Interrupted Romance (15 page)

It was almost 10 a.m. when they arrived at the ruins of the ancient harbour city of Caesarea.
 
Dafna turned down the track beside the high stone walls surrounding the ruins and parked the car near a wide entrance gate.
 
They were lucky to be able to park so close to the gate, as usually, the area was filled with tourists, cars, buses etc.

They collected the rods and the picnic gear from the car.
 
Adam carried the Esky, it being the heaviest of items in the car.
 
Dafna juggled the rods and the tackle box and they proceeded to walk through the ruins to the lovely little beach.
 
Some early swimmers were already frolicking in the shallows.
 
They skirted around the edge of the water, following the breakwater out beyond the beach to a narrow gap, which had served to protect the inner harbour from the elements and wild seas for centuries.
 
She turned to admire the old town, what was left of it.
 
The centuries-old stones in the buildings glowed under the morning sunlight.
 
They provided an aura of history, of age.
 
The soft creams and beiges dipped into deeper golds in the shadows, where sunlight hadn't yet penetrated on the harbour side of the buildings.
 
The restaurants were being prepared for the influx of visitors.
 
Tables were wiped over; gaily-coloured umbrellas were set up for the comfort of patrons.
 
Tourists from all over the world flocked to this site to see the harbour city, the hippodrome and the aqueduct built by Roman engineers - all in close proximity to the beach.

Lapping against the wall, in a slight swell, the waves had trapped an accumulation of flotsam on the incoming tide.
 
Small twigs and seaweed mingled with modern-day rubbish - an empty Pepsi bottle and a discarded plastic bag.
 
A thin line of dark, dried weeds marked the height of the previous high tide along the beach.
 
Children were playing close to the weeds, using them as decoration on a large sandcastle they had built close to the water's edge.

An artist had set up his easel near the end of the breakwater.
 
Dafna paused to watch him daubing paint onto a canvas, capturing the colours of the water beneath him.
 
She held Adam's arm so he wouldn't wander towards the edge.

She helped him move along to the end of the walkway where he set down the Esky next to the tackle box.
 
He sat on the Esky while she prepared the rods for the coming sport.
 
Dafna put the bait on the hooks and handed a rod to Adam.
 
She faced him in the direction he would be casting, let him feel around with free hand and feet to get his bearings on the breakwater and watched as he cast the line out into the sea.
 
Considering he couldn’t see a thing, he had done that remarkably well.
 
He had such a pleased expression on his face!

Dafna cast her own line out a little to the left of Adam's.
 
They settled back to enjoy the time together, companionably silent, while they waited on some hungry fish to be tempted to take the bait.
 
It didn't really matter if no fish were caught, as it was the relaxation, the togetherness, which gave them pleasure.
 
The delight in each other's company.
 
They would have a picnic lunch on the beach when they tired of the fishing.

Adam felt a nibble and tensed, ready to lift the rod sharply if it was repeated.
 
It was, and he did.
 
He said, in a stage whisper, excitedly, "Dafna, got one already!"

He turned the handle of the reel, pulling the fish towards him.
 
His rod was bending and jerking with the weight of a fish doing its best to escape.

Dafna stepped closer to him.
 
"Adam, I can see it.
 
Slowly, now.
 
Yes, that's it.
 
Keep going, it's nearly in to the wall.
 
Lower the rod and keep reeling in until I tell you to lift it up here.
 
I'll grab the fish.
 
OK, now.
 
Lift!"

Adam lifted the rod, turning towards her as he did so.
 
She deftly caught the fish with one hand, putting aside her own rod at the same time.

"It's a little bream.
 
I think we'll let him go back to his mother, darling.
 
You can catch his daddy instead."

Removing the hook, she dropped the fish back into the water, watching it swish quickly down into deeper water, away from the wall on which they were standing.

Adam was pleased with himself, despite the release of the fish, as it meant that fishing was something he could do alone… well, with just a little bit of help.
 
He found it relaxing and loved being out near the sea.
 
Dafna re-baited his hook and let go of the line.

"OK, dear, you can cast again now.
 
Catch something bigger this time, please."

Adam cast first, followed by Dafna who had had to put a new bait on her line.
 
For some time they caught only small fish, which they released back into the water.
 
They had spent two hours at the end of the breakwater, when Dafna said, "I think it's time we went to the beach for our lunch, Adam.
 
I'm hungry."

"So am I.
 
It must be the sea air.
 
Let's pack up and go sit on the sand."

She guided him back along the narrow breakwater.

They found a small patch of sand in shade and set out their picnic lunch on a cloth that Dafna produced from the top of the Esky.
 
She walked to the water's edge, picked up a handful of sand and scrubbed her hands together to remove the smell and feel of the baits she had handled.
 
She cut and sliced tomatoes and lettuce and cheese, placing them into the bread rolls.
 
The first one ready was handed to Adam.
 
He had struggled to open the first bottle of Chardonnay, but succeeded through sheer stubbornness of nature.
 
As she watched him she thought 'he isn't a Taurus for nothing!'
 
Determination was written all over his face.
 
He even poured a glass for each of them and they toasted each other, glasses held up and eyes on the other's face, even if only one set of eyes could see the face in front of it.

When they'd eaten enough and drunk several glasses of wine each, they leaned back against the seawall, Dafna watching the tide ebb and flow in front of them, Adam listening to it.
 
It was so peaceful there.
 
Children were laughing and playing and splashing in the shallow water to their right, about thirty metres away.
 
