by K. T. Tomb
“That would be very kind of you, thank you.” I allowed Eva to speak on our behalf, not only because I was still sizing up our host, but also because I loved to hear the melodious sound of her flowing Spanish. If she wasn’t beautiful enough in every other way, her silky voice would have had my heart doing back flips. I must admit, also, that I was beginning to relax a little bit more about being around her. As far as I was concerned, I’d made a complete fool of myself up until that point, and to my surprise, it had actually worked to my advantage instead of against me. Baffling as it was, I also went by the old adage that you never look a gift horse in the mouth.
“We will leave in about an hour, then?”
“That will be great. Again, thank you.”
“It is my pleasure.”
The trail through the jungle was nicely cleared and well-worn, likely from countless employees visiting the Kukulkan Pyramid during retreats or training. It rose a little ways above the level of the highest point of the roof of the house and we broke out into a small clearing that was above the house and the lagoon. To say that the view was breathtaking would be an understatement. Eva and I drank in the vista with the open ocean beyond us as we stood hand in hand. The feel of her touch intoxicated me at least as much as the expanse before me.
After a few moments, we continued on deeper into the thick vegetation as the trail wound its way over the most advantageous terrain, though without seeming to hurry toward its destination.
The birds which called to us in hundreds of different tones and volumes were of every color in the rainbow; some of them were even a little bit odd. There were also iguanas, scurrying along the branches of the trees or sitting very still as they camouflaged themselves among the leaves, watching us pass them by. Scurrying among the branches were squirrels as well, adding their frightened chatter to the jungle harmony that was being performed all around us. I was surprised that we hadn’t yet encountered a snake, though, from what little experience and study I had of the reptiles, they were likely not any more eager to make our acquaintance than we were theirs.
As Eva and I were settling into the routine of the winding trail with the sounds and the vistas that presented themselves to us, the canopy above us began to take on a different façade. There was more light coming through and the thickness of the surrounding jungle began to disappear. We eventually found ourselves in what our guide referred to as Mango Grove. There was little doubt as to where the grove had acquired its name because there were mango trees in abundance in every direction.
It was in Mango Grove that we were first introduced to the only other primate inhabitants of the island. Andres informed us that they were known as Geoffroy’s Spider Monkeys. We were also informed that there was a rather sizeable troop on the island due to lack of predation and the rich diet provided by the vast Mango Grove. As we continued following the trail and keeping our eyes peeled for our next sighting of the shy primates, we suddenly looked up at a rather large pyramid looming over us. It was not nearly as large as El Castillo, but it was still a significant structure and so well hidden that it was a complete surprise to us when it appeared.
The Kukulkan Pyramid was perhaps only two-thirds the size of the El Castillo, but the most astounding thing about it was the fact that it rose up out of the vegetation rather than being present in a large open meadow. It seemed to me that an attempt had been made to hide it, but it made no sense to me why. I asked our guide.
“Señor Adam,” he replied. “I’m afraid that I’m not knowledgeable enough on the subject to answer you properly. You are certainly not the first to notice it.”
Eva had been turning in a full circle looking away from the pyramid. “Actually, it appears to me like it has been hidden on purpose. If you take out all of these mango trees, this would be an open meadow just like at El Castillo. Also, if you turn just so, you will notice that the trees are planted in rows like the spokes of a wheel with the pyramid being the hub.”
I turned and viewed the Mango Grove just as she had and discovered that her assessment was entirely correct. “So, let’s assume that it was purposefully hidden. These mango trees are fairly large, so they’ve obviously been here a while. So, that creates two questions: when and why?” I was instantly baffled by the mystery that was presented.
“There is plenty of speculation about it,” Andres replied. The look on his face showed how thrilled he was that we had quickly made the discovery. Something in his eyes also told me that he knew a great deal more than he was letting on. There was something hidden in his eyes and I wouldn’t rest until I understood exactly what it was.
We spent much of the morning climbing the pyramid, examining the structure and the temple at the top. The Snake Island pyramid was not nearly as well preserved as the one at El Castillo. It was likely that it had been allowed to fall into disrepair because it did not present nearly the economic opportunity that El Castillo did and it was therefore not as important to keep it in order. There was one major difference, mostly in the ruins of the temple at the apex. In the very center of the temple ruins, a mango tree much larger than those below flourished. I had to admit that it was a rather odd place for such a dynamic tree.
“This tree appears to be larger than the ones below,” I commented. “What is even stranger, however, is that it seems to have taken root in the stones of the pyramid.”
“It has, indeed,” Eva agreed. We turned together to look at Andres.
“Yes, the Forbidden Tree.” he chuckled as he spoke.
“Forbidden? Why is it forbidden?” Eva asked.
“It’s probably just a myth, but the fruit is supposedly cursed. Sort of like the one in the Garden of Eden. It is forbidden to eat the fruit.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I laughed.
