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22.
AISHA TOOK OFF HERsandals and stood on warm sand for the first time. She squeezed her toes and watched the tiny grains close around her feet and wondered how far she might sink. “It’s different from the soil. Warmer and softer,” she said.
The gentle breeze brought more heat than it did in the hills, and the lapping of the waves created more noise than she imagined they should, given the idleness of the sea. “I never realised how blue it was,” she said. “The sky and the sea together. It’s hard to appreciate the scale of it without feeling so small.” She felt vulnerable and a little scared, and she didn’t know whether it was because she was here alone with Gabi, or it was just that she was somewhere she’d never been before and this immense blue space in front of her seemed to extend into infinity.
“The sea is fickle. Sometimes it’s as grey as thunder clouds, and sometimes it’s emerald, like it reflects emotion.”
“It’s happy today,” Aisha said.
“Are you happy?” Gabi asked.
Aisha noted the mild concern in Gabi’s expression and smiled. “Nervous about being here with you, but yes, very happy.”
Gabi nodded. She hoped Aisha could stop looking over her shoulder and enjoy the experience. It was quiet, and they were highly unlikely to come across someone who knew either of them.
Aisha looked out to sea. “It’s so big and looks like it never ends.”
Gabi took her hand. “It takes you to North Africa at some point, I think.”
“I’d like to visit Africa,” Aisha said.
“It’s not great for people like us,” Gabi said.
Aisha sighed. Closer to the sea, a man and woman lay side-by-side on their fronts, a parasol shading their heads, their bodies basted and shiny. A woman in a wide-brimmed hat sat reading a book in the shadow of the rocks higher up the beach.
They set out their mats and offloaded the rucksack on a small patch of sand behind another rocky outcrop for privacy.
“How did you know about this place?” Aisha asked.
“Nana. Tourists don’t come here because it’s small, the route in is narrow and bumpy, and there aren’t any facilities.”
“I want to touch the sea,” Aisha said and ran. She stood where the waves gave way to a ripple of foam that disappeared down into the sand. The tug as the sea drew back threw her off balance. Gabi stood at her side and held her hand. Her heart raced.
“We’re invisible here,” Gabi said.
“I like invisible,” Aisha said. She inhaled deeply, and the warmth and vibration stirred inside her, and pleasure pulsed through her veins. They stepped into the water, and the sand became solid. At ankle depth, Aisha stopped and gazed around. “It’s heavenly,” she said. “It’s so warm. It smells like the fish market, only less fishy.”
Gabi laughed.
It was a wonderful sound, light, and just lovely, and it melted her heart. She squeezed Gabi’s hand, and they stared out to sea together. A tear slipped onto her cheek. The tiny hairs on her arms prickled, and she could find no words to express how she felt. Gabi put her arm around her and held her close, and any debate about the rightness or wrongness of what they were doing had been taken away by the sea to somewhere deep down or beyond the horizon.
“I love the sea,” Gabi said. “The coastline near where we live is very pretty. You’d like it, but the water is always cold, and the beaches are mostly pebbles.”
“Have you missed it while you’ve been here?”
“No.” She smiled. “I didn’t realise exactly how important Nana was to me until we made this trip. She’s always been there for me, after my mum died and with my dad working away from home, but I didn’t see her as I do now. Wherever she is, I don’t want to be too far away.”
Aisha stared at Gabi. “She’s lucky to have you.”
She didn’t dare ask about them and what their future might hold. She didn’t know the answer herself. She was hardly able to ask anything of Gabi, though she was sure she wanted to be with her. But to be together, they would have to leave Granada. Aisha wouldn’t be able to face her family after the disgrace. Living with another woman in the city wasn’t an option, and she couldn’t take the risk that someone wouldn’t hurt Gabi as a result. She didn’t fear the Guardia as Gabi’s nana had, but she feared her own people. Would Gabi leave her nana? Thinking about it was spoiling the view, and the day would be short enough.
“And now, there are two people in my life who are important,” Gabi said. She tapped Aisha lightly on the nose, lifted her chin, and kissed her tenderly.
A flash of anxiety distracted Aisha from the kiss, and she looked around.
“No one is going to pay attention to us, Aisha.” Gabi held her hand.
Aisha took a deep breath, leaned against her, and stared out to sea. “Would you travel the world with me?”
