cousin's babe

A cousin's wife, on my father's side, loses a young son. He is three, and he dies inexplicably. Time has passed and people are gathered on bleachers for a memorial. I am sitting at the top of the bleachers and I can see everyone. Many of the people gathered are young girls--early teens. They turn their heads and look up at me and ask how I knew the young boy. I peg my relation. The memorial is very low key.

The scene changes and I am on vacation with my husband. We are in a beachy resort. We are readying to board a ship that will take us to a remote island. I check, and double-check, to make sure I have what's important for the trip. In a small zippered space at the front of my billowy smock over my swimsuit, I carry: cash, ID, lip gloss and our hotel room key. We board and the ship is like we never left land; it doesn't seem like the ship is sailing on water -- I don't see water at all. I look out in the distance and see sand-colored mountain ridges, but no water.