It might have been the ocean air scrubbing those memories out of my brain, but I was feeling optimistic all of a sudden and Effie was grinning at me so wildly that I couldn’t help but feel excited about what was to come.
“Paradise is not the word I would use, but hey, you’re here now and the planes don’t fly all that often,” she laughed. “You’re stuck with us until the next flight out at the very least.” I gulped, there was no escaping this new reality if I didn’t like it. I would have to suck it up if I realized this had all been a mistake. Happy thoughts!
A voice from the front of the café shouted for Effie and she gestured that she would be back in a minute. I leaned against the wall and looked around the kitchen I was standing in, the kitchen that I now owned. It was a mix of home baker and industrial restaurant. Stainless steel appliances intertwined with multicolored cupboard doors and pans hanging from the ceiling. It had personality, there was no doubt about that.
“Sorry, the coffee station had run out of sugar sachets and it looked like a fight was about to break out,” Effie apologized. “Why don’t you dump your suitcase by that door, and I’ll hunt for the key while you’re out. Head into town, grab a slice at ‘Pete’s Za’ on the main street and you’ll probably find my sister. She’s cool too.”
I dragged my suitcase to the door that I assumed lead into the house, then walked with Effie back to the front door of the café. Wes had gone at this point and his bus was nowhere to be seen. I could see an endless stretch of beach ahead of me and the town on my right.
“You literally walk that way and turn when you see a proper road. If you go too far you’ll end up at the harbor and it’s just all fishing boats and stench. People love seafood, not me personally, but most people. You’ll find your way easy enough, just make sure you put on sunscreen and don’t drink too much, the heat affects your alcohol tolerance, and I don’t want to have to haul you across the sand to bed tonight.”
I was about to explain that I rarely drank, but Effie was already back inside and serving customers. It wasn’t as humid as I had expected, but I was basing island living on the few hours I had spent here so far. I was pretty sure the café had air conditioning and the ocean breeze was keeping me cool as I walked across the sand.
It felt like there should have been someone at the airport back home that checked my ticket, realized where I was headed, and refused to allow me to board the plane in jeans. Was that criminal negligence or something? Didn't someone have a duty to tell me that this place was not denim friendly. At least my shirt was a light, flowing cotton that was stopping me from completely overheating.
Before I knew it, I had reached the turn from the beach onto the street. Had this been the way Wes had driven? I mustn't have been paying enough attention.
It felt like I had suddenly discovered where everyone else on the island was hanging out. The sidewalks were smothered in busy feet taking people from one store front to another, the beach had been disserted though. Did people not lay out in the sun anymore?
The irresistible fragrance of hot donuts hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like a cartoon character that was lifted off the ground, floating on the scent as they followed their nose to the source. I had cash in the back pocket of my jeans and an insatiable hunger for sugary treats.
The interaction with the food truck owner was brief. No smiles were given by him, no eye contact and no parting words to enjoy my day. I checked my watch to see if I had caught him after his closing time and forced him to stay open a few minutes longer than he wanted, but I hadn’t changed to the current time zone and was all out of sorts. Some people just like to be left alone, maybe he was one of them.
Once the donuts were in my hands, the food truck immediately closed off the serving window. A metal panel rolled down and the engine growled as he began to drive away. Jeez, was it something I said? I looked back to the street and saw that the crowds had dispersed within a matter of seconds and I was now one of the only people on the sidewalk.
My body had been fueled by plane trays of dry chicken and stale bread, so the fresh food was a welcome change. I had bought three for the price of two and managed to polish off the lot in under a minute. They had been freshly cooked and the heat of them inside my stomach, in combination with the heat of the exterior of my body, was causing me to glisten with sweat.
I spotted ‘Pete’s Za’ up the street and prayed that it also had air conditioning to cool me down. As I stepped into the pizza place I was handed an iced lemonade by a girl that had to be Effie’s sister. Her hair style was the same, only her bangs were emerald green and the rest of her hair was black.
Were
