The Glass House

by Bettina Wolfe

  23

  Valerie

  I was angry to find Max outside when I woke up the next morning. He was crying at the front door, visibly shaken and covered in mud. Once again, David was nowhere to be found. He didn't leave me a note; there was no message waiting for me. With each passing day, he seemed to become more distant.

  After feeding Max and giving him a quick bath, I made myself some extra strong coffee. I hoped to combat the awful headache that was pounding in my skull. The tea from the night before had given me a horrible stomach ache soon after I drank it. And then the dream I had. One word describes it, bizarre. I could only imagine what was in Conchita’s home-brewed potion.

  With my mug in hand, I headed outside to the deck, Max at my heels, trailing behind me. The jungle was alive with a symphony of sounds, the scent of fresh rain filling the air. A variety of birdsong and distant humming entwined with the lush foliage and giant ferns. Towering trees with their moss-covered trunks and limbs reached high into the sky. At that moment, everything felt magical.

  Taking a sip of coffee, I admired the great beauty and peacefulness that surround me. Max barked at two green parrots that flew by and landed on a branch in front of me. With their heads twitching, they began chattering and studying me. I wondered what they were talking about and curious if they understood Spanish.

  Most days, David would set a variety of fruit on the deck for them. They usually came by each morning to eat breakfast. I didn't see any remnants of banana peels or half-eaten papaya, so he must've forgotten their breakfast.

  As the parrots took flight, Max went running after them. After five full gallops, he stopped in his tracks dangerously close to the edge of the deck. Crouched down, he remained there, panting and peering below. I quickly grabbed hold of his collar and guided him down to the yard to his run. As much as I hated tying him up, he seemed safer when secured.

  When I returned to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee, Max began barking again. Peeking out the window over the sink, I saw Conchita standing there in a bright orange dress holding a small bag. I unlocked and opened the door.

  “Good morning,” I said, stepping aside to let her into the house.

  “Buenos días,” she spoke softly.

  “Please come in,” I motioned.

  “Gracias,” she nodded her head. Holding her bag tightly, she stepped over the threshold.

  “¿Café?” I asked, pointing to the coffee pot on the counter.

  “No, no. Té.”

  Once again, she pulled out a small cotton sack full of teabags, placing it on the table. How could I forget the woman who only drinks tea? I boiled some water and then refilled my cup with the last of the coffee. I wasn’t going anywhere near her suspicious sachets. It took a whole pot of coffee to vanquish my headache.

  “¿David está aquí?” Glancing around, she appeared to be looking for David.

  “David isn’t here,” I replied, pausing for a moment. I pointed to the floor, shaking my head, “No in casa.”

  She gave me an odd look.

  “I don't know where he went… no dónde.” Throwing my hands in the air, I shrugged my shoulders, hoping she would understand what I meant by the gesture.

  As we sat drinking our beverages, she gazed up at me every few seconds and gave me a half smile. She seemed nervous around me, but I couldn't figure out why. I was trying my best to converse with her and thought I gave off a friendly vibe.

  For fifteen minutes, we sat in uncomfortable silence until David came waltzing through the door. Conchita immediately jumped up to greet him as a faithful dog does for his master. I waited to see if maybe she was also going to lick his face.

  I watched as he enveloped her in another welcoming hug. David was a hugger and hugged everyone he met. I assumed he did it to make her feel comfortable and put her at ease. They exchanged a handful of animated words for a minute. I deciphered three of them.

  David walked over to the table and bent down, giving me a half hug and a tiny peck on the cheek. “Conchita said she's here to help you unpack the boxes.”

  “Okay,” slightly pulling away, my eyes darting between them. “Where have you been all morning?”

  “Slim needed my help with something and then I stopped at the nursery on the way back. I picked up some new plants and flowers for the garden. Wait until you see them.” Smiling, he filled his water bottle and headed back out the door.

  Conchita and I spent the next few hours unpacking most of the boxes and putting things away. One box remained closed and I set it next to the futon in the corner. Conchita had accidentally opened it and started pulling out David’s folders full of paperwork. She may not have understood the word ‘private’ scribbled on it in blue ink.

  When I put the files back in the box, I couldn't help notice one of the folders labeled ‘insurance.’ It caught my eye because it had my name written on the front of it. Conchita watched closely as I paused briefly, studying it. At that moment, I had offered to make us lunch but she quickly stood up, mumbling something about an autobús and casa.

  She gathered her bag, waved at me, and then showed herself out the door. I went over to the sink to rinse out the cups and gazed out the kitchen window. David was kneeling on the ground with an array of flowering plants by his side. Conchita walked over to him and he immediately jumped to his feet, brushing himself off.

  She pointed to the plants and he motioned toward the garden. They continued chatting for a few minutes. She reached out and gave him a hug and then proceeded to walk down the driveway toward the main road.

  David glanced over his shoulder and saw me through the kitchen window. He stood for a moment, glaring at me, and then turned back to tending the garden. I wondered what they had spoken about. It wasn't the first time I felt that David already knew Conchita, the way they looked at each other, the way they conversed as if they were long-lost friends. If they already knew each other, why wouldn’t he have told me? Could he be hiding something?

