by Becca Bloom
Adi stirred cream and sugar into her coffee. "It's a good thing Jake is taking us out of town today. The Swing at the End of the World at La Casa del Árbol is something you cannot miss while you're down here."
“What is La Casa del Árbol really like? Is the swing as scary as the pictures?” I asked. From what I’d seen, only a lunatic would launch themselves off the edge of a cliff into a great void of nothing.
“It's the experience of a lifetime. Jake and I will make sure to get some good shots for you to send to your mom."
Being a talented photographer, my mom was anxious for me to have a picture taken on the swing made famous by National Geographic. I did, however, notice how Adi avoided giving a more direct answer to my question. Not exactly a good sign, but it couldn’t be that bad … could it?
I looked at the clock. “First things first, I need to give Victor my doughnut recipe before we leave.”
Adi scrunched her face and shook her head. “Abuelita will be mad you’re giving him your recipe when she secretly hopes you’ll stay in Baños forever just so you’ll feed her an endless supply of sweets at your own bakery.”
“Seeing how I leave in two weeks, I can’t see that happening. If I give my recipe to Victor, at least she can get doughnuts from him at his ice cream parlor. It’s only next door. She should be happy. I bet Victor will even offer her a discount if she buys in bulk.”
“Don’t underestimate her. She might convince you to stay yet. You should be grateful she likes you. She makes most people cry.”
Downing my coffee and eagerly awaiting its burst of caffeine, I said, “I hate to disappoint her, but I have a steady job and a family waiting for me in Portland.” A steady job I only endured for the money it made and my parents’ empty house, to be entirely truthful. But those were just little details. The truth was, I’m just not the sort of person to uproot her whole life to manage a business in a foreign country on a whim. That was more like something my mom or sisters would do. Not me. I played it safe. I was the steady one.
“Well, I hope Victor follows through with the doughnuts or we will all suffer. So far, since inheriting his parents’ ice cream parlor, he’s done better managing it than anyone thought he would. He’s not your typical business owner.”
That was an understatement. At Victor’s own admission, he was a twenty-five-year-old dropout of no less than seven different University degrees. Thank goodness he had help in his older brother, Roberto, and Edgar, the manager who’d been at the parlor for the last ten years.
“Victor’s made it through the first six months. Maybe he’ll surprise everyone. He seems to be taking the business seriously with his improvements,” I said in his defense. He’d added a small walk-in freezer and a deep fryer to expand his menu while protecting his ice cream during power outages (something inconveniently common in the little town of Baños).
Donning my usual uniform of a t-shirt, vintage 501s, and Converse sneakers, I tied my long, blond hair up into a messy bun, grabbed the copy of the recipe I’d committed to memory ages ago, and headed outside. Lady greeted me with a raised paw. Her coat had a healthy sheen to it and her ribs were no longer visible through her fur as they had been when I’d brought her home after I’d helped her escape from a pack of mangy street dogs. Nobody had called to claim her and I was glad of it. Lady had a good home here.
I scratched her behind the ears, made sure she had water in her bowl, threw her favorite stick across the yard, and walked past Adi’s family’s restaurant to the front of Victor's ice cream shop.
Chapter 2
The ice cream parlor was still closed, so I knocked on the corrugated metal security door at the front of the shop in case either Victor or Edgar were inside. Jake was swinging by for Adi and I in a half an hour, so the sooner I gave Victor the recipe, the better.
I was about to knock on the metal door at the bottom of the stairs the occupants of the three-story building used, when it opened and Victor stuck his head out. He wore an oversize beanie cap over his dreadlocks and a Bob Marley t-shirt over his lanky shoulders. That was the advantage of being the boss. He didn’t have to wear the white shirt with the cute penguin licking an ice cream on the front like his employees did.
"Hey, Jess! Come on in.”
His brother, Roberto, stood behind the counter, poking at the keys of a laptop. The look of consternation he wore changed into a smile when he saw me.
