Malice in Pinderland
by
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After consulting with a travel agent, I decided to fly into Nassau, stay over and then continue on to Spanish Wells by Ferry boat the next morning. The other alternative would have been to fly to Miami and then on to North Eleuthera. My departure was a sad affair, although no tears were shed, my wife and daughter had obviously made a secret alliance to show no emotion and to only wish me good luck.
"We’ll see you when you get back" they both said as if they had rehearsed the same lines.
After a dutiful hug from Annie and a peck on the cheek from Laura, I climbed into my waiting taxi and headed for the airport.
Going away on my own was not a daunting experience for me, I really enjoyed it. For most of my life I had been a loner, the very nature of my work made me a cautious person and friendships were always guarded and difficult to maintain. Even though I had had visions of Laura, Annie and me having a normal family vacation, I was not too disappointed with their decision not to join me. I could do my own thing, whatever that was, and some of those obligatory family excursions were not much enjoyment for me. So with my head held high, plenty of cash in my pocket, a wardrobe of casual clothes packed into my suitcases, I made my way to the check- in line at the airport.
The weather at the time of my departure was unpleasant, with drizzling rain and a cold wind; I looked forward to arriving in Nassau where I expected the sun to be shining and the temperature to be at least eighty degrees. The British Airways flight was almost full, with a lot of excited kids going on their first tropical holiday, many Bahamians returning home after visiting relatives in England and thanking God that they didn’t live there, plus a few odd balls, like me I suppose, whose mission or purpose could not be determined. My traveling companion was a girl of about the same age as Annie, I guessed that she was Bahamian, but she could have been from just about anywhere in the Caribbean. Fortunately there was a vacant seat between us which allowed us to spread out and find some additional room for the collection of goodies that the flight attendants continually thrust upon us, but never seemed to be ready to retrieve.
"Are you going home?" I asked.
"Yes" my companion replied, "I attend University here".
"What are you studying?" I inquired in an attempt to make her less apprehensive.
"Criminology" she said proudly "I’m a lawyer"
"Oh! Shit" I muttered, "just my luck!"
"Excuse me" she said.
"Nothing, I was talking to myself. You hardly look old enough to be a lawyer".
"Oh, I’m old enough. Are you staying in Nassau?"
"I’m only staying overnight. I’m on my way to Spanish Wells".
She actually laughed and put her hand to her mouth to cover her embarrassment, "You must be kiddin’" she said.
"No I’m serious; I’m going to Spanish Wells. Why is that so funny to you?"
"I’m sorry" she said "not many tourists travel there, it’s different".
"I’m not your regular tourist type" I responded defensively "I happen to enjoy places that are different".
"Then you’ll really like Spanish Wells".
Lunch was being served so our conversation came to an end. Her reaction to my intended destination bothered me. Why did she laugh when I mentioned Spanish Wells? Surely some people went there for vacations, the few pictures I’d seen were beautiful and featured long sandy beaches, quaint houses and streets, and a colorful collection of fishing boats. It all looked pretty normal to me.
My travel plans were skimpy to say the least, I was to arrive in Nassau, then take a taxi to the British Colonial Hotel. Tomorrow I was scheduled to board the Bahamas Fast Ferry for the trip to Spanish Wells, where I was booked into the Adventurers Hotel for an undetermined length of time. How long was I planning to stay? What was I expecting to accomplish? I really hadn’t given the subject much thought, play it by ear was the plan, and be ready for anything, and above all stay inconspicuous.
"Is this your fist time in the Bahamas?" my traveling companion asked.
"Yes. How did you guess?"
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About the Book
When Malice in Pinderland is made into a major movie its stars will most likely be Hugh Grant and Halle Berry. So as you read this light hearted romantic novel, keep these two stars in your thoughts. David (the Hugh Grant role) is a likeable scoundrel from London who is persuaded to leave town and ‘get lost’ for a while. He picks Spanish Wells, an island in the Bahamas, as his get away location. On the flight to the Bahamas he is seated next to Melanie (the Halle Berry role) who is returning home after graduating from University as a lawyer. David settles into Spanish Wells where one day he observes one of the fishing boats unloading its cargo of lobster tails, when the job is concluded the crew is paid off in cash. Lots of cash! David cannot resist the temptation and plots a bank heist. He’s successful but winds up with millions of Bahamian dollars. He hatches a scheme to exchange these dollars that takes them on a trip to Las Vegas, Bermuda, London and back to the Bahamas. Of course they fall in love along the way but their romance is far from the conventional.
About the Author
Derek Hawkins was born and raised in London where he attended London University before emigrating to Canada. He has traveled extensively throughout the Bahamas and the world, finally settling down in Spanish Wells to live and operate a fish farm and fish hatchery.