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  Jason noted how close some of the houses were. They weren’t built like the ones at home. They looked more like bungalows.

  “Are you here on business or pleasure?” the driver asked.

  “I’m hoping pleasure.”

  “The nightlife might not be what you’re used to in your country,” the driver looked in his rearview mirror and said.

  “Oh no. Not that type of pleasure. I came to find my wife.”

  “How long has she been missing?”

  Jason ended up sharing a little bit about himself with a complete stranger. “So I’m hoping I can convince her how stupid I’ve been, and she’ll take me back.”

  “Do you have a picture of your wife?” the driver asked.

  “Yes. I sure do.” Jason pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled through and found a picture. He handed his phone to the driver.

  “She’s pretty. I remember taking her and some others to the island.”

  “The island?” Jason asked.

  “Yes. I also have a boat. Some of the islands you can only reach by boat. She was with some people who had camera equipment. I remember them saying they were here filming.” The driver’s smile widened. “I might be a star. I got on film too.”

  “When was this?” Jason glanced at his cell phone before putting it back in his pocket. He didn’t have a signal.

  The driver pulled behind several other cabs in front of Jason’s hotel. “A few days ago.”

  Jason wasn’t impressed by the hotel. It was supposed to be a four-star hotel, but it wasn’t as glamorous as Jason thought it should look.

  He tipped the driver.

  The driver handed Jason a piece of paper with a number written on it. “If you need a driver, call me. I can take you wherever you like to go. If you want to visit one of the islands, I can take you or find you a way.”

  “Thanks.” Jason placed the piece of paper in his pocket. He grabbed his suitcase and went inside to check in.

  The inside of the hotel was impressive. It looked more how Jason had pictured it should look for the price.

  He was greeted with smiles by the hotel staff as he went to the front desk. Charlotte had assured him he would like his accommodations, but the verdict was still out on that.

  “Thank you for choosing our island,” the male clerk said after Jason registered. “Billy will show you to your room.”

  The attendant, as if on cue, grabbed Jason’s bag. Jason followed him down a long stretch of hallway. His room was on the second floor. They walked near a stairway. He thought they were going up the stairs.

  “We’re using the elevator,” Billy said. He stopped and hit a button.

  The elevator was small. It was barely big enough for the two of them. Imagine Jason’s surprise when a woman dressed like a maid squeezed her way in.

  She and Billy exchanged greetings, but not in English.

  Jason was tired, but he was on a mission to find Amber. After he showered, he planned on locating her as soon as possible.

  His room had a beautiful view of the ocean. He looked out his balcony window and thought about Amber and wondered if traveling there had been a mistake. What if she didn’t believe him? What if she refused to give him a chance to prove his love?

  * * * * *

  Amber couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned and caught sight of some of the Melanesian children gathered together, pointing at her. She looked at the beautiful, dark-brown-skinned children with blond hair and blue eyes, and smiled. Sheets of cloth wrapped around their waists covered the bottom parts of their bodies. The boys now seemed bashful. They ran away.

  “Excuse the boys,” one of the English-speaking guides said. “They don’t get to see too many African Americans. Most foreigners who come here are of European descent.”

  “They did nothing wrong. I would be curious too as to who the strange-looking woman was.”

  “The rest of your crew is all set up in the bisi.”

  “Bisi?” Amber asked.

  “Yes, it’s a place where we women must go when we’re on our cycle. We are not to be around the menfolks during that time.”

  “Your customs are definitely different than ours,” Amber noted.

  “I’m sure you’ve found a lot of our customs different than what you’re used to. You live in a country where everything is acceptable.” The guide’s observation about the United States was on point, in Amber’s opinion.

  “Sometimes that can be unfortunate. Your traditions make your culture fascinating,” Amber noted.

  “It can be. But sometimes I yearn for more of your world. Not the bad part, just the modern conveniences. We just got bathrooms with running water. Now if we could only get them inside of our dwellings.”

  Amber had noticed it the first day they were brought here. Some of the living quarters were placed on stilts. Not only was the bathroom not located inside, the kitchen were set apart from the regular living space. Most of the dwellings were square in shape and built high on stilts. There was no glass in the windows.

  They reached what the guide had called the bisi. Amber went into work mode as she got in front of the camera and started asking some of the women questions about this part of their culture. The guide translated.

  Amber thought she would never look at her menstrual cycle the same way. While filming, Amber and the rest of the crew were about to witness a childbirth. The young woman screamed in agony as she was carried in by four women and placed on a handmade bed.

  “Why don’t they give her something to help with the pain?” Natalie, one of the crewmembers substituting as the cameraman, asked. Men weren’t allowed in this area.

  Amber witnessed what had to be the most painful childbirth. The gut-wrenching screams of the woman as she birthed a son would forever echo in Amber’s head.

  And then it dawned on her. She’d never used protection with Jason.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  It had been almost a full day, and Jason had yet to run into Amber. He used the hotel phone and called Charlotte.

  “Are you sure she was at this hotel? I’ve been here a day and haven’t been able to reach her. I practically camped out last night in the lobby with hopes of running into her.”

