San Juan Mermaid

The rock was perfect.  Perfect to sit on if one was in the mood to feel like a mermaid…

The warmth of the surf and whisper of the waves, the beauty of blue- dark water and sun streaked sky- invited eyes closed, secret smile, sundrenched surrender to total relaxation on this secluded San Juan beach.

Splash!  A forceful wave suddenly baptized me from head to toe, rousing me from my reverie. I subsequently opened my eyes, and through vision obscured by salty droplets on the lenses of my sunglasses, there appeared to be...

Maybe not, I thought as I removed the splattered shades and squinted at the sparkling waves.  Maybe it’s just a trick of strong sun and salt water drops…

But no, there it was… a beautiful, silvery shimmering tail in the near distance where white caps formed just beyond the breakwater rocks.  When she dove over the rocks in a graceful arc, long dark hair streaming down her back, I knew it was her.  She smiled and waved in welcome as she neared the shore.  

“Hola!” called my sea-scented alter ego Garnet as she boosted herself onto a nearby rock, tail sweeping slowly in the shallows.  “Isn’t this beautiful?” she gushed enthusiastically, “Wonderfully warm water, marvelous scenery, fascinating history… and I even got to practice my Spanish!” she beamed.

“What?” I puzzled, “I thought all the waterfolk spoke Mer.  I didn’t think they spoke land languages…”

“Oh, it’s not really Spanish, but it is a Spanish dialect of Mer.” she explained.  “They picked it up from all the shipwrecked sailors that sadly ended up bobbing like driftwood in these waters over the years.  So many wrecks!  The Merfolk did what they could to save a lucky few and toss them onto shore.  The poor saps would then tell a tale of having been rescued by beautiful, shimmery swimmers, but no one believed them.  Sunstroke, the listeners deduced, or a delirious description of a manatee.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about the wrecks.” I said, “Eddie, the innkeeper at the bed and breakfast where we’re staying, told me that there are over 250 of them right off this section of coast!”

“It’s true!  I’ve seen them!” Garnet exclaimed, “Here, look at this….” she said as she reached into the small brocaded pouch that she wore around her waist, pulling out a small tablet.  The tablet lit up, and changed colors as Garnet swiped her finger across its screen.

“What?” I puzzled, “You’ve got a smart phone?  How can that be?” I mused, more to myself than to Garnet, who was holding the tablet up to my eyes so that I could see her shipwreck photography.

Garnet laughed. “Not everyone is as technophobic as you are, you know.  You and your sadly archaic flip phone.” she snorted, “One of these days you’re going to find out your server doesn’t even support it!  It’s way beyond antique, you know, in tech terms.”

“But I…” I started, determined to defend myself by giving her a lecture on how over-dependant folks are on technology these days, when curiosity overwhelmed by sense of righteousness, “How does it work underwater? Who makes those things, anyway? And how do you pay for it?”

“It’s a Mer company called iOcean.  They’re the best in the business.  And you know, Honey,” she replied with a smile in answer to the final question, “..that I don’t need money.”  

“Oh, yeah.” I replied with a hint of disapproval, “I knew that.  What are you doing?” I queried as she snatched the phone away.

“Incoming text!” she smiled as she silenced it’s tinkling tune, “One of my new friends.  The merfolk are so friendly, so welcoming here!”  she exclaimed as she perused the message.  Smiling as she typed an answer, she verbalized, “Love you too, Carlos!” as she jabbed the ‘send’ key.

Garnet showed me more amazing photos from her phone, including the magical bioluminescence that can be seen in the waters of a bay off eastern Puerto Rico, near Farjardo.  “And look!” she said, “This is from late summer…”

“Where’s that?” I asked,

“Cyprus!” exclaimed Garnet, “And Turkey!  Remember?  Pete invited me to drop by.  He says “hi” by the way.  And after that I switched to 2-legged and went to a fashion show in Istanbul, since I was in the neighborhood.”

“Fashion show?”  I mused, “In Istanbul?  Oh, I remember reading about that .  Muslim women and the designers who make clothes for them wanted to prove that covering up could be fashionable, not just dark and dowdy.”

“That’s right.” announced Garnet, “Women should have the right to dress however they feel comfortable.  AND be fashionable!  I’m all for it!” she exclaimed.

“Nice,” I said as I looked at her pics from Fashion Week in Istanbul.

“Well,” I said, thinking that I had to match her travel reports just a little, “We went to El Yunque National Forest, which is the only US National Forest which includes rainforest zones…”

“Do you have pictures?” Garnet asked excitedly.

“In my archaic digital camera.” I answered, “You’ll see them when I download them to Facebook.  But it was wonderful…”  I went on to describe the luscious green of the forest, the brilliant beauty of the flowers, the stunning waterfall, and the amazing views from the observation tower.

“Oh!” Garnet exclaimed, “I must go there!  Excuse me for a moment.”

Garnet swam behind a nearby rock, splashed around a little, and in an instant emerged on the sand ward side of the rock, two legged and fully clothed.  “How DO you do that?” I asked in amazement as I looked her over- she was now dressed in hiking gear, topped with a snazzy Panama hat attached to which was an orange Hibiscus flower.  

Garnet giggled.  “With an app on my iOcean, of course.” she said, proudly holding out her hi-tech tablet.  “Now...Off to El Yunque!”

“But…” I said with a frown, “...you’ll need funds… for transportation, and the entry fee is…”

Garnet, however, wasn’t listening.  She was talking.  Sweetly.  Into her iOcean.  “Pick me up in front of Castillo San Cristobal, OK?  See you in a few!”

As Garnet strode up the stairs that led from the beach to the street, she turned and waved.  “Honey,” she laughed, “I don’t need money.”