skin. He quickly exchanged packs of bookmarks for pound notes, not stopping to count the bills, as if afraid his good fortune would vanish before he could finish. He need not have worried. A quick glance at his poor hands, twisted and maimed by either accident or nature, explained Anni’s patronage, and we waited patiently for our turn. I bought five packs, figuring I could use them as rewards in the classroom or enclose them with my Christmas cards. He gave me an extraordinarily sweet smile and effusive thanks.
“ Shokrun , shokrun , miss.”
At the top of the hill, under trees so dense that the shade seemed as blue as the Nile, Anni gathered us together. I couldn’t help looking about for Alan, but he was on the other side of our little circle. And he wasn’t looking at me. In fact, he was scanning the scenery as though expecting to see something, or someone. Puzzled, I looked around too, but other than a few tourists, I could see nothing unexpected.
“At the far end of the island is a small marketplace,” Anni said, pointing. “You cannot get lost here.” She smiled to herself at that. It had to be nice for her to have us all in a contained space where she didn’t need to watch us like toddlers. “We will meet there in one hour to look at the mausoleum of the Aga Khan and then return to the hotel. One hour!” she shouted at the disappearing backs of the Peterson boys.
The rest of us scattered too, almost before she stopped speaking. Kyla and I turned off the main path and headed straight for the water’s edge. We didn’t want to end up near anyone else and feel obligated to stick with them. The temperature was warm without being hot, the wind a mere breeze here in the shelter of the trees. I could see dozens of plants I didn’t recognize at all. And we had a whole hour on our own in this beautiful place. I sighed contentedly, relaxed and happy.
Kyla’s sigh coincided with mine, but the tone was somehow different. A little line appeared between her eyebrows and her lips were pressed together. You’d think that after all the years I’d known her that I could have read the warning signs better, but I was caught up in my own pleasure.
“A whole hour prancing around in the bushes, getting eaten alive by giant bugs,” she said.
“Hey, stand over by that leaning palm tree. It’s perfect—I can get your picture with the water and the dunes in the background.”
Kyla loved having her picture taken, but even this lure wasn’t enough to drag her out of whatever snit suit she’d decided to don. She just shook her head.
“Well, take mine then. It’s too perfect to waste.” I handed her the camera and went to lean against the tree.
She snapped the picture grudgingly and fast, without taking any time to line up the shot. Annoyed, I retrieved my camera and tried to view the picture, but the sun was too bright to see more than a figure by a tree. I’d just have to hope it was okay.
Kyla spotted a bench a few yards down the path and sat down, arms crossed over her chest. I followed slowly and stopped just out of reach.
“My super extrasensory perception is picking up a very faint signal. I seem to be getting something.” I held a hand to my head as if concentrating very hard. “Yes, it’s getting stronger. My powers induce me to believe that you might not be entirely happy.”
I just think it’s fortunate that people, and Kyla in particular, don’t have the ability to shoot death rays from their eyes because I would have been melted into a little puddle at that moment.
“I’m thirsty. I want a beer,” she announced, as though expecting me to conjure one from the air.
“You won’t be able to get a beer here. You know the Egyptians don’t serve alcohol any place except the hotels.”
She clicked her tongue. “I can’t believe we are stuck in this wilderness for a whole hour. There’s nothing here but plants and dirt.”
“What did you think a botanical garden was?” I asked.
“I
“ Shokrun , shokrun , miss.”
At the top of the hill, under trees so dense that the shade seemed as blue as the Nile, Anni gathered us together. I couldn’t help looking about for Alan, but he was on the other side of our little circle. And he wasn’t looking at me. In fact, he was scanning the scenery as though expecting to see something, or someone. Puzzled, I looked around too, but other than a few tourists, I could see nothing unexpected.
“At the far end of the island is a small marketplace,” Anni said, pointing. “You cannot get lost here.” She smiled to herself at that. It had to be nice for her to have us all in a contained space where she didn’t need to watch us like toddlers. “We will meet there in one hour to look at the mausoleum of the Aga Khan and then return to the hotel. One hour!” she shouted at the disappearing backs of the Peterson boys.
The rest of us scattered too, almost before she stopped speaking. Kyla and I turned off the main path and headed straight for the water’s edge. We didn’t want to end up near anyone else and feel obligated to stick with them. The temperature was warm without being hot, the wind a mere breeze here in the shelter of the trees. I could see dozens of plants I didn’t recognize at all. And we had a whole hour on our own in this beautiful place. I sighed contentedly, relaxed and happy.
Kyla’s sigh coincided with mine, but the tone was somehow different. A little line appeared between her eyebrows and her lips were pressed together. You’d think that after all the years I’d known her that I could have read the warning signs better, but I was caught up in my own pleasure.
“A whole hour prancing around in the bushes, getting eaten alive by giant bugs,” she said.
“Hey, stand over by that leaning palm tree. It’s perfect—I can get your picture with the water and the dunes in the background.”
Kyla loved having her picture taken, but even this lure wasn’t enough to drag her out of whatever snit suit she’d decided to don. She just shook her head.
“Well, take mine then. It’s too perfect to waste.” I handed her the camera and went to lean against the tree.
She snapped the picture grudgingly and fast, without taking any time to line up the shot. Annoyed, I retrieved my camera and tried to view the picture, but the sun was too bright to see more than a figure by a tree. I’d just have to hope it was okay.
Kyla spotted a bench a few yards down the path and sat down, arms crossed over her chest. I followed slowly and stopped just out of reach.
“My super extrasensory perception is picking up a very faint signal. I seem to be getting something.” I held a hand to my head as if concentrating very hard. “Yes, it’s getting stronger. My powers induce me to believe that you might not be entirely happy.”
I just think it’s fortunate that people, and Kyla in particular, don’t have the ability to shoot death rays from their eyes because I would have been melted into a little puddle at that moment.
“I’m thirsty. I want a beer,” she announced, as though expecting me to conjure one from the air.
“You won’t be able to get a beer here. You know the Egyptians don’t serve alcohol any place except the hotels.”
She clicked her tongue. “I can’t believe we are stuck in this wilderness for a whole hour. There’s nothing here but plants and dirt.”
“What did you think a botanical garden was?” I asked.
“I
Similar Books