  The door opened and David popped in, grabbing his keys off the counter.

  “I'll be back in an hour,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

  “Where are you off to now?”

  “Conchita just texted me. She missed the bus, so I offered to give her a ride home.”

  “What would she do without you?” The words spilling out of my mouth in a sarcastic tone.

  “Seriously, Val?” He shot me a look and then slammed the door behind him.

  That confirmed my suspicion. They did know each other. They had to have swapped phone numbers to be texting each other. What else were they keeping from me?

  I waited until I heard David's truck roll along the gravel driveway and down toward the road. I marched over to the box next to the futon in the corner. Undoing the flaps, I reached in and pulled out the folder marked insurance—the one with my name on it.

  I rifled through the papers but found most of them were written in Spanish. I had no clue about what they said. Tossing the file aside, I sat on the floor and gazed out the window. I stared at the trees, watching their leaves sway in the wind. The bright sun from the morning had disappeared as thick clouds were rolling in. It amazed me that the weather changed so quickly but it was the rainy season after all.

  My mind wandered in a million directions as a chill crept over me. I somehow convinced myself that David had taken an insurance policy out on me. Why else would my name be on a folder marked insurance? I’ve heard stories before, read about them in the news, and watched them on TV—stories about a person who takes out an insurance plan on someone.

  Someone they plan to kill.

  24

  David

  I can’t concentrate. I’m irritated. I am trying to connect the security camera to my phone but I don’t have the head for it today. My thoughts keep drifting to Val.

  I thought she was different, unlike the others. I thought she was more self-confident and secure. Once again, I was wrong. I caught her staring ou
t the kitchen window when Conchita came out to say goodbye. I saw the look in her eyes. I’ve seen it before. The look of distrust fused with jealousy.

  If she only knew what poor Conchita has endured. The guilt she feels and the burden she carries. Maybe it was a bad decision to return to Costa Rica. Perhaps I should've stayed in California. I could've saved myself time and energy… not to mention, money.

  No. Screw that. I will not bend to another woman. You give them an inch, and they take a mile. My exes had the world at their feet but they threw it all away. It wasn't my fault. At least that's what I tell myself. One allowed herself to become caught up in the frivolities of the world. The other became entangled in delusions that diluted her mind. Sadly, she succumbed to her own fate.

  I warned her many times that she was going down the wrong path. I tried stopping her. I tried even harder to steer her in the right direction but she wouldn't listen. She was too headstrong. Maybe she got what was coming to her.

  Conchita thinks I should come clean and tell Val what happened. But I want to start new with a clean slate. I want to do things right this time, with the right woman. There's no use stirring up the past if you don't have to.

  They say you shouldn’t keep secrets but I beg to differ. Some secrets are best kept buried.

  25

  Valerie

  As I sat at the computer staring at the screen, I pictured a sloth crossing the road. He was crawling along, carrying a power cord and searching for an electrical outlet. The internet connection at the house was slow, slower than the days of dial-up. Everything took forever; slow was the way of life in the jungle.

  Ten minutes later the page appeared and I clicked on the link for batteries. Another two minutes passed and then the page froze. I released a long sigh. When I leaned back in the chair, I felt something grab my shoulders. Flinching, I let out a scream and turned in my seat.

  “You scared me!” I shrieked my heart beating rapidly against my chest.

  “The chair was balancing on two legs. It looked as if you were going to fall over, so I reached out to catch you.”

  I glared at him, taking a breath.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, peeking at the screen.

  “Trying to order a battery for my cell phone but I can’t even get the darn page to load.”

  “Forget it. It’s not worth it. The shipping will cost more than the battery. We can go into town and try to find one.”

  I wanted to tell him that I didn’t like going into town. It was depressing to see the endless number of stray animals wandering aimlessly. It was so sad and always made me cry.

  But for some reason, I didn’t have the heart to tell him as he stood there holding my leopard print rain boots.

  “Put these on; you might need them.” He grinned.

  Two hours and four stores later, there were no cell phone batteries to be found. I spied a BCR sign, a ‘Banco de Costa Rica’ on the main road and asked David to stop.

  “I’ll just be a minute,” I said, exiting the truck. Digging into my handbag for my wallet, I pulled out my bank card.

  As I walked up to the ATM, the ‘cajero automático’ I paused as everything was written in Spanish. Above the machine, the words ‘sin cargos’ were written on a small sign.

  When I slid my card into the machine, I tapped the keypad and gazed into the screen, but the glare from the sun made it hard to read. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I tapped the keypad again. I must’ve hit the wrong button because in an instant the machine ate my card.

  Stomping my feet, I grumbled and breathed out my frustration. A door slammed from behind me and David sauntered over with a goofy smile plastered on his face.

  “What’s going on?”

  “The machine ate my card!” I yelled.

  “Looked like you were doing some sort of rain dance.” He broke into laughter. “At least you’re wearing the right boots.”

