22 - Bequia mid 1780’s
|
|
Denis sat on the beach, he called this place “the end of paradise” because of the steep hill at the end of the beach which prevented you from going any further by land, a boat was needed to get around to the next bay. Later this village would be called Lower Bay and it was on the other side of the island from Denis home in Spring.
Denis was playing his didgeridoo. Many years earlier when he was in the East Indies a Chinaman had come to Denis carrying a long bag of coloured linen. |
The Chinaman had spoken of a great land to the South where the natives lived in perfect harmony with Mother Nature.He had given Denis the didgeridoo, it was beautifully decorated and at the base the English words “Well Done” were carved. “This is yours” said the Chinaman and he taught Denis how to make a mouthpiece from bees wax and how to play the instrument.
Over the years Denis had become quite proficient and he loved the endless array sounds he could produce, sounds which it sometimes seemed came from a past so distant it was as if his ancestors were communicating over the centuries.
The ancient music resonated through the bay and Denis hardly noticed the woman walking down the beach. She walked past him and smiled, she was not a native woman, neither Indian nor black, she had European features but her demeanour and dark skin indicated a mixture of race and origin. She was very beautiful, it was impossible to discern her age, Denis saw her green eyes, her long curly hair fell onto her fine lace dress, who was this person, where could she possibly come from? The island was small, only a few hundred souls and Denis thought he had seen most of them in the six months since he had arrived. Stranger still, Denis felt that this Lady was not from the present, it was as if she was displaced from a time far in the future, but she was most definitely real.
He stopped playing his didgeridoo.
She was walking away but then turned and walked back towards him. He stood and knew instantly that he would be spending the rest of this earthly life by her side, she smiled again as she came up to him. She lowered her head in a small bow reminiscent of the greeting Denis had known in the East, then looking Denis in the eye, she spoke in English “I am Domenica, it is an honour to meet you at last”
“The honour is mine” replied Denis, “but pray, my Lady, please tell me why you say meet me at last?”
Domenica became shy and embarrassed, she was uncertain as to how to respond. Years of suffering and insult because of her mixed blood had taught her to be wary. But the advice of her mother rang in her ears, "when you see your chance you must seize it without hesitation".
“When I was a young girl in the East Indies years ago, a Chinaman once came to me and said that I would meet a fine Gentleman blowing into a tree trunk and bringing noises from the dawn of time. He said it was my destiny and that the Gentleman in question would understand me and care for me.”
 |
 |
 |