Ocean Breezes bring Unexpected Surprises

The ocean breeze was too good to resist. It was a beautiful morning. As I had done many times before, I opened my windows and the air flowed through the house. I could clearly see the sea from the bedroom windows and I felt like an “island girl”.

Winter starts around November/December and the breeze here is incredible. It was late last year when I first heard people say they were cold. When it is seventy degrees it’s common to see them shiver when they forget a sweater. I just smile and they say, “I know”. A few days ago, I was sitting on the bench outside the Secondary School. I was there with a few board members of the village foundation. There was a beautiful breeze. I felt cold and I brought the sweater Elaine had given to me. They looked at me and smiled. I said, “I know”.

So when I opened the windows to feel the breeze that morning I put my sweater on and experienced the welcoming breeze throughout the house. Later I realized that the open windows brought more than the fresh island breeze I had enjoyed so many times before. It brought a swarm of mosquitoes and I was dinner. Bottles of Calamine Lotion and cans of Baygone Insect Spray couldn’t compete with hundreds of bites. Sleepless nights, boxes of mosquito coils, ice packs and showers were taking a toll.

This was the first time I seriously thought of throwing in the towel and going home, but not without a fight! I climbed down my stairs and stood on my landlord’s porch shouting “Hello, John? Elizabeth?” That’s what you do here; no one approaches a door to knock. That would be impolite.

John came to the door and I asked him if it would be alright if I hired someone to put screens on my windows. I further explained it would be a small price for me when it comes to comfort. He was clearly concerned. Later that night, his wife Elizabeth, came up and said, “You need screen doors, too! We will have this done right away.”

Elizabeth had the storm drains checked and one of the drains was not draining properly. There was stagnant water just above my bedroom window – the breeding ground for the pesky buzzing creatures that nearly drove me from this island paradise. Knowing my boys are coming for a visit Elizabeth said, “We must get this done before they come.”

Within a week they hired workers who built screens for each window as well as building two screen doors. Nothing ready-made. John inspected the work. He found small gaps and insisted the workers fix them so that no mosquito, no matter how agile and no matter how skilled at maneuvering an obstacle course, could make its way into my apartment.

As I sit here, healing physically and mentally from this experience, I am once again enjoying the morning breeze with every window and door wide open and knowing that my new screens are keeping me safe. I am also wearing my sweater because it is only 72 degrees this morning.

On my way out yesterday, John stopped me and said, “We must put in solar hot water heating so that your sons will have hot showers when they are here”. I responded that they would have no problem with cold showers. Simply amazing!