by K. S. Ruff
Rafael stopped in front of the restaurant. A pulsing, contemporary beat greeted us when he opened the door. A long line of people separated us from the bouncer who was sitting on a stool at the far end of the hallway. Cocktail dresses, high heeled shoes, slacks, and dress shirts were standard attire. The bouncer waved us through after checking our names off the list.
I took one step inside the restaurant and froze. A large, semi-circular cocktail bar sat in front of us. The bartenders were shaking martinis, drizzling champagne over long-stemmed fruity looking drinks, smiling, and dancing around one another while filling drink orders. A DJ sat to their right, spinning the type of music you’d expect from a dance club… only there wasn’t a dance floor.
Flames leapt through large stainless steel ovens in the open concept kitchen to our right. A ritzy looking lounge sat between the kitchen and the cocktail bar. Panels from wooden wine crates covered the far wall. Cowhides lie scattered across the bare cement floor between plush brown leather couches, contemporary chairs, and tables. Another seating area sat to our left between the cocktail bar and the outdoor patio.
I spotted Kadyn and Chief D’Souza before the hostess returned from seating the other guests. Rafael was still admiring the décor, so I tugged on his arm. “This way.”
He hesitated until he saw Chief D’Souza. “You planned a surprise party?”
I grinned. “Turnabout is fair play.”
He stopped just short of our table. “I’ve never had a surprise party.”
I kissed his cheek. “This is long overdue, then.”
He pulled me in for a hug. “I love it.”
“Feliz aniversário!” Chief D’Souza greeted cheerily.
“Obrigado, Comandante.” Rafael reached for his hand, but the police chief gave him a hug.
Chief D’Souza was still chuckling when he pressed a kiss against my cheek. “Kristine, this is my wife, Mariana. Mariana, this is Rafael’s fiancé, Kristine.”
“Hi, Mariana. Thank you for coming.” I paused uncertainly. I wasn’t sure whether to extend my hand or kiss her cheek.
She kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry I missed you at Christmas. I would have joined Leandro at the orphanage, but I was in Porto, caring for my mother.”
I stepped back so Rafael could greet her. “I hope your mother is feeling better. Perhaps you can join us this year?”
Mariana smiled as he kissed her cheek. “I would love to. We’re so pleased this has become an annual event.”
“The officers and their wives still talk about the gift wrapping party,” Chief D’Souza remarked. “Such a brilliant idea and a heartwarming experience for everyone involved.”
Benjamim slapped Rafael on the back. “Feliz aniversário, meu amigo!” They bantered in Portuguese.
Eva joined me. She was wearing a red cocktail dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her bottom lip jutted out in an adorable pout. “Kristine, when will you move to Lisbon for good? I miss shopping with you.”
Kadyn frowned.
“We’ll be dividing our time between both countries,” I assured him while kissing Eva’s cheek. “Have you met my friend, Kadyn?”
She linked arms with me. “Yes. Jase introduced us.”
Jase shook Rafael’s hand. “Happy birthday, old man.”
I wondered how much younger Jase could possibly be when Rafael was only thirty-three.
Eva tugged me toward the bar. “I’ve been dying to try their sangria. I heard they make it with champagne.” She ordered seven glasses for our table when she learned they didn’t offer it in a pitcher or carafe.
I ordered a Sprite for Kadyn.
The bartender scooped a handful of berries, a crushed mint leaf, a cinnamon stick, and ice into each glass. He poured Sprite, vodka, brandy, rosé wine, cranberry juice, and grenadine on top of the ice before topping everything off with champagne.
I shook my head, thoroughly impressed. “That’s got to be the most elaborate sangria I’ve ever seen.” We were sampling the fruit laden concoction when Rafael joined us. I handed him a glass. “You have to try this.”
He brushed a kiss against my temple before trying the drink. “Sangria.” He hummed appreciatively.
I barked out a laugh. “Sangria… on crack.”
We carried the drinks back to our table, where our friends were just getting settled into their seats. I sat between Rafael and Kadyn. Eva joined Benjamim and Mariana on the opposite side of the table. Chief D’Souza sat at the head of the table, and Jase sat opposite him.