"Right on time. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your support, Jessica. The addition of your doughnuts will take Victor’s business to a whole new level and I think he’s finally up to the task."
The two brothers stood next to each other and the contrast between them reminded me of my oldest and youngest sisters, Jessenia and Jessamyn. (That’s right. We’re Jess, Jess, and Jess. It’s my father’s doing.) Like Jessenia, Roberto appreciated punctuality, organization, and efficiency. Jessamyn wasn't quite as lackadaisical as Victor, but they shared the same laid-back, optimistic outlook on life.
Losing no time, I pulled the recipe out of my back pocket and smoothed over the crease in the middle. Victor picked it up, his eyes growing larger as he turned the page over.
“Wow, this is more complicated than I thought.”
“It only looks that way on paper. Once you make them a dozen times, you won’t even need the recipe,” I reassured him.
He studied it again. “They have to rise twice?” he asked.
“Yes. When you first make the dough, and again after you cut them out.”
He rubbed his chin. “So how long do they take to make?”
“About five hours from start to glazes and frosting.”
Victor looked up, mumbling numbers aloud. “For me to offer these to my morning customers, I’ll have to start making them at five in the morning. Four to be safe.”
“You could offer them in the afternoon,” suggested Roberto.
With a resigned sigh and slumped shoulders, Victor said, “Doughnuts are more of a breakfast treat. I think it’ll be better for the parlor if I have them available early.”
Roberto beamed with pride. Patting Victor on the shoulder, he said, “You’re thinking like a real business owner now. Well done. Mom and Dad would be proud to know how you’ve stepped up to run their shop.”
Victor nodded gravely, explaining to me, “Six months ago, when I inherited this place, I didn’t believe myself capable of doing Mom and Dad proud. I’m grateful they had faith in me when Roberto is the more obvious choice to take care of responsible stuff. Did you know he owns a big house in Ambato and has grown his medical practice so much, he’s going to open up his own office outside the clinic?”
Of course, I knew. Victor told everyone about his successful, doctor brother. It was sweet to see how proud they were of each other. “That’s wonderful. And allow me to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding. I won’t give you details, but let me assure you that your bride and her bridesmaids will be the most beautiful Baños has ever seen.” They were Adi’s first big commission and the start of what she hoped would be a rewarding career in women’s fashion. She had worked extra hard over the last week so that she could take a few days to join me on my adventure tour.
“Thank you,” Roberto said with a side glance at Victor. Clearing his throat, Roberto added, “I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I’d better get going. I have just enough time to get back to Ambato for my first appointment.” Turning to Victor, he said, “About what you wanted to show me … I trust you to make the best decision. It’s not always easy, but you have to think of what would benefit your business first and foremost.”
Victor frowned. “I’ll get my computer fixed, then I’ll see to the rest.”
Roberto looked over at the laptop, shaking his head. “It worked when I gave it to you. Maybe it just has a virus.”
My instinctive need to be helpful took over. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“When I turned it on this morning, it would restart over and over again. I turned it off, a
nd when I tried to power up again, all I got was a black screen,” said Roberto, glancing at his watch.
“It could just be that you need more RAM. If you want, I can take a look at it.” There it was again, “Miss-Fix-it-and-Make-Everyone-Happy.”
“You know about computers?” asked Victor, sounding impressed.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It kind of goes with my job. I started out with design graphics and branched out to programming when I saw more opportunities for work. I’ve had to learn how to repair my own equipment to keep things running smoothly.”
Roberto looked at his watch again, then back at the laptop. “When is Edgar coming in?”
“He’s not. I gave him a couple days to consider his future plans,” answered Victor, like a guidance counselor.
“You still haven’t hired anyone else?” asked Roberto.
Victor shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll get around to it. I’m hoping Edgar chooses wisely, then I won’t have to worry about it.”
