The Cay

In the middle of May, several weeks into Phillip and Timothy’s time on the cay, Timothy develops a severe fever from malaria. Phillip does his best to help manage Timothy’s symptoms, but he can only give him water and keep him company. Phillip feels helpless because “[Timothy] didn’t even seem to know I was there” (84). Timothy grows delirious and walks into the sea. Phillip pulls him out again and covers him with sea grape leaves to protect him from the sun. Timothy sleeps for several hours, and his fever breaks. When he wakes up, the worst of the illness is over. Weakened, he leans on Phillip as the two of them walk back up the beach.

Worried that he might die on the island before rescue arrives, Timothy starts teaching Phillip how to fish. He has beaten some nails into fishhooks and has found a safe fishing spot on the reef by the island. The area is a small pool of water with an opening to the wider sea. Timothy teaches Phillip to use mussel meat as bait for the fish. Phillip’s early efforts are successful, and he soon takes over the fishing duties for the two of them.