2 - One Month Earlier

     I looked out the window of the plane and stared at the crystal blue water below me. The Gulf seemed to sparkle and shimmer with magic.
     One more hour Winona, I thought to myself and then I would be landing in Belize City and off to my beach side bungalow.
     Two weeks earlier when I graduated, my parents had surprised me with the news that I would be spending my summer in Belize. I had been accepted to Stony Brook University last Spring and planned to major in Anthropology. I had driven my parents nuts for months talking about the Mayan civilization and they decided a trip that included a little fun mixed with a little culture would be the perfect graduation present. I was more excited about the culture part, but my mother had hinted around about the nightlife all week before I left. I think she was just trying to live vicariously through me. She had taken me to the mall and bought me two new swimsuits and had my long dark brown hair streaked with highlights. She even bought me a cocktail dress. She seemed to be prepping me for the party of the century, but it didn't really matter to me at all. At the moment, I had my hair pulled back in a ponytail and sported a pair of blue jean shorts with a tank top. Real classy. I just wanted to go visit some Mayan temples and talk to some locals about their culture. I had been practicing my Spanish and I even looked up some words in Kreol so that I could understand what was being said when I wasn't being spoken to in English.  I leaned back in my seat and opened the book I had been reading. One more hour.
      Traveling through the city had been a blur. I felt my heart racing at the sights and sounds of everything around me. To the eyes of a normal person most of the buildings looked like they were worn and weather ravaged. To me it looked like an eclectic buffet of culture that could feed a person's soul. When I reached the resort, a young boy helped me tote my bags to the bungalow and I settled myself in. I had just unpacked my last bag when my stomach growled. I hadn't eaten before I left the airport. It seemed to be as good a time as any to go to a local market and find some authentic grub.  I had just started down the path that lead from my bungalow when the thunder rumbled overhead. I looked up and realized a cloud had moved in and I was about to be caught in a downpour. I hurried on towards the resort entrance where the restaurant and club was located. I was about twenty feet away when the bottom fell out. I ran as quickly as I could toward the opening of the dining area. Just as I reached the wooden steps, so did a young white couple. I squeezed the water out of my hair as the three of us laughed under the awning of the shelter.  They looked to be in their early twenties. The man had strikingly good looks. He had a chiseled jaw and sparkling green eyes. The woman was beautiful as well. She was thin, blond, and blue eyed.
     "Are you Americans?" I asked.
     "We're here on our honeymoon," replied the woman.
     "We just got here this morning and we were hoping to see some sights," said the man. "We aren't going to see them in this."
     "I'm Winona," I said as I shook their hands.  I wanted to see some sights as well. I could see rain in Chicago."
     "I'm Kim and this is Brent," said the lady. "Since we're here anyway, we might as well enjoy some food. Come join us. We can wait out the rain together. It sucks eating alone."
     "Thank you very much."
     As the three of us sat at a table under the covering, we enjoyed a meal of tortillas, beans, rice, and plantains. I learned that Brent had graduated from MIT and Kim was attending law school at Harvard. They were the poster children for white collar America. He was twenty three and she was twenty one. She wanted two kids; a boy and a girl. He wanted to coach little league one day. They seemed to have their life planned accordingly. I explained my plans of the future to them about becoming an anthropologist and although they seemed interested, I could tell it was just a cover. They were the type people that would curl up and die if they were surrounded by bones, dust, and artifacts.
     As the rain let up, we parted ways and I went on in to to let the concierge know I needed a taxi. That was when I saw a boy around my age arguing with the groundskeeper. He stormed right past me. He was clearly a native Belizean. He was beautifully tanned with dark wavy hair.  Against my better judgement I followed him. I watched him as he rounded the corner and I intentionally stayed back to keep him from noticing me. He opened the door to go to the edge of the resort and started towards the tree line.
     Where could he be headed?
     I stopped briefly and debated with myself if I should continue. My taxi had already been called and would arrive soon, but the scientist side of me that craved answers wouldn't budge, so I continued playing spy. I followed him a good  fifty feet when I snapped a twig under my foot and he spun around and caught me.
     "What are you doing? Are you following me?" He asked. I was mortified. I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there .
     "Why are you following me? Is it that important that your shower head get fixed or your light bulb get changed?" He said angrily. That caught me off guard.
     " No. Actually, I overheard you arguing with that man and I guess I just wanted to make sure you were ok." His facial features softened and he sighed.
   "He's my uncle. He's always giving me a list of things to do that take hours and I am wanting to go into the city tonight for a fiesta. At this rate it will be dawn before I finish them."
     "I was about to leave to go to the nearest village to get some food staples. I'm probably going to miss my taxi. What if  I helped you with your list and then I could get a ride with you to the city. It's a win,win for both of us."
     "I don't know if that's such a good idea. My uncle would be furious if he found out I let someone help with my work. I think he just doesn't want me to go."
     "He won't find out. Come on, let me help."
     "Ok. Fine. But, if I get caught it will be Baron Bliss day before I will be allowed to leave la casa again."
     "I promise you won't get caught. By the way, I'm Winona."
     "I'm Ikan," he said as he shook my hand.