by A. K. Smith
Ryder was nowhere to be seen. Scout gestured toward the tent. “Roberto said he is taking a siesta. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’ll wake him.” She focused on his chin, not meeting his eyes.
The dinner was tasty with shucked ears of corn in their husks roasted over the fire, cut potatoes mixed with peppers, onions, and vegetables in a unique spicy sauce to complement warm rolls of bread. Ryder, more awake than before, dominated the conversation asking Scout questions about the cenote.
Darkness fell and soft colors of the fire added to the ambiance of the jungle. The warm food made her sleepy as she sat mesmerized by the fire. Conversations started to slack off.
In one of the silent moments, a rustling noise came from the jungle. Roberto sprung to his feet, with Enrique putting a finger to his lips.
Her heart started beating irregularly fast for the third time that day, and in a flash, she realized how short life was. Perhaps it was the unknown nature of the sound in the jungle, but when she made eye contact with Scout, security and safety cloaked her like a warm blanket. She wasn’t going to be afraid of her feelings.
Scout and Roberto walked stealthily toward the edge of the clearing, and Roberto disappeared behind the closely packed trees. The noise stopped.
Ryder’s profile in the flickering firelight calmed her nerves. The resemblance to his father was uncanny. For a second she was looking at a replica of a younger Tim. It pulled at her heart, returning a familiar ache.
Not speaking directly to her Ryder said, “I’m sure it’s just an animal, they won’t come near the fire.”
“I’m sure you’re right, it’s just an animal.” She paused, uncertain whether she should say what she was thinking. “Right now, when you spoke, you looked and sounded just like your father.”
Ryder hesitated then he did something he had not done all day, he looked directly at her, his blue eyes catching the light of the fire. “I’ll take that as a compliment. But, he should be here, not you.”
“I know.” Her heart ached, she swallowed the tears back.
The fire cast dancing shadows as the large leaves of the trees arching above swayed gently. I can feel you, Tim; I know you’re with us.
Scout, Enrique, and Roberto finally returned to the campfire. “It’s just an animal, maybe a howler curious about who’s spending the night in their territory,” Scout said. “Don’t worry, they won’t come near the fire. The perimeter of the clearing is as far as they’ll wander. Roberto and Enrique will be sleeping outside the tents—they will watch over us. You guys okay?”
They both nodded.
“Well, we have a big day tomorrow, three incredible dives, so let’s get a good night’s sleep.” He pointed to the middle tent. “Kendall, you take the middle tent; Ryder and I will be on the outside. If you need to go for some privacy, wake Enrique or Roberto. Don’t go alone in the jungle at night.”
****
In less than thirty minutes, everyone was down for the night. Even Enrique and Roberto lost the battle of the closing of their eyelids as a gentle breeze blew and the night sounds of the jungle played a relaxing musical score. Scout unzipped his tent and took watch. The dancing flames of the fire hypnotized him. The small hairs on his sweaty neck alerted him. Between the leaves of a palm tree and a twisted branch, blue flashes appeared. His heart thumped. It looked like two sets of eyes. Standing up, he scanned the jungle. Nothing. Was his mind playing tricks on him? For the next hour he watched and listened. Nothing appeared.
Chapter 26
Kendall was swimming in circles, surrounded by clear aqua water. “Tim?” she yelled. “Tim?” Her voice jarred her into reality. A terrifying low guttural howl took her breath away. Her adrenaline spiked and she lost the ability to yell. Her eyelids fluttered, her heart thumping in her chest. She was awake now. The bellow filled the air.
Adjusting to the dark, she focused on the teeth of the zipper on the front panel. Tent. Jungle. Yes, she was camping in the Yucatán. She reached for her sport watch, pressing the side button to illuminate the time. The sun would be rising soon.
She placed her head back on her tiny pillow, squinting tightly in deep concentration. She couldn’t detect movement from the tents next to her. The loud chatter of the birds grew in volume. She didn’t want to be the only one awake.
