The Perfect Temple

When I found myself cast away on Hispaniola, I did not trek to any of the cities right away, but I roamed the uninhabited areas for a while until I discovered a small cave behind a waterfall. The cave was only big enough to crawl into and lie down. The water let some light in, so it was not completely black, but dimly lit during daytime. There were no mosquitoes inside. I found the place very soothing, so I decided to spend a few days before I move on.

As I lay there, I gave some thought to my past. My weakling days back in the Old Country and my first steps as a sailor. Then my more adventurous days as a pirate, and finally, my disagreement with the captain, which led to my present solitude. All things considered, I felt accomplished, and gradually my mind shifted away from the past and focused on the future.

In the meantime, I sometimes left my cave to catch some fish and eat some berries that I foraged nearby.

My thoughts of the future were mostly dreams of glory. I imagined myself a captain of my own ship, famous and feared, but most of all, rich. Finally, I imagined myself on an island as the governor of a vast estate.

Tired of future dreams, I started exploring the present and found myself dreaming of a woman. The months at sea were lonely and male companionship, though stimulating on hot Caribbean nights, is not the same as the touch of fair female skin. I pictured myself with the wench I love, caressing her and talking of our future together.

However, before long I realized her presence would poison the perfect balance of my solitary cave behind the waterfall. So I stopped imagining, and just looked at the shimmering water. I became lost in the perfect harmony.

Posted by: Paweł Kowaluk