Josephine Against the Sea Read online

  Mariss’s words are burned into my memory: There are plenty of fish in the sea, but only one fish can be your true love. I can’t forget the fury on Mariss’s face while she watched Daddy dancing with Miss Alleyne yesterday. Now after weeks of good fortune, Daddy wakes up with head pains, and his nets are empty. Is this some kind of warning?

  I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

  “Hang in there, Daddy. It always works out,” I say, trying to cheer him up. “Remember that time I broke the window, and we had no idea how we would get it fixed?”

  “Mmm,” Daddy replies.

  “And remember the time Jalopy broke down, and we had no idea how we would find the money for a new engine?”

  “True.” Daddy nods his head.

  “And remember the time you didn’t think you could afford a laptop for your lovely daughter’s birthday next week, but then you bought it anyway?”

  Daddy sucks his teeth, but starts to laugh. “I dunno what to do with you.” He tickles me under my ribs.

  The tickle! Oh, how I’ve missed the tickle!

  I don’t bother to pretend I want him to stop. But then, I notice a dark mark peeking out from under his shirt.

  “Daddy, what’s that?” I pull down his shirt collar. On his chest, just above his heart, is a tattoo of a spiral.

  “What?” Daddy says, fixing his shirt.

  “That tattoo,” I say, jabbing his chest. “Did you get that for Mariss?” It’s shaped exactly like her spiral pendant.

  “Stop playing!” Daddy laughs and tries to tickle me again, but I push him away. He’s marked his skin with Mariss’s design, like some kind of lovesick tribute. I have to warn him now before I come home from school and find them married.

  “Daddy, I don’t think Mariss is who she says she is.”

  “What you talking ’bout now, Josephine?”

  “I think Mariss is a creature from the sea—”

  “Enough, Josephine, enough! I tired of you making so much trouble.” He gets to his feet, and his features are twisted in so much anger he’s almost unrecognizable. “I normally turn a blind eye to your bad behavior, but I’m putting my foot down! I don’t want to ’ear another negative word about Mariss. She is ’ere FOR GOOD!”

  I jump up as Daddy crashes his hand onto the table and shatters a small plate. I back away, and he stares at his fist as if surprised by his own actions. A tiny piece of ceramic drops off the table and bounces just shy of my foot.

  My daddy has never lost his temper like this—not ever. He’s changing … like he’s being possessed!

  He doesn’t apologize or rush to clean up the shards; in fact, he doesn’t look at me. Instead, Daddy clears his throat, pushes the broken pieces aside, and then stares off into the distance as if nothing happened.

  I rush upstairs, determined to read every single word of this book until I find a way to get rid of Mariss.

  I almost lost Daddy once. I won’t let it happen again.

  My eyes burn as I read the folklore book, scanning the long chunks of paragraphs and small print. I have to force myself not to skip ahead, in case I miss the one line that could reveal how to get rid of Mariss. I so wish Ahkai could help because he’s a much faster reader, but he’s not in a place to help anyone … even me.

  It’s been twelve days and Simba still hasn’t come home.

  Waiting for news with Ahkai was almost unbearable, with him stationed by the phone. But that was nothing compared to his sullen depression when he began to lose hope. Miss Mo keeps fussing over him, forcing him to swallow raw aloe and rubbing him down in coconut oil. Between being worried about him and Daddy, it’s tougher to get through the heavy text than I imagined.

  Mariss’s spiral pendant on my dresser gleams in the sunrise.

  I need more time to find out what she wants and how to get rid of her. I’ve avoided her as much as I could, but I can’t maintain that behavior without upsetting Daddy. He keeps trying to get us to spend time together and hinted that we’re going to “spend time as a family” for my birthday tomorrow.

  I’ve never been less excited. I know he expects me and Mariss to become best friends.

  That’s when it hits me.

  Maybe I can make Mariss think that we’re friends, so I can figure out her motives, once and for all. Today is the picnic at Brandon’s Beach and it’s the perfect opportunity to get closer to her. I push the book under my pillow and look at my reflection in the mirror; I think I can act like a friendly almost-eleven-year-old girl.

