Wishful Steps

3

Demer continued working until he felt hungry. He looked at his watch and realized that several hours had passed since Tina left. He got up and rummaged through his bag, finding a plastic bag with a juice box, a banana, and an apple. He ate the fruits and drank the juice while lying in the hammock on the balcony. The sea breeze brought a refreshing feeling to the heat. He was already dreading the idea of sleeping inside that wooden cubicle. He checked his phone, and it still had no internet connection and no signal for calls. He entered the room, closed the window, the curtains, and turned on the air conditioning. He tried to focus on work, to occupy his mind, but he couldn't. If he had lunch without Tina, it would certainly trigger new discussions. He waited until two in the afternoon. He suspected that his wife had already dedicated herself to her tasks and would not come back for lunch.

He zigzagged up the hill, paying attention to the delicacy of the path, the flowers that marked the trail along with rustic stones. Until then, the "climb" wasn't so bad. He passed by the fountain, crossed the sunny patio with his hand shading his eyes and entered the main mansion. He went to an information counter and asked Sandra, the receptionist:

"Good afternoon... Sandra. If I give you a name, can you check if that person is here in the inn, please?"

"Of course," Sandra said, moving to the computer. "What's the guest's name?"

"Well, actually, the person in question is not a guest. They are part of the team of guides who will accompany the guests during the holiday."

"In that case, I need to check with the office on the radio to see if the person has checked in and registered their presence in the time clock."

"Ah, then never mind. If the person finds out that I came looking for them, it could lead to an awkward situation later."

"What's their name? Maybe they have already been here."

"Well, it's not 'they.' The name of the person I'm looking for is Pedro. Pedro Pereira. Everyone knows him as Pépe."

"Unfortunately, I don't know him. If he is one of the extra guides, we haven't been introduced yet. I'm sorry."

"No problem. And my wife? A tall, slim, blonde woman who arrived with me. Tina."

"No one with that name and those characteristics has passed by here, sir. Not that I recall. My shift started at two."

"And lunch? Is it still being served?"

"Yes, sir. Lunch is served until 3 pm. Just go straight down the hallway to dining hall number 2."

"Thank you," Demer thanked her. Sandra returned the courtesy with a forced smile and went back to her duties.

He had barely turned towards the hallway that would lead him to dining hall number 2 when he was surprised by a tall, bearded man of no more than 35 years old standing in front of him, extending his hand.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you are Tina's husband. I'm Guilherme. Pleasure to meet you."

Both exchanged handshakes, with Guilherme smiling and Demer furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm a friend of your wife's. We studied together in college, and I'm part of the team of guides leading the trails in Abaitaí this holiday. It's like a gathering of friends, actually."

"Demerval."

"Nice to meet you, Demerval. I came here to get the list of tourists who will be on the first trail of the day. We're going to the Seagulls' Lookout. An hour and a half of hiking and another half-hour of free exploration. We should be back before six in the evening. Would you like to join us?"

"Sorry, but I have to..." Demerval paused for a moment and thought. Perhaps Tina was right; he needed to distract himself a bit.

"Sorry?"

"Let's go," Demer confirmed with an uncertain voice. "Let's go and enjoy this day, this scorching sun, and all these mosquitoes."

"You have a sense of humor. I like that. Here, you'll need this," Guilherme said, patting Demer's back and handing him a water bottle before going to the counter to talk to Sandra and get the list of tourists who would accompany him.