  “It’s the place she gave me in her email. What did the people at the hotel say?” Charlotte asked.

  “I was trying to stay incognito, so I haven’t asked anyone here. I don’t want her to get wind that I’m here and then run.”

  “I doubt if she’ll run. She’s there filming a documentary, remember?”

  “I know, Charlotte. I’m just frustrated. I need to see her face-to-face. Maybe then I can make her understand how I feel. What she overheard can be cleared up if she would just give me a chance to explain.”

  “I’m cheering for you. Anything I can do to help, I will.”

  “What’s going on there?” Jason asked, but he wasn’t really concentrating on anything Charlotte was saying.

  “Pictures from your reception made several of the magazines. Including People.”

  Normally, Jason would have been thrilled about it, but until he could iron things out with Amber, it didn’t matter. “Next week, they will be reporting we’ve broken up.”

  “Nobody knows your marriage wasn’t planned but you, Amber, her parents, and me.”

  “That lists seems pretty long. You’re sure your husband Sean doesn’t know?”

  Charlotte was silent.

  “Yes, that’s what I thought. I really don’t need any more drama. I’m supposed to put out fires for clients, not deal with any of this drama myself.”

  “Calm down, Jason. Once you talk to Amber, she’ll realize she misunderstood. In the meantime, why don’t you go soak up some of that beautiful ocean air?”

  Jason hoped so. He hadn’t traveled this far not t
o at least make contact with her. It took him several tries before he could find someone at the hotel desk who was willing to help him in his quest to locate Amber.

  “I’m really not supposed to give out other guests’ information, but after hearing your situation, I’m inclined to do so. I lost my one true love in a hurricane,” the man sitting across from Jason said.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jason said with sincerity.

  “If I can be of any other assistance, let me know,” the man stood and said, after handing Jason Amber’s room number on a piece of paper.

  “There is one other thing. I need roses. Can you have someone lead a trail of roses to her bed and spell out the words in a heart, ‘I’m sorry’?”

  “Consider it done,” the manager responded.

  “Charge it to my room,” Jason said.

  “I will have someone get on this right away. Good luck.”

  Jason looked at the manager and responded, “Thanks, because I’m going to need it.”

  * * * * *

  Amber stretched out on the cot placed in s the small room in one of the villagers’ homes. She’d taken a quick nap to prepare for tonight’s festivities. The villagers were having a feast in their honor.

  Amber took a wash off and changed into some more clothes before meeting up with the rest of the crewmembers in the center of the village. Logan, who was the cinematographer, filmed the impromptu celebration.

  Amber sat next to a couple while eating her plate of fish and yams. The lady next to her spoke in broken English. “You should try the eel.”

  Amber liked trying new things but wasn’t too sure she wanted to taste eel.

  “Come on,” Logan, who sat two slots down, said.

  Amber didn’t want to offend her hosts, so she took a small bite. She immediately had to wash it down with the drink in front of her. She wanted to spit it out.

  “See, that wasn’t too bad,” Logan said.

  Amber didn’t respond. She ate some more of the fish, hoping to drown out the funny taste the eel left in her mouth.

  After they ate, Amber and the crew were treated to a dance routine by some of the locals. Their ages ranged from seven to seventy. With painted faces and their traditional garments, which consisted of brown animal skins and handmade necklaces around their necks, they sang and danced as men played on homemade drums.

  Amber did a quick commentary on film for Logan and then returned her attention to the performance. The area soon filled up with people dancing. Amber watched with amazement. They all seemed carefree.

  One of the women grabbed Amber’s hand and pulled her close to the front so she could join in the dancing with some of the others. At first Amber protested, but after feeling the beat of the music, she decided to participate. Before long, Amber had forgotten about her problems and allowed the beat of the drums and the sound of the songs to take her mind away.

  She closed her eyes and danced. She danced like she’d never danced before. She felt a kindred spirit with the islanders. Peace consumed her.

  Amber should have been tired and exhausted from the strenuous schedule she and the crew were on, but the people were so friendly that she didn’t have time to be. She wanted to soak up all the information she could about the beautiful Melanesian people. Their culture was one that the locals cherished and one she found fascinating. She hoped that they had been able to capture it all on film.

  Scientists had marveled at how some of the Melanesians were born with dark skin, naturally blond hair, and blue eyes. Many studies had been done in an attempt to figure out the phenomenon. They were the only people in the world known to have this genetic combination. Amber concluded from her research and from talking to the locals that it wasn’t anything magical but something that was in their genes. Just like with her family: hazel eyes were a family trait, regardless of one’s skin complexion. Some of her family members were fair skinned while others like herself were darker skinned.

  Amber chuckled to herself as she swayed her body to the beat. She knew quite a few women back home who would kill to have the beautiful shade of blond hair that about a quarter of the islanders had naturally.

  Thoughts of home made her think about Jason. She wished he were there with her, sharing in this experience.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Jason was beginning to think coming to the Solomon Islands had been a huge mistake. He’d been there for two days and still no sign of Amber. He’d camped out in the lobby, hoping to see her. The only time he left was to use the restroom.

