Wishful Steps

9

Everything seemed like a dream. The walk in the forest, the trail along the stone wall, the Cave of Desires, the winged monster, and the vision he had of the locker room with Claudinha the falcon were vivid in his memory. He could even swear he was feeling a little sore in his ass. He opened his eyes and took a moment to orient himself. He was lying on the bed in his bungalow, and the sound of the shower had stopped.

"Darling? Tina?" he called.

Demerval sat up on the bed and was greeted by Friga's licks. On the bed, there was a gray sequined dress. He felt like he had seen that dress somewhere before.

"You finally woke up, wanderer. Do you know what time it is?" Tina asked, appearing in the room with a towel wrapped around her body and another on her hair. She was brushing her teeth as she spoke.

Demerval looked at his wrist, but he only saw the mark of the watch. He knew where he had left it.

"What time is it?"

"Almost two in the afternoon," Tina said, putting the toothbrush in a toiletry bag. "I have to go help the folks at the Dolphin Inn with the Americans. Apparently, not many guides speak English around here."

"Did you go to the brunch?" Demerval asked as he got out of bed and stretched, adjusting his glasses behind his ears.

"Yes. I just got back. That's why Friga is happy," Tina said, petting the dog and putting on her panties and bra. "She enjoyed making friends with everyone, except Bento. Can you believe it?"

"Why?" Demerval asked as he put toothpaste on his toothbrush.

"I don't know. She was wary of him. Kept barking," Tina said as she put on pants and a t-shirt. "There was a moment when I picked him up to see if she would get used to him, but not even then. Oh, that poodle smells like carrion, Demer. I need to recommend a remedy to Mrs. Margarete later. Must be some stomach issue, poor thing."

"Tina, have you ever heard of any special place here in Abaitaí?" Demerval asked after rinsing his mouth and drying it with a face towel.

"Special? Special how?" Tina asked, drying her hair with the towel and looking at herself in the mirror.

"I don't know, a place unlike anything you've ever seen," Demerval said as he took off his pajamas.

"No. Why?" Tina said as she put on a pair of socks.

"I don't know," Demerval said as he put on shorts and a shirt.

"Heeey, these walks with Guilherme aren't doing you any good. You guys aren't smoking weed, are you?" Tina joked, putting on her pair of sneakers.

"No. Honey, if you had the power to make one wish, any wish, what would you wish for?" Demerval asked, holding his wife's face.

"I don't know," she replied thoughtfully. "I mean... I think I would wish for you to be happy."

"Why? Why would you waste one of your wishes on me?"

"Because I am already happy, and I have everything I want," she said with a smile on her face, stealing a quick kiss from her husband's lips. "And what are you going to do?"

"I'll keep working until you come back," Demerval said, handing a tube of sunscreen to his wife.

"There are plenty of fun things to do at the Mansion, or you can take a stroll around. There are many interesting places to explore on the island," Tina said as she spread sunscreen on her face and arms.

"I'm done with strolls. I think I had better get back to work." Demerval said, handing his wife a water bottle he had taken from the mini-fridge.

"Suit yourself," she said, putting the water bottle in her bag. She kissed her husband and said, "See you later."