Taste of Ms. Alexander

Chapter 21

AMANDA "ASIA" ALEXANDER

The vehicle came to a stop in the vicinity of what appeared to be an abandoned building. It was encompassed by thorns, vines and overgrown trees. The concrete structure could barely be seen amongst the vast greenery. An abundance of branches enveloped with leaves stretched their long limbs in embracement on the walls. What appeared to be an entrance was barred off by planks of wood, but the center pieces demolished by evident trespassers. It appeared to have taken a huge blow by a heavy duty metal. The windows were nothing, but huge openings to darkness. Whether they were at one time installed with glass or not was hard to tell. A huge contrast to the manicured lawns and immaculately designed houses that we previously drove by. It raised many alarming questions as to the reasoning behind the abandonment of this building.

So I looked over at Jamie with furrowed eyebrows.

"Have you ever been here?" he asked.

"No, I didn't even know this building was down here. What's so special about this place by the way? Because from the looks of it nobody really comes here," I responded.

"There are many stories behind the indefinite continuation of this hotel. It's a building that intrigues my curiosity to say the least. I've asked numerous questions and researched online, but never came upon someone or an article with core facts. This abandoned structure has been here for so many decades and yet no one has ever dug deeper into this mystery. Some have told me that anyone who has ever possessed ownership of this plot of land dies before they could do any ground work. Others say family bankruptcy. Alot of villagers claim that the building is haunted, but I've explored every crevice of this place and it's yet to be seen. The hidden beauty of this place gives me a thrill to someday own this property and flip it into a sweet spot for relaxation seekers. But the reason I brought you here is to show you what's hidden behind these walls," he said. His eyes glimmered with enthusiasm as he spoke.

"It's crazy how you don't seem taken aback by the rumors that this place may be haunted. You still see the beauty beyond the rough exterior. Just hearing you talk about it gives me a eerie feeling. You better make sure no jumbie ain't ride me tonight ," I responded.

"Stop being a coward and come," he said as he exited the vehicle.

I grabbed the bag containing the food, my cellphone and placed my crossbody bag over my shoulders. Jamie had walked to the trunk and returned with two yoga mats in his grasp.

"We'll have to use these to sit on since this was very impromptu. Follow me scaredy-cat," he said jokingly.

Jamie walked over to the off the beaten track leading into the bushes. I looked around then let out a huge sigh. An adventure was about to unfold. The pebbles and withered leaves crunched beneath the soles of my sneakers. The choice of white airforces weren't necessarily the best in this circumstance. The further we walked the nearer I could've heard the crashing of the waves against the shoreline. We continued along the side of the building until we got to the end of the track. Pristine crystal clear blue water rippled in gentle waves onto the golden sand, with variant speckles of shades of brown. The view before me was absolutely breathtaking, the catamarans and sail boats danced gracefully in the distance to the rhythm of the waves. While the sun showcased her last picturesque show for the day. A perfect blend of vibrant hues of pink, purple and orange illuminated the evening sky.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It's truly beautiful and quaint. I like the fact that nobody else is here. I can bask in this moment without any interruptions. Almost feels like we're on our own little private island," I responded.

"Happy to hear that you like it here. One thing you should know about me is that I enjoy adventure. I'm always up for seeking out hidden waterfalls, rivers, beaches etc. I try to steer away from popular locations because of the attention. It's a lot of persons around that know who I am and honestly I prefer the lowkey lifestyle," he said as we walked in search of a spot to spend the evening.