The driver was very drunk. Packed into his old car, we swerved our way out of Goa and sped along the precipitous sea road to Tiwi. Hens and pigs scattered to the sides as we honked our way along; fortunately there were no pedestrians. Mr. Lazaroa had paid the driver to take us to Tiwi beach where our boatmen were to pick us up about noon as wind and tide were against us for sailing from Goa heavily laden as we would be. From Tiwi we intended sailing back to San Miquel. We couldn't stay at Goa because the Japs were expected there daily.
We drove along the narrow cliff road. On our left was a sheer drop into the sea. Half a mile off the coast were nile green reefs edged with ruffles of white and further off tiny palm covered islands surrounded by white sand gleamed in the sun. Inside the reef, bancas skimmed along like birds. On we rattled, faster and faster. Mari and Auri called on "Maria, Jesus, Joseph" to protect us and every now and again breaking off to scream "He's drunk Mam, the driver's drunk, he'll kill us all". I expected to meet Japanese soldiers around every corner and be rushed into captivity. We knew Tiwi was occupied but hoped to be able to get down to the beach without anyone seeing us. The boat would be waiting to set sail immediately we boarded her. The roads were deserted, and we prayed the beach was too.
Ren suggested he drive for a while but the driver was very offended and profanely said he was quite able to drive as well as any blanc. St Christopher came in for a lot of supplication again. At last we swerved off the main road and jolted down a sandy track to the beach. Unceremoniously, the driver hurried us all out of his car, dumped our bundles down on the sand, turned around and was off up the track like a rocket. He didn't even wish us good luck or say goodbye. He couldn't get far away from us quickly enough.
The beach looked white hot in the glare of the noon sun. It was deserted and all of us hoped the Japanese were two miles away disporting themselves at Tiwi Hot Springs. Mari and Auri sat half way up the beach so that they could warn us if anyone approached. The children played in the shade of a banca, and Ren, Barbara and I settled ourselves against it, to await the boat. When it was long passed noon we ate our sandwiches and stretched out to doze on the hot sand. Paddy and Stiffy slept under an umbrella. There was no sign of the boat and we began to think of where to sleep that night. There wasn't even a fisherman's hut to shelter us, and there were no houses near and not even a tree to sleep under. The hot blue sky clouded over and rain fell gently. No one had come to the beach all day but just at dusk a bunch of men came up from behind us and we had no time to scatter. They looked at us suspiciously and asked what we were doing on the beach and what we were waiting for. Ren pretended he could not understand half English/half Spanish questions, and after staring at us for a bit they walked off up the track. I thought they were off to Tiwi to tell the Japanese thy knew where some Blancos were hiding and Ren thought that we had better make our way cautiously across the fields until we found some kind of shelter. There was very little of any kind around because the sulphur springs had turned it into a black barren area.
Before going inland, we looked once more across the darkening sea and to our joy we saw a boat rounding the headland. Down to the waters edge we ran and I could have hugged Potacio when he stepped out of the boat and pushed it ashore for us to step into. They had had no wind all day and could make no progress at all as they were not using their own boat but a bigger one someone had lent them. It was old and leaky but I had no fears as we slipped away from the land in it.
The night was dark and windless and the boom clacked from side to side as the boat wallowed along. It began to rain steadily. Huddled against my knees, protected by the indispensable umbrella, Paddy and Stiffy slept. Ren bailed. Eventually the slap, slap of the water against the boats side lulled me to sleep. When I woke, the rain had stopped; bright stars shone and a little breeze sent us along quite fast. Soon everyone was awake and hungry. Potacio cooked some rice over a charcoal stove, and dropped dried fish into it. We ate ravenously. It was becoming routine with me now to prepare bottles of milk for Stephen every morning so they were ready for when he needed one; of course sometimes they went sour, but not often. Paddy had canned milk to drink and the rest of us drank a little water.
Not long after dawn, San Miquel came up on the horizon and an hour later we were alongside the jetty. Macabao met us. If he was upset to have us on his hands again he did not say so, but he did tell us Tabaco was now occupied and the Japs were still looking for us. We could not stay at the hacienda very long.