Roberto sighed. “I can help you run an ad and schedule interviews. Just not this week. I’m swamped with the wedding.”
Victor shook his head enthusiastically. “No way, man. You’ve done enough for me, I don’t want to trouble you. I think I have things under control. In fact, forget about the computer. It’s not important.”
“It is for your bookkeeping. I don’t have time to drop it off at Diego’s shop, and you need to open. I’ll try to swing by tomorrow so we can get it fixed.”
“If you want,” I began, kicking myself for wanting to be helpful when computer repair was quite possibly my least favorite thing to do, “I can take a quick look at it this afternoon. I’ll check your storage and run a virus check.”
I got two thumbs up from Victor and a relieved smile from Roberto.
“That would be totally awesome,” exclaimed Victor, unplugging his laptop from the wall just as the power went out and the parlor turned black.
“No worries. My battery was fully charged. Stay where you are and I’ll open the rolling door so we can see,” Victor said, his voice traveling toward the side door as he spoke.
I heard him fumble with his keys and the metal scratch against the lock.
Roberto sighed from behind the counter. “I’m going to have to call my secretary and tell her I’ll be late.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I had hoped my offer would save him time, not make him late.
“Don’t be. Doctor’s appointments always run behind schedule anyway. We have plenty of dry ice, but unless I stay to help Victor get the ice cream into the walk-in freezer, he’ll lose a lot of product. It’ll really only take a few minutes. I just don’t trust my brother not to lock himself inside the thing. The emergency release doesn’t work, so he has to prop a brick in front of the door.”
The metal clattered as it rolled up and allowed the morning sunshine in through the glass door and windows. It was going to be a hot day. A perfect day for eating ice cream. I wondered if he had rum raisin.
Picking up the laptop, Roberto handed it to me. “Thank you so much for offering to take a look at this. I finally got Victor to use it, and it breaks. Figures, huh?”
“No worries. I’ll let you know what I find tomorrow. Does that work?” I hoped it was an easily-fixable problem. Between the hike and my evening Spanish class with the Santorinis upstairs, I wouldn’t have much time.
“Tomorrow is perfect. Whatever Victor wanted to show me can wait one more day.”
With that, I collected the laptop and headed back to Adi’s apartment to slather bug repellent and sunblock all over myself in preparation for the hike.
Chapter 3
Lady pranced around so much I had difficulty putting the leash on her.
"Calm down, Lady." I finally managed to click her leash on and, together, we joined Jake and Adi in front of the restaurant.
I knew Adi had just thrown on the first shorts and tank top she had found. Her long, dark locks were tied up in a ponytail, and the only product I had seen her apply to her face was sunblock. And still, she looked ready for a photo shoot. It seemed to be my lot in life to be surrounded by beautiful people.
Her twin brother, Jake, was equally blessed genetically with his bright green eyes and chiseled features. He had his usual uniform on: a baseball cap, t-shirt, cargo shorts, and a pair of hiking sandals that looked the worse for wear. He looked down at my feet when Lady and I joined them.
"Are you certain you want to wear those?" he asked.
I lifted my Converse-clad foot for closer inspection. "These shoes take me everywhere I want to go. They’ve been on hikes before."
Jake was not convinced. "Don't you have any hiking shoes? Something with a thicker tread?"
I didn't. Jessenia had made me purchase a pair of hiking boots, but I had left them at my apartment. They took up so much room in my carry-on, I had been forced to choose between them and my laptop. It was a no-brainer. There was no way I was going to wear those thick, horrible boots when I could slip on my low-top Converse and know my feet would be comfortable all day. "It'll be fine. I'll just be careful."
With that, Jake and Adi led me to the edge of town and the side of the mountain. I craned my neck back to see the peak, and promptly had to look back down when the earth started to twirl. It was so tall. And I was going to climb the dusty, switchback trail to the top of it.
