Chapter 13
“R ENé’S TAKING A brEAK FROM THE STUDIO TODAY,” CAMILA tells Santiago, relaying a message she’s listening to on her cell as we drive back to the house.
A break? A break from what ? How can you need a break when you’re just getting started? Maybe he wants to hole up in his room to work on new lyrics? Especially if he’s really thrown away what he came here with.
“He wants you to call him, Santi.” Camila sounds pissy.
Whatever René’s up to today, I’m no closer to getting access to filming it. Any points I may have won on the hike to the waterfall, I lost on the way back. I had to limp slowly the whole way to the car, which gave the mosquitos more time to bite us. And they seemed especially drawn to Camila.
My leg is stretched out on the back seat. I adjust my knee ever so slightly and check out the missing layer of flesh on the side. I’m fine. Just a little shaken up. The first aid kit Santiago found in the car had an antibacterial spray. This was sprayed generously on my knee, my left elbow, and on the rug-burn-looking rash along my spine. My body feels bruised, sticky, and dry. When we pull up to the house, Santiago hands me the antiseptic spray. “Here, you should probably reapply.”
“Thanks.”
We say our goodbyes and I limp away feeling spent. Instead of heading for the cottage, I step off the decked path and decide to meander around the compound. The grounds are mostly manicured but there are areas that haven’t been touched. In those spots, the fruit trees grow haphazardly. There’s plantain, papaya, and mango. Man- go. I wobble aimlessly past an overgrown garden.
Pretty soon, I can’t go any farther. I turn around and everywhere around me is too prickly to pass. I have no idea how I got in here. I’m about twenty feet into these bushes. I take a step toward the right and something sharp grazes my scraped knee, making me wince. I’ve been fighting back tears since I crawled out of the lagoon, and they’re threatening to come out.
My phone buzzes with a call, and I answer it even when I see it’s from Maureen. Anything is better than dealing with these emotions.
“Maureen, hi.” I try to sound like I have everything under control and not like I’m in the middle of a prickly bush field I’m going to need to be airlifted out of.
“Hi, Dani, how’s it going?” she asks sweetly but getting right to the point.
“Well.” I pat a fresh layer of warm sweat on my forehead. “I’m just getting back from spending some quality time with René’s producer and assistant.”
“That’s great. And how’s René?” I can tell she’s smiling. “Have you been able to get him to open up yet?”
“You know, he has opened up… in some ways.” I picture René on his rooftop last night, his undone robe flapping in the wind.
Maureen lets out a sigh of relief through the phone. “That’s good news. Tell me about the interview.”
“The interview?” My throat gets all itchy. “We did interview some of his team, but not René just yet. I’m… focusing on, building trust first, you know.”
“That’s probably the best approach,” she responds approvingly. “You know what, Dani, I have to say, I’m relieved you’re there. You share the same culture, you’re so familiar with his music.”
Her words couldn’t feel further from the truth. Especially not after the hike. Logically, I know I don’t have to slide down a secret waterfall without getting hurt in order to belong here, but that’s how I feel. Like I’ve failed a test.
“Send over what you’ve taped so far,” Mo says, wrapping up the call. “I’m excited to see!”
“Absolutely, we can do that. We’ll send you something right away. And… we’ll get an interview with René soon. Thanks for believing in me, Mo.” My voice almost cracks toward the end. We hang up and my arm dangles heavily by my side.
There’s a loud splash behind me and reggae music kicks on from the direction of the pool. Great. If René isn’t going to make music today, I hate that we’re also missing capturing him as he unwinds.
To rub salt into my own wounds, everything rises to the surface. How upset Mom is with me and how stressed out Meri sounded because of the tutor I hired for her. I fight back tears and try to move, but the prickly plants poke my leg dangerously close to my injured knee and I let out a moan of frustration. Everything hurts. My knee throbs, and my back feels itchy and tender. The feeling of being stuck is overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. A few tears escape and travel down my cheeks.
I can’t hold them back anymore.
I have the strangest feeling I’m being watched. I hear a crunching sound behind me, so I turn around and my heart climbs up near my throat. René is in the clearing, walking away from me. I have no idea if he’s witnessed my teary moment or heard me on the phone with Maureen. So I just stand still, choosing to remain stuck for a moment.