On the plane, David had also mentioned he preferred to stay somewhere low key, in the local neighborhoods. Since I had just spent two years being confined to a fancy high-rise hotel, I was open to new experiences.
Thirty minutes later, our taxi turned off the main road down into a long driveway littered with potholes. The sun had set hours ago, and there weren’t many street lights in the area. It seemed as if our driver was taking us to the middle of nowhere. David reached over and grabbed my hand, sensing my apprehension.
“You doing okay?” he asked, squeezing my fingers.
“Yeah, it's just so dark, and I have no clue where we are,” I replied, gazing out the window toward the inky sky.
When the taxi finally came to a stop, David let go of my hand. He hopped out of the car and went around the back as the driver exited and opened the trunk. I climbed out of the back seat and stood looking all around me, not that I could make out much more than the dense trees and dim lighting outside a few stand-alone structures. The sound of hundreds of buzzing insects filled the evening air.
“Listen to those cicadas,” David noted. After paying the driver, David carried our bags as I followed him along a weed-filled walkway. Thick blades of grass poked at my toes, and I wished I hadn’t worn sandals on the flight. I should have changed my shoes.
“Welcome to Villa Manuela,” a voice said. It belonged to a stocky man who appeared from the ferns.
“Miguel,” David announced. “How have you been?”
They shook hands, and then Miguel reached out beside him. “Mi amigo, let me help you with your bags.”
“Thank you, my friend,” David said, handing him my luggage while keeping his duffle bag strapped to his shoulder.
We followed Miguel down a paved stone walkway with lantern lights lining the path. When we reached a small building, we stood under a bright spotlight above the door. Slipping his hand inside his pocket, Miguel withdrew two keys, each one attached to a small piece of wood with a number painted on it.
“Room number tres y cuatro,” he said, dropping a key in each of our hands. “The rooms, they juntos—they join together, but you can lock the door between them.” I glanced down to see a red number three key in my palm. Girl number three, how fitting? I giggled silently to myself.
David gazed over at me, and for a moment, I thought I had laughed out loud. I was exhausted and needed sleep. I hadn’t slept much the night before because I stayed up packing, trying to decide what to take. After a long day of flying and then landing in a strange country, I was ready to fall into bed.
“Breakfast is served between siete y nueve. I wish you both a good night’s sleep. See you, mañana, in the morning. Enjoy your stay, mi amigos.” Nodding at me and then David, Miguel turned and walked away, disappearing into the night.
I unlocked the door and entered the room, running my fingers along the wall, searching for a light switch. As the room lit up, I was greeted with a burst of color. The high ceiling gave way to exposed beams painted bright yellow. A wicker bed with matching furniture was also painted yellow. The chair cushions had a green floral design, and the terra-cotta tiled floor was warm and inviting. Tropical paintings graced the walls, some featuring parrots, others with hummingbirds and flowers. David soon entered behind me.
“You going to be okay in here alone?” he asked, setting my luggage at the foot of the bed.
“I'll be fine. This room is super cute, very colorful. I like it.” Smiling, I glided over to a wall where long yellow curtains were hung, touching the floor. Peeking behind them, I saw a huge window. I was eager to see what the view would be in the morning.
“Should I lock the adjoining door or keep it open?”
“Closed but unlocked, please.” Unzipping my luggage, I unpacked a few items.
“Okay, get some rest and holler if you need me. See you in the morning for breakfast.”As he lingered for a moment unsure of approaching me for either a hug or a kiss goodnight, I glanced over at him.
“Good night,” I waved. “Don’t let the cicadas bite.”
“They don’t,” he said, “and neither do I.” Shaking his head, he closed the door behind him.
After placing my toiletries in the bathroom, I changed into my nightshirt and collapsed into bed. My stomach started growling, and I couldn’t wait for breakfast in the morning.
As I started to doze off, I heard something by the door. Not a knock, but a faint scratching sound, a long moment of silence, and then scratching again. Throwing back the covers, my bare feet hitting the tiled floor, I slowly padded over to the adjoining door. When I leaned my ear against the thick slab of wood, I heard nothing.
As I made my way back to bed, the scratching sound began again. I soon realized it was coming from the front door, and my heart rate sped up a bit. I thought about waking David but figured he was off in dreamland.
I slowly made my way over to the front door, placing my hand above the handle, and that's when I heard it—a tiny meow. Cracking open the door, a brown tabby kitty came rushing through and hopped onto the bed. I immediately locked the door behind me and went over to the cat.
“Hello, sweet boy.” He came up to me, head butting my arm. I checked him over, making sure he wasn't hurt or injured. Other than being on the skinny side, he appeared to be okay.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know you were part of the amenities.” He meowed at me as if to say hello and began to purr, rubbing up against me.
I crawled back into bed, laying my head on the