  Miss Mo organized a park and ride to the beach, so everyone has to gather at Fairy Vale Academy, then board a shuttle bus to the city. When I get downstairs, Daddy’s already dressed in swim trunks and a sleeveless shirt, but the spiral tattoo on his chest isn’t visible. Mariss walks out of the kitchen with a large container of salad.

  She immediately notices the necklace around my neck. “I knew you’d like it! You just had to give it a chance.”

  I smile so hard that my eyes become tiny slits and she is a blur. I force myself to stay still as Mariss comes over and presses her cheek to mine. “Look Vincey, we’re twins!” she says, pointing to our matching necklaces.

  “We’re so totally alike,” I respond, hoping my disgust isn’t evident.

  “My girls!” Daddy beams at us. When Mariss turns away, Daddy mouths “thank you.” This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done—much, much harder than solving fractions.

  I am excited to see Ahkai with Miss Mo at the meeting point, standing in line next to the shiny blue-and-yellow Transport Board bus that looks new, but chugs like an old locomotive. He refuses to talk to anyone, but when I sit next to him, I can tell he’s glad I’m there.

  The bus is jam-packed, with people squeezed against coolers and beach chairs and trying to hold on to handrails and food containers without falling. Still, it’s a bright day with a cool morning breeze, so everyone is cheerful enough to join in when Mariss initiates one of those horrid sing-alongs.

  As soon as we arrive at the beach, Daddy races across the long stretch of white sand and dives into the clear blue-green waters. Mariss throws her head back and cackles at his childish joy, the amber highlights in her hair catching the sunlight. For a split second, I get the urge to laugh with her. I shake off the feeling and plaster a fake smile on my face. “So, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “No, Josie, it’s just me,” Mariss replies, helping a lady with a newborn off the bus.

  “Not anymore!” I exclaim in an extra chirpy voice. Mariss looks pleased.

  “And no kids?” I ask later, when she’s changing the baby’s diaper on a blanket under the almond trees.

  “No, Josie Sweets … not yet,” she responds, with a small smile that makes my skin crawl.

  I finally manage to wrangle some personal information out of her while we’re putting coals in the barbecue grill.

  “How did you come up with this design?” I ask, dusting specks of sand off the pendant.

  Mariss straightens the pendant, her fingernails brushing against my chest. I try not to flinch. “It’s my family symbol, and this particular piece is a treasure.” Then, with a faraway look in her eyes, she continues, “It’s a tribute to my great-great-grandmother.”

  I want to pry further, but Coach Broomes interrupts our conversation. I’ve managed to avoid him since the friendly match, but now it’s too late to run away.

  He wears a white T-shirt and colorful swim trunks, and a pained grimace on his face. At first I wonder if he’s about to confirm I didn’t make the team, but then I realize he’s smiling. It’s like he needed to spray lubricant onto his face to revive the muscles. Even worse, he looks unbalanced and incomplete without his clipboard.

  “Josephine, yuh ain’ tell me you had such a lovely sister,” says Coach Broomes in an extra deep voice. I am so confused. One—it’s odd to hear Coach Broomes say my name without frustration. Two—he knows I’m an only child. Three—those swim trunks are wayyyy too short.

&
nbsp; “This is my, uh, my, uh, friend, Mariss.” I choke out the words while looking at the sky, the grill, anywhere but at Coach Broomes’s hairy thighs.

  Mariss giggles and draws me closer. “Why, I’m practically Josie’s stepmom.”

  I close my eyes and count to ten. My mouth quivers from the effort to maintain my smile and hold in my outburst. Do not offend her …

  “Mariss! How are you?” Miss Alleyne walks up to the gathering, carrying a large black bag and looking fantastic in an African-print dashiki. Her dreadlocks are pulled back into a loose ponytail.

  “Aurora!” Mariss meets Miss Alleyne halfway and they embrace like they’re old friends.

  My mouth falls open. I will never understand adults. Maybe they’re both pulling a similar ruse. Being extra sweet to each other to get information.

  I have to be patient. Eventually, Mariss will show her true intentions. Soon, Daddy will see the truth for himself.

  “Come help me set up for volleyball.” Miss Alleyne grabs Mariss’s hand, and I follow them down the beach, toward Ahkai, who is whittling on a blanket a little ways off from the main activity.

  Mariss and Miss Alleyne are pounding a stake into the sand with a rock when Coach Broomes approaches.