“How long will it take to get up there?” I asked, already short of breath. Sure, my studio apartment was on the fourth floor of a building with an elevator in constant need of repair and I rode my bicycle everywhere, but all that had been done at sea level. Baños was over a mile high in altitude.
Lady sat patiently, making a dust angel with her tail.
“If you can bike to Puyo tomorrow, this should be a piece of cake,” Adi said. “You’re sure you want to do that? If it stays as hot as it’s been, it will be a long, sticky, dirty ride.”
Jake wrapped his arm around his sister’s neck. “You just don’t want to break a sweat.” To me, he explained, “Adi is allergic to exercise.” He released his hold and she punched him in the shoulder.
Focusing his intense gaze on me, he added, “We could get to the top in an hour and a half, but we’re not in a hurry and can take as long as we need. You’ll love the view from the lookout and The Swing at the End of the World is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll take pictures for you.”
One little detail still bothered me. “The swing isn’t as dangerous as it looks, right? I mean, it isn’t really off the edge of a cliff, is it?” I laughed, fully expecting them to join me.
They didn’t. They just continued walking up the path.
“It’s not off a cliff, right?” I repeated, struggling to keep up.
Adi didn’t say anything, which was so not like her.
Jake, no doubt, had a lot of experience dealing with weenies who liked the idea of adventure more than they liked the adventure itself, but he did nothing to allay my anxiety. “You’ll see it for yourself soon enough. After what Abuelita and Tia Rosa have put you through, I think you’re up to it.”
He had a point there. In the past two weeks, those two women had exposed me to more danger and discomfort than I had experienced in all of my twenty-three years.
“I’m surprised they didn’t decide to join us. I think even Tia Rosa could run laps around me.” She was short and pudgy, but surprisingly spry. And Abuelita … she was one tough nut, but I thanked the powers that be that she considered me her friend. I loved her despite her gruff exterior. It hid a warm heart. I think.
Again, Jake and Adi exchanged a look. Maybe they shared some secret “fraternal twin” language, but I was getting tired of asking questions and getting no answers. “What?” I asked, stopping so Lady could rest. Okay, okay. So I could rest. The incline was getting steep and there was no shade to protect us from the hot equatorial sun.
Jake crossed his arms and waited for Adi to speak.
She drew a semi-circle in the dirt with the toe of her
hiking boot. “I might have implied that Mom needed their help in the restaurant and that we kind of wanted to go by ourselves.”
Jake stated the obvious. “You’ll pay for that, you know.”
Adi grimaced. “I know it, but sometimes I need a break too. You don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen with those two. If I don’t have a little space, I’m afraid I’ll blow up at Abuelita and then I’d feel guilty.”
“Oh, she’d make sure of that,” Jake agreed. “We’d better keep walking then. If we’re gone too long, it’ll be worse for you. Here, Jess, why don’t you let me walk Lady for a bit.”
Lady perked up and walked taller when I handed her leash over. She had great taste. The little stinker.
We trekked on in silence for some minutes and I tried to appreciate the beautiful scenery surrounding me. Butterflies fluttered around us and patches of wildflowers sweetened the gentle breeze cooling my skin. We were high enough, we could see Baños in its entirety below us.
Adi whispered to me, “Stop to take lots of pictures so we can catch our breath, okay? I’m way more out of shape than you are and I’m sick of Jake telling me that I should get out and move around more. Just because he enjoys the glories of nature doesn’t mean I do.” She cowered when an insect buzzed by her. “Get it off! Get it off!” she shouted, tucking her arms in and covering her face.
And I had thought I hated bugs. “You live in a strange place if you’re afraid of insects,” I commented.
She stood up, peeking through her hands to see if the coast was clear. “You have no idea. If only I could take my life here and transport it to Europe, I would be in Heaven.”
“Why did you come back?”
“I loved living in London — it’s so fashion-forward — but I missed my family. They’re my people and they keep me grounded when everything goes haywire.”
“But doesn’t your dad live there?”