Hauata came after only a few minutes, carrying a bag with flippers sticking out of the top. She looked athletic and fun, her hair braided off to one side and a smile on her face as she made her way to us.
"Bonsoir, alors qui avons-nous ici?" (Good evening, so who do we have here?" She asks smiling and giving her husband Ari, a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Hauata, elle parle anglais." (She speaks English.)
She smiles wider, turning to face me from Ari's arms, "Excusez-moi, I am Hauata, Ari's wife. Your name is...?"
She extends a hand out and I take it, "Pleasure Hauata, I'm Lirael." I return her warm smile and she motions to the bag.
"Snorkel gear, you are coming with, oui?" She pulls out the flippers and hands a pair to me with a snorkel mask.
I nod as she smiles again, handing Ari his gear. "My anglais is not the greatest, I am learning. So we Swim... à la fois? To-gether?"
I smile, "Yes, we will swim together, and I believe your English is fine, much better than my French."
We both smile and proceed to shimmy out of our outer dresses, and put the snorkel gear on. Ari was already wading out into the water by the time we finished. I noticed as we put the head gear on, that these had lights on the sides of the head.
We wade out into the water as she starts talking to me in broken English about what we will see.
"No scared of sharks, they not bite, may bump you but not bite."
"Merci, Hauata. I'll try to remember that. How far do we go out?" I ask as we approach Ari.
"Not too far, you will like it." She says as Ari turns to us.
"You ready?" He smiles turning on his lights, as Hauata does too.
"Yes, let's go." I say turning my own on, and following them under the water.
I have only snorkeled a few times in my life, and only ever in the daytime. It took me a moment to remember how to breath and dive. As we look at some of the coral, Ari turns on a black light, and it comes to life in a whole different way.
It was like a black light party looking at some of the coral, anemone, and fish. They being more experienced could dive for longer, while I kept having to go up for air. We were not that deep, maybe 12 feet, so it was more annoying for me than anything. However, it was worth it.
We swam with a sea turtle, one of the manta rays came near swimming right by us, and there were a few sharks, but the black tips and lemon sharks were farther out and not interested in us. A Moray eel came sliding out of a crevice and swam off away from us. It was so fascinating, that I wish I could hold my breath longer.
We all surfaced for air after that, and upon surfacing agreed to swim back to shore, diving under the water for most of the way. We had easily swam forty yards out from shore, so it took us a little bit to get back, especially since I kept having to surface for air. Hauata makes sure to stay near me as Ari pays attention to the water.
The fourth time I come back up for air, Ari does too.
"We need to make it back to the shore, there's something agitating the sharks, and they're coming closer to the shore. They normally are not anything to worry about but I don't like the way they are darting back and forth. Come on deep breath." He must notice the look of alarm on my face because he quickly reassures me, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Just need to make it back to the shore, sooner rather than later."
I nod and dive back down, swimming forward, as Hauata surfaces for air like a dolphin, and quickly comes back down under the water. I glance over my shoulder and notice that Ari's right, the sharks are acting agitated, and swimming closer to us. So I surface and breath then dive back down as Ari surfaces.
I noticed that those two took turns resurfacing for air, always making sure eyes were behind me and the situation. Those few last minutes felt much longer than they probably were. The last time I went up for air, I looked back and saw a different kind of shark, a big one, and when it turned to the side I nearly jumped out of my skin, I started swimming as hard as I could.
As we treaded up out of the water onto the beach, panting, we all looked back and saw the large dorsal fin pop out of the water not far enough away for my liking.
"Tête de marteau." Hauata plops down on the sand and removes her fins and places the snorkel into the bag. Pulling out her dress to slip over her.
"Tête de marteau?" I give Ari a confused glance not understand.
He picks it up quickly, "Hammerhead. We don't see them too often especially in the lagoon. I better go let the staff know before we leave. First though, let's finish our drinks!" Ari picks up the pitcher and fills his glass, handing it to Hauata, then filling my own, and holding the pitcher up in a cheers motion.
"Salut!"
"Salut!"
"Salut!"
We all chime and knock the glasses before downing nice long gulps.
"Well, good night, Lirael, I hope everything works out for the best, if I don't see you again." Ari takes the bag from Hauata as she smiles at me.
"Bonne nuit, Lirael." Hauata waves as they leave heading towards the bar.
I sigh, knowing I should go back to the room. I finish off my drink and take the glass to the bar, where the bartender places two shots in front of me.
"Hauata and Ari said you might need a night cap. They're on the house." He left me there and went to the other end where some of the wedding party were still going strong.
I took the shots, ordered me me another and a drink for the room, before heading back, feeling the alcohol moving warmly through my body.
Those shots are hitting me, maybe I should not have taken that last one.
Starting to feel off balance, I open the door to our bungalow, almost tripping on the door frame.
Giggling at myself, I shut the door, glad I'm not munching on the rug on the floor.
I turn around and look towards the bed to find a wide awake Lance, giving me a cock eyed stare.
"Are you drunk?" He scoffs in question.
I giggle, feeling the warm, fuzzy sensation of the alcohol spreading through me. "I feel good right now. Not drunk, but borderline." I kick my sandals off and head towards the shower to wash the sand off of me.
I'm rinsing myself off when I'm joined by Lance in the shower.
"What did you go do?" He quirks a brow at me before adding with a grin, "Other than drink."
I make sure all the sand is out of my hair and inform him, "I went night snorkeling and saw a sea turtle, a manta ray, a moray eel, and even a hammerhead shark."
He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he looks me dead in the eye, "If you had a quickie, you know I don't care."
I stop dead, instantly sober at that moment.
A quickie?!