2020-When Time Stood Still

Chapter Seven-Ronnie

Chapter Seven

Ronnie

I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling lost in thought. It had been three days now in this room. My symptoms were improving and more importantly Effie already seemed like new in comparison to that day on the plane. The combination of rest, medication and all the vitamin supplements I was pumping her with seemed to be having the desired effect.

"How much longer do you think we'll be here?" Effie asked from her bed on the opposite side of the room. She was channel hopping which was starting to make me go slightly stir crazy. The British embassy had contacted me each day to keep tabs on our health status but any questions from me were met with purely ambiguous responses. Each day three meals were placed outside our door with a polite knock. Whenever I opened the door however there would be no-one outside, just a tray of food and a long empty passage, as if we were being served by a ghost waiter. The whole situation was becoming more and more surreal.

"I don't know babe, but I'm starting to get the feeling we're locked up in a luxury prison." I sighed heavily and began daydreaming of those days with Kai, back in the desert: Freedom, exhilaration, debating, laughing...

Where was he now? Was he safe? For some strange reason there was no Wifi in the room and my mobile seemed to be blocked. We were completely incommunicado. I had no idea how any of my family were and likewise they would be equally distraught with no news about our wellbeing. I had specifically given the embassy my parent's number and details to inform them of our whereabouts but no confirmation on whether they'd been informed or not.

I was heartened to hear Effie giggling in the corner which momentarily distracted me from my melancholic mood. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"Look it's that program we like, 'Travels with my father' you know Jack Whitehall. It's hilarious. They're in Istanbul like us. Check out that hotel, so beautiful where they are. I wish we could get out and see some of the city." She was momentarily miserable but soon began laughing again at the TV program. I was suddenly struck by a powerful urge to leave the room.

I stood up and headed towards the door. Effie looked at me in alarm.

"Where are you going? Don't be crazy! You might get into trouble!"

"Don't worry," I responded. "I'll play stupid if I'm caught. I just need to get out and see what's going on." It was that magnetic pull again, as if I were being called to meet someone.

I crept out the door and looked up and down the long dreary passageway. The carpets were worn and old, the lighting was flickering and there was an absolute silence as if we were the only guests in a long-abandoned hotel. It momentarily felt like a scene out of a Hitchcock movie.

I turned right and began creeping along. I felt slightly ridiculous creeping as if I were a burglar, yet the situation was so ridiculously far- fetched anyway. More than ever I felt like a character in a film, playing a role or in some kind of simulation. Nothing felt real anymore.

Before I had time to react, the door I was passing was suddenly flung open and a young male of Afro Caribbean descent jumped out into the hall in front of me. I was startled and took a step back. "Sorry mate, didn't mean to scare you!" He said in a London accent.

A Londoner here in the hotel in Turkey only doors down from us! I began to laugh and almost flung my arms around him in relief but felt that was going slightly too far. He smiled back in relief at my response.

I began speaking excitedly. "You have no idea how good it is to hear a Brit accent especially someone from my neck of the woods. Usually I try and escape the Brits but right now I'm so happy to meet you" I was aware I was babbling like an idiot but felt he may be just as relieved as me to see a friendly face.