Below the Radar - Cyprus Summer of '74

Chapter 38 : Midnight at Sub-Point (I'll Take You There)

Almost an hour later a small group of boys and girls gathered at the start of the path towards the cliffs. The girls carried a variety of towels, covertly collected from nearby homes or borrowed from friends. The boys had several bottles of Coke and Sprite between them plus a small portable radio. Deciding no-one else was coming the group of nine started the careful walk along the narrow path at the top of cliffs. The path had been trampled into the short tufted grass, hard dirt and rock over many years, as the raw beauty of the jagged rocky shoreline and tiny sandy coves were regularly rediscovered. The rocky cliffs were the most southerly point of Cyprus forming an unhurried, changeable barrier to the sometime turbulent southern Mediterranean Sea. Tonight the sea lay still and calm, no sign of the winds that would blow across the exposed Akrotiri peninsular come September.

The light from the torches in the group bobbed up and down as the group made their way carefully towards their chosen destination, Sub-Point. So named, like all the other popular spots, by unknown servicemen or women or earlier generations of teens who had explored the cliffs whilst serving or living at Akrotiri since the fifties. Sub-point was the easiest to find, particularly at night, due to the obvious large rectangular shaped rocky protrusion that stuck up from a long flat area at the sea's edge, which had given it its' name. Further along were Banana Beach and Coppers Rock, but the large flat area of smooth rock which was exposed at low tide, leading to the coning tower like outcrop meant Sub-Point was always a favourite.

The banter amongst the group increased, sporadic excited outbursts quickly hushed until they'd left the married quarters well behind. Of the fifteen who had promised to meet near the stables approaching the cliffs at 11pm only nine had turned up. The outward swagger and brashness of the five boys was balanced by the nervous sense of daring and excitement of the four girls.

Reaching the top of the switchback path down the cliffs, Alex took Kate's hand quietly, following the snaking line as they all started the descent. The temperature had dropped only slightly from the blazing heat of the day and the moon sparkled across the flat sea. The light inshore breeze caused bodies to cool and hairs stand up straight on exposed legs and arms. At the base of the cliff the rocks flattened out for twenty yards or so before dipping slightly into the sea, the conning tower shaped boulder rising once more further out. The group reached the bottom and in accord with a collective but unspoken pact, simultaneously they began to strip off. Shorts and shirts were peeled off, skirts and tops abandoned as all nine headed for the deep and dark sea.

Alex stayed slightly behind the rest and dived into the sea, surfacing with a small gasp at the unexpected chill of the water. He looked to his left and saw Kate take off her shorts and top and jump into the sea in her knickers and bra. After a few minutes of exaggerated splashing, shouting, squealing and ducking the other seven started to swim the short distance to the rocky sub-point. Alex trod water, moving closer to Kate. Like most teenagers who lived in Cyprus, Alex was a confident and strong swimmer. But tonight everything felt different. Maybe it had nothing to do with the sea, but with his head just above the surface, the dark sea around him felt different, deep and portentous. Perhaps feeling a similar sense of tension and vulnerability, Kate kicked out and moved slowly toward him until they touched. Treading water with just his legs he pulled Kate close and kissed her fully on the mouth, one hand cupping the back of her head firmly. Kate kissed him back, pulling back before they both slipped beneath the surface. She looked Alex in the eye as she moved her hand slowly up his face. Enjoying the feeling he relaxed, unprepared for Kate's next move. She briefly rested her hand on the top of his head, before laughing aloud and pushing Alex's head down into the dark sea. Simultaneously she turned back to swim quickly for the shallow rocks allowing an easy route out of the sea. As Alex went under he deliberately turned and swam slightly downward. Even a couple of feet below the surface the sense of eeriness was doubled amid the dark shapes of the huge rocks and seabed around him. He could just see Kate and followed her to surface, just behind her as she climbed up and out of the water. She was half out of the water as he caught her foot and started to pull her gently back.