Three blondes and a redhead boarded the plane and found themselves a row of seats, but it was the redhead that got my attention. Her old-world beauty and elegance demanded a glance. The three pretty blondes were the college types, summer vacationing in the Bahamas. As pretty as they all were, the mature redhead had an allure that made me forget all about everything. 

My uncle shot me a glance as his eyebrows danced. My youthful naivety stopped me from acknowledging him. He grinned at my inexperience and looked away. As large as the plane felt, it had shrunk with them in it. 

Unabashedly, my uncle jumped in and initiated pleasantries. The three blondes had spent a few days in Nassau and were moving on. Their trip to Rum Cay was impromptu, but the redhead’s planned destination was Rum Cay. My young antennas picked up on her urgency to get far away from the mainland, and this seaplane was her ticket out of some crazy world and into paradise that I sensed she was ready for. 

Peter returned just as the refueling was completed. He showed a thumbs-up at the ground crew, and before I knew it, the wheel chocks were removed and the plane was ready for takeoff. 

Peter secured the door and asked, “Everyone get acquainted?” 

Celebratory replies rang out. Satisfied, Peter nodded his approval and disappeared into the cockpit, where my uncle joined him, leaving me all alone with the three blondes and the redhead. 

Time slipped by as I realized we had gone down the ramp and splashed into the turquoise water. I glanced at my fellow occupants and saw the three blondes gleefully chatting amongst themselves but was shocked to find the redhead watching me intently. After a coronary thrombosis, I looked away!

Minutes later, the engines roared and we settled onto the idle attitude as the plane hydroplaned across the water, past the lighthouse, towards the open ocean, and finally, skyward. My stomach dropped for all the wrong reasons, and soon we leveled off and things settled down. 

The redhead slipped into the seat next to me and asked, “What are you doing here?” 

Shyly, I told her my story and she smiled her approval. 

“Interesting story,” she said. “My name’s Julie.” 

Shakily, I replied, “Josh.”

“You are so damned cute,” she said. 

My pirate life suddenly peaked!

Gotta get back to my coconut concoctions . . .

This column is part of an ongoing story of tales from the past that continues each month. Read Josh’s previous columns here:

• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: January 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: February 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: March 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: April 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: May 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: June 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: July 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: August 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: September 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: October 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: December 2019
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: January 2020
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: February 2020
• Adventures of a Modern Pirate: March 2020

To read more about Josh’s new novel, click here!