Eva takes to the water

19th June

I woke up around 2.30. A swell was rolling into the anchorage causing us to rock from side to side and a more violent rock than usual had caused me to wake up. Then I realised that Gill and Ali weren't back yet... so much for the last ferry. But I supposed they were enjoying themselves and would be back soon. I checked Eva, who was sleeping peacefully. Tony was awake. We dozed fitfully for the rest of the night, the not-so-gentle rocking of the boat keeping us awake but also, always with an ear listening for the sound of an outboard signalling that Ali and Gill were back. As morning approached there were various outboard noises, never theirs.

I am a worrier. Tony will say I thrive on it. By 7.30 I had Ali and Gill dead and buried. By 8.00 I was asking when I could sound the alarm... by 8.30 they were back. They'd had a great time, been side-tracked on their way home by the opportunity to go to Pacha, now they were shattered, sleep was the only thing they could think of.

At 9.30, when I still hadn't heard Eva, I decided I had better go and get her up. She was lying in her top bunk, feet on the ceiling, chatting away to herself.

Breakfast was soon over and we headed ashore, planning coffee and then the play park. I took Eva's swimsuit, just in case, but not mine. Mistake! Big mistake! We were sitting in a café on the beach when several classes of school children arrived, little kids, maybe aged 5-7 year olds for the most part. Eva watched them as they took over the beach, got out their buckets and spades and then abandoned them to play in the sea. Mmmm. She watched. She headed for the sand. 'Come on Nannie.' Soon I was dipping her toes in the water. Then her feet. Then she would stand with me, the waves running over her feet. Eventually she turned into a little water baby, running in and out of the sea, running to me, ankle deep, ready to catch and swing her and send her back for another run. 'Further Nannie, further.' I was wearing crop trousers. Soon I was a lot more than ankle deep... and my trousers were very wet.

So, on her last day, Eva finally made it into the sea... and loved every minute of it.

Alistair and Gill slept, came to the beach, slept again, and then packed. We had a quiet evening, all of us exhausted after the previous night, and then it was time for bed, some sleep before the alarm told us it was two o'clock... time to get up, see them off to the airport, holiday over.