“Has anyone ever tested the truth of the curse?” Eva asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” Andres replied.
“Have you ever been tempted to?” she pressed.
“You mean, like, have I ever had a serpent tell me to pluck a mango and eat it?” He laughed heartily. “No, I haven’t, in either case, but then, I’m not all that fond of mangoes.”
We explored a good deal longer, fascinated by the view of the Mango Grove that was afforded to us from our vantage point. Looking down at the way that the rows of trees were laid out with such precision, I couldn’t help, but continue to ponder the mystery of it all. Why was it so different?
“So, if we don’t look at them as spokes from a wheel, but like rays of the sun, does that maybe provide us with a clue to the mystery?” Eva was obviously lost in the same train of thought that I was. Her observation was a valid one.
I started to respond, but quickly lost use of my tongue as she snuggled in next to me, wrapping both of her arms around my waist and pressing her head into my chest. As fascinated as I was with the mystery of the Mango Grove, I was a great deal more mystified by the fact that Eva was becoming even more intimate with our interactions. There was no way in hell that I was going to ruin that moment by opening my dumb mouth.
Chapter Six
After having been in the sweltering heat of the jungle and climbing around on the ruins all day, a cool shower was exactly what the doctor had ordered.
I stood beneath the water allowing it to flow over me as though it was the first time that I had ever felt such a wonderful sensation. My mind wandered to both of the mysteries that had recently presented themselves to me. However, the Mango Grove took very little of my thoughts as remembering the feel of Eva’s arms around me and her head on my chest tended to dominate.
After several moments of standing under the water, I felt my stomach grumble and was reminded that we had been promised dinner in a few minutes. With that urge in mind, I soaped my sweaty body, rinsed and then stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist and wandering back into the bedroom with my body still wet. The effect that my damp body and the soft breeze coming in through the window was absolutely wonderful and I sat on the edge of the
bed and enjoyed the moment.
“Aaaaaaeeeeeee!”
The instant I heard the sound, I knew that it was Eva. With a sudden rush of adrenaline surging through me, I leapt from the bed, pulled the door open, crossed the hall and tried the handle on Eva’s locked door. The screams continued from inside the room and I felt panic rising up inside of me. Undeterred by the locked door, I slammed my shoulder into the door with all of my force. The jamb cracked and the door flung open.
I had barely entered the room before Eva flew toward me in a blur, wrapped her arms around me, spun me so that my back was toward the bathroom, buried her face in my chest and continued screaming. Not sure what was behind me, I fought against her to try to turn, but she held her ground.
“What is it? What is it?” I repeated several times, trying to glance over my shoulder at whatever danger would soon be leaping out of the bathroom and attacking me. After some moments, I finally got an answer.
“Sn… snake!”
“Where?”
“In the shower! Get it out! Kill it! Get it out!”
It took a moment for me to get my wits about me, but when I did, the first thing that I realized was that Eva’s large, nude breasts were pressing against my bare skin and that she was entirely nude. I was wearing nothing more than a bath towel wrapped around my waist. No doubt it had been the fantasy of every male at St. Paul University to see Eva nude, no less have her pressing her nude body against them, but I suddenly felt a mixture of delight and horror going through me. In the same moment, Eva’s rationality kicked in as well.
She stopped screaming and pressing her face into my chest and froze in her compromising position.
“I’ll get the snake,” I said, pulling away from her and attempting to avert my eyes, though I had already gotten a full, frontal view of her fantastic naked body burned into my memory before I could turn away.
Fighting every urge to turn around and get another long glance, I strode purposely into the bathroom and then stalked toward the shower.
“I think it bit me,” she called out behind me as she grabbed a robe and wrapped it around herself. “Is it poisonous? Am I going to be okay? Is it dead? Be careful! Oh my God, am I going to die?”
I couldn’t answer the barrage of questions until I was able to examine the snake. When I finally mustered the courage to look around the sliding-glass door and into the shower, I saw the lifeless body of a red, yellow and black striped snake lying on the floor in the stream of water. I reached the knob and turned the water off and then examined the snake.
“I think you stomped it to death,” I called out. My first thought when I saw it was that it was a Coral Snake, and extremely venomous… and then I remembered that the Coral Snake had a near twin. What was the saying that I’d been taught? Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black, venom lack. Thank God, the bands of black are next to the bands of red. I wasn’t sure how or why I knew that little saying, but in that particular instance, it brought comfort to both me and Eva, who had crept into the bathroom behind me.
“Is it dead?”
“It’s dead.”
“Is it poisonous?”
“No. Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black venom lack.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll show you.”
“I’m not going near that thing.”
“It’s dead.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
She crept forward enough to peer over my shoulder into the shower. I could feel her shaking and she pressed herself into my back.
“You see how the bands alternate from red to black to yellow and then black to red to black before there is another yellow band?”
