Hubert gently handed back the guitar to Guillermo who nodded
with enthusiasm as Don Mateo applauded him and gave him a big hug and kissed
his cheek like he would his own son. Cheerfully, like a small boy Hubert took
his sit opposite mine with a huge grin on his face. “That was beautiful Hubert,
very beautiful.” I complimented. Happily, Hubert began to translate the words of
the lyrics of the song he had sung for me in English as the gentlemen walked
back to the hotel lounge. “I'm on my
knees begging you, moon don't leave, Light up the night, and this heart,
disappointed at times mistreated, Crazy to kiss your lips without nothing left
inside of me, telling you everything.” The words drew cold shivers down my
spine. They awoke feelings that had been buried for years inside me and as we
sat next to the beach, surrounded by lantern lamps and the full moon brightly
facing us, with the beach sand sparkling in the dark, nothing else mattered. Suddenly,
it felt as though everything else had shut and it was just the two of us in the
entire stage called universe.
As the night went by, the only sound that could be heard on
that quiet island was Hubert’s voice, my hearty laughter and the soft Latin music
that played in the background. One of
Don Mateo’s staff came by to clear the table and being so consumed in our
conversation we hardly noticed him. It was evident that the wine had got the
best of us from the way we laughed and joked around. Hubert had danced several
times to the Latin tunes and to some songs he had pulled me up to dance with
him. We drank, danced, talked, laughed and drank some more until the skies were
no longer pitch dark but now grayish. The morning sun was looking for its way out
of the clouds when we decided that we needed to go sleep. We staggered along
the footpath as we tried to trace our way to the suite. Hubert would remind me
on several occasions to lower my voice but his gesture would make more noise
that would cause us to laugh out the most. Finally, we managed to get to my
suite after a long struggle to maintain balance. Hubert opened the door to let
me in and as I tried to detach myself from his support, I fell right back in
his arms. Supporting himself on a pillar, Hubert held me as we both laughed and
reminded each other to be quiet. He
gently supported me into the suite as we staggered and struggled and finally with
a thud we fell on the six by six bed that had been neatly spread.
I woke up a few hours later with the urge to go to the
bathroom when I found myself wrapped in Hubert’s arms. He was very much asleep
and as I lifted his weighty arms from me, he rolled over and went back to
sleep. Carefully, not to make any sound I found my way to the bathroom. Walking
back from the bathroom, I met Hubert leaning on the glass partition that
separated the hallway from the bedroom. “Hi, where had you disappeared to?”
“Hi” I greeted then paused. He walked toward me and gently placed his hands
around my waist as he drew me closer to him. Desire burned in his eyes and
there was fire in his gaze as he looked deep into mine. As if studying my
mouth, he ran his eyes down to my lips staring at them for a moment. Slowly and
calculatedly, he studied my entire face before he slowly moved his head down
and gently rubbed his lips on the corner of my mouth. Impatiently, I moved closer,
my lips eagerly seeking his. He then kissed me passionately expressing all that
he had as I powerlessly reciprocated. Swiftly, he lifted me off the ground into
his arms and carried me to the bed. Gently, he laid me down as he kissed me
tenderly on my lips and progressively moved to my neck then to my ears. “Don’t
you ever disappear from me again” He whispered as he slipped his fingers under
my dress and reached for my body, with his hands skimming over my hips and
letting his fingers run through the curves. He lifted my body into a seating
position and placed it on his lap, securing it, caressing it and teasing it, tossing
me back and forth as His lips eagerly seeking mine. I flipped his shirt open
revealing his bare chest and pressed myself on it. As my whole body became weak
in his embrace, he loved me with his entire might making our bodies sweat
profusely.
The touch on the front door woke me up from a deep slumber
only to find myself alone and covered in white duvet. Covering myself with the
duvet, I stepped down from the bed and tried to find my white linen dress. I
was yet to fully wake up and realize where I was and what had happened. In
confusion I walked to the front door only to meet with Hubert who was trying to
balance a tray filled with delicacies while trying to get the door. “Sorry I
woke you up; I guess I will have to work on my skills of being a waiter” “I
will get that for you” I responded as I went for the door. “You shouldn’t have
gone through all that trouble Hubert’, “Trouble? No way, I was so hungry, I think trouble
went through me” he replied laughing as he placed the tray on the coffee table.
