Grandma Said... Yolonda D. Coleman (c) 2024

Grandma’s childhood ended when her womb began forming the life of her first child; she was 14. It would be the sequel in the line of women on the maternal side of the family where motherhood replaced childhood quickly. Eight children later, Grandma learned life lessons that she held close to her bosom. She believed in keeping her movements as private as possible. Her code was, “Keep your business to yourself”. Ironically, she didn’t have a problem sharing community gossip if you pulled your ear near her lips. Luckily, I was the recipient of the “Extra! Extra!” Hear all about it tales. I often seemed surprised when anyone shared what they thought was “news” to me. As an aspiring journalist, I couldn’t lose my source. Her secrets became my motivation to live life so loudly that my grandchildren and their grandchildren would do the same.

The closer I moved toward what would become my evolving womanhood, my conversations with Grandma were bold and beautiful. I took liberties most granddaughters wouldn’t dare. I learned about her greatest regret—not moving to New York City with her sisters. Although, she had a chance to move to Upstate New York with my grandfather—that is another story—it wasn’t the bustling environment she so desired as a country girl who wanted to live a “life”. That one glimpse into her life is the very reason I created my own code, “When the wind blows, see where it takes you.” No regrets! That said, let me get to it!

It was 2004. The teacher’s lounge was wherever teachers lounged. My frat brothers shared fond memories of their guy trips. Laughs and memories were accompanied by oohs and ahs of moments that struck cords deep down in their purple and gold bones. Across the room, I rise from my seat feeling a bit perplexed by this black boy joy.

“I never had a girl trip!” I interjected!

The look of concern on their faces were the grooves of the record scratch. A break in the beat floated through the air.

“You gotta take one!” One brother made a plea.

“Like this year!” The other brother consigned.

The wind blew, and I let my fingers do the walking on the desktop computer in my classroom. I found a cruise for little to nothing. All I had to do was find a cabin mate.

My break was coming to a close, so I tip-toed to the restroom. In route, I saw the Most Wise Queen in the hallway.

“You ever been on a girl’s trip?” It was a simple enough question, and she answered as only a West Chester, New York girl could with a brief, “Nope!”

“Wanna go with me to the Bahamas?”

“When and how much, kid?” Her eyes lit up with shared excitement.

“We leave right at the end of the school year. We fly to Orlando, stay with my parents, and they will drive us to the ship. $300,” I shared.

“Book it!”

“Bet!”

Off we went, a month later…both of us on our first girl trip and first cruise. The time we had is still etched in my core memory bank some 20 years later.

Orlando International Airport is a dear friend of mine. It welcomes me with arms stretched wide every time I step off a Southwest Airlines plane. This time was different.

I was fresh off of broken promises that sent me into the beginning of a dark space. A cruise was JUST what I needed. My parents always taught me to keep my head held high and move on. It was easier said that done as I got older and really started to feel for people. Crush after crush…my heart was as dispensable as a napkin after its use and left on the floor. I learned, over time, that it could be recycled and repurposed for better use…love for self and service.

The stay in Orlando was brief for Queen, so we made the best of it before boarding the cruise ship riding around town and laying by the pool. The hour-long drive to Port Canaveral the next day was quiet and reflective. The palm trees and dry air smelled like a paper mill, but the closer we got to the port, we could smell the ocean calling. Remnants of the island were still on the ship that was anchored but ready to sail.

If you’ve never taken a cruise, just know embarking takes a minute, but once your done, it’s a whole party the rest of the way—unlimited food, tea, juice, and water. Soft drinks and alcohol required an extra payment. Hot dogs and burgers were flipped on the lido deck upon our arrival. The music is pleasantly boisterous encouraging hip thrusts, shoulder bounces, and leg lifts from left to right. It’s just an all out playground for adults!

By nightfall, Queen and I had more than gotten our steps in. We walked the entire ship. We were well into the middle of the ocean when we found a spot in the back of the ship. There was comfort in the wind beating against our faces. The noise from the ship’s engine drowned the music we once danced to, but we met a silence that changed both our lives. We found our Creator in the darkness. Our Creator spoke loudly with the ocean’s spray.

It was in the quiet noise that we both surrendered ourselves to the open where water met the moonlit sky. We freestyled poetry without limitations and just rolled with the tide. I finally understood the line from Whoopi Goldberg’s character in “How Stella Got Her Groove Back, “God’s here”. It was true. Our Father had met us when we left all our worries behind us and we were free to be filled with creativity.

That night, our slumber was beyond peaceful; it was a total reset allowing us to break free so that we could enjoy ourselves. …and a time was truly had.

Once docked in Nassau, we headed to the beach. Natives on the island saw Queen and me lounging without a care. They were each on jet skis.

“Want tuh ride?” One asked.

Unfamiliar with the ways of tourism, we just jumped at the chance to have a good time and hopped on!

Sixty dollars later, we were bobbing up and down on the water as passengers on the back of strangers’ jet skis. The beach got further and further away from us. All I could think about was whether or not Queen could swim in case of an emergency. The drivers made left turns away from the beach, at this point, we had NO choice but to trust the process.

