The Island Off Shore

Then one night, as we ate dinner beneath the pale radiance of the moon and gazed out at the endless ocean before us from our table for two on the shore, Gerald had told me that he had one more surprise in store. We would be returning to Istanbul via the Princes islands. He wanted to show me their potential. Wouldn’t I love a holiday home there? Close to Istanbul but not too close? I had never before heard him speak of owning land in Turkey and was very surprised and a little alarmed I must confess. I had a vision of one of the islands and a great fear suddenly came over me. There was truth on the island. A truth that I did not want to face. Something to do with Emine. Something to do with a child. A lost child. What if this were my child? Was this what Rana wanted?

Gerald spoke of building a two storey villa with a roofed porch supported by columns at the entrances on both floors. A grand stairway would connect the two storeys arching just above sea level on the side of a cliff. There was room on the island for development he said and many Istanbulites were moving there to get away from the bustle of city life. No cars were allowed on the island and it would be easy to get around he told me. The more excited he became the more I flinched.

What if Rana had actually survived the long swim from Topkapi? What if the islands triggered Gerald’s memories? What if I lost him to her again? I knew that I must not allow my fears to control me and that I must let our story play out. Maybe the answers were there on those islands and maybe I would have to leave myself open to whatever was in store. Could it be that this had been the plan all along?

That night as I lay tossing and turning in our bed I dreamed of a child. The child was calling and begging to be born as it had not been given the chance of life. The next moment I was in a church high on top of a hill praying at the alter with Rana’s voice in the background singing that same haunting song. I awoke to find Gerald lying beside me caressing my cheek. “Only a dream.” he soothed. I looked up into his eyes and searched for an answer. ” Rahatla my darling.” he said and then held me until I drifted off to sleep once more. I had become increasingly aware of the many coincidences responsible f0r bringing us together and maybe this would be just one more. Like Nancy Drew on a mission to solve the latest mystery I prepared myself mentally for the task at hand. I smiled and gazed lovingly into his dazzling blue eyes when he mentioned the islands again the next morning ” Splendid.” I cooed. “When do we start? “

The very next day we set sail from Bodrum to the Princes Islands completely bypassing Istanbul. I had fortified myself with two glasses of champagne and was in an elated state of calm by the time we reached port. We landed at Buyukada. The largest of the nine islands in the Princes group. We were greeted by lots of lovely houses in various colours built in Ottoman times with bougainvillaea trellises climbing the balconies.

There were palms and red pine trees lining the foreshore providing shaded alcoves where people could sit on park benches and watch the ships come in. The island was truly charming. We took a carriage and made our way to the appropriately named ‘Hotel Splendid’. I had temporarily forgotten my misgivings and concentrated on the sheer joy of us just being together. I flirted shamelessly with my husband all the way. Many disapproving eyes were upon us as locals watched us pass them.Public displays of affection were frowned upon.

As the carriage driver manoeuvred us through the dirt roads and tiny streets , devoid of any traffic other than human, I felt as if I was on the way to to Topkapi Palace yet again. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real. I pinched Gerald too just for good measure. ” Hey what do you think you’re doing?” he winced.

” Just checking you’re still here.” I laughed. ” You are a strange one. Of course I’m still here. Where else would I be?” I smiled at him … ” Oh I don’t know somewhere I can’t reach you perhaps.”
I smiled innocently while pretending to concentrate on a particularly beautiful white house and it’s stunning front garden. ” Now you’re being morbid. That’s not like you my darling.” He took me in his arms and kissed me tenderly on the lips. I kept my eyes open and watched the carriage driver over his shoulder who couldn’t resist staring. I wondered how he could look at us and control the horses at the same time.

He seemed to understand and turned his face away just in time to avoid a collision with another carriage heading in the opposite direction. The drivers hurled abuse at each other and we broke into laughter. Very soon our driver was laughing too and that was how we arrived at our destination. All three of us in the mood for revelry. It had been a light hearted foray into strange territory thus far and I hoped we could remain in good spirits for the duration.