"7th floor, ivory suite. Here's you key ma'am." A green eyed receptionist hands me the key to my suite. I try to keep a smiling face while deep down inside I'm really tired, and I just want to rest.
"Thank you." I respond politely while placing the key in the pocket of my sun dress.
"You're welcome, ma'am." They young lady says before welcoming the next person in line after me. I head with my luggage to the closest elevator. My hair probably looks a mess, but in my defence, I've travelled for nine hours to get here from Egypt, my previous destination.
As I get close to the elevator, panic rises in me, and as I step closer, I can read a white paper sign saying that it's out of service. I huff annoyed. I turn around trying to see if the other two elevators have the same sign on it, and unfortunately for me, they're all out of service.
"Oh God, all these bags and an elevator of no use." I mumble to myself. As I'm ready to descend in my discomfort, a warm and low voice talks to me.
"Can I help you?" A tall man asks me with a full beard and in desperate need of a haircut. I'm about to say that he shouldn't worry and that I can manage to bring my stuff up to my floor, but the familiar voice of the receptionist nears us to prevent me from speaking further.
"Mr. Levinson, sir, I've already called the porter, and he will manage all this luggage." She says respectfully to the tall man.
"No need, I can help our miss here. Ivory suite?" He responds before the girl steps aside and heads back to her seat to welcome more guests.
"Yeah. Uhm... There's no need I can manage." He doesn't even listen to me. He's able to take all my stuff and head to the stairs.
"This way, follow me." I follow after him. We stay in silence for a while as the many stairs start to shorten my breath. I'm so out of shape, and cardio is definitely not my go-to thing when I work out.
"Thank you for helping me out, sir." I mutter, keeping on following him
"It's my job to keep the place in function. What kind of owner would I be if I didn't take matters in my own hand?" He shrugs. Even under his casual attire, I can detect his muscles, and he looks really strong.
"Oh, you're the owner." I exclaim, not expecting this man out of anyone here to be the owner of the hotel. He's definitely different from the others I've seen during all my travels across the globe.
"Don't I look like one?" That under his full beard look like a smile, so I reciprocate it.
"You're kind of...unorthodox." I try to find a kind word to not accidentally offend him.
"Oh, I'm unorthodox. Might be the African sun." He keeps on moving at the same pace while I slow down a little.
"Yeah. Uhm, how many stairs are left to the suite?" I ask after collecting all the breath I still got left in my lungs.
"About 150 stairs, we're just on the third floor." I feel like fainting after hearing that. I regret my decision to be a fashionista and wear these painful heels.
"Oh my!" I exclaim while I can taste a metallic aroma in my mouth. Damn me for not exercising more frequently.
"Don't worry, it will be worth it. Your suite has the most beautiful view." As if! That's the bare minimum. After all these stairs, I really expect a golden suite.
"Thank God at least one consolation." Even if I'm out of breath, my cynism can't be tamed.
"What is a fancy lady like you doing here?" He asks, almost concerned. He turns back to look at me. He's probably heard me wheezing. I try to look as normal as possible, but the sweat travelling down my forehead is betraying me.
"Just travelling the world." I try, invain, to sound as casual as possible.
"Do you have an itinerary in mind?" He's really good at small talk. I don't expect him to be really interested in what I do anyway.
"I go where my heart directs me." I try to be funny, but it seems like it doesn't work. He's still serious.
"Really poetic. Must be really hard travelling with a broken heart all alone." I stop immediately all my movements, and after a few steps, he stops as well. He turns around and smiles tenderly.
"I... how do you know?" I ask, frowning.
"You're not the first woman coming here ready to isolate herself." He starts walking again.
"I'm not isolating myself...I just want to solo travel." I want to minimise my pain and struggle to move on by reducing all these months of solitude and agony to nothing important.
"Hm." He simply responds with his deep voice. He doesn't sound convinced by my words.
"And what is man like you doing here, where the sun makes people faint like leafs?" I want to divert the conversation to more light matters and definitely none that concern me.
"I'm following my heart, too." That's a response that I didn't expect. This man is a mystery.
"You were heartbroken and suddenly decided to open a hotel?" I ask, chucking.
"Pretty much." He sounds sad for a moment.
"Well, maybe I should open a hotel too since I'm here." I try to lighten the mood. He starts walking again and I do it too.
"How long will I have the honour to be your host?
"I don't know, maybe five days maybe two weeks." I don't mean to sound vague, but this is my reality. This is how it is.