It was around four o’clock in the evening and indeed my stomach had started
making noises.
Don Mateo had set up a born fire that evening and along with
other few international guests we had sat on logs along the bonfire. There was
buffet table which had been set on one side containing Spanish food, cheese, grapes, olives, nuts and meat.
A barrel serving as a cooler box containing beer had been placed next to the
fire place for self-serving. Don Mateo played his acoustic guitar as he sung
and narrated beautiful Spanish love stories. One of Conchita and Diego’s got my
attention a bitter sweet love affair which had a happy ending. We were a
gathering of about fifteen people, mostly were couples in their mid-fifties or
about early sixties. One or two couples had come along with their children the
rest I observed were alone. Hubert, sitting close beside me holding his beer on
one hand and the other hand resting on my thigh had been quiet the entire
evening though his soul communicated with mine on a much deeper level. He had
served a meal that we both shared as we were still filled up from the tray he
had brought in earlier that evening. The buffet table was being cleared as more
beer was being filled in the cooler barrel. Some of the attendants came by
carrying a white and black portable dance floor and mounted it on the beach
sand. They brought in two large speakers and a system for playing music and
assembled them closer to where we were seated. In no time the music was playing
and the floor was already filled up with couples who were hungry for music and
a dance. “Dance with me Hubert, today I want you to dance with me”, I urged as
I took him by the hand and led him to the dance floor, his beer bottle clasped
in one hand. Still unsure what to do, he
stood on the platform right in front of me sipping his beer and staring at me
with a smile on his face. As I moved my body to the rhythm of the song I called
out to him “Dance with me Hubert, Dance with me” He paused for about thirty
seconds just staring at me before he downed
the rest of the beer and threw the bottle on to the beach sand. Fixing
his eyes to mine he turned elegantly, swaying and moving his body, in tune with
the slow music yet there was some kind of harshness in eyes more like telling
me I shouldn’t underestimate him. I was up for the challenge and I didn’t seem
to care at that moment as I teased him the more with my body. The closer we got
to each other the more the warmth built up between us. Our dance was perfect, our
heart beat, and our feet movement was flowing in the same rhythm. By the end of
the dance my breath was taken away and I understood why. Laughing he pulled me close
and held me in his embrace as the group of men and women surrounding us applauded.
It was a warm and quiet Sunday morning when Jerry arrived at
the Funzi Island having been picked by Guillermo. Jerry had a duty to brief
Hubert on the current issues and the plan for the week ahead. He was also my
ride back home. Hubert woke up beside me to answer his cellphone and signaled
that Jerry had already arrived. He quickly wore his shorts and slipped into his
t-shirt and flip-flops and dashed to meet Jerry. The two had a lot of catching
up to do which gave me enough time to get ready. I packed my luggage and got
myself ready and went to the hotel lobby to check if I could have some
breakfast. I met Don Mateo attending to
some of his guests and when he saw me he excitedly came towards me his arms
stretched wide. “Buenos dias mi querido”
greeted Don Mateo. “Buenos dias Don Mateo, cómo estás?” I greeted as I hugged
him back. Don Mateo walked me to an available table and called out to his staff
to attend to me. “Breakfast is a la carte today, so you order what you want and
it will be served, okay” spoke Don Mateo in a Spanish accent. I nodded with a
smile as I gave my order to the staff attendant. The other guests, who had occupied several
tables around mine, were receiving their orders too. In fifteen minutes time,
my English breakfast was ready and served.
The tray contained a pot of coffee, two sausages, bacon, Spanish omelet
and baked beans. Along came watermelon juice, two slices of pawpaw with a bowl
of green grapes. “Can I join you said a voice from behind me”, as I turned to
check who it was I saw Jerry standing alongside Hubert. Jerry was now very casual,
warm, and friendly toward me. “Sure why not” I answered as the two gentlemen
pulled seats right next to mine. As we waited for the attendant to take Jerry’s
and Hubert’s order, the two gentlemen fed from my tray while we conversed and bonded.