Did she dream the ungodly shrieks? She held her breath, again the eerie screams echoed through the primeval forest. The massive noise bolted her back up to a sitting position. Images of a gigantic dinosaur whirling its head howling flashed through her mind. Uncertain what to do, she threw on her hat, slipped her flip-flops on and grabbed a flashlight. Licking her lips and taking steady breaths, she unzipped the entrance in slow motion.
Roberto leaned against the trunk of a tree, legs stretched out on a blanket, his head tilted back resting on the cradle of his hands, focusing on the canopy of trees above. He put his finger to his lips and pointed up.
She lifted her chin to the sky, not seeing anything in the soft light of the dawn except the silhouette of the jungle leaves. It took a minute to adjust to the daybreak. The movement startled her: a graceful swinging motion from one branch to the next. Throat opened to the sky, the hairy beast released its howl. The sound unlike anything she had ever witnessed.
Another one bellowed off to the left, a group of them, calling out to each other shouting to the gods “good morning, world” in their scary, deep monkey language.
She bent her knees to the ground, sharing the blanket with Roberto. Together as the sun released its light, they enjoyed a beautiful show of graceful monkeys swinging across the treetops.
She glanced at Scout’s tent, and Roberto uttered a few words in Spanish and motioned to the woods. She pointed at Ryder’s tent. Roberto said, “No, sueños” and leaned his head on folded hands.
She wished she’d paid attention in high school Spanish. The language barrier sucked. Afraid to speak, she smiled and headed to her tent to get ready for the day of diving. With a little bit of sunscreen, her teeth brushed, her long hair combed back in a ponytail, she was ready. As Kendall zipped up her tent, Scout strolled out of the bush toward her. Unexpectedly—all on its own—her heart did a little flip-flop, accelerating in beats.
A tiny corner of his mouth appeared to rise as he spoke. “Buenos dias, we got some coffee boiling and Roberto grilled up some homemade tamales.”
She cleared her throat. “Good morning.” Her voice squeaked. His soft lips made her remember yesterday’s kiss.
“I heard you watched the morning monkey pageant.”
“Yes it was an outstanding show.” Frozen like a teenage girl with a sudden crush, she was stumped for words. She took the steaming tin cup out of Roberto’s hands as he placed the coffee pot back on the fire. Her hands shook. “Perfecto, Roberto! Gracias.” She was certain her warm cheeks had splotches of pink. She tried to hide the awkwardness invading her limbs. Not looking at anyone in particular, she said, “I can’t believe Ryder didn’t wake up with the howler monkeys, they have such a crazy shriek.”
Stop acting like a nervous teenager on a first date. Having been dormant for so long, the sexual energies Scout stirred up were unexpected. She moved toward Ryder’s tent and in a cheerful voice said, “Ryder…coffee’s on the fire and tamales are ready….” She waited, no response. She attempted to sit down gracefully in one of the foldable chairs; it collapsed, spilling her and the coffee on the ground. Roberto and Enrique offered her a hand and she shook them off, smiling like a clown. They left with a grin.
Scout dropped to the chair next to her. “How did you like waking up to the roar of the howler monkeys?” He smirked. “They sure have a crazy sound, but you get used to it in the Yucatán. Actually, I never get used to those amazing apes, but it’s a special sign. Their presence means it’s going to be an awesome diving day. In fact, I have never been on a successful cenote exploration, without seeing or at least hearing the monkeys.”
She was taking
dainty bites of her tamale, trying to focus on something other than her beating heart.
“I believe they are the ancient guardians to the cenotes. You won’t find them at every tourist cenote, but the ones hidden deep, always seem to have a howler and an iguana defending their entrances. I mean, it never fails, you find a secret cenote and there they are sitting up in the trees checking out everybody who goes into their sacred waters. Some say the Mayas transformed into howlers and iguanas. Now they are watching over us to protect their land.”
She swallowed, meeting his gaze with a soft smile. “Really?”
“Who knows, I was just seeing if you were paying attention.”
“Well, they certainly got my attention this morning. I was dreaming and it sounded like dinosaurs.”
