The Jungle

Chapter 16: Beds

Eventually, Caroline got up to take a shower. She left Bahati staring out the window silently, searching for God knew what. She thought it was a bit strange how he could stand stock still for so long, but she didn’t let it worry her. After her confession, he had many things to process.

Bahati was thinking about many things, but at the moment, Caroline was the most firmly mulled over. She intrigued him, especially after he learned so many things about her. She had shared something very intimate with him: the fact that her mate had died. She was one of the ones who would have been put to death by his colony for being weak, but he was impressed with her.

To be honest, he had never intended to talk about Joto again. However, he was considering doing it because Caroline had shared the story of her downfall with him. The more he thought about her, the more impressive her character became. She had done a complete about-face once she realized what was right. There was a curious feeling stirring deep within the center of his stomach. At first, he thought it was hunger pains, but he began to realize that Caroline was the one who caused the weird sensation. IT wasn’t pain. It was a leaping, bucking, happy feeling. What was it?

He heard Caroline go through a door to the other room behind him. Still, he kept puzzling. What was the connection between them? It wasn’t mere acquaintance, oh no. They had passed that point a long time ago. They were friends at the very least. Each was a dark enigma that found light and refuge in the other. The puzzle pieces just didn’t fit together for him because he was missing a few. Joto and Warren, for instance, were out of place. He knew he ought to do the honorable thing and remember her memory by not thinking of another woman with the softness he’d always saved for her, but he found himself thinking soft thoughts of Caroline even as far back as the hospital in Singapore. He wanted her near to him even then. It wasn’t until their exodus across the ocean that he had come to realize Caroline meant more to him than a friend. The longer he stood at the window, the more he thought he was in love.

He turned at last and saw that she was missing, and remembered her going through the door. His feet walked to the door and his hand paused, unsure of whether or not to turn the handle. As his fingers closed carefully around the cool metal, he held his breath. The knob turned and the door swung open and his eyes went wide.

Caroline’s clothes lay on the floor of the room and she stood in front of a large mirror with a towel wrapped around her body and her hair hanging dark and wavy and soaking wet down her back. As he entered, her eyes went wide as well and she turned to face him, holding the towel carefully in front of her body. “What…what are you doing in here?” she stammered.

“I didn’t know you’d be…naked,” he said softly, beginning to back out the door. “I just needed to talk to you about something important, but if now isn’t the time…”

“No,” Caroline said quickly and firmly. “What is it?” She had a very good idea what it was.

Bahati cleared his throat. “I…I need to know what I feel for you,” he said. “There is no name for it and I am confused. I need to experience what it is for myself. You mean a great deal to me, Caroline. I should like to find out how much.”

Caroline grinned awkwardly and scratched the back of her head. “Well, there’s no time like the present.” She walked slowly towards the terrified native. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

The towel fell to the floor and Bahati swallowed. “Caroline,” he cautioned.

But Caroline merely smiled, dimples coming gaily to life on her cheeks. She noticed Bahati’s pupils grow in size as he tried to look only at her face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.