  Some of the patrons and staff thought it odd, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to chance missing her. He’d called her room but still opted not to leave a message. Getting frustrated, Jason decided he needed a mental reprieve. He’d had plenty of time to read a lot of the brochures on different things to do in the islands. This was day three, so instead of camping out, he decided to go on an island excursion.

  The front desk clerk was happy to assist him. “Lloyd can be your tour guide if you would like a personal tour guide. He speaks English. Everyone on the island doesn’t speak the language you’re used to.”

  “I would like that. Is he available now?” Jason asked.

  “Let me check.” The front desk clerk left Jason standing in the lobby.

  The clerk returned, but she wasn’t by herself. A man dressed in khaki pants and khaki shirt was walking behind her.

  “Lloyd, this is the man I was telling you about.”

  They shook hands. “She tells me this is your first time to our islands.”

  “She’s correct.”

  “She also tells me you’ve been here for a couple of days and have yet to venture out of the hotel. Well, no worries, my friend, Lloyd’s got you.”

  Lloyd looked him up and down.

  “What’s wrong?” Jason asked.

  Lloyd scratched his head. He leaned and whispered something to the hotel clerk. She whispered something to Lloyd.

  Lloyd looked at Jason. “Your clothes.” Lloyd looked downward. “Your shoes. It’s best that you change and, how do I say this? Put on something more relaxing.”

  For Jason, slacks and a polo shirt were relaxing. Jason hadn’t packed anything else. “This is all I have.”

  “Don’t fret. Told you Lloyd will take care of you. I will be back in twenty minutes, and then you can change and we’ll be on our merry way.”

  Twenty minutes later, Lloyd returned to the hotel lobby, carrying bags. He handed them to Jason. “These will have you looking like me.” Lloyd flashed a kilowatt smile.

  Jason took the bag and went to his room. Inside was a pair of khaki pants, shorts, and a pair of tennis shoes. To his surprise, they were all the right size. They didn’t fit too snugly or too loosely. Jason eyed himself in the mirror. “Perfect.”

  He met Lloyd back in the lobby. Lloyd said, “Maybe while we’re out, you can buy some more clothes.”

  Jason nodded. “I think I will.”

  Jason followed Lloyd out of the hotel. “This isn’t much, but it gets me around the island.”

  They got inside a Nissan SUV. Jason was about to get in the passenger side but realized that on the island, the passenger side wasn’t on the right but the left. “Sorry. In America, our passenger side is on the right,” Jason noted.

  “I thought you wanted to drive.” Lloyd laughed.

  Jason held the brochures in his hand. “These are some of the places I want to go to. I’ll let you choose which one we go to first.”

  Lloyd took the brochures from Jason and glanced at them. “Tell me something you like to do.”

  Jason shared with Lloyd that he liked to scuba dive and go hiking.

  “I know where to take you.” He handed the brochures back to Jason. “Tenaru Falls. It’s very beautiful. You will enjoy. It’s a little remote, but trust me.”

  J
ason decided to trust Lloyd. If he didn’t make it back, Charlotte would at least know where to start her search—the hotel.

  Jason wasn’t sure it was a good idea after it took them awhile to get to their destination.

  Lloyd parked the SUV. “From here, we will walk,” Lloyd said.

  The beauty of the falls didn’t go wasted on Jason. He used to love to hike, and this was a great way to get back to doing what he enjoyed. He’d been so busy with his day-to-day living in Los Angeles, helping others, that he’d gotten away from enjoying life. He wasn’t complaining, because his life back in LA allowed him luxuries, but it seemed this trip was one that was well overdue. And it had taken Amber to get him there.

  Jason followed Lloyd through the trails. He was glad he’d listened to Lloyd and changed clothes and shoes back at the hotel. He would have been really uncomfortable in the other clothing.

  Lloyd seemed very familiar with the terrain as he gave Jason the history of the area. Jason took out his cell phone and snapped plenty of pictures. It was beautiful, a hidden treasure that would forever be embedded in Jason’s mind. He took in the breathtaking view of the waterfall and the beauty of the villagers he’d come in contact with along the way.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  It was late afternoon by the time Lloyd and Jason made it back to the mainland. Jason was glad that he had allowed Lloyd to take him to another island. The hike was just what he’d needed. His phone was filled with beautiful pictures to capture some of his memories.

  He hadn’t forgotten his sole purpose for being there, but he welcomed the distraction. Lloyd pulled up in front of the hotel. “Be sure to call me if you want to venture out tomorrow.”

  “I sure will. Thank you for a good time. Thank you for the clothes.” Jason reached in his pocket and gave Lloyd a huge tip.

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Lloyd smiled and placed the five crisp twenty-dollar bills in his pocket. American money held a lot of weight in this country.

  Before returning to the hotel, Lloyd had stopped at a store so Jason could purchase more island gear. Jason grabbed the bags from the backseat. He waved at Lloyd and walked in the hotel.