On the shore of a tiny deserted island surrounded by golden sand and green forest, sat Olivia who stared blankly at the big sea waves as they crashed consecutively on the shore, producing hypnotising haunting echoes as if trying to draw her into the waters.
A gentle breeze blew across her face, revealing a dried tear-stained complexion. Her eyes were red rimmed, exhausted from crying; her shabby dressing, unkempt hair and sun-burnt skin told a story of abandonment.
Her cracked lips curled up to form a bitter smile as her mind drifted across the vast sea to memories that felt like yesterday but now seemed distant. When her friends planned their weekend party on the cruise ship, they were excited. No one imagined they wouldn't return together. Their cruise ship was destroyed by a tumultuous storm. When the storm relented, she was displaced on an island with other survivors of the cruise ship, totalling five.
All attempts to make contact with vessels passing by proved abortive despite the makeshift signs for help that they stuck in different locations across the island.
Their survival instinct kicked in. They put together the little resources in their possession and began to live off them. Days turned into weeks and into months. So also did occasional fights and arguments erupt between them because of greed and selfishness. Tempers rose and fear reigned.
Eventually, they lost two members to the cruel hands of death due to hunger, malaria and various injuries incurred during their struggle to survive.
Hope turned to despair and eventually two of the survivors decided to take their fate into their hands. They made a draft with palm fronds and dried twigs and sailed away on it into the vast sea regardless of Olivia's pleas not to undertake such a dangerous voyage. She was left alone on the island.
It has been three days since those two people left. Olivia sat on the shore thinking of her husband and children. Then she remembered the story her daughter and son, Emma and Sam, told her. They narrated with a straight face how the famous Captain Jack Sparrow escaped from a deserted island with locks of his hair tied around big sea turtles that he used as a makeshift boat.
She laughed at them that day, saying it was all fantasy and not real. Now it seemed to her a good idea to try if only she could find some sea turtles. She shook her head and laughed hysterically, her heart a little light with relief and hope.
Olivia raised her head and gazed into the horizon. A large vessel suddenly emerged from the endless expanse of the sea. Her heart skipped some beats as she blinked. She jumped up onto her feet and frantically began to pull up the makeshift signs. Maybe there was hope this time around.
With unsteady hands she started a fire and stoked it. The stacked tiny branches began to emit plumes of smoke that danced up into the sky. She fanned the fire with some banana leaves and red-yellow flames burst out, crackling burning up the tiny branches. That could attract attention from miles away.
She screamed, ran into the forest and returned with more dry twigs to throw into the fire and make it bigger. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and her breaths came in short bursts. Then she jumped and waved her hands in the air, screaming at top of her lungs over the resounding crashing waves until her voice turned hoarse.
The vessel which seemed to be coming her way slowly started turning away as if oblivious to her efforts to get its attention.
"Oh, no, no. No! Please!" She yelled and quickly grabbed the raft seated on the edge of the forest. She dragged it into the water, her hands trembling and her muscles aching from her efforts. Once in the water, she climbed on it and set off, paddling fast with a renewed sense of determination.
She waved and screamed as she paddled relentlessly and gradually bridged the gap between herself and the ship.
A crew member spotted her via his binoculars from the railings and the ship steered towards her. Within minutes, she got close and two men pulled her on board. Olivia laid on the deck, fighting hard to catch her breath as the men on board stared at her.
They gave her food and water and listened to her story. For the first time in months since the shipwreck, Olivia felt a sense of delight and hopefulness. A smile danced across her face as she watched the island disappear into the horizon.
She was heading home finally to see her husband and children.
