GrowingOlderHopeWiser

Maria struggled to keep her head above water as waves kept assaulting her. The small life vest kept her bobbing, but she felt she was losing the battle. Remnants of the boat floated on the water’s surface; she was hoping to catch something to hold onto. The sun was blazing directly overhead, and her lips felt like sandpaper. This was supposed to be a peaceful and relaxing weekend fishing trip. How did it all go so bad?

Work, work, and no play. Maria, a dedicated pediatric home health care nurse, worked 12-hour night shifts. She hadn’t had a break in almost a year. She was due for one. When the opportunity arose to join a ladies’ fishing group for a weekend fishing adventure, she seized the moment. 

Diane and Lilly were the boat’s owners, and Leslie, Carol, Stacy, and Maria joined them. The boat was a good size and could easily sleep 8. The ladies packed their gear into the boat, and provisions were already on board. The engine started, and they were on their way out to sea. They anchored the boat near an outlying island and began fishing.

Maria spotted a cigarette boat approaching fast, apparently from around the Island.

“Look at that,” she said to the others.

“They are coming right at us,” Carol said.

Something did not feel right; the ladies got nervous.

“Let’s pull up anchor,” Diane said.

They all hustled to get ready to pull up anchor. Lilly called in an SOS, just in case. Just then, crash! The cigarette boat t-boned them, flipping their boat and causing an explosion. Maria had been thrown overboard on the first impact and was now struggling to stay afloat. The island was not too far; she could make it. She had to. She was the only survivor, she thought. Maria swam toward the island with a sense of urgency. She realized she was in the ocean, and there were sharks. The movie Jaws popped into her mind. Exhausted, she made it to the island and dragged herself ashore. She fell asleep from exhaustion; the sun was setting by the time she woke up, and she had a wicked sunburn on her back, legs, and shoulders. Painfully, she got up and started to get her bearings and assess her situation. Water, shelter, food, she watched a lot of survival movies; those were the needs now. There had to be water on the island because it was lush with foliage. She ventured farther into the island’s interior and soon found a clear pond. She tasted the water, and it was fresh. She drank her fill. Then she jumped to soothe her burning back. The cool water was refreshing. There were several coconut trees nearby, and she picked up a few of the dropped coconuts, cracking one open against a rock. She was surprised at her own strength. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to survive. She continued opening coconuts till she had a stack. She dragged them on palm fronds back to the shore. Staying where she could be spotted in case of a rescue was important. Pieces of the boat began to float onshore, and she collected what she could. Bingo! A cooler. She had to swim out to it, but she got it. It contained bottled water and beer. Tonight, she was going to be alright. Maria looked up at the endless starry night; she had never seen so many stars so clearly. She took in a deep breath of the ocean air, letting it fill her lungs with the energy of life. The sound of the waves softly caressing the shore soothed her to sleep.

She opened her eyes just as day was breaking, and the sky was a gorgeous orange, yellow, and blue. More debris had made its way to shore, and she went scavenging. A Bowie knife and canned chili, yes, we eat today, she thought to herself. 

She busied herself placing rocks and coconuts in the shape of SOS along the shore.

It can’t be too long before they rescue me. We were not that far from Miami. She found a journal, some extra clothes, and a pencil in a box, and began writing to pass the time. Day 1: She recorded her adventure so far. 

Day 2: Maria went back to the pond and managed to catch a nice fish. Back at the shore, she built a fire, just like in her Girl Scout days. She was glad she paid attention. She had known so much peace could exist. Here she was lost on an island, and yet she felt so peaceful and calm.

Day3: The whirly cacophony of the helicopter blades woke her up from her afternoon nap. Civilization came crashing back. Nearby, on the ocean, was the Coast Guard on the bullhorn. The other fishing ladies had been rescued; they were on an inflatable raft.

The Miami Herald interviewed Maria, and she was all over the news on TV. 

“Tell us: how did you survive? How do you feel now?”

Maria thought it was the best vacation she had ever had.