No Longer In America

We finally arrived at Le Spice Garden. Everything looked so pretty.
The coral colored lobby, dinning area, rooms were all open and spacious. Everything was outside, yet inside. Cool ocean air flowed through the corridors while rays of sunlight peaked through the grand columns. You could catch a nice tan just sitting in the lobby. It could have been a great brochure picture.
In the lobby, Kell and I both half smiled at each other.
It wasn’t exactly the hotel we’d signed up for, but we figured it’ll do.
We could have almost broken out in praise worship if tiredness hadn’t rode in on our shoulders. We were the only people in the lobby, besides two hotel staff.
Without much paperwork, the young bell guy grabbed our keys out of two little cubbyholes and sent us to our rooms.
He assigned room 101 to me, and 102 to Kell.
As soon as I hit the corner, I opened the room and looked at the neatly made bed, day stand with a mirror and television stand. The room was just plain and neat. With tired arms, I lugged my bags behind me. I could no longer keep my guards up. All day, I played a cat and mouse game from fatigue and he found me. Jetlagged, I fell out on the bed. I didn’t toss or turn. I stayed in a deep slumber for about four, maybe five hours.
If Kell hadn’t knocked on my door, I wouldn’t have known I was hungry. I happily got up and went to the dining hall. We ate and went back.
At full energy, I took a good look at the hotel and started to listen. I heard nothing but the air blowing on the hollow walls. It smelled a bit like mildew and ocean water in the room.
Food and rest gave my mind and senses a jumpstart. Yet, I started to move with hesitation. I had to ask myself, We hit paradise, right? My instincts said otherwise.
I didn’t say anything to give away worry in my voice to my sweet sister. But upon further inspection I found that I sat on a bench with Trouble. I went back to gather my clothes and take a shower. I closed up my suitcase very tight. To me this just looked like a place with critters.
Once inside the bathroom, I saw what I smelled. Mildew lived on the corner of the tub. I figured I’d climb over it, since the basin looked clean. I turned on the water and waited for it to turn warm. I held onto my soap and the disposable wash towel that Kell gave me because I figured the cleaning staff forgot to leave me a wash towel. I had two ragged large bath towels, which I would use for drying. After running the water for a few minutes, I figured out that I’d have to take a cold shower. The water chilled me down to my bones. I wished I would have been able to get in and out quickly, but I hadn’t had a bath in two days and I really needed to feel clean.
I got out shivering. I threw my used wash towel in the empty wastebasket and it hit with a thud. There wasn’t any condensation on the mirrors, I didn’t have to dry those off. So I rushed out of the bathroom.
Though nightfall, I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I decided that that’s how I was going to bed, fully clothed.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, I looked around the room more and I discovered things. The appliances didn’t work, the room phone had no dial tone, the television came on with no picture, plugs were broken. Light bulbs were missing. I had a lamp on the lonely nightstand but when I went to turn it on I found two wires rolled up in the back and twisted. It stood for decoration, I guessed.
To top it off, my shower jetted cold water. After spending two days on an airplane and in airport terminals I expected a warm shower. Germs. How silly?
The owners could have almost taken the ‘h’ off ‘otel’ and added a ‘m’. It would have been better fitting.
I didn’t end up in paradise. I ended up in a Stephen King novel.
Once I opened my eyes I found that, Filth riddled our hotel.
The first night I didn’t say anything to sister because I just jumped for joy when she said she’d take me on her trip. I didn’t want her to know I made questionable observations. I kept my thoughts to myself. If you’ve got nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all.
Besides, after dinner, we bided each other goodnight. I didn’t need to run to her room. She was resting. I wasn’t.
I felt safe with the decision I made to sleep fully clothed. We left home at summertime for Africa’s winter. The shower put a chill on me. I’d rather wrap up in my own clean clothes than those sheets. They just smelled. Intuition always serves you right.
Against my will I coaxed myself to sleep, but barely slept. I kept one eye open. Paradise or not, I’m in another country. As every hour passed, I kept waking up.
All of a sudden, during the thick of the night I hopped up to use the bathroom. As soon as I opened the bathroom door I heard footsteps. I looked down and I saw the biggest, loose lizard hoping off the toilet. I jumped back in fear and closed the door. Back at my home, I see lizards, but they are small, grassy and run away at the sound of footsteps. In that bathroom that sucker was the size of a USA pet store iguana. He was huge and heavy. I heard his footsteps going thump, thump, thump. Plus he came running towards me, not away. Catching him would have probably brought me money.
I had a huge problem. It was early o’clock in the morning (4) when he scared me. I didn’t believe much in reptiles and me living together.
I paced the floor in the bedroom, wondering if I should wake dear sister. She needed her rest for the conference. But using the bathroom became more urgent. I hopped, jumped and did that dance like a child who’s holding their pee. I asked myself what to do.
Finally, when my bladder couldn’t take it anymore, I ran to Kell’s room and banged on her door.
The filth, I could have probably lived with, without complaints to sister, but animals, I mustered up the courage to say something.
I banged on her glass door like a crazy, scared person. To my surprise, she answered with a clear voice. She was up too! She’s usually a heavy sleeper. At home, Kell wouldn’t even wake at the sound of a loud train passing.
When she answered the door I just told her my lizard story and climbed into her bed.
She seemed happy to have me over. Usually she likes her own space. Kell’s the oldest by a couple of grades so she didn’t have to share much when she was growing up. Yet, we were together.
But something else just didn’t seem right, it was a king size bed but for some odd reason she didn’t want to push over much more.

…to be continued.