Cap D’Ambre

Every time I crossed the shoulder of a hill I was hoping that finally I would be there, but no, this island was going to drag it out. Rivers and swamps were the order of the day. One becomes so desperate in a way that weirdly you are just km from the end and a crazy thought pops up. “If it’s not over the next hill, that’s it I have had it, i am “Gat vol” I am just going to turn around” I was just so tired and hungry. The mud and rain was getting the better of me, I was just going through the motions of stumbling forward. Something caught my eye, I squinted and looked up into the morning sky, and there it was in the distance, this massive white column with a black cap. Cap d’Ambre light house, my spirit lifted I could feel the energy flow back into my body as I screamed within. I now knew I was going to make it.

The path twisted over the forested dune range, the red mud had now given way to white sand and thick vegetation. I came into a little village, the last one on the island, chickens scattered and scrawny dogs sauntered away with their tails between their legs heading for shelter under the huts as if I was going to beat them, the odd villager darted for shelter looking back with a quick glance at this alien. Ahead of me stood and elderly man, a bright sarong wrapped around his waist and a straw hat on his head. He had a strange look about him, there was something different. He looked at me smiling, lifted his right arm and pointed to a path to my left and said Cap d’Ambre, turning he waved and walked off behind a hut. I shook my head as if I was imagining something, was my mind starting to play with me.

I followed the path as it now wound down the dune to the light house, the vegetation parted giving way to open grass and there dead ahead stood the massive light house. I just sunk to my knees, over come by this. All alone I kneeled in the grass just staring ahead not really knowing what was going through my mind. I got up, slowly walking to the little rise with the light house propped on it, the ocean lay all around me, there were little islands to my right, and there was no one, not a sole. A few zebus grazed on the waters edge. Finally reaching the edge of the island, I was forced to stop by the ocean. I could go no further, nor could I hold my emotion any more, I looked down at my feet at the tears fell from my eyes, one by one bursting on the rock around me and mixing with the ocean.