It was hot all day, and the young bodies on the beach tanned and luxuriated themselves under layers of lotion and beach umbrellas. Now that the sun was setting, they had left for the hotel bars and discos, leaving the beach quiet. This was the time the middle agers enjoyed most; having a relaxing glass of wine and watching the sun set.
From their beach side bar, Skye and Jaden sipped chilled chardonnay and felt the air begin to cool; they too had enjoyed the sun and the waves, but only for short intervals in between sojourns in the pool and the airconditioned dining hall.
The sun, having finished its colourful show, left them with only the small rolling waves to watch. I think they would have watched paint dry rather than leave that wonderful little beach bar; but soon some activity caught their attention and a man brought out a small table and put it on the beach 15 feet away. He next brought out a couple of chairs and some potted palms. Ah, something was happening, and they took this as high entertainment trying to guess what it was all about.
Of course, he set the table for two, and they thought that would be the end of it; but no, he next brought out 4 unlit beach torches, to frame the dining scene, and then set blue floodlights on the sand to create highlights running down the beach to the water.
Now they had a mystery. Was this just advertising, or a special occasion for a couple? It was fun speculating on who this special setting was for; a first date? A wedding proposal? An anniversary or a birthday? Their wine wasn’t finished, and dinner reservations at the hotel was in half an hour, so they decided to relax and see what came next?
It was completely dark when they left the bar; the torches were still unlit; the table was still unoccupied; their curiosity still unsatisfied. They left for the hotel dining hall; at least their stomachs would be satisfied tonight.
After supper, Skye and Jaden decided to walk the beach to let their meal settle and let the waves wash over their toes. The sky was clear, filled with stars, and as they walked, the blue light down the beach beckoned.
It was with some disappointment that they noticed the table was still empty, even more, it was obvious that the table hadn’t even been used. This was a mystery that need solving, so they went to the bar, ordered some sauvignon blanc and when the waiter brought the wine, they asked about the table on the beach.
The waiter looked a little uncomfortable … “It’s something the owner does every night,” he said, “When he was young, he left for Miami to make money while his parents ran this place. Last year they asked him to come home and take over; they wanted to retire and take it easy. He arrived back a day after they were both killed in a traffic accident. He feels so guilty that his parents couldn’t relax and enjoy life, so every night he sets the table for their ghosts, and in his mind, they are taking it easy and he is carrying on the tradition of running this place.”