Scout laughed. A happy hearty sound filled the jungle. “You have a good ear, Kendall, they actually used the sounds of the howler monkeys in the movie Jurassic Park.”
Her eyes widened as she giggled. “Seriously? I was dreaming and when I woke up I was ready to fight off the prehistoric beast T-rex.”
She chewed the last bite of her tamale, her nervousness disappearing. She was strangely comfortable, sitting here with Scout, outside the campfire in the morning light, in the middle of the wild.
His knee grazed her leg as he rushed to get the words out. “Really? A dream of dinosaurs, that’s all you got? I had a dream last night—I was swimming in the cenotes and you were in it.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks.
Scout cleared his throat. “Not like that, I mean…We were just swimming, maybe searching for something. But the scenery was beautiful…just like yesterday afternoon.”
Kendall heard the tent zipper being yanked down, Ryder emerged wearing a tight white T-shirt over long gym shorts. Part of his hair was sticking straight up. Amazing how naturally beautiful and handsome young adults looked waking up.
“What time is it?” Ryder stretched and yawned. Scout stood up, offering Ryder his chair. “It’s breakfast time, have some tamales, so we can get started on the first dive of the day.” Scout’s voice was full of excitement. “You’re going to love this cenote, Ryder, it’s epic.”
****
Brown curly twigs and rock ledges were visible from the crystal-clear water. Depths of color sparkled, bottomless, like an infinity mirror without end or beginning. The banks surrounding the beautiful lagoon were crowded with roots, leaves, and brown moss. Trunks of trees looked eternal, old as the ancient ones, framing this spectacular oasis. Kendall inhaled the fresh earthy smell. It was just as incredible today as it was yesterday.
The picture it painted was like no other. Beams of sunshine created a circle of light reflecting greens and blues on rocks and leaves, inventing a place of enlightenment designed by nature.
Even Ryder froze in the glorious sight, offering a rare glimpse of his face, full of joy.
In seconds his body hit the water with a woo-hoo echoing in the air. Scout met her gaze. Yes, she was thinking about the spot from yesterday, not soon to be forgotten.
Like an hour glass with a wide center, the three dives and the resting time in between flew by at record speed. The perfect weather, the sky as deep blue as the water, and the underground world below was an unbelievable experience as they descended through several tight cave passages, which opened up into magnificent cathedral rooms.
In the last cathedral room, they were able to surface and take deep breaths of fresh air. Heads thrown back to the ceiling, the tiny pinhole of light from the outside world hundreds of feet above them, flickered over each one of them. Nothing else seemed to matter but the beauty of the moment.
“I think I understand why my father wanted me to see this. I feel different in the cenotes, I have some kind of peace or calmness I don’t typically have back home.” Ryder turned in Scout’s direction. “Thanks, Scout, for following through with my dad’s wishes, I think somehow he is smiling down on us—happy that I made it.”
Scout wiped the water off his face with the back of his hand. His mouth opened up in response, then nothing come out. Kendall wondered what he was holding back.
****
A tinge of guilt intruded Scout’s thoughts. He should be happy Ryder was so impressed with the cenote he showed him. What difference did it make if it wasn’t the exact cenote his father wanted him to see. He blocked out the annoying voice in his head as he helped get dinner started.
The companies who created freeze-dried meals had jungle dining down to a science. Kendall and Ryder enjoyed two different types of pasta, alfredo and carbonara, while Enrique and Roberto ate some dry packed mixture of vegetables, rice, and beans. For dessert, he surprised them all by singing Happy Birthday to Ryder and providing s’mores with a candle. Enrique and Roberto were unsure of the concoction of marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers, but once tasted their faces lit up like little kids at a candy factory as they had third and fourth helpings
After the food was gone, Ryder was the first one to call it a day. Enrique and Roberto left to set up the tiki torches around the perimeter and he was alone with Kendall for the first time since breakfast.
He memorized her profile in the firelight. “I think Ryder really enjoyed himself today. You two seem to be getting along a lot better.”