“Yes.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“If the red bands are next to the yellow bands it is the venomous Coral Snake. If the red bands are next to the black bands it is a harmless King Snake.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do.”
“What was that little thing you said?” Her nerves had calmed a great deal more by that point.
“Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black venom lack?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s a way to remember the difference.”
“You’re sure of this?”
“I’m sure. Where did he bite you?”
“On my foot.”
“He was probably fighting for his life. It looks like you stomped the crap out of it.”
“He shouldn’t have been in my shower.”
“Let me see your foot.”
She started to sit down on the toilet, but suddenly thought better of it and moved out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, extending her foot so that I could get a look at the two tiny puncture holes that had tiny drops of blood sitting above them. I examined her foot for a few moments, suddenly very aware of our proximity and the lack of clothing that I was wearing.
“I… uh… I better go get dressed. I’ll take a better look at it in a minute.” I retreated from her room, making a note of the damage that I had done to the door jamb when I forced the door open. I’d have to let Andres know that I’d broken the door. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be charged for the damage.
Back in my own room, I took off the towel and dressed quickly. Trying to avoid thinking about the images of her nude body was next to impossible, so I tried to focus on other things. I was just finished getting dressed when I heard Andres in the hallway.
“Inez told me that she heard someone screaming. Is everyone okay?” he called out.
“We’re fine,” I answered, opening my door. I was dressed, but hadn’t put on my shoes. “Eva had a snake in her shower. When I heard her scream, I broke in the door.”
Eva appeared at that instant, dressed and wearing flip flops.
“Are you okay?” Andres asked.
“Yes. Adam said that it wasn’t poisonous, which is good because it bit me.”
“What did you do with it?”
“She stomped it to death,” I interjected. “It’s on the shower floor.”
“May I?” He asked permission to enter her room, glancing at the damage that I had done to the jamb on his way toward the bathroom. Eva and I followed close behind.
“Just a King Snake,” he announced after a brief examination.
“That’s what Adam said. Something about red and yellow…”
“Yes, red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black venom lack. It’s an excellent way to tell them apart. Well, don’t worry about him. I’ll get rid of him and fix the door while you go down to dinner. I think Inez was just wrapping things up.” As he spoke, he looked up at me and I saw something flash across his eyes that I didn’t like.
Initially, I thought his look was one of amusement, but there was something else to it; it was that sinister look that I had thought that I’d seen before. As hard as I tried, I simply had a hard time trusting him, though I hadn’t quite figured out why.
“Where did he bite you?” he asked Eva.
“On the foot.” She slipped off a flip flop to display the bite for him.
“It probably stings a bit, but you’ll be okay. Have Inez take a look at it when you go down stairs, she can break off an aloe vera chute and rub it on the bite. It will get rid of the sting and any swelling.”
“Thank you,” Eva replied, slipping her flip flop back onto her foot. “Are you ready to go to dinner, sweetie?”
The tone as well as the name surprised me and for a second, I wasn’t sure what her question had actually been, but my brain kicked in suddenly and I responded. “Oh, yeah… I just need to put on my flip flops.”
Chapter Seven
Most of the evening after dinner was spent in the study looking at the charts, studying the available information, logging into our computers in order to check in back home, talking and laughing. Eva was particularly eager to be near me and touching me, something, of which I certainly had no objections.
> Eva was not overly anxious to return to her room, still thinking that there was an infestation of snakes waiting in her bathroom, under her bed, in the closet of perhaps in the dresser drawers. Though both Andres and Inez assured us that it was a very rare occurrence to find a snake in the house, Eva wasn’t buying it and her nerves wouldn’t allow her to let go of the fears that she had.
Though the topic came up a few times during the evening, for the most part, I tried to keep the subject on something other than snakes and did the best I could with my rather dry sense of humor to keep things light. Evidently it worked, because Eva seemed to be laughing and smiling the entire night. The one subject that I didn’t have the courage to bring up was the fact that I had seen her naked and that she had actually pressed her nude body against me. The images had continued cycling through my head, but I had done my very best to avoid anything that even went near that particular topic.
As the evening wore on, I had become a great deal more comfortable, to the point where I was beginning to act silly, doing things that I had never dreamt of doing around Eva. The more we laughed, the more she snuggled in close. It was the sort of night that one never wants to see end; however, at long last, our laughter faded and we became quiet as we sat in each other’s arms. It was Eva who finally broke the spell when she happened to glance at a clock.
“Oh my God, Adam! It’s two in the morning and we have got to get some sleep so we can go back to the pyramid tomorrow.”
As much as I hated to let her go, I had to agree with her. “Yeah. You’re probably right.” I avoided talking about snakes in her room, though secretly I hoped that she wouldn’t be able to go back to her room and would opt to join me in my room. The thought raced through my mind as we made our way from the study up the stairs and down the hallway. My heart was thundering in my chest and my mouth was dry by the time we reached our doors.