  “Lemme help you with this before yuh hurt yourself,” he says, reaching for the rock. Mariss looks up at him, smiling, and steps aside, but Miss Alleyne waves him away.

  “It’s a rock, not a bomb.” Miss Alleyne laughs and looks over at Mariss for support, but her laughter fades when she sees the baffled look on Mariss’s face.

  I watch as Coach Broomes and Miss Alleyne’s argument somehow escalates into the challenge of a beach volleyball match—men versus women. Instead of playing, Mariss relaxes on a sun lounger like a tourist to observe the game.

  Miss Alleyne pulls the dashiki over her head and throws it to the side. The matching one-piece swimsuit reveals athletic, toned legs. Daddy does a double take, but then looks away, pretending there is something interesting behind him. Mariss sits up in the lounge chair.

  Uh-oh. I can’t afford for Mariss to get upset in any way. Daddy’s finally sleeping well again, and yesterday he got a decent catch in his nets. I remember Mrs. Edgecombe’s wagging finger: Don’t piss them off, hear?

  Daddy serves the ball.

  “YAH!” Miss Alleyne smacks the ball over the net. Daddy is shocked when the ball flies past him like a rocket.

  The women cheer, and Miss Alleyne gives Coach Broomes a triumphant look. Coach Broomes narrows his eyes. He hates to lose. Trust me, he’s been kicked off several cricket fields protesting umpire decisions.

  It’s an intense game. I’m surprised Coach Broomes and Miss Alleyne don’t bare their teeth at each other. Daddy, the eternal mediator, is trying his best to stay between them. They’re flinging their bodies in the air, desperate to win a point. The score is neck and neck, until Daddy misses Miss Alleyne’s return and the women get the final point.

  Coach Broomes scowls and kicks the sand in anger. Miss Alleyne’s teammates scream out in glee and hug one another and I can’t resist joining the celebration.

  Mariss gets up from the lounger to comfort Daddy.

  “Chin up, Vincent! Come and soak those old bones in the Hot Pot,” Miss Alleyne gloats. She’s not humble in victory. “Maybe the water will cure those bad reflexes.”

  “Good game, Aurora.” Daddy holds out his hand. He’s looking at her the same way he looks at other fishermen when they dock with a boat full of fish; it’s a grudging respect. Miss Alleyne flushes and returns his handshake.

  Mariss’s face is a mixture of rage and confusion, and as seconds pass by and their hands remain intertwined, her lips curl and her expression grows more thunderous. I get an overwhelming urge to yank Daddy and Miss Alleyne apart.

  “Miss Alleyne!” I shout. “Come pick sea grapes with me.” I point at the trees at the end of the beach, laden with the sweet purple fruit.

  Miss Alleyne lets go of Daddy’s hand and wipes her hand across her face. “Thanks, Jo, but I need to cool down.” She throws her wrap over her shoulder and walks away.

  I exhale and feel the need to escape. It’s exhausting to keep the peace.

  Ahkai’s still focused on his new creation, and though he doesn’t look up, I know he’s aware of the situation. I walk toward the sea grape trees, and a few seconds later I hear him coming behind me.

  I pry some of the green, unripe sea grapes from the tube-shaped, hanging bunch of fruit, while Ahkai follows a pigeon through the trees. I bowl the small grapes into a tree branch, trying to hit a black smudge.

  “YAH!” I pretend that I’m Miss Alleyne, slamming the ball over the net. The fruit lands squarely in the black area.

  Coach Broomes was wrong! Girls can play with boys—and we can win too.

  Then, a bloodcurdling scream penetrates the air. My heart stops.

  Ahkai!

  Thankfully, he bursts out from behind a tree, his eyes wide and filled with fear.

  The person screams again. Ahkai and I whip around to our right.

  It’s coming from the Hot Pot.

  My brain tells me to get back to the campsite, but the anguish in that cry is so terrible my heart cannot ignore it.

  “Get help!” I tell Ahkai before dashing through the bushes toward the area.

  Maybe someone is being pulled out to sea, but it can’t be. No one knows better than me that there’s no way to scream when you’re drowning. Drowning doesn’t look like how it does on TV, where a person is splashing and screaming for help. Not when you’re trying to avoid swallowing seawater and struggling to breathe.

  It is a slow, quiet death.