"Hm." I'm starting to hate this sound he makes. It's so confusing. What does that even mean?!
"Are we there yet?" I whine while my poor feet get sore more and more.
"One more ramp." He says. I trust him. Hopefully, I don't faint.
I guess I can do it. Just one more ramp. Just one more.
"Alright, we're here, duchess. " He announces before putting down all my luggage.
"Oh, thank goodness! Thank you too for bringing my bags." I say stepping out of my heels as I can't take this pain anymore.
"The technician is on his way to repair the elevators. By tonight, everything will be properly functioning." He informs me. I extract the key to my suite out of my sundress's pocket.
"Thank you, Mr Levinson." I extend my hand for him to shake.
"Please just Ari, miss?" He's shakes my hands smiling softly.
I tell him my full name, and he just looks at me as he repeats it. He's really handsome, and he looks like a really hard-working man, too.
"Alright, Ari, thank you." I open the door as he turns back to leave.
"This dinner...be my guest." He says with his hands burried in his pockets.
"Oh, I thought of ordering room service." I respond, hoping not to sound unpolite or disrespectful.
"I'll wait for you whether you come or not. Eight p.m sharp. I'll be in the hall." He leaves, and I have no time to formulate a sentence.
I enter the suite, and I can definitely see how all that pain my poor feet endured was worth it. The room is beautiful, and the smell of clean sheets hits my nose. I inhale all the lavender perfume and exhale relaxing my muscles. I explore the room, and all the small details like the African traditional masks and paintings on the wall that make it unique and refreshing.
Mr Levinson, I mean Ari was right. The view from the immense glass wall is amazing. Nature all around, and I can see a portion of the immense animal reserve.
I take out of my luggage a few things so I can take a shower and sleep for the rest of the day. After showering with cold water, and as I'm about to close my eyes and rest, my phone rings. It's my mother. I answer the phone telling her that I'm alright and that even if the flight was long, I just arrived at my new destination. She sounds happy, but as soon as she begs me to come go back home, I get irritated and try to end the phone call under the pretext of some connection problems. She believes me, and we end the conversation before starting to fight again. I fall asleep in no time. And when I wake up, I can see the golden light of the sun get golden, and it's about to set below the horizon. I ask myself what shoukd I order for room service, but suddenly Ari pops up in my head and for a moment I consider accepting his invite for dinner. After all, meeting new people instead of being alone sounds better. I get dressed uo quickly. I do my makeup as naturally as possible. I wear a dark green sun dress with a back cut out, wear brown sandals and my black pochette. I take my phone and key and head out to the closest elevator. It seems like the technician has repaired it like Ari said.
He's in the hall, wearing a beige outfit. From the fabric, it seems like linen. I get closer to him.
"Happy to see me?" I ask him.
"Arrogant, aren't you duchess?"
"Couldn't help it." He smiles, showing me his beautiful pearly white teeth.
He's even more handsome. God I could faint.
I follow after him as we arrive in the big dining room. Many guests are eating, and some are congratulating Ari or stopping him for small talks. We arrive at a table decorated with white roses. There are many people sitting, and I start to get nervous.
"Um, I didn't know you've invited all these people." I say, getting anxious.
"Were are you expecting a date?" He mocks me.
"N-no, I'm... just awkward." I admit.
"You're as beautiful as the African sunrise." He whispers to my ear. I flush at the compliment, but I'm brought back to planet Earth as he says my name and introduces me to the other guests. The evening goes on with small talks being exchanged among the guests. Ari seems like the glue that keeps all these people together. He's outspoken, intelligent, and funny without even trying. He captivates everyone around him with his charm and persona. I eat in silence, listening to the conversation being exchanged around me.
"Any plans for tomorrow?" He suddenly asks me.
"Reading by the pool?" I answer before sipping some water from my glass.
"Is that even a plan?" He raises an eyebrow.
"It's what I've done in all my travels. I've visited the historic sites, and the other days, I was just by pool and reading. And vice versa. " I mutter, going down memory lane.
"Where have you been?" He gets closer with his body while still sitting on his chair next to me.
"I've visited Province in southern France, I went to Chianti, Italy, then I stayed in Casablanca, flew to Santorini, visited Ethiopia and Egypt before coming here." I answer.
"One hell of a ride. Did you enjoy your solitude so far?" He drinks a little bit of wine.
"I loved the wine that for sure." I chuckle.
"Do you like wine?" He raises an eyebrow inquisitive.
"I'm some kind of connaisseur myself." I'm almost offended that I don't look like an expert.
