"Back from your little night tour." The manager hollered at the sight of us. Everyone had gone in except him. "I've been waiting to ensure you come back safe and sound."
I smiled, that was too much care, but he could have come with us if he wanted to ensure our safety, or was I merely being unnecessarily judgmental?
"Thanks, mister," Alessandro said with a nod and a smile. How little things mattered most to white people. An African would scoff and go his way if the manager had said such to one, but Alessandro thought it was care.
"And you, Sita, did you enjoy the view out there?" his face said it all.
He knew I must have seen the brothel, or maybe, there were more disgusting things waiting in places we didn't get to. He was just glad that in the end, I realized he was right, and I was for sure the one who canceled the stroll.
"It's a beautiful view out there at night, but you were right when you spoke of men strolling down there to get free STDs," I said casually.
He laughed, and Alessandro did the same, it was now probably clear to them that I was just disgusted with the sight of fellow women waiting out there to do dirty things with men for money.
"Did they pull your white doctor by the hand and yell at you to let him go that there are no dicks in heaven?" he came vulgar the second time.
I sighed. I shouldn't offer any response to such a silly question if really, I breathe from my nostrils. It was total disrespect though he might not have sensed he was truly crossing boundaries with his words.
"Guess we should go in already, they might shut the gates anytime soon," I took Alessandro's hand, "Let's go."
"Seems you knew each other before you came here." The manager shipped in another pair of words.
"Sure, Doctor Alessandro Greco is my friend." I grinned at Alessandro, and as though we planned it long ago to walk away from the manager, we both scurried off, leaving him behind to help turn off his burnfire.
The noise coming from the first space met us in the walkway as we made our way into the hotel. His hand was still in mine, and our shoulders knew just how to brush against each other while we walked side by side.
The light in the walkway was bright enough to keep anyone from going silly by the walls, if not, it was just as long, if not longer than the walkway in the clubhouse where we had a thing the other night.
I looked at him and he returned my look. It was the right moment to share a kiss with him, but the wrong place with those eyes on us, and the wrong kind of light.
If the light was blown, it could have blended with darkness and hidden our identity so we could go as crazy as I imagined in my unseen mind, but no, it was not.
"This section is just the noisiest here." He said as we walked into the first hidden space where people were merrying around tables with their friends and chicks.
"I was told it's regular," I said, "Where do you stay."
"The VIP." He answered.
"Third row?" I asked.
"No, the third row is core VIP." He said as though he had always known the hotel. "I stay in the second row, that's where they assigned me and my friend."
"What's your friend's name?" I asked.
"My friend, his name is David Freeman." He replied.
***
"Hey, buddy," the man who opened the door was the same thin man I saw with him by the pool, "Did you bring home a friend?"
Alessandro gave him a slight push and barged into the room, that was playful, because the slim fellow was up for a couple of silly shoutouts, and, I like his kind of person, lousy at first sight.
"Hey," I said and walked in, "You are…"
"Doctor David Freeman, special neurosurgeon, New York United States of America." He held out a hand for me, "You?"
"Sita Kouassi philanthropist and politician." I accepted his hand, but he withdrew it on hearing politician, maybe he has a phobia for people of the political class. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He ushered me in and shut the door. "Welcome to our temporal space. We were told that by next tomorrow, we will go pitch tents out there, and that means all of us would risk nausea, mosquitoes, and blackflies."
I laughed. What more can scare white men if not tiny things like mosquitoes? Many of them, during the colonial era, and the era very much earlier before the colonial era, mosquitoes killed more white people than the spears and arrows of our grandfathers did once they were exposed to it.
"So, even as a doctor, you are scared of such discomfort?" I asked.
"No one loves discomfort, but we all volunteered for this, right?" He asked.
I nodded him a yes and made for the seat in the room. I sat on it and crossed my legs. Alessandro had probably gone into the kitchen because I could hear his moves from the kitchen side.
"Um, he didn't tell me he was bringing home a friend, I could have left the wine I bought for you." Said David.
"Thanks, but I have wine in my room, maybe you two should come be my guests." I took a chance with his words. I would do anything to show Alessandro my place so he would come over when he felt like it, and heaven knows what would be the result of such.
"Wine, come on, I'm in for that thrill." David edged into the kitchen to fetch Alessandro, but they both came out bearing three cups of hot tea.
Tea? My eyes went wide. I don't take tea at night though I knew it was advised by medical experts to do such at night to clear the body of fat.
"We have Asian tea, maybe you should grab a sip before we escort you to your room." Said Alessandro. He didn't want to go for a wine, I could see that already.
"Okay, thanks," I accepted the tea, "Does it have a blend of honey?"
"Yes, we add a drop of honey before we take tea." Said Alessandro.
***