A waitress stopped by with menus. She explained how to use the small push button console to request additional service before fading into the crowd.
“Check this out.” Kadyn slid his menu in front of me.
“It’s printed in English.” I smiled. “Most restaurants in Lisbon print their menus in a variety of languages.”
He tapped on the section listing their pizza.
I read the first few items and gasped.
Kadyn laughed.
“Check this out.” I elbowed Rafael.
He read the menu and laughed. “Well, that certainly seems fitting.”
Eva eyed us curiously.
“Look at the pizza,” I told her. “They’re named hell, desire, seduction…” I read the rest of the list to myself.
Benjamim peered at his menu. “Anyone want to join me in hell?” Hell was a thin crust pizza with three types of sausage, a variety of peppers, and a spicy sauce.
“Hell sounds good,” Chief D’Souza agreed, “but I want to try one of their gourmet burgers first.”
“How funny,” I mused. “Everything on this menu can be considered a guilty pleasure.”
I don’t know whether to order pizza or pasta,” Eva complained. “Everything sounds so tempting.”
We chose a variety of appetizers, pushed the button on the console, and placed our orders.
Chief D’Souza raised his glass. “I’d like to propose a toast. Mariana and I have long considered Rafael our son. We are so proud of the man he has become. So, here’s to a remarkable young man, whose good deeds now span two continents.”
There were murmurs of agreement all around. We tapped our glasses and drank to Rafael.
He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Thank you.”
I pressed an envelope into his hand. “You haven’t opened your present yet.”
He eyed the envelope uncertainly.
“Open it,” I encouraged. Everyone else was busy talking.
He read the card before opening the certificate I’d tucked inside. “You arranged for me to race an Indy car?”
The table suddenly quieted.
My cheeks heated. “Yes. I’ve arranged for you and two of your friends to race Indy cars at the Richmond International Raceway. They offer some instruction before setting you loose on the track.”
A boyish grin played on his face. “I love it.”
“I figured, what with the Porsche, the Enzo, and the Vyrus,” I teased.
He eyed Kadyn and Jase. “I don’t suppose either of you would want to join me?”
Jase choked on his drink. “No way am I passing that up.”
“I don’t know,” Kadyn waffled. “That could prove embarrassing for you.”
Rafael laughed. “I’m going to make you eat those words, right after you eat my dust on that racetrack.”
* * * * *
I squinted against the early morning sun. I couldn’t believe I forgot my sunglasses. The temperature in Sierra Leone was in the low eighties. There was a decent breeze and a teensy amount of humidity. Still, goosebumps pricked my skin because our driver had his air-conditioning cranked all the way up.
The truck in front of us veered right. “Absolutely not,” Rafael growled. I couldn’t gauge his expression because he was wearing mirrored lenses, but he appeared to be referring to the rusted ferry docked at the end of the street. The dilapidated vessel was listing to one side.
Rafael acquired his disagreeable mood at
the airport when we were bum rushed by prospective attendants hoping to earn a tip. He caught three complete strangers sifting their fingers through my hair while he was momentarily distracted by all the men attempting to assist us. When our driver, Momka, stumbled across us, he shooed the other men away. After the hair petting fiasco, all four men walked in a tight formation around me with Momka leading the way. Sadly, this drew even more attention.
I eyed the crowded vessel and the long line of vehicles idling in front of us. “The ferry takes one hour. The road is much longer.”
“Dee road between dee airport and Freetown is treacherous and requires six hours,” Momka confirmed. His voice held a melodic lilt. He carefully articulated each word, but his “th” sounded more like a “d,” and his “r’s” were barely audible.
“That ferry doesn’t look safe,” Jase countered. “Maybe we should rent a speed boat.”
“A water taxi will be more to your liking,” Momka replied. “Dee speedboats will make you wet.”
“What will we do about Momka’s vehicle?” I persisted.