  The Hot Pot is ahead. The strong current pulls the water from the inlet into the ocean. The strength of the water has shifted the sand so it surrounds the pool like a cliff. The rushing water is as loud as rain beating on a rooftop.

  I am so blinded by fear that I almost miss the figure floating facedown in the water.

  Miss Alleyne!

  “Ma’am! Ma’am!” I scream, though I know she won’t answer. I look around for help. It’s noon—the hottest time of day; everyone is sheltering under the trees farther up on the beach.

  I’m all alone.

  Miss Alleyne is motionless and her body is heading out to sea. I take a step toward the rushing water. She’s about ten feet away. I need to jump in now to catch her or try to block her body from going out to sea.

  My toe touches the water and I yelp, jumping back like it’s lava.

  Get in, Jo! I order myself.

  Splash.

  I duck as a black-and-brown lionfish leaps out of the water like a flying fish. Its venomous spikes along its spine and around its mouth are stiff and pointed. It glides through the air over Miss Alleyne’s body, then turns toward me, its stern face daring me to jump into the pool, before disappearing into the water.

  I drop to my knees, a chill sweeping through my body. It’s not possible. Lionfish live on the reef under the sea. And lionfish don’t jump.

  Yet, here it is, flipping over her body like an acrobat in a deadly circus act. Distraught, I watch as Miss Alleyne floats past me.

  SPLASH!

  Daddy has leapt over my head and jumped into the water. All of a sudden, I’m surrounded by people.

  “Daddy!”

  “Vincey! Don’t!”

  Then, he disappears underwater.

  Every second he is out of sight feels like an hour. I stop hearing the cries around me; there’s only the rhythm of my heartbeat ripping through my chest.

  After what feels like forever, Daddy appears next to Miss Alleyne. I would collapse if not for Mariss’s support. He flips Miss Alleyne onto her back, and using one arm, he struggles to get back to shore. It’s like trying to push through a brick wall with one hand. Every time they get a little closer, the current pulls them back out to sea.

  I hold on to Mariss, screaming as Daddy fights with the water.

  Then, I feel the heat emanatin
g from her body. My scream turns into a gasp—the blood rushes through her veins like running water. Is she going to turn into a mermaid right here in front of everyone? I don’t dare let go of her waist. I don’t want any movement to startle her if she’s trying to save my daddy.

  Suddenly, the choppy water gets calm, like a vacuum in the sky has sucked all energy from the sea. I let go of Mariss and jump up and down on the beach, shouting words of encouragement to Daddy as he cuts through the still waters. He stumbles to the shore with Miss Alleyne in his arms and collapses onto the sand.

  People crowd around us. I cradle Daddy’s face in my lap as he catches his breath. Mariss tries to touch him, but I shove her away.

  “I good, Bean. I good.” Daddy props up on his elbows and crawls over to Miss Alleyne.

  Everyone watches, praying for some sign of life as Miss Alleyne, lying motionless on the sand, receives CPR.

  “Anybody call fuh the ambulance?” shouts Miss Mo, gently rubbing the top of Ahkai’s head. He’s hiding his face in his hands.

  Gradually, the crowd starts to recount the sequence of events. Ahkai burst into the campsite, frantic but unable to say a word. It was only when Miss Mo returned from the bathroom that Ahkai was able to talk and tell her what had happened.

  Miss Alleyne still isn’t responding to the CPR. The ground doesn’t open up and swallow me whole, so I’m forced to watch and wonder if I could have saved her had I been a little braver. I squeeze Ahkai’s hand, and he turns toward me. His eyes are red and full of tears.

  I know he’s wondering the same thing about himself …

  He buries his face in Miss Mo’s dress and I look away. I’ve never even seen them hug before, and for once, I feel like an intruder in their personal space.

  I turn to Daddy, still pumping on Miss Alleyne’s chest, and my eyes are drawn to his bare chest, where the spiral tattoo is pronounced, even on his dark skin. Except … I lean in close … it’s not a tattoo. It’s a burn. Daddy’s been branded, like a cow.

  Without thinking, I grab the spiral pendant, yank it until the chain snaps, and fling it out of my hands. It lands in the sea foam at the edge of the breaking waves; the current has returned to full strength and seems to slap the shore in punishment.