Sun Stroke - (Part 2) from My Little Corsica Stories

So after our cool lunch at the big olive press table in the cool cellar, Aunt Norrine gave in. She put more sun lotion on me, made me wear a tee shirt, put a big sun hat on me and sent me on my way.

?Thank you, thank you, thank you!? I yelled as I ran as fast as I could to the lavois.

When I got the entrance to the open area around the lavois, I searched for Jean Louis. But I couldn?t find him. What if he?d decided I was too dumb, being a girl and not speaking French or anything, and had decided to do something else? And didn?t he have to take a siesta too?

I started to feel silly and stupid and turned around to go when I was him running up the cobbled stairs toward me.

?Salut!? he shouted, smiling a big toothy grin. ?vien? Jean Louis motioned with his hand for me to follow him. I took of the stupid hat and put it near the wall of stone in the shade and ran after him.

Behind some thick bushes was a secret path that went up behind the village. He ran up the steep hill like a goat but I was much slower. I kept getting stones in my sandals and was out of breath quickly. He would run ahead, wait, and then run back to encourage me, ?vien, vien!?.

I huffed and sweated up the steep rocky path but when we got to the top, I felt proud. When I turned around, the whole Mediterranean Sea lay across the horizon. I could see the port below and the big boats way out in the middle. But there was no noise from any of it. All I could hear was the wind blowing across the ridge and smell the herby scent of the maquis. Even Cannelle looked far below and was quiet.

?vien!? Jean Louis motioned again and ran off. The breeze cooled me so I wasn?t hot anymore. I followed him through the maquis across the top of the village and through the silent streets and snuck into court yards to do various mischief to do like switching people?s hanging laundry around on the laundry lines.

Finally, I had to go. I had no idea how long we?d been running around, but I didn?t want Aunt Norrine to get mad. I went back to the lavois to get my hat and then snuck back into the house.

?Did you have a good time sweetie?? Aunt Norrine was already getting our swimming stuff ready and everyone else was getting. I realized, I had been out for a long time!

?You should see how pretty it is up there, above the town!? I said somewhat timidly, telling her about what I saw.

?I know, I?ve been up there! Now go get on your bathing suit so we can get going.?

I was hungry and thirsty, but didn?t dare tell Aunt Norrine. So I just ran upstairs to our room. It was sometimes confusing, her reactions. My mother would have yelled at me and cancelled anything fun for the rest of the day, but Aunt Norrine acted like she hardly noticed I?d been gone. This was much nicer, I thought.

After we?d all put on bathing suits, sun lotion, tee-shirts, and sun hats, we were all assigned a straw bag and a plastic sack with towels, water, and snorkeling stuff in them.  Then down the rocky path and across the maquis  we walked for what seemed hours. Juliette and Eileesh were always up front and I was in back and had to listen to Norrine tell cheerful stories about all sorts of things.

Mostly I liked these stories, but not today. Today I just wished she?d be quiet. I couldn?t think and was hot and thirsty and tired. I kept trying to rest.

?Come on Sweetie, let?s go!? Aunt Norrine?s cheerful voice was growing impatient.

?Wait, I?ve got stones in my shoes? or ?The bushes keep scraping my ankles?? or ?Everyone?s going too fast!? I whined.

When we finally got to the swimming place, I just sat down on the hot rock. Plunk, I put the bags down, glad I didn?t have to carry them anymore.

?Aren?t you coming into the water?? Juliette asked? She probably just wanted to show off how much better she could dive than I could.

?No, not yet,? I answered, jutting my lower lip out and looking away from her. Besides, the breeze was making me kind of chilly.

After a while, I got up and started exploring the rocks near the water, looking into the salty tide pools. There usually wasn?t much in them, not like at home, but I like to wet my finger and drag it through the white salty outline of the evaporating pool. Licking my finger, I smiled; I loved salt but always got in trouble at home when I ate it. Mom?s doctor had told her not to eat it so no one was allowed to, except company.

Suddenly, there was an awful pain in my arm, and then another, and then one in my leg. I heard someone screaming, somewhere far off. By the time I realized it was me, I was running madly in circles over the rocks, flailing my arms all around.

?Sweetie, what?s WRONG?! There was true panic in Aunt Norrine?s voice as she got out of the water and ran over to me. Since I was still running around in circles screaming, she had to catch me.

?What?s wrong, what?s wrong!!!? But all I could do was scream and try to break free from her. I just needed to run around, I couldn?t sit still.

By the time everyone had climbed out of the sea, huge red welts had appeared and answered Aunt Norrine?s questions. Truthfully, I hadn?t even known what had happened.

?Oh sweetie, ?Aunt Norrine gasped, ?you?ve been stung by wasps here in the water. And look at your red skin ? you?re sunburned!?

I was still crying by the time everything had been packed up and we headed back to the house. The only thing I was glad about was that Juliette and Eileesh had to carry my bags for me.

About halfway along the path was an old cellar hole near a fresh water spring. The dry maquis became like a lush oasis with spots of shade. Growing on the inside of the cellar hole were raspberries and Aunt Norrine suggested we take a little rest and pick some.

?Here Sweetie, these will taste so good and make you feel better.?

I did love raspberries and thought any reason to stop was good. So everyone put down their bags and started picking. The bushes were a big thorny jumble which made it hard to get the berries. I had to lean out over the cellar hole to reach them.

Suddenly, I got a dizzy as I reached out for some berries and next thing I knew, I was lying on my back in the prickly tangle looking up at the sky. I felt like I was in some dream and just lay there, bouncing softly in the raspberry brambles and they held me in mid air, like I was in a hammock.

?MaryBeth, MaryBeth, Where are you?? I could hear my Aunt?s voice up there, ?Juliette, where?d she go?? I heard everyone running around above me until Juliette peered down into the bushes as me with the most surprised look I?d ever seen.

?Aaahhh? She screamed. ?MaryBeth, what happened??

I just lay there, my mouth didn?t work anymore.

Next, Eileesh, Aunt Norrine, and Uncle Jean came and all peered down at me. Aunt Norrine looked alarmed and Uncle Jean laughed nervously, saying something in French to everyone else up there.

Nothing had hurt until they leaned over and with much difficulty, pulled me out. And then, all I could do was cry.

I don?t remember how I got the rest of the way back. I do remember shivering in bed and missing dinner, and breakfast and sleeping a lot. I woke up once when Aunt Norrine came into our room to announce, ?Girls, Nixon resigned!? I smiled vaguely and went back to sleep.

It was 2 days before I could get up and go swimming again. Aunt Norrine told me I had fried my brain in the hot sun with Jean Louis. It was called sun stroke and I?d gotten it from running around during siesta time instead of resting.

I was sad that I never saw Jean Louis again before we left. Maybe Aunt Norrine had been right, he?d just been visiting that day. But one thing for sure, I never asked to skip my siesta again.