“Please, do not worry about me. I can drive you to dee water taxi and take dee ferry to Aberdeen. Dee hotel can send a shuttle to retrieve you from dee boat station if you do not wish to wait for me. Dee water taxi is dee safest way to travel,” Momka assured me.
“Thank you, Momka. Please allow me to compensate you for the inconvenience.” Rafael handed Momka fifty thousand Leones.
Momka eased the vehicle out of line. “My cousin operates a water taxi at dee udder end of dee terminal. I promise he will take good care of you. Dee water taxi requires only a dirty minute journey.” He eyed the branches swaying on a nearby tree. “It may be a bumpy ride, but he will offer you a fair price.”
Rafael and I exchanged glances. I presumed “dirty” meant “thirty” with Momka’s accent.
“I will call dee Radisson to ensure a shuttle is waiting for you in Aberdeen.” Momka handed each of us his business card. “I should arrive at dee hotel in two hours. You may call me at any time. Your colleagues have ensured my availability for dee entire week.” He put a lot of effort into pronouncing his “h’s” but not his “r’s.” For some reason, that made me smile.
Momka’s cousin was very accommodating. He loaded our luggage onto the bright yellow water taxi before helping us step onto the boat. Rafael paid extra so we wouldn’t have to share the taxi with anyone else. I’d been looking forward to observing local customs and listening to the dialect, but I wasn’t about to argue after what had transpired at the airport.
“Kadyn and I are going to purchase SIM cards and the other items you requested after we’re checked in at the hotel. Do you mind if we ask Momka to drive?” Jase had to yell in order to be heard over the boat.
“That’s fine,” Rafael replied. “We’re going to sleep for a couple of hours. We’ll eat at the hotel restaurant around noon. You’re welcome to join us. We’re touring the university at two o’clock with Cory, Sammi, and Shae. Brogan and Aidan are going with us, so you two can stay at the hotel and get some sleep.”
Jase nodded.
Kadyn didn’t look tired. He looked excited.
I burrowed beneath Rafael’s arm. I was having a difficult time keeping my eyes open. None of us slept last night. Instead, I briefed Kadyn and Rafael on Sierra Leone. We reviewed the training manual so they could identify areas where they could help. The first chess match began shortly after Kari served breakfast. The guys were talking so much smack, sleep proved futile after that.
The water taxi drew closer to Aberdeen. The city center was far more developed than I’d anticipated. I eyed the trees struggling to survive among the odd conglomeration of buildings. They seemed to fare better along the hillsides. If I squinted, I could make out the shanty towns on the outskirts of town.
We docked at the boat station a few minutes later. Momka’s cousin assisted us with the luggage before attempting to carry me off the boat. I thought he was offering me his hand, but he wrapped his arm around me instead.
“What are you doing?” Rafael demanded. He grasped the man’s arm while tugging me closer.
Momka’s cousin looked confused. “I am carrying dee lady off dee boat.”
Rafael seemed agitated so I forced a soothing tone. “I’m fine. I don’t need any help.”
He tried reasoning with Rafael. “I assure you, dis is customary. I do not want any passengers falling in dee river, least of all dis lady. She will get hurt.” He eyed my heels accusingly.
I glanced at the dramatically tailored wrap dress and the three inch heels I’d so carefully selected. Did I look incompetent?
“I’ll help her off the boat,” Rafael responded.
“Dee wind is blowing, and dee waves are rough.” Momka’s cousin scowled.
While they argued, I climbed onto the pier using my own two feet. Well… Kadyn assisted me.
The hotel shuttle was idling at the boat station, as promised. We loaded our luggage onto the shuttle and climbed aboard. A motorcycle carrying five passengers crept by, just before we turned onto the main road. A tiny white car veered in front of us. The occupants had stacked so many baskets on top of the car, they’d nearly doubled its height. As if that weren’t impressive enough, three gangly kids sat perched on top of the baskets, holding on for dear life.
Our driver dodged a number of potholes. There were so many, he eventually gave up. The streets were crowded and narrow. Most were in need of repair. We were caught in stop and go traffic, which I found odd because there weren’t any traffic lights. Driving appeared to be a lawless endeavor for the most part. There were no sidewalks, so pedestrians were walking in the street. If an individual drifted anywhere near our vehicle, our driver would lay on the horn. He really liked honking his horn.
