Clear blue water and a warm sun. Life was good. Very good.
He had arrived on the island three days before, unsure whether the vacation had been a good idea. All traces of those initial doubts were gone now. He arrived in Paradise with trepidation and now missed the small amount of time he had wasted on the island doubting his choice to come.
He had explored most of the relatively small island of St. Mordala. He had stopped into almost every shop in the small town on the island, swam in the warm ocean, drank wine on the beach as the sun set, and climbed the mountain, such as it was.
The mountain in the island’s center was just over the mark to being technically a hill, but the view from it’s peak was enough to make one forget that it lacked in height compared to the Rockies. The island spread out like a green spot on a blue field. There were no other islands visible, which to some may have seemed isolating, but to John, it seemed liberating. A freedom from the rest of the world and all that entails.
The previous night, the bartender at the hotel had suggested John try his hand at some fishing the following day. The hotel was apparently always happy to prepare anything a guest might catch and as it had been ages since he had held a fishing rod in his hands, the idea appealed to him.
With a rented rod, a container of bait, a hat, and plenty of sunscreen, John headed to the pier. It was there that his view of the world changed.
Sitting at the end of the pier was a pelican, seeming to watch the water as if scanning for fish. John expected the bird to take wing as he approached, but instead the pelican remained where it was. John was only a few feet away when the bird turned to him.
“Would you mind walking a bit quieter? The creaking boards are scaring the fish.”
John dropped the rod and bait container. They hit the timbers of the pier with a loud thud. The pelican sighed.
“Well, that did it. You scared them all away now. It’ll be a while before they come back here.”
“Y…you’re talking?”
“Of course I’m talking. Did you expect me to use sign language or something?”
“But you’re a bird … birds don’t talk.”
“Where did you hear that nonsense? Of course we talk. We talk all the time. We just tend not to do it when you self important balding apes are around. Well, except for parrots. Can’t get those guys to shut up regardless of your species.”
John’s legs began to wobble and the world swam before his eyes. With an even louder thud, he joined the rod and bait.