A sign was ahead: “Dolphin Cove”. I relaxed a bit because we were nearing a space with other people, perhaps for a pit stop. Nope. We kept riding. They made right turns out of the cove to trail a booze cruise. More people…at least we could be identified. The travelers were wasted though…so there’s that string of hope we weren’t just blurs in the water. They waved at us and we waved back.

Our ocean tour guides seemingly used us as bait to make more money. They pulled up to the same Sandy getaway as the booze cruise, helped up dismount the jet skis, and gave us smiles.

“Relax,” one said.

Another islander came out of nowhere and offered us fresh coconut water. He hacked it open with a machete and handed both Queen and me our own drink with a straw. Our job was to sit and look pretty while our new homies spun around the ocean for ten minutes at a time per customer for the same $60 we paid. As I sipped, I thought, “We got the better deal…even if we were kinda kidnapped”.

When all the fun and games ended, the riders took us right back to the beach where we gathered our things. When asked where we were headed, we shared that we were taking a cab back to the ship.

“Oh! We can take you there. Come!” we were commanded with a friendly smile.

Let me tell you, if ever two people milked a trip for all its best adventures, it was Queen and me! We packed up our beach towels and hopped right back on those jet skis!

Queen’s ponytail waved in the wind and I could feel the salted breeze between each of my cornrows. This was top tier service—getting escorted BACK to the ship via personal water taxis. Oh, but the fun ended when we were greeted by Bahamas law enforcement.

Queen and I looked at each other like, “Who we gonna call?” This was not a Ghost Busters type of escape.

“You both know…” the officer began speaking to the guys.

That was our cue to get off the jet skis, and use the ladder to escape out of the clear water and back on dry land. The officers never engaged us, so we kept on trucking.

Queen and I giggled like two school girls. As we approached customs, a warm greeting floated toward Queen’s ear. A uniformed serviceman caught her attention. He was handsome. Was Stella Going to Get Her Groove Back? I pulled back and enjoyed watching my New York sister do her thing.

Whatever transpired in the conversation, WE had an appointment to hang out in the streets of Bahamas after dinner on the ship. I wasn’t about to have my girl out there by herself. We had already had enough fun with the uncertain “Big Fun” with the jet ski bruddahs!

The night fell and apparently so did our guards. As scheduled, we met the serviceman after dinner. He pulled up in a burgundy coupe. When I got in the back seat, a companion was waiting for me—a wingman I suppose. He was friendly. He too had on a uniform. We were now escorted by military men in the Bahamas. How could this night go wrong? It didn’t…It was a night to remember.

Grandma said, Island men make the best lovers.

Queen and her sir bonded in the front seat and eventually left us to our own adventure. The keys were handed over to my buddy and there was a comforting wind that let me know I was going to be just fine.

“Have yuh been tuh Atlantis?” He asked.

“I saw it once,” I replied.

“I wantuh show yuh sumting,” he dragged his words with a smile and cool charm.

I wasn’t sure what he wanted to show me, and I hoped it wasn’t what I thought given we were very far away from the ship once we crossed the bridge leading to the resort.

He parked the car and we began taking a tour…once again, I was trespassing. This time, I was with the authorities.

The island breeze seemed to nudge me in directions of safety. My manicured toes followed as he led me through the aquarium caves where tropical fish and gigantic sea turtles swam in unison. I placed my hands against the tank to be one with them. Some moved toward me and welcomed me with slight nudges on their side of the glass.

At the end of the cave was a large pool area. No guests were around because it was closed. No matter, we sat poolside with the starry night above us just chatting. Not so much getting to know each other, but engaged in discourse about life and creating intellectual riddles for each of us to solve…Nerd stuff!

When it got quiet, he turned to me with the most serious of faces and asked, “How do yuh know winna person loves yuh?”

I pondered deeply, but came up short, and gave him the wheel to lead.

“How?”

He let the air drag a bit before responding, “…by the sacrifices they make for yuh!”

The response was so simple yet so profound. In an instant, I thought about parenting and my mom, who was back in the how grandma sacrificed her childhood to be a mom and my mom did the same as a teen parent.

My heart was full from his response. It was the lesson in love I needed to learn, and this is how we ended our night. No kissing. No romantic rendezvous…just a pearl of wisdom on an island that eventually became home to me in my heart several more visits in my life.

He was a gentleman and promptly drove me back to the ship. Before we parted with a hug, he offered me a gift. He lowered his head and pulled his beaded dog tags off. Then he wrapped them around my neck.

“…to remember me…”

He returned me to the ship.

Grandma wasn’t wrong.

I didn't find out how great of a "lover" and island, but I did learn is that island men had a secret about loving a woman. They did not start with what’s inside a woman’s panties. They began with the mind, heart, and then the body would follow. With this pattern of seduction, submission would never be a chore for a woman; it would be a by-product of a connection that leads to trust.

As for Queen, she had a BLAST! I fell asleep and panicked when I found her bed empty when I woke up. The ship was in motion and well on its way back to Port Canaveral, Florida.

The wind pushed me out of the bed to search for her on the ship! I found her, full of glee and all smiles. When I walked in, Usher’s “Yeah” blasted through the speakers of the cruise ship’s night club!

I hugged her and then began to throw my hands in the air!

“Yeah! Yeah!” Enjoy life's party because Grandma said...!