefly flashes across her face before she forces her mouth into some sort of rictus grin. ‘I see. Well, I’m sure we’re all very impressed with your independence and resourcefulness. When I booked our trip, I was told all the tours were hugely popular and sold out weeks in advance, so I needed to get in quick to secure a place. Which company did you use, out of interest?’
Why won’t she just let it go? ‘I, umm, don’t remember the name,’ I tell her. ‘I, ah, rang a few who said exactly what you were told, but this one outfit had just had a cancellation, so there was a place available.’
‘Gosh, that was lucky,’ Amy says, narrowing her eyes. ‘I do hope you checked that they were reputable, especially if they took a lot of money from you. Jamaica may look like paradise, but there are still plenty of crooks here, the type who’d think nothing of scamming a naïve young woman on her first trip to the Caribbean, or even worse.’ She shudders theatrically to emphasise her point, and I find myself biting my tongue. If this is Amy in diplomacy mode, I’d frankly prefer the open hostilities of this morning.
One thing is certain. Tomorrow is going to be a much better day.
18
‘I must apologise for the car,’ Gabriel says as I climb into the open-topped Jeep early the next morning. ‘It’s not exactly inconspicuous.’
He’s not joking. It’s bright orange, with a row of enormous lights fixed to a bar over the top, and the largest, blingiest wheels I think I’ve ever seen on a car.
‘It’s Raphael’s pride and joy,’ he says as he presses the button to start the engine. Moments later, we’re rewarded with a roar that scatters the birds from the nearby trees.
‘I kind of guessed that,’ I yell over the din. ‘Given that it’s covered in advertising for the bar.’
‘As soon as I told him our plans for the day, he insisted on lending it to me,’ Gabriel shouts back as he puts it into drive and heads for the exit. ‘He really likes you. I’ve packed us a picnic too.’ He points over his shoulder to a cool box on the floor in front of the back seat.
When we reach the road and Gabriel puts his foot down to merge into the traffic, the noise the car makes can only be described as Biblical, and I clamp my hands over my ears to protect them. To my surprise, Gabriel turns immediately left,and we soon find ourselves outside Raphael’s bar, which is definitely closed at this time in the morning. No sooner has he pulled up next to the shack, however, than Raphael appears.
‘Wah Gwaan?’ he asks once Gabriel has shut off the engine and we can all hear ourselves think. ‘Hail up, Tori.’
‘I think I’ve done something,’ Gabriel explains in his broad Jamaican accent. ‘The car is so loud I can’t hear myself think!’
Raphael bursts out laughing. ‘Press that button.’ He indicates a button near the gear lever with a picture on it that looks like the end of a shotgun barrel. ‘You’ve put it in sport mode.’
Gabriel presses the button and restarts the engine, which thankfully now burbles quietly. ‘That’s much better, thanks,’ he says to a still smiling Raphael.
‘No worries, have a good day,’ Raphael replies as Gabriel puts the car into reverse and begins to turn around.
‘Where are we going?’ I ask as Gabriel noses back onto the road. I had an idea last night about a way to get him to open up, so this is a loaded question.
‘I thought we’d head round the coast towards Ocho Rios first,’ Gabriel says, his English accent now back in place. ‘There’s lots to see and do there, depending on your mood. We could visit Dunn’s river falls, which is a tiered waterfall and park, and Dolphin Cove, where you can swim with sharks, dolphins and stingrays in their natural environment. Or, if you prefer something a little more cultural, we could head for the Green Grotto, where there’s a set of spectacular underground caves that the Spanish hid in when they were being driven from the island by the English in the seventeenth century. Then, after lunch I thought we could meander back, stopping at the Appleton Estate so you can have a bit of a rum tasting. How does all of that sound?’
‘It sounds amazing,’ I tell him honestly. ‘But would I be right in saying that those places are all tourist attractions?’
He looks nonplussed. ‘They are. That’s why I chose them.’
‘That’s very kind of you, but I’ve been thinking.’
‘Uh-oh.’
‘Funny. See, what I’ve realised is that I have a unique opportunity here, to see beyond the stuff that’s curated for tourists. I’d like you to show me your Jamaica.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The places you grew up, where you went to school, the church you mentioned before. Those kinds of things.’
‘Why?’
‘Two reasons. One, because I’d like to learn more about you. And two, because I’ll get an experience that is much more authentically Jamaican than all those other things you mentioned.’
‘You’re assuming I grew up here.’
‘I’m assuming you spent at least some of your formative years here, given that all the rest of your family live here.’
‘They don’t, actually.’
