Savannah

27

Chapter Twenty Seven: Part 1: Coincidence?

Monday morning, as Meriam got ready to walk to Savannah House, she noticed the Venezuelan women who stayed in Joe Cooper's house over the weekend walking out of Lime Street. They called out to her as they passed, and she acknowledged them with a wave and smile.

She walked towards Savannah House with Talia and Bani. They stopped at the chocolate factory and she continued up the street. Soon she reached Savannah House. Lauren was back at University and Ralph was in school. She sat with Elaine in the great room as Valentina mopped the floor. Meriam noticed she had bruises on her neck again, and her eyes looked swollen. She was sure someone was abusing her, and felt sorry, thinking that she'll have to tell Lauren. She wondered whether anyone else noticed.

Suddenly, Elaine looked at Valentina. "Yuh wake whole night, flying, you soucouyant? Look how yuh neck so black. Someone rub salt in yuh eye?"

Meriam froze. Did Elaine notice Valentina's swollen eyes and bruises, too, she wondered? "Mama, Valentina is not a soucouyant."

Valentina smiled at Meriam. Her smile was so genuine that, although Meriam thought she looked hurt, she knew Valentina didn't hold any grudges against Elaine for her outburst.

"Mama, you relax. It have no Soucouyant."

Elaine turned towards the television again, appearing confused, as Valentina continued mopping the floor.

Meriam hoped she was alright. "Everything okay Valentina?"

"Yes."

Meriam decided she needed to discuss Valentina's bruises with Lauren. She was sure she'd help. Valentina continued doing her chores, and Meriam's thoughts soon turned to Aarav. She remembered his words, and countless questions bombarded her mind. Not long afterwards, her phone rang. It was Aarav. She went onto the patio to talk in private. She remembered what he said on the beach Sunday, and how he hadn't answered her question.

"Sunday... you said you did it with lots of your friends?"

Silence.

"You there?"

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"You can do it with your friends?"

He did not answer.

"You there."

"Yeah, yeah."

Silence.

He hurried off the phone. "I have to go now. Call me tonight."

Meriam wondered whether he feared her questions. She decided she won't ask again.

That night, as he advised, she called him at eight o'clock. She asked if he was home. He confirmed he was out of the country, but he didn't say where. Suddenly, he informed her he couldn't talk and asked her to call in the morning. She thought it strange that he couldn't talk. She asked if she could text him on WhatsApp and he replied it might be impossible for him to reply. He was with coworkers. Before the call ended, a man's bawling resounded in the background. She wondered what was happening.

She stared at her phone's screen, opened WhatsApp, and began texting. Maybe he'd reply, she thought. "When are you coming back to Trinidad?" She pressed send. After a few minutes, she noticed two blue ticks next to her message.

Aarav was typing a message. Moments later, she got a text. "Tomorrow."

She continued texting. "When did you leave Trinidad?"

"Today."

"In what country are you?"

She waited, but got no reply. Half an hour later, still no reply. She put the phone beside her, took up her book and tried to read, but couldn't. She lay on the bed, thinking of him. Five minutes later, she felt like listening to music. Maybe it'd cheer her, she thought, and searched YouTube on her phone and found her playlist and began playing Alan Walker's song, Faded? She loved that song. It appealed to her, as she was always wondering where he was. She listened to the song a few more times before moving on to one of Adele's song, Set Fire To The Rain. After listening to it twice, she checked her phone.