"Oh, are you pretty one?! It's your lucky day, well, night. I've got some new wines imported from both France and Italy. I would like to see a connoisseur at work." He moves his chair closer to mine.
"Do you want me to taste your most expensive wine?" I ask as if I I'm unworthy of such opportunity.
"Yeah, I want you to taste my expensive wine. And if you don't like it, I've got some fancy champagne as well." He smirks. Why do I have a feeling that being close to him gets my body all tingly?
"I actually wouldn't mind a glass of champagne right now." I admit.
Suddenly, he raises from his chair and holds out his hand. I look at him for a second before finally taking his hand.
"Your wish, my command, ma'am. Follow me?" I nod, not sure about what's next. He apologises to the other guests and we go back to the hall.
"Diana, I'd like some of the best champagne we've got." He says after stopping a waitress busy holding a serving tray.
"Of course, sir. I'll call Dennis." The young woman says, hurrying up.
We head next to the swimming pool outdoors. He moves a chair for me to sit while I admire some catalogue on the table.
"Let's sit and wait, then, shall we?"
"Yeah" I nod before sitting down.
For a moment, everything is quiet, and some of the negative thoughts start to slip their way into my head. For a moment, I see Charles' face, and I feel like a candle burnung out.
"You have pretty sad eyes. That person you suffer so much for has really broken you." He reads me as if I am an open book. I thought I was careful enough not to show my darkest emotions to anyone.
"How could you blame me? He was my fiancé." I almost feel something crowl under my sking. It still gives me this effect even after all these months.
A young man brings us champagne with too glasses that he positions on the table. He also delivers some metal housing to the owner. He opens it, and it's a half smoked sigar. He lights it up and starts to smoke it. It doesn't bother me. In effect, it has the opposite effect on me. I'm even more attracted to him.
"Thank you, Dennis." Ari smiles at the young man before he bows with respect and leaves.
"What has he done to break you?" He pours some champagne into my glass while with the other hand he holds his cigar.
"He cheated on me the day after he proposed." I take the glass he offers me and sip it all. Without doubt, the best champagne I've ever tasted in my life and that probably I will ever taste. It's sweet and perfect.
"That's low." He says darkly.
"Yeah. The problem is that he was cheating from the beginning." I fill my glass to then drink it all again.
"I'm happy you chose yourself, though." He sips his champagne calmly.
"Some women decide to stay no matter what, but you left." He looks at the beautiful sky in distance.
"Well, how could I even look at someone like that in the eyes?! Besides, I would have never forgiven myself if I had stayed by his side. I'm not my mom." I whisper more to myself than to him.
"You're a pretty woman. You will have no problem finding someone right for you." He looks at me with tender eyes.
"He's all I've ever known." I chuckle dryly.
"He was your first love?" He sounds surprised.
"Yeah. We grew up together, after all." I look into my glass, letting myself get hypnotised by all the small bubbles in it.
"How did your family take the news?" I still feel his eyes on me.
"My mom begged me not to break up with him. She calls me every day, hoping I go back home to get married. My dad is out of the picture, haven't talked to him in years." I spill all the truth as if all my inhibitions are off. It's definitely this champagne.
"I'm sorry to hear this." He purses his lips.
"Don't be. He wasn't a good father." The mood has changed. And it's all my fault. I have to go, I can't stay. I get up immediately and bid him goodbye before going back to my room. As I arrive at the hall, some of the guests that were sitting with us recognise me and wish me a good night. I do the same. I arrive at my suite and let myself fall on top of the soft bed. I do what I can not to cry, but my tears have a mind on their own, and they slide one after one on my face. I just hope this night will be long and nice.
In the morning I order room service. After remembering what happened last night, I feel the need to apologise to Ari, but something refrains me from doing it, maybe my fear that he might pity me.
I read in my room, hoping that one of the many heroines I read about is going through the same emotions that are tormenting me right now. I stay in my room the entire day, but at dusk, I head to the pool to read a little more and maybe swim.
No one is swimming, and there are only two couples heading out of the pool area.
I lay on a lounge, and as I'm about to open my book, I hear a voice close to me.
"Already embracing your traditions?" Ari seems in a teasing mood.
"You have too much free time. Don't you have one of those boring and endless meetings to attend?" I asks him as he sits next to me on the other lounge.
"Had a couple of those this morning." He smiles softly.
"Are you getting ready for a new one?" I look at my book.
