Along with the bug bites, it’s mid-night noises I’m adjusting to. The sounds of this place are an all encompassing smoothie of waves, birds, wind, and INSECTS. Although the shore is 300 feet from my room, I hear the waves as if they are right outside the shutters – some waves crashing louder than others, some of which wake me once in the night.
Today I woke at 4am- not from noises this time, but instead because I felt a surge of energy running through me. that made it impossible to close my eyes a second more.
I rolled from bed, grabbed my {very old} room key and headlamp, and in the darkness of the morning and dampness of the dew, I headed to the Mill for coffee and breakfast. From the Main House to the Sugar Mill is precisely ¼ mile down the driveway, through the gate, across the road, and up the hill.
As I punched in the pin for the gate I walked through, quickly startled by a noise. I directed my light to locate two sets of what I think are white eyes in the woods. It was actually the lights of the security camera in the building material shed, I would come to find, but it was enough to get my adrenaline pumping and so I turned back to squeeze through the gate. Coffee and breakfast would wait. About 5:45am rolled around and I made my way to the Mill. I laughed at myself sharing my mixup with the owners. They assure me I can always wake them if I feel threatened but they too are confident my sighting was of deer. My mother, Maura really did an adequate job instilling a healthy amount of fear in me through the years. Something I lacked for a very long time.
7am rolls around and under the ancient Baobob tree, Ryan and Corina give us our assignments for the day. I’m on cabinet duty today – my goal to inquire, email, and corral cabinet estimates. But, before I can do that, I have to wait for the cabinet makers to have their morning coffee. Until about 9am, I’m on overspray duty.
Two hours go by and I hit the snooze on my alarm as I’m too engulfed in trimming this one area, indulged in my audiobook to pivot tasks just yet. I enjoy the trim work. Today I get the higher areas carefully with the ladder, and I stroke the brush watching the blue disappear. I’ve been practicing my feather and cutting skills – of which, are challenged by the rough surface of the cement exterior.
After another chapter of my book, (Eat, Pray, Love) I come to terms with putting the brush away and pivoting to the next task of the day. I march down the hill, through the gate, and up to the driveway to retrieve my laptop from my room, plopping myself at what I’ve decided is my favorite working space here so far. The front covered porch of the Inn with historic brick flooring and white cement arches that frame the sea in front of you.
I sort through my notes from the day before organizing them into a color-coated Google Sheet, outlining the processes of each vendor – their locations, lead times, contact names, and product specifics. I build on my sheet over the next few hours, calling around, smoozing with the designers and owners, hoping for their cooperation a desire to provide us with an estimate relatively quickly. So far, I’ve found lead times that range from 4 weeks to 6 months. If we are to get this kitchen done in the two – three months that I’m here, we’re going to need to find the right fit and place a deposit STAT. Graciously, Ryan puts all of this in my hands and with his permission, I’m all set to get measures scheduled.
The morning fully consumede the shock of energy and the rest of the day goes by in a haze as I fight off a nap. Ryan invites me down to the woodshop where he and Svetlana are making a louver that’ll replacement the ones that’s rotted out. I get reacquainted with the table saw, Ryan showing how it works and careful to explain safety precautions. Svetlana and I try a sample piece and watch Ryan as he finishes the louvers – made out of a find piece of Mahogany; a popular and dense wood here in the tropics. Svetlana, who is from Montenegro but lives in California, tells me of her career as a Production Manager where she makes commercials for popular brands. A recent commercial of hers being for Quip – the smart electric toothbrush. We somehow landed on talk about our ideals and thoughts around having kids.
We graze the surface getting to know each other and casually, I tell her I didn’t want kids for years up until recent years when I fell in love with a handsome man and quickly, my vision for my future transformed into one with a family and homestead. It’s amazing how love can do that I tell her. Svet, as Ryan calls her, tells me she, too, never pictured herself having children but unlike me, has never met a man that has changed her view on the fact.
We both agree it’s silly to have kids out of fear of one day regretting not having them. She feels happy with the prospect of continuing on without the plan of children. I have no idea how I feel about it now.
Svetlana is finishing sanding the louver and I excuse myself before my feet burn up in the sun.
I spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around the premises for hours in the humid heat; book, journal, and laptop close by. I jump in the pool a couple times in effort to wake up, but the haze remains and I continue floating through the day. It’s Day 3 of 4 of covid caution so I’m sure to mask up while I fix my dinner in the kitchen, a little earlier today than days before. I dream of crawling into the solid mahogany canopy bed that awaits me in the Tamarind room with my nose in my book.
I hop into bed, hopeful for a restful night of sleep. I doze off to the breeze and sounds of the sea, mind flat.
I agree. New night noises are hard to get used to.