Jase tapped Rafael on the shoulder. He was sitting in the third row. “Vehicles must have the right of way here. Have you noticed? Our driver speeds up every time a passenger crosses in front of him.” Jase wasn’t kidding. People were quite literally running for their lives.
I studied the pedestrians. The men seemed to prefer button down shirts, khaki shorts, loose cotton pants, or jeans. Most of the women were wearing long dresses or skirts with geometric designs. Most of the women tied scarves around their hair. No wonder the men were petting my hair. They probably thought I was flashing them. I added hair scarves to my shopping list, although I questioned how that might look with silk blouses and pencil skirts.
I tucked the shopping list back inside my purse before peering out the window again. Nearly every woman was carrying something on her head. Many were balancing three or four packages without using their hands. It was as if the packages had been cemented onto their heads. Not a single woman lost her bundle when our driver tried to mow her down. He laughed as if it were all in good fun.
The driver and I were about to have a serious falling out, but he came to an abrupt stop in front of our hotel. I gaped at the stunning hotel… the palm trees… the tropical flowers… and the pristine beach. This was a marked improvement over our accommodations in Simferopol.
“Welcome to dee Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel,” our driver announced cheerfully.
The doorman intervened when we tried to collect our luggage. “Please. Dee bellmen will retrieve your dings.”
My heels clicked across the marble lobby. I stopped to speak with the concierge while Rafael and Jase checked in at the reception desk. Kadyn joined me. “You have a beautiful hotel. Is there a story behind the name?”
A bright white smile flashed against his ebony skin. “Yes. Names are very important in Sierra Leone. Dee Radisson Hotel was named after dee Queen of Senehun, Mammy Yoko, who helped bring peace to dee Lpaa Mende region. To dis day, dee Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel draws peacekeepers from all over dee world.”
I extended my hand. “My name is Kristine. I work for Seeds for Peace.”
He clasped my hand. “See? I speak dee trude. My name is Emmanuel, which means ‘God is wid us.’ Do you
know dee meaning behind your name?”
I shook my head. “No, sadly, I don’t.”
His smile widened. “Kristine means ‘follower of Christ.’”
My shoulders relaxed. “I like that.” I tucked my hand in the crook of Kadyn’s arm. “This is my friend, Kadyn.”
He shook Kadyn’s hand. “I do not know dee meaning behind your name, but I will find out. Where are your people from?”
Kadyn chuckled. “Chicago, Illinois.”
Emmanuel frowned. “Where are your ancestors from?”
“A few places, but mostly Cameroon.” Kadyn looked thoroughly amused.
Emmanuel nodded. “I will find dee meaning behind your name.”
“I see you’ve made a new friend,” Jase mused from directly behind me.
I grinned. “Emmanuel, this is my fiancé, Rafael, and my friend, Jase.”
He shook their hands. “I am not familiar wid dis name, Jase, but dee Archangel Rafael is considered dee supreme healer in dee angelic realm. Rafael is God’s healer.”
Rafael’s eyes widened with surprise. “My mother explained the meaning behind my name when I was a little boy. She often encouraged me to live up to my name.”
“You are Portuguese?” Emmanuel surmised.
Rafael nodded. I could see the wheels turning in his head. Emmanuel was so unexpected.
“A Portuguese explorer, Pedro da Cintra, named dis country Serra Lyoa,” Emmanuel revealed.
“Lion range,” Rafael translated. “I know very little about Pedro de Cintra. You have inspired me to learn more.”
“We should all aspire to learn more.” Emmanuel smiled. “If dere is any ding I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, please let me know.”
Rafael shook his hand again. “Thank you, Emmanuel.”
I linked arms with Rafael as we walked away. “What an intriguing man.”
“What inspired you to speak with him?” Rafael held the door as we boarded the elevator.
“This hotel has such a unique name. I wanted to know the story behind it.” I pulled the shopping list from my purse and handed it to Jase.
