Wash (13 page)

I looked at my
watch and realized I had just enough time to call one of our
vendors right before they closed. I looked up their number and
dialed, only to be passed from one person to another. “Listen,” I
said, “we need that material ASAP. So help me God, if this delay
causes us to miss the deadline for getting this design in our
collection, I will cancel all future orders and tell all of my
colleagues to do the same.”

Jake peeked in
his head, excitement flooding his face. “You’ve gotta see this
sunset.”

“
Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” I snapped.

Jake ignored
my hostile tone, then motioned for me to come outside.

I just rolled
my eyes at him and continued, “I need that shipment…and I need it
now!”

Click
.

After I hung
up in a rage, Jake softly touched my arm and led me outside. The
horizon truly was something to see, with vivid, flaming reds and
fiery oranges in swirls spreading out as far as my eye could see,
as if the whole sky was made up of some kind of psychedelic paisley
pattern that I would have killed to have in a nice cotton blend.
Once again, the chasm took my breath away.

I turned to
face Jake. “This is spectacular.”

“
You miss out on so much when you won’t get off that phone of
yours,” he scolded.

I wanted to
lash out at him and tell him to mind his own business while I was
minding mine, but he was right.

“
When was the last time you
left that stupid thing at home and actually took a look at the
world around you? Before this trip, when did you take time to enjoy
a forest or grasslands or all the tiny details of nature? You used
to love the outdoors. Heck, we even counted ridges on a leaf once,
remember? When was the last time you looked at the dewdrops on an
intricate spider web or walked barefoot in the sand?”

I bit my lip hard in thought. “So I’m
a workaholic. What’s it to you?”

“
It’s just…sad. I still love to backpack, hike, and camp. It’s
my way of being out here in nature. I work hard, too, but I take
time out to enjoy nature’s beauty.”

“
I
guess since I’ve grown up, I’ve never really slowed down enough to
think about it. I feel like I’ve been on the move for years, like
I’m always in a hurry, speeding down some freeway I can’t pull off
of without crashing. Maybe I do need to stop and smell the
roses…and the cottonwoods.”

“
Well, it’s admirable to work hard, but you should work to
live, not live to work. It’s all about balance. I’ve learned a lot
of lessons since you knew me before, and that’s one of
them.”

“
Gee, Mr. Miyagi, now can you teach me to stand like a crane on
a log long enough to kick someone in the face?”

“
Lesson not just karate
only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance, everything
be better. Understand?” he said, his Okinawan mentor impression not
much better than his John Wayne, which made me laugh at him all
over again.

Chapter 9

We spent a couple days
relaxing and marveling at the Grand Canyon before we headed out for
our next stop,
the
Royal Malewane
, located on the Thornybush
Game Reserve and
adjacent to Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was one
of
Africa’s most popular places to stay and
home to the big five: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and
rhino.

When we arrived in
Johannesburg, we had to take one more flight on a small plane, as
that was the only way to reach our destination other than driving
five to seven hours. The flight was a little bumpy, but we got
there in an hour in a half, and I was thankful when
w
e landed safely on
a dirt airstrip.

Two friendly
men were waiting for us in an open-top Land Rover. “It’s so
wonderful to meet you, Jake and Ashly,” one said. “I’ll be serving
as your tracker and guide for the duration of your stay. My name is
Anto.” He had dark skin and a beautiful smile.

I shook his
hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“
This is Derrick,” Anto said. “He is your ranger.”

I smiled and
shook Derrick’s hand as well.

They popped
open the trunk and took care of our luggage, then started the
engine and sped off.

I couldn’t
stop staring at the animals all around me. Shouting in excitement,
I pointed to impala trampling through the bush. I looked over at
Jake and saw that he was grinning from ear to ear, also enjoying
our safari.

When we
arrived, we walked up a wooden walkway to the entrance, where we
were greeted by smiling faces. Several people handed us cool towels
and tropical fruit drinks, greeting us like royalty and instantly
making us feel welcomed.

I took a long
sip of my refreshing drink and thanked the woman who had handed it
to me. “Mmm! Very good,” I said, nodding at her.

The woman’s
gaze drifted from Jake to me. “You make beautiful couple,” she
said.

I bit my lip
and looked at Jake awkwardly.

He just
shrugged at me, then smiled at the woman. “We are having a
wonderful time together, and we can’t wait to experience
Africa.”

“
It’s a beautiful place,” she said. “I hope you enjoy your stay
with us here.”

Jake went with
the manager to check us in, leaving me to talk to the
woman.

She smiled
sweetly at me. “Please come. I escort you to your
suite.”

As she led me
down the boardwalk, my gaze drifted out toward the bush. Elephants
roamed freely, and giraffes stretched their necks to munch on
leaves. I couldn’t stop gaping; I’d never seen an elephant or
giraffe roaming free, outside a cage.

All
the suites were elevated on stilts and reminded me of bungalows.
Ours was spacious and decorated with dark wood furniture, a
beautiful fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen, a bedroom, a
bathroom with a Victorian bathtub next to a floor-to-ceiling glass
window and shower, antiques, and a huge canopy bed. It was more
like an apartment than any suite I’d ever been in, and the whole
layout took my breath away.
There was a
fully stocked bar, and the refrigerator was filled with soda,
snacks, and candy.

I glanced out the huge
windows in the living room and could see our private outdoor
terrace and a lovely view of the bush. There were no curtains, so I
had a clear, panoramic view every time I looked out.
We even had our own
wraparound wooden deck, a plunge pool, and thatched gazebo. I
couldn’t believe there was a
cabana, an
outdoor living area with sofas and a dining table, and even an
outside shower. I smiled at the champagne chilling in a fancy
silver bucket of ice.

