The "Faces of Strangers: #8" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sippin' my mango smoothie with two cherries on the top.  Catherine had just made it for me a few minutes ago.  Catherine is a real sweetheart who works at the Cabana Beach Bar at the Ocean Club East Resort on the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos.  First afternoon on vacation I went to the beach bar about 3:00 PM and ordered my first mango smoothie.  Asked her if I could have two cherries on it, since my wife was going to share it with me and we each liked the cherry on the top.  No problem!  Paid for it and hustled back to my chair on the white-sand beach by the turquoise sea under the swaying palms.  What more can you ask for while on vacation?  Well, I'll tell you.  Going back the next day and having the same bartender having a mango smoothie with two cherries ready within minutes of arriving at the bar; without even asking me what I wanted.  Catherine started at the Cabana in 1995.  She was born on Grand Turk, but came to Provo when she heard of the opening at the beach bar.  We talked most days about ........ what else but life.  Found out she loves to travel to the States for her vacation time.  Travels with her church members to Kentucky and Georgia.  I asked her what they do when they travel on vacation.  "We praise the Lord!" she told me.  "And, shop!  And, relax!"  Catherine is a member of the Church of God - Pentecostal on the island and loves her church and her friends who are members with her.  We got to talking another day and I asked her a few more personal questions.  "Catherine, what color is Jesus?" I asked, not trying to pry into her personal life too much, but actually wondering what a native black person believes.  "Well, black!  What else would he be?"  She responded immediately.  "And, not even that, but Cleopatra was black also."  We talked more about our beliefs as well as her family.  She was a wonderful person to talk with in the heat of the day.  And, of course, she made a great mango smoothie for me every day of vacation.  Oh, yeah ....... with two cherries on top!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.