Chapter 5
Carlos was pleasantly surprised that the small inn even bothered with rose petals on the quilt sheets. In a quick wiping motion, he cleared the queen sized bed and dove right onto its silky comfort. Carlos glances up from between the fabric to watch his petite girlfriend. She had her head down, transfixed to her smartphone. Its glow illuminated her stern almond eyes. Mai was swiping through photos, same old ones so familiar that Carlos could tell which one she was on just by the duration of her pause on that particular one. The girl was somewhere else. She wasn’t in the now anymore, instead frolicked in the past where things were together and alright. Carlos sunk back into the bed, hoping to catch some sleep before Mai woke up from her dream state. He dreamt about also being there at that place - wherever it was, with Mai.
They had a light meal at four, but the sun was already turning the whole quiet town into a shadow puppet show with a tangerine backdrop. The family-run eatery was full of tourists and visitors, gawking with awe at all the little wood sculptures of rabbits in dresses. Locals didn’t use the word “rustic” that much. The young couple spooned their obligatory chowder in tense silence. Minutes ago, Mai had been talking on her phone, trying to arrange a meeting. It might have been the same person who guided them through the forest. Carlos looked to his girl for answers, but she only looked towards the villas perched on the stony hills. The Asian girl would sometimes tremble her chin as though wanting to speak up but interrupted halfway.
“The person on the phone, was that whom we’ve come out here to meet?” Carlos finally asked.
“Yeah.”
“Are you ready to talk yet?”
“I don’t know.”
Carlos lets out a resigned sigh and places a $20 bill on the plaid linen tablecloth.
“I’ll be out in front. Join me when you’re done, kay?”
“OK,” Mai looked up. Her brief smile was a tired one, but still communicated some warmness. The boy placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lovingly. She reciprocated by cradling his fingers in her own, yet she was kept looking out the window, watching the cliffs darkening. Outside, Carlos sat down on one of the many wood stools placed alongside the verandas rails. He pulled out his pack of Marlboros, but realized that it was empty. Giving it a big yawn, he looked to the direction Mai was looking at, scraping at clues as to what was going on inside the girl’s head.
Mai took a seat next to him. She gave him back the change, along with her pack of Luckies.
“How did you know?” Carlos was caught unawares by this gesture.
“Well, I saw my damsel in distress,” Mai looked into his eyes with smirk satisfaction. The way she used her eyes was only outwardly coy, but hid an unmistakable sense of purpose, like she knew what had to be done now. “Through the windows, dummy.” The food must have done her mood some good.
“My hero,” said Carlos, as he drew one out from the pack and held it between his lips. The girl did the same. He reached into his jeans, “Let me see if I-”
“Need rescuing?” with the smirk still on her lips and one brow raised, Mai asked. Without waiting for a response, she produced the Saigon Zippo from her black jacket. Her boyfriend just held a dumbfounded look on his face before finally receiving the lighter. The drive here had been a blurry experience for Carlos; he barely remembered arriving. “I guess I owe you some explanations. Well, first of all, thanks for dropping everything, for driving me here,” she paused for a deep breath, then exhaled. “And for putting up with my bullshit.”
“Baby, I know it’s been hard, and it will be harder if I’m just gonna be a mouth, blabbering questions.”
“No, you have the right to, though.”
“Doesn’t mean I should practice that right. It has to feel ‘right’ first, y’know?”
“I’ve been horrible,” Mai said. Not knowing if she meant she was acting horribly or have been feeling horrible, Carlos chose not to respond and instead, just nodded. “It’s gotta be bringing you down too, right?”
“It doesn’t matter, Mai. You’ve been there for me before. For example, the apartment thing? I don’t know where I would be without you. You walked with me for 4 whole miles in the night. Now that you need help, I’m here, even only as a chaperone.”
“Even without knowing what this is about?” Mai asked. Carlos repeated her words solemnly. “I feel so shit for keeping you in the dark.”
“You’ll tell me, one day, right?”
“I-Are you going to use that?” Mai reached out and retrieved the lighter. Flick, snap, puff. Her eyes were dreamy from obvious enjoyment.
“It’s a beautiful place, this is. It’ll be the perfect getaway if it wasn’t for-?”
“For her death? It’s OK you can say it. Ignoring it won’t make it any less true, will it? Otherwise she would have been up and walking by now,” Mai snapped. She took another deep drag as if daring herself to make it to the filter in one go. “I’m sorry, Split. I guess I’m still not ready to talk about it.”
“I was gonna say, ‘If it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t know why I was here,’ Mai,” he muttered flatly. His cigarette dangled idly from his lips, unlit; he dropped it back into the pack.
“I guess I’m not ready for that either. I mean, if I start explaining, it’ll be like, um, opening a dam. The whole thing is just gonna break through, and that might be too much for me to handle. You’re going to meet that person tomorrow anyways, and it’ll be clearer. I’m so sorry; I just haven’t processed it enough, you know?”
“I think I do,” Carlos reached over and pulled Mai in. So she leaned her head onto his shoulder, and they sat there, watching the orange light turn red then purple then blue.
