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Published: April 17th 2010
After 5 long years ... Dave finally popped the question in the most risky, original and magical way possible. Here's the story you've been waiting for:
It was a pitch-black moonless night on Vieques, a remote jungle island off the coast of Puerto Rico. We were paddling kayaks across Mosquito Bay, the world's most spellbinding Bioluminescent Bay, populated by phosphorescent micro-organisms that flash a blueish light when stirred. The darkness swallowed our guide. His splashes and hollers up ahead became our aural signposts, soon diminishing in prominence as our minds swelled with excitement and wonder.
Every dip and row of the paddle set the ocean blushing peacock blue. The glow was so intense we could have read a book at midnight. Our kayaks rode glowing ripples of crushed sapphires and fish zipped beneath the surface with supernatural darts of light. But the real magic happened when we ditched our boats and immersed our bodies into a liquid Aurora Borealis. Dave whisked his arms and legs into a twinkling whirlpool and my wet hair was dripping with diamonds as our guide urged us, "Make a wish ... these are magical waters ..."
This is where the story gets soppy.
You've been warned!
Dave whispered to me, "You know what my wish is? ... For you to be my wife." (You're probably thinking, 'Aaaaw, how sweeeet'). But I was too mesmerized by the stardust lapping at his lifejacket and trickling down his face to take much notice. I subconsciously thought, "Yeah yeah ... sure, one day ..."
Then Dave pulled out a zip-lock bag from the gleaming depths and said, "You probably can't see this very well, but it's a turquoise box". At first I thought, "Where the hell did that come from???" before it immediately dawned on me, "Aaaah, this is THAT moment!"
"Are you serious??" I think I repeated a few times. I was so surprised, and I am IMPOSSIBLE to surprise. "... I mean, YES!" I took the bag and held it above the water for half a minute, blown away by the enchantment of the whole experience. Then I decided he really should put the ring on my finger at that very moment.
Looking back, it makes my stomach churn to think how close my sparkling ring came to joining the living sparkles deep in the Bioluminescent Bay. Whilst bobbing around in
dark water, Dave had to open the zip-lock bag, undo the ribbon around the box, take off the lid and pull out the black velvet ringbox inside. Then, praying the ring hadn't popped out of it's cushioned hole, he had to prise open the ringbox and grab the treasure inside. He jammed that thing so securely onto my finger, I doubt it'll ever come off.
Apparently the ring had been in Dave's board-shorts pocket the whole time, secured by a lowly patch of velcro. Had I known that when, previously, he'd fallen off his kayak with a dramatic, uncoordinated splash, I think I would've stopped breathing.
As a testament of the adventure, we've kept the pulpy box. It's like turquoise porridge now. What a memory-keeper!
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Hedley Galt
non-member comment
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Hey guys... awesome news! Congratulations and well done to Dave for keeping the secret. Very impressed!!! Much love HedsXXX