The Cay

Phillip and Timothy put their clothes back on and try to rest as the night grows cold. Phillip thinks about his home, where Black and white people mostly live separately. Henrik, who grew up on Curaçao, finds it easier to interact with Black people than Phillip does. Phillip asks Timothy where he is from, and Timothy says he comes from Charlotte Amalie, a town on the island of St. Thomas. Phillip is surprised to hear that, as a resident of the Virgin Islands, Timothy is American. He asks if Timothy’s parents were African, but Timothy does not remember his parents and has never been to Africa. Phillip “[is] almost certain now that Timothy had indeed come from Africa” (39) but keeps this thought to himself. He asks Timothy’s age and is surprised again: While he is over 60, Timothy is not certain exactly how old he is. The two try to sleep, though Phillip’s head is still aching, and he is cold.

The next morning, Phillip and Timothy hope that a boat will pass by and rescue them, but none do. Phillip starts to notice that something is wrong with his vision, as though there were a film over his eyes; Timothy thinks Phillip might have spent too much time looking at the bright sun.