Sweat was pouring down my back, so I
decided it was time to cool off. I quickly changed into my bathing
suit and climbed into the plunge pool that overlooked a clearing in
the untamed African bush. It was refreshing, and as I looked around
me, I couldn’t believe where I was. I was surrounded by plush
green, a choir of birds I’d never heard before, and a chorus of
monkeys, as well, lullabied by the trickling, soothing water coming
from the plunge pool.

“
We’re all checked in,”
Jake said when he returned. “You gotta take a look around this
place. There’s a library, a shop, a swimming pool, a spa, and more.
I’m gonna hit the gym after we settle in.” He opened up the
champagne, then handed me a glass. “Mind if I join you?” he asked
casually.

I reached for the glass and thanked
him. “I’ll be out in a few minutes. Then it’s all
yours.”

He nodded and headed back
inside.

I sprawled out and enjoyed my scenic
view for a while longer, until a grunt echoed in the air, causing
me to drop my glass of champagne. A chill shot down my spine as I
anxiously glanced around. “Hey, Jake! Something’s out here!” I
shouted.

“
We’re in the middle of the
bush,” Jake called back. “What do you expect?”

“
Okay, Tarzan. You don’t
have to be a jackass!”

Much to my disbelief, two elephant
trunks popped up and started slurping my pool water.

My heart raced. “Jake!” I called
frantically. “Get out here!”

He rushed out. “What’s the
matter?”

“
Look!”

He smiled. “Looks like you’ve got
company. How rude of you not to offer them a drink. They had to get
their own.”

“
Ha-ha,” I said, rolling my
eyes at him yet again.

“
Don’t worry. We’re high
enough that they can’t trample us.”

Jake went inside and grabbed his
camera to snap a few shots of our priceless encounter with Dumbo
and Jumbo. I couldn’t wait to send the photos to Nadia. I stayed
still, so as not to spook them as they drank away, trying to quench
their thirst. Although my heart was pounding, it was one of the
neatest things I’d ever seen. Jake and I looked at each other and
chuckled.

Jake suddenly pointed down. “Your
phone!”

I followed his gaze and saw an
adorable but ornery-looking monkey on the deck, playing with my
most prized possession. “My cell!” I rushed out of the pool and
grabbed Jake’s arm. “Jake, you have to get it. I’ll be lost without
my phone. It has everything on it. It’s my life!”

He rushed inside and came out with an
apple, which he knelt down and offered to the monkey. “Hungry,
fella?”

The animal started making hooting
sounds that varied in pitch and volume. Then it let out a long
screech and threw the phone.

Jake picked up the phone as the monkey
snatched the apple, then darted into the trees. “You might wanna
put your phone away. They love shiny objects,” Jake said. “Wouldn’t
want our newfound friends playing volleyball, soccer, and
basketball with this thing, now would we?”

I wrapped myself in a towel. “Thanks,
Jake. I can’t believe my cell almost got hijacked by a
monkey.”

“
First elephants and now
monkeys. What’s next?” he asked.

We both looked at each other and burst
out in laughter.

* * *

I wore a long, blue dress with a
sweetheart neckline and pinned my hair in an elegant up-do. I
wanted something chic and elegant, yet simple and glittery to
complement my outfit. So I opted to go with my cubic zirconia
collection, a diamond necklace, studs, and a tennis bracelet. Jake
wore a white dress shirt with brown slacks. I could see the outline
of his muscles stretching across his bulging arms and chest. I
couldn’t help but breathe a little harder. It may be cliché, but he
was tall, dark, and handsome.

I could feel his heated gaze on me and
looked away.

“
You look beautiful,” he
said.

“
Thank you,” I said,
smiling. “You look really nice too.”

“
Are you ready?”

“
Sure.”

We headed to a lavish feast
in the middle of the bush with a few other couples. Jake looped his
arm in mine and we strolled down a lantern-lit pathway where
intimate tables clustered around a fancy buffet under the African
night sky. Everyone was happy and smiling, the mood relaxed. A
woman smiled and handed us each a flute of French champagne. The
place was
lit up
with dozens of Moroccan lanterns, hanging from the tree
branches.
Candles lit all the tables
dressed in fancy white linens, and everything looked so romantic,
elegant, and magical. I felt like I was in a fairytale romance. The
tables were beautifully decorated with arrangements of flowers,
fine china, and crystal glasses. The moon sliced through the
darkness and illuminated the sky, bouncing its light off the stars
that pierced the black velvet. We talked to the hosts and some of
the other travelers. Everyone was so nice, and we all shared our
stories and adventures.

I loved listening to the harmony of
nocturnal animals and insects, singing like a choir all around me.
We stargazed over our flutes of champagne and made lots of small
talk.

“
This is one vacation I’ll
never forget,” Jake said.

“
It’s breathtaking,” I
said. “I can’t wait to get back and put a scrapbook together. I’ve
gotten so many wonderful and fantastic shots of the animals and
landscape.”

“
I’m having the best
time.”

I glanced around. “It is the ultimate
dream vacation.”

He clanked my glass, his face beaming.
“To us.”

I didn’t know what to say to that
comment. Part of me wanted to say something sarcastic and spiteful,
but I refrained. I promised myself I’d be on my best behavior. So I
just smiled.

A woman came over and took our empty
glasses, then offered us Dawas she had on a serving
tray.

“
What’s in it?” I asked
curiously.

“
It’s a popular Kenyan
cocktail made with vodka, honey, lime juice and crushed ice,” she
said. “It’s very good.”

I reached for a glass. “Sure, I’d love
to try one.”

Jake gulped his right down.