"I'm heading to the reserve. An elefant is pregnant, and today it might be the day." As he says this, I look at him, hoping that he's not kidding me. He looks sincere.
"Can I come with you?" I ask. I don't really care for his answer. Whether he likes it or not, I'm going with him.
"Thought you wanted to engage in your favourite hobby." I roll my eyes and cross my arms.
"Can you be ready in ten?" He smiles, showing his pearly white teeth.
"Yep. Be right back." I rush to the elevator.
In no time, I'm ready. I'm so happy I brought my expensive camera with me.
He's waiting for me in the hall. He's talking to a woman he seems close with. The way she's leaning towards him tells me that they know each other.
"Here she is." Says Ari. As I get closer, I recognise the woman's face. Her name's Ntabi. She was at the dinner table last night. She was one of the few polite women I exchanged some words with.
She hugs me all cheerfully. I'm taken back, but she smells really good, so I relax and hug her back.
Her smile bright like ivory and her eyes shiny like a million lights.
In the car, I sit back, while Ntabi takes the driver's seat, and Ari seats next to her.
We chit chat a little bit and and I come to find out that the elephant about to give birth is called Raafi.
"Raafi is the oldest elefant in our reserve. When we found out she was pregnant, we thought it was a miracle. Elefants, unlike some of us humans, don't mate in the last part of their lives." Ari explains to me since Ntabi knows already it all, and works at the reserve.
"Have you already chosen a name?" I ask while photographing the beautiful landscape that surrounds us.
"Siddarth, our best zoologist, has probably chosen one." He informs me.
Suddenly, a phone call interrups our small talk. Ari answers the phone immediately.
"We're on our way." He simply responds before ending the call.
He then turns back to me and informs me that the contraptions are more frequent and that in no time, she will give birth.
"Are we almost there?" I whine not wanting to miss the moment.
"Not even five minutes away." Ntabi comforts me.
"I don't want to lose this for nothing in the world." I mumble while my heartbeat increases. I'm so excited.
"Didn't think of you as an animal lover." Ari as always has his own way to tease me.
"You'd be surprised to see all the animals in my farm back home. I have many dogs, various cats, donkeys, ducks, and lambs, you name it." I say while raising my chin high with pride.
"My bad for judging a book by its cover." He raises his hands as if to announce defeat.
"What is the idea that you have of me?" I ask, shocked.
"Spoiled little thing trying to flee her lifetime of privileges. Ntabi, you must know that our duchess in the back seat comes from the upper class." Ntabi, my new best friend, defends me and supports me.
"Wow. That was really unkind of you." I say while he chuckles.
"You should be glad I showed you some mercy." I shake my head as he scoffs.
"Thank you for sparing me then." Ntabi chuckles, and I smile too.
"What's the idea that you have of me?" He demands curious.
"Tall, unorthodox hotel owner." I try to remain as vague as possible. I don't want his to know what I think of him. He won't have this privilege.
"Fair enough. I think that's all I am." He shredders his shoulders.
"I'd be disappointed if this was all you are." I mumble more to myself than to him.
"We're here!" Ntabi kills the engine, and we all get out of the car.
A young man comes rushing and signs us to hurry up.
He leads the way to the three of us. We finally arrive in a small room with many floor to ceiling windows. The elephant, Raafi, seems in pain. She's outside surrendered by a team of experts.
We stay there standing for twenty minutes without saying anything, but my heart beats so fast and my palms starts to get sweaty.
"It's a girl!" A woman exclaims, and we all cheer at news. The team of vets takes care of the little elephant who is already capable of walking. I take a picture, and I can't stop smiling. In this moment I'm really really happy.
Later, we move to a bar located in an elevated zone from when we can see all the different animals. There are giraffes, many kinds of birds, lions, panthers, and so much more. The sunset makes it all more poetic. I haven't felt this good in a while. I take many pictures being inspired by the beauty of nature.
The three of us sit down, and soon I'm introduced to the main zoologist and coordinator of Raafi' s delivery, Siddarth, man with some white hair here and there. He's quite short but nevertheless wise.
"How are you going to name her?" I ask while drinking some water. From up there, we can see all the elephants being curious about the new arrival.
"Ekam." Siddarth responds after drinking some juice.
"She's really beautiful." I say sincerely.
"Ekam means unity." Ari whispers to me. We're sitting next to each other.
"In what language?" I ask curious, hoping to call his bluff.
"Sanscrit." He responds as he puts a pair of sun glasses on.
