pretty.”
“It was only fifty soles.”
Jim emerged from the bus. “Let’s go,” he shouted.
A half hour later the bus sided up to the curb in front of the Vilandre Hotel. The group crowded the small lobby. Christine lay on a couch, feeling tired and sick, while the hotel staff began handing out room keys. Jessica and Christine were assigned a room on the third floor. The hotel only had one elevator, so they climbed the stairs.
Jessica opened their door but stopped in the threshold. “Prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“Serious u-g-l-y.”
The room was of average hotel room size, austere and dated. The drapes were tan and sun-faded, and the carpet, mauve and balding, was far past its prime if it ever had one. The room’s floorboards looked to be of light oak and were scuffed and chipped. There were two twin beds with dark umber quilts, threadbare in places. Between the beds was a simple wooden nightstand.
Christine looked around. “Well, I wasn’t expecting the Four Seasons.” She stepped inside, set her bags on the bed and opened them. She took out her few clothes and hung them in the closet; then threw her pillow on top of the bedspread. From an inside pocket she took out a bracelet, crouched down and wrapped it around the leg of the bed.
“What’s that?” Jessica asked.
“They said to bring flea collars.”
Jessica stared at the band. “That doesn’t look like a flea collar.” She took a step closer.
“It was ugly. I hot-glued rhinestones on it.” She pulled out three more and fastened them around the remaining legs of the bed.
Jessica burst out laughing until she fell on her back on the opposite bed. Christine’s face tightened. “Don’t mock me.”
When Jessica finally gained her composure, she wiped tears from her eyes and said, “I’m sorry. You’re one of a kind. You’re the only girl I know who would mop a dirt floor.”
“Glad you find me so amusing.” Christine said stiffly. She sat on the corner of the bed and lay back. The mattress was hard and musty.
Jessica sighed loudly, then went to the window and parted the curtains. The rooftops below them were mostly terra-cotta tile with stucco or concrete walls. Clotheslines stretched from building to building like great webs.
“Can you believe we’re really here?” Jessica asked.
Christine screamed.
Jessica spun around. “What?”
Christine pointed toward the corner of the room. “There’s something up there.”
Jessica looked up. A small olive drab–colored lizard clung to the wall. She exhaled with relief. “Man! I thought it was a tarantula or something. It’s only a gecko.” Jessica walked up to it for a closer look. “They’re good luck.”
“I can’t sleep in a room with lizards crawling around it.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Pick one.”
“They won’t hurt you. Besides, they eat spiders.”
“That’s comforting.”
“Don’t be such a wimp.”
“It’s for the children,” Christine said, lying back in the bed. Jessica sat down on the other bed. The springs squeaked beneath her.
“I’m going out to see the city. Want to come?”
“I need sleep. When will you be back?”
“I don’t know. Jim invited us all to dinner.”
“When?”
“Five.”
She glanced at her watch. It was almost two.
“Where are we meeting?”
“The restaurant is in the Plaza. I’ll write the address down for you.” She got up and scribbled the restaurant’s name and address on the back of her airline ticket. “I’m sure they’ll be others from the group downstairs when it’s time to go. Just come with them.”
“All right,” Christine said, rolling over, “I’ll meet you there.”
Jessica stopped in the doorway. “Five o’clock.”
“Five o’clock.”
“Need a wake-up call?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should wear a flea collar around your neck. It might protect you from the gecko.”
“Go away.”
Jessica grinned. “See ya.”
The door shut. Christine rolled over and,
“It was only fifty soles.”
Jim emerged from the bus. “Let’s go,” he shouted.
A half hour later the bus sided up to the curb in front of the Vilandre Hotel. The group crowded the small lobby. Christine lay on a couch, feeling tired and sick, while the hotel staff began handing out room keys. Jessica and Christine were assigned a room on the third floor. The hotel only had one elevator, so they climbed the stairs.
Jessica opened their door but stopped in the threshold. “Prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“Serious u-g-l-y.”
The room was of average hotel room size, austere and dated. The drapes were tan and sun-faded, and the carpet, mauve and balding, was far past its prime if it ever had one. The room’s floorboards looked to be of light oak and were scuffed and chipped. There were two twin beds with dark umber quilts, threadbare in places. Between the beds was a simple wooden nightstand.
Christine looked around. “Well, I wasn’t expecting the Four Seasons.” She stepped inside, set her bags on the bed and opened them. She took out her few clothes and hung them in the closet; then threw her pillow on top of the bedspread. From an inside pocket she took out a bracelet, crouched down and wrapped it around the leg of the bed.
“What’s that?” Jessica asked.
“They said to bring flea collars.”
Jessica stared at the band. “That doesn’t look like a flea collar.” She took a step closer.
“It was ugly. I hot-glued rhinestones on it.” She pulled out three more and fastened them around the remaining legs of the bed.
Jessica burst out laughing until she fell on her back on the opposite bed. Christine’s face tightened. “Don’t mock me.”
When Jessica finally gained her composure, she wiped tears from her eyes and said, “I’m sorry. You’re one of a kind. You’re the only girl I know who would mop a dirt floor.”
“Glad you find me so amusing.” Christine said stiffly. She sat on the corner of the bed and lay back. The mattress was hard and musty.
Jessica sighed loudly, then went to the window and parted the curtains. The rooftops below them were mostly terra-cotta tile with stucco or concrete walls. Clotheslines stretched from building to building like great webs.
“Can you believe we’re really here?” Jessica asked.
Christine screamed.
Jessica spun around. “What?”
Christine pointed toward the corner of the room. “There’s something up there.”
Jessica looked up. A small olive drab–colored lizard clung to the wall. She exhaled with relief. “Man! I thought it was a tarantula or something. It’s only a gecko.” Jessica walked up to it for a closer look. “They’re good luck.”
“I can’t sleep in a room with lizards crawling around it.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Pick one.”
“They won’t hurt you. Besides, they eat spiders.”
“That’s comforting.”
“Don’t be such a wimp.”
“It’s for the children,” Christine said, lying back in the bed. Jessica sat down on the other bed. The springs squeaked beneath her.
“I’m going out to see the city. Want to come?”
“I need sleep. When will you be back?”
“I don’t know. Jim invited us all to dinner.”
“When?”
“Five.”
She glanced at her watch. It was almost two.
“Where are we meeting?”
“The restaurant is in the Plaza. I’ll write the address down for you.” She got up and scribbled the restaurant’s name and address on the back of her airline ticket. “I’m sure they’ll be others from the group downstairs when it’s time to go. Just come with them.”
“All right,” Christine said, rolling over, “I’ll meet you there.”
Jessica stopped in the doorway. “Five o’clock.”
“Five o’clock.”
“Need a wake-up call?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should wear a flea collar around your neck. It might protect you from the gecko.”
“Go away.”
Jessica grinned. “See ya.”
The door shut. Christine rolled over and,
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