Dafna leaned against Adam and he lifted his arm for her to snuggle against his chest, while he held her about the waist.
 
With one hand behind his back and the other playing with the hair on his chest, Dafna was content.
 
Despite all that had happened to him, his body was still hard and fit, like an athlete.
 
He had taken his shirt off on the breakwater and his skin felt hot from the sun, even though they had spent some time in the shade of the seawall.
 
She'd forgotten to pack the sun block cream and he would probably be burnt as a result.
 
The scars along his leg were looking too pink.

Later in the day they walked along the little beach, but returned to their picnic spot within a short time as Dafna was watching Adam's skin catching the sun.
 
She was concerned for the scar tissue.

"I think we should head home," she said to him.
 
It was almost 5 p.m. and she knew his parents were hoping they'd be home in time to join them for dinner.

"Do we have to go, Dafna?
 
I don't want to leave here yet."

"Well, let's compromise and stay another half an hour, then go.
 
Beseder
?"

"
Beseder
."

The sun was getting lower in the sky and shining uncomfortably in Dafna's eyes when they finally packed up the picnic containers and the rods and headed to the car.
 
Most of the day's crowd had already left ahead of them.
 
She started the engine to get the air conditioning working, then packed everything into the car.
 
Adam put his shirt back on and sat in the car waiting for her to join him.
 
As they headed for home, he held her hand, caressing the fingers with his own.

The traffic slowed and then stopped altogether.
 
She turned and looked at Adam's face.
 
He was looking ahead and smiling slightly.

"What are you thinking about, Adam?"

"Oh, just about our day out here.
 
It's been such a long time since I was at the beach; such a long time since I went fishing, or had a picnic lunch like this.
 
I've enjoyed myself so much with you.
 
Thank you for doing this."

"I enjoyed it too.
 
You know, you caught most of the fish today.
 
Next time, I will have to beat you."

"Don't forget you spent more time baiting hooks than I did.
 
I had more real fishing time than you did."

"That's very diplomatic of you, darling.
 
I suppose you're making sure I'll bring you again!"

They both laughed.
 
Adam squeezed her hand just as the traffic began to move forward again.
 
She concentrated on the road ahead for a minute before clicking her tongue in exasperation.

"What is it?"

"The traffic is stopping again.
 
There must be an accident up ahead somewhere.
 
We’ll be here for ages at this rate!"

Adam turned towards her and said, "Is there any food left in the cooler?
 
Why don't we pull over somewhere handy and finish that off.
 
I'm hungry again.
 
It must be the sea air and sunshine that we've been in."

Dafna eyed the rows of cars ahead and made a decision.
 
"OK, that's a good idea.
 
There's enough food left for a snack each, plus another bottle of Chardonnay.
 
I can see a turn-off up ahead.
 
When we get that far, I'll drive off the road and find a spot to stop.
 
It won't be doing your car any good to creep along like this for the next hour or so."

As soon as the car reached the dirt track leading away from the main road, Dafna turned down it and motored slowly along it, watching for a place suitable to pull over and set up the picnic area.
 
It was almost dark but she soon found the place she deemed to be suitable to pull over.
 
There would be sufficient space on the track for a car to pass if anyone else drove this way along the beach road.
 
She hadn't been here before… never turned off the main coast road to explore these little tracks in daylight, never mind at dusk.
 
The place she chose was close to low sand dunes, with only small patches of grass showing through the sea of sand spread by the coastal winds.

They were out of sight of the traffic and the little dunes dimmed the sound of motors.
 
Across the dunes, to the west, the surf was hissing and swishing against the shore.

Dafna switched off the lights but left the radio playing softly.
 
Adam got out of the car and walked around to the boot to collect the Esky, while Dafna spread a rug over a level grassy area.
 
She guided Adam back to the rug and they set up their picnic under fast-appearing stars.
 
It was a very peaceful setting and one with which Adam seemed very much at home.
 
He was in darkness all the time, so having no sunlight to see by made no difference to him.
 
Dafna, on the other hand, was racing the fading light to put some sandwiches together before it became too dark to find the food containers.
 
She heard the cork pop from the wine bottle, followed by a gentle clink of glasses being bumped together.
 
Adam had found the Chardonnay without any difficulty.
 
He listened to the sound of the wine as it filled the glasses, guessing when to stop pouring.
 

With a plate of sandwiches each, a glass of wine by their sides, soft music, starlight, it all seemed such a perfect way to end the day.
 
Dafna was having doubts about whether she should have stopped in such an isolated place, remembering how Adam reacted when they were alone in her bedroom.
 
But then, this was not the bedroom, not the parents' home…

Adam asked her, "What can you see here, Dafna?
 
Where are we exactly?"

"Well… there's not a lot to see.
 
It's dark now, Adam.
 
But, there are lots of stars coming out now.
 
There's a wonderful clear sky above us, not cloudy, just starry.
 
All around us are low sand dunes with tufts of vegetation growing from them.
 
It's mostly sandy, with some small patches of green grass peeping through the sand where we are sitting."

"How high are the dunes?
 
Too high to walk up?"

"No.
 
Are you thinking of walking up them?" she asked, her voice rising a little at the thought.

"Maybe.
 
I can hear the surf.
 
It isn't far away.
 
When we finish eating and finish the wine, how about we walk over to the water?
 
It's still so humid and hot that a cool paddle would be nice, wouldn't you agree?"