Free A Jewel in the Sun by Laura Lee McIntosh Page B

instinctive way with them were a gift handed down from Nana.
    Losing Nana was like losing the sun. Life held no meaning. Reluctantly, Azolee rose from the bed. Her long, loose limbs were graceful and beautifully tanned. She hadn’t wanted to watch the sunrise since losing Nana. She hardly ever ate and it was reflected in her fragile, fine boned structure. Her body was beautifully slender and curvaceous with full bre ast above a tiny waist. Her limbs was well honed, compliments of daily walks, swims and snorkeling. When she wasn’t enjoying life, Azolee was busy collecting samples and assembling notes to compile for her desertion. She had a last chapter to write, but her motivation level was so low. Azolee quickly ran her fingers through her long unruly crinkly curls, twisted into a bob and headed for the shower.
    Later, dressed in a beach wrap and tank top, she grabbed the keys to the suzuki jeep. She needed to contact her lawyer, fax reports and pick up some food items. She drove the fifteen minutes to the Emerald Bay Marina, conducted her business and was pulling out of the port when a low slung rental swerved carelessly into the adjacent slot. She shot the offender a glare and pulled out abruptly in a cloud of dust. “Tourists!” she grumbled, “they are so condescending of the islands’ traffic laws.” She knew that her surliness was misplaced. Maybe anger would cause her to focus less on the pain.
    Her last stop was the post office. Sh e collected her package and was strolling toward the vehicle when her eyes were caught by the envelope. It was an envelope addressed to Ms. Azolee Marie. The contents of the letter stated that she was to call the local law firm , Gibson Rigby and Co. and even gave her contact person. The reason was to discuss the estate of the late Ana Marie estate. Azolee allowed for the lifting of her heart shaped lips into a sweet sad smile. Nana loved the beach cottage so much that she had refused to sell it even after it became too expensive to maintain. She closed her eyes, loving the memory of Nana, before her eyes started to fill with tear. “I love you”, she whispered painfully.
    This was not time for weeping, Nana hadn’t wanted it. Azolee quickly blinked away the tears and drove along to the store to pick up her staples. She met some faces and after saying the appropriate hello s in response to the “morning dahlin ’ ” or “hey sweety ”, she strode back to the vehicle oblivious to everything except her need to find solace. It was not only the pain of losing Nana, it was the combination of seeing families shopping that emphasized how much she had lost. There were no close friends or even a possible date. It had all been by design. She was a loner and had only time for her hobby. Being awarded scholarships, meant that she met persons she loosely associated with, but spent her breaks and summers with Nana, doing the things she loved. She loved to listen to Nana talk of life in France. As she grew older, she realized that although Nana talked of gay times and parties, there was always a deep seated sadness, a shadow and a pall that would come over her.
    Azolee finished putting the groceries away, changed in to a bathing suit and dashed out into to the clear turquoise water. She made laps and laps until she was tired. No one saw the pain, the lon e liness. Any onlookers only saw – a beautiful golden mermaid enjoying the water. As usual, a family of bottle nosed dolphins came by and they flirted with Azolee . As if sensing her pain, the calf one nosed her softly. He kept coming from directions swimming around and leaping as if wanting to lift her spirits. Nana had always marveled at Azolee’s affinity with animals.
    How much time passed, it was difficult to tell.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER THREE
     
    Gastron put the phone down. He loved this country with its vivid colours and laid back lifestyle. It was a preferred