  “Stop,” I stamped my foot again, “it’s not funny.”

  “Don’t worry about it; things happen.”

  “But it’s the only card I have.”

  “Relax,” his tone escalated.

  “Sure, easy for you to say.” I rushed over to the main door, gripping the handle, but it was locked.

  “They’re closed,” he said, “cerrado,” pointing to the sign. “We’ll come back another day.”

  “But I need money. Now.”

  “You don’t need any money.”

  “I am out of cash.” A wave of panic surged through me, pulsating every inch of my body.

  “So what?” He walked over to me, inches from my face.

  “What if I can’t get my card back?”

  “I’ll take care of you,” he said, staring deep into my eyes. He took hold of my hand and we walked back to his truck.

  The old jalopy chugged along, the springs in the seat squeaking as David dodged a mix of bumps and potholes in the road. I focused my gaze on a small waterfall streaming down the side of the mountain that reminded me of something I had seen before. Closing my eyes, I thought back to the waterfall photo in David’s condo—to the time I first visited him in California.

  I had so many hesitations when I first met him, yet I ignored every one of them. As we bounced along the winding roads, I glanced over at him, wondering if he had any doubts when he first met me.

  “What are you thinking about over there?” he asked, reaching out for my hand.

  “Not much,” I turned away, gazing out the window.

  “Don't lie; I can sense something is on your mind.”

  “I was thinking about the waterfall we just passed. It reminded me of the photo on the wall at your condo.”

  “Ahh, yes, the old condo. I had forgotten all about it since we moved here to our new home.” He grinned, caressing my fingers. “What else is on your mind?”

  I swallowed, shifting in my seat.

  “Have you ever had second thoughts?” I asked, my voice wavering.

  “About what?”

  “Us,” I said, over the faint beeping of his cell phone.

  “No, why have you?” Drawing his phone from his pocket, he gazed at the screen squinting his eyes.

  “No,” I lied. “I guess because our relationship moved so fast, I've always wondered.”

  “Stop thinking so much and start enjoying yourself. We’re living the dream life in the jungle.” He gave me a wink.

  When we pulled into the driveway, David parked the truck near the steps with the engine running. With his phone in hand, he began texting someone while I reached for my handbag and exited the vehicle. As I walked up the stairs toward the house, I heard gravel crunching as David turned the truck around.

  “Slim needs my help,” he called out. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He blew me a kiss and then drove back down the driveway.

  I couldn’t help wonder if it was really Slim or maybe Conchita who texted him. Max started barking and I immediately went over to greet him.

  “Hello, my handsome boy,” I said, untying him from the run. Jumping up and down, he ran circles around me and then dashed off in the direction of the garden.

  I picked up my pace and followed him. I watched as he sniffed his way through the freshly planted flowers, stepping on some while leaving a trail of paw prints behind him.

  “Max! Come over here,” I yelled, patting my leg. I whistled at him but my attempt was weak. I never was a good whistler. Max soon started digging near a bright pink hibiscus as I slowly made my way toward him, step by step, ever so careful. Moving the soil with his paws and snout, Max unearthed something small and square. He tried clamping his jaw around it but it was too awkward for him. He began whining and then turned to me, wagging his tail.

  “Whatcha got, boy?” I said as I moved closer. Max pawed at it before I picked it up, wiping the dirt from it. A small wooden box with the letter ‘G’ carved on top of it. I had no idea why it was buried there or what the letter G stood for.

  I studied the box for a moment, feelin
g its weight and observing the tiny keyhole in the middle of it. I shook it by my ear but didn’t hear any rattling inside. It felt solid.

  I quickly placed the box back in its hiding place, patting the dirt around the plant to cover it up. I then made my way through the garden, backtracking over paw prints and footprints where Max and I trampled through the ground. I did my best to cover both of our tracks, smoothing the soil with the sides of my boots.

  As I headed toward the house, I felt something soft brush against my shoulder, tickling my skin. I turned and saw a large plant with peach, bell-shaped flowers dangling from its stems. I took a step back to study it closer, noticing the heady, sweet aroma filling the air. The scent reminded me of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, a perfume maybe?

  I continued down the path, and from a distance saw Max sitting by the front door waiting for me. He had turned into such a great companion, loyal, smart, and obedient. When I reached the house, I patted Max on top of his head and then pulled the keys from my pocket to unlock the door.

  My mind soon wandered, wondering where David had hidden the key to the wooden box in the garden.

  26

  David

  I stand outside the kitchen window, watching Val as she riffles through the cardboard box, my cardboard box. She pulls out folder after folder, frantically scanning the papers inside each one. I feel my blood pressure rise as she intrudes into my personal life. What is she doing? What in the world could she be looking for?

  Of course, she can’t see me from this angle, not from where I’m standing. With the sun blazing bright in the afternoon sky, even if she were to look outside, the glare would blind her. It’s like a big beaming spotlight shining inside the house and directly on her. You’re busted. We’ve caught you, the sun and I. I chuckle to myself.