"Do you know sanscrit?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, I was an anthropologist." I look at Ntabi hoping she could give me a hint of whether this man is serious or not, but she's too captivated by the sunset.
"Are you serious?" I question him scowling.
"Am I the type to crack jokes?" He asks me entitled.
"I don't know you tell me." He's so close now that our shoulder brush one against another.
He chuckles and I smile like an idiot.
"But yeah, I was an anthropologist. I've studied ancient languages too." He admits.
"So there is more to add on our list of the Ari persona. Tall, unorthodox, former anthropologist hotel owner." His skin is golden, and it feels like we're the only two people on Earth. And when he smiles again at me, I melt. I can't stand his beauty, so I turn around looking for something to focus on.
Suddenly, Siddarth gets up from his chair and gets close to the bannister and leans on it.
"She's really healthy and strong. Ekam will probably be the matriarch and replace her mother." He says more to himself than to us.
"She's the cutest elefant I've ever seen." Ntabi comments getting close to Siddarth.
"Yeah, she's awesome!" Ntabi and Siddarth get closer and closer and discuss the other animals in the reserve.
"I don't know much about elephants, but is it true that in the last stage of their lives, they return where they were born?" I ask Ari, hoping he would answer my question even if he's not a zoologist.
"Yes, indeed. Raafi was born here and has returned to give birth and die. Her time will soon come." He says, adjusting his glasses on his nose bridge.
"Do you see that tree over there?" He asks me, pointing a tree not that far from our position.
I direct my eyes to where he's pointing.
"Yes, the one whose branches are touching the ground?" I ask him.
"Exactly. When the day comes, Raafi will go under its branches and reunite with her ancestors." He explains.
"It's the circle of life." Says Siddarth sitting back on his chair.
"Do all the elephants in the reserve go there to die?" My curiosity is on the next level even if I don'treally wanna know the answer.
"Yes, the all do." Siddarth informs me before talking again.
"There is a legend that says that the first elephants of the reserve died under that exact tree. It was a really young elephant, and when the family of the poor being had to migrate south, its mother cried golden tears. Mother Nature heard the poor elephant crying and promised to keep its body away from vultures. She commanded the tree to cover with his branches the body of the young elephant. So now they all go there to die to reconnect with it." Siddarth pitches the bridge of his nose and adjusts his glasses.
"I don't want her to die. She has just become a mother." I mutter. The realisation that such a gentle animal will soon be just a memory makes me really sad. Uncomfortable, to be honest.
"This is how things are supposed to be. We're all gonna die sooner or later. We will all become food for the warms underground if we're lucky or vultures for those of us who will not be buried. You should just accept it and not get attached." Ari has no words to comfort me with. I don't even know if he even has a slight notion of such concept.
"That's cruel to say Ari." I scoff holding my tears.
"It's life, sunshine." God, I'm so pissed off now. Thanks, Ari Levinson.
"We have many animals miss, you should come one of these days and visit our reserve." Siddarth tries to distract me from the negative thoughts that Ari has bombarded my mind with.
"Thank you." I smile, hoping that no one has noticed my mood change.
"Please be mine and Ntabi' s guest for this dinner." What I suspected was true. There is something going on between Siddarth and Ntabi. The way they look at each other has no other way of interpretation if not with love and affection.
The evening passes, and the sun goes down. I have the chance to take some pictures and I take advantage of it. At dinner, we all reunite around one of the biggest tables at the bar. Siddarth's team joins us too, and we all enjoy a nice soirée.
After dinner, Ntabi and I take a walk and talk mostly about the animals and the tour she offered me to take tomorrow. I accept her offer. Later on, we go back to the hotel, and I go to sleep before the others. I don't exchange more words with Ari, I have nothing to say to him. With the excuse that I stayed too much in the Sun and that I want to rest and preserve my energies for tomorrow's tour, I go to bed.
Today, I spend all the morning checking the pictures that I took yesterday. They're all amazing, and I think I got a little carried away since I've taken about four hundred. After lunch, Ntabi and I head to the reserve. There are many tourists, I didn't expect all these people to be here, especially at this time of the day when it's so hot. So we decide to pay a visit to the lion's cubs that the zoologist are keeping under watch to be sure their injuries can heal as soon as possible. We play with the cubs, and as the tourists start to leave the reserve, we can finally have access to some of the few horses.
As I'm about to saddle up, I feel a hand on my back, making sure I don't fall. Who else, if not Ari Levinson. As I look at him, he's biting his lower lip. Maybe he wants to say something.
