A Vida Barco

[9]

hello everyone!
I know, it's been a while. I've just lost motivation and was busy.
Now I'm back with another chapter and I hope y'all stick with me.
Like I said, sorry for the delay!

This chapter isn't the most exciting one, however it's necessary.
I hope you like it!
Please leave behind some feedback :)

*

[9]

The warm air blew into my face as I jumped out of the plane.
It was warm, the sun was shining as I walked into the airport building, waiting for my bag.

The signs were written in some weird language, but luckily everything was translated into English.
Also finding an official taxi wasn't as hard as expected, and that made Thailand score already.

My first impression got a bit dimmed as we drove through the city, though.
The sun for somehow disappeared here, the sky just grey with warm temperatures.
Pretty full and the streets rather dirty. Even though the car's windows were closed, I could smell the bad air.

However, we came closer to Koh Lipe. And the closer we came, the brighter the sky got. And all of a sudden, like out of nowhere, the sun was shining bright.
Don't ask me how this is possible, but all of a sudden, one couldn't see anything of the dirty city.

Palm trees everywhere, beautiful shops and restaurants. That for sure was rather the part for the rich. And for tourists. Or migrants.

I jumped off the taxi and took my bags.
I didn't have much with me. And I didn't plan to check in in some fancy hotel. The less I used this passport (even though it was fake) the better.

I made my way to the little house, the real estate agency right next to the beautiful beach.

Man felt I relieved. Not about the passport which had worked. About my life in general. All of a sudden, I felt like I was actually at home even though I wasn't.

I was welcomed by some guy (clearly not from here because he was White) in a suit, giving me a handshake.
"We've been waiting for you, I can't wait to show you the residences I've found", he told me.

Hell yeah, I couldn't wait either.

"Sounds like we can start?" I asked and smiled happily, a genuine smile.

"Of course" the man said, pointing on his car, a silver AMG SL.

I smiled and followed him. Everything was perfect. So far from what I've seen of Koh Lipe, it was a beautiful, neat place, everything in order, a contrast to what I'd seen before.

It was like paradise, a place you'd never assume to be there behind a very huge, dirty part of Thailand. But this made me feel save. Like it was behind a fence. As if you had to be smart in order to find this place.

"Maybe this is too early, but - how do you pay?"
The man asked me, and I looked at him.
Yeah. How was I going to pay? It wasn't the lack of money, for sure not. It was how to pay without being traced back.

"I -" , I started, thinking. I wanted to pay cash. Yes, a huge amount of money. However, speaking it out loud made me feel bad.

"Cash?", he asked me.
I nodded.
"See", he started, "most of my clients pay cash"

I raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so?"
"Yes", the real estate agent said as he stopped the car.
We had parked in front of a house right at the beach. A beautiful beach house.
And I forgot about all the money for a moment.

"Mr Elliot?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know what you did, and I'm sure that isn't even your real name, but absolute discretion is key to my buisness", I heard him say and I couldn't help but grinning.

Well, my last name was my real name, and my first name, too, for somehow.
I felt like this man had experience with people who wanted to disappear.

"Perfect", I nodded.
"Then I'll pay cash. Guess we both benefit from that", I winked confidentiality, even though I didn't know where that confidence was coming from.

We got out, and now I had a full view on my potentially new home.
Four steps led to the main door, everything kept in white.

I followed the agent inside, and what can I say? I was smashed.
White marble floor, the interior was minimalistic, yet modern and expensive looking. There was an open kitchen, a huge panorama window leading to the terrace, from which you could look at the sea.

"Beautiful", I said quietly.

I barely listened to him, brabbeling on about some aspects of the house I didn't need to know.

He opened the terrace door, and we stepped outside.
The terrace had white wooden floor and a glass railing. It was absolutely gorgeous. I could look down at the beach.

"That's a private beach, only those who have their house in this area have access to it", I heard him going on, and I nodded.

"Do you want to go down, check out your garden?" He asked, and I thought he meant the beach, but when I followed to where his finger was pointing at, I saw narrow stone stairs.
I nodded and followed him, right into a little garden.

Absolutely green grass, and a nice, huge pool.
Only a row of bushes with hibiscus split the property from the beach, well, and a fence.

"This is amazing", I said, and I felt my grin becoming wider and wider.

We walked back in, ad went upstairs.
The bedroom had a white/greyish carpet floor and again, a balcony with panorama windows.

The whole house had huge windows in general, and I loved that.

The bathroom had a black marble floor, a huge bathtub and shower, the whole interior was modern.

"You can get everything right as you see it here" the agent said, and I nodded as I stepped out on the balcony, leaning against the railing.

He must've been confused since I didn't say anything.
"If you want, we can look at other properties...", I heard him, but I shook my head.
"This one is perfect", I said.
"I'll buy it"

He smiled at me, just as much as I smiled at him.
"Then I'll get everything ready, you get the money and we'll meet at my office? Whenever?" He asked me.

"How about this afternoon?" I replied, smiling