She continued to focus on the fire. “I doubt it. I think he loved the cenotes, but…it’s a start. Tomorrow will be our last day together…for I don’t know how long. He doesn’t have any reason to come to Maryland to visit, and his mother and I don’t exactly see eye to eye, so I don’t make too many trips to Arizona. I guess it’s up to me to figure out how we move forward.”
The silence lingered with the smoke from the crackling fire, a blanket of stars twinkled above them.
“Will you make any more trips to Mexico?”
“I don’t know. Maybe…”
“There’s something I want to tell you, Kendall.” He moved his chair beside her struggling to speak the words.
“I don’t think we need to talk about it.” Her words cut him off.
He was silent, I feel so guilty for not taking them to the cenote Tim wanted to show them. She’ll probably never speak to me again if she knows I was dishonest. The lie was eating through him. He liked Kendall, and he never lied. Honesty and integrity were what he lived by and he expected the same things from those he allowed into his life. He wanted her in his life, or at least he wanted to try, see where it went. He knew this like he knew the caves in the cenote.
He stood up and looked over in the direction of Enrique and Roberto smoking cigarettes on the other side of camp; he wanted to say more. “I guess we ought to think about calling it a day.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Someday, when you’re ready, I would love for you to come back and visit Mexico. My Mexico. With me.”
And with that, he walked away.
She stared into the fire’s red-orange dancing shapes. The sensation of being watched prickled over her skin. She peered into the surrounding woods. Nothing. She shivered and turned back to the fire, but the sensation of eyes on her remained.
Chapter 27
Once again, the screams of the howler monkeys startled her awake, this time the background music seemed fitting. The hike back to the vehicles seemed much easier than the initial trek to the cenote. The rivers were calmer and luckily Kendall was not pulled under by an undertow. With the cenotes and the jungle behind them, Ryder’s mask slid back on, covering his emotions. The light from his eyes gone, the “I’m so bored” expression returned to his face.
“If you’re not too tired,” Scout said, “I know a great place to grab some delicious local food, not too far from your resort.”
Kendall glanced in the rearview mirror, Ryder’s eyes closed, earbuds in. She smiled. “Going out to dinner sounds outstanding, Scout, let me ask Ryder. Maybe he’ll come if it’s all three of us. Eating together in public, something Ryder and I haven’t experienced this entire time…would be a wonderful way to end the trip.” She laughe
d at the thought, admiring the masculine, rugged scenery with its multitude of greens and early evening shadows.
She turned sideways to Scout. He is such a handsome man, and seems so genuine, rare, and kind. Maybe, there is room in my heart. Maybe.
“Would Enrique and Roberto like to come? It would be my treat.”
Scout translated the invitation to the two passengers in the back seat. “They do not wish to insult you or turn down your generous invitation, but they have been gone from their families for two nights and are anxious to see their children and wives. Roberto’s youngest son was sick when he left and he is eager to be with him.”
“Of course, please tell him I hope his son is doing better.” She had spent the last six days with them, never asking anything regarding their lives.
Language really was a barrier, especially if you let it be. She had been too wrapped up in her own little world to think about others. She wanted to ask about his sick boy, but didn’t know how to begin the conversation.
Scout pulled up to the gate and she gave her villa number to the guards. Immediately the men’s eyes widened and the tallest of the two motioned to the other. He picked up the telephone speaking rapidly in Spanish. Scout got out of the Jeep and walked over to the man, and she could hear an urgent dialogue exchanged in Spanish.
“What’s going on?” she asked stepping out of the Jeep.
“The resort has been looking for you two for the past twenty-four hours.”
“Looking for us? Why?” She stuttered her words her heart racing.
“There was a break-in at your house the morning you left for the camping trip. Friends have been trying to contact you and the staff became alarmed when you never returned the calls or picked up the messages. Housekeeping informed the manager your beds had not been slept in and the key card showed you never entered your rooms for two days.” He kept his voice calm. “Ryder’s mother has been frantic, calling every hour, and she notified the local authorities.” The guard interrupted, speaking rapidly. Scout answered nodding his head pointing to Ryder in the back seat.