by S M Mala
Carefully placing her things on the grass, Hatty took off her clothes and walked into the warm water, looking up at the sunshine in the sky before swimming around and putting her head under the stream of soft water.
‘You’re supposed to be at the estate or at the hotel,’ she heard Jake say as she jumped and looked guiltily at him. ‘Hatty?’
‘Jacob,’ she said, seeing he was standing with his hands on hips. ‘I got Thomas to drop off Murray’s things at the hotel so I did what I was told.’
‘We should be going back home, packing our things and moving this afternoon.’
‘Oh,’ she said, seeing him frown. ‘We have a few hours to enjoy this place where you used to spy in me like the pervert you are.’
‘Harriet,’ he replied, trying not to smile. ‘We need to sort out lots of things.’
‘Don’t you want to relax for a moment? Who knows this might go when the hurricane arrives?’
‘Emotional blackmail isn’t going to work,’ he said and she realised he wasn’t playing ball. ‘And we need to make sure dad’s settled in.’
‘Fine,’ she said, looking around and wondering if her oasis would be hurt, taking everything in so she could make a mental note of what was what. Then her eyes fell upon the rock where they made love and she smiled, walking towards it and putting her hand on the cold stone. ‘This will be safe.’
‘Can you hurry up?’ he said anxiously and she slowly walked out of the pool towards where he was standing then bent over to pick up her clothes.
She was surprised when he started to kiss her back and put his arms around her.
‘I need to get dressed,’ she said miserably.
‘I’m being a little harsh,’ he said, as he started to caress her gently before kissing her neck.
Jake pulled her to the ground and turned her over, burying his head between her legs. She felt his lips meet her private ones, licking and sucking until she had an orgasm in his mouth. He then turned her over, taking her from behind until he came very quickly.
‘Now can we go and swim?’ Hatty asked as he started to laugh. ‘Remember this is our spot so we have to wish it well before we both return.’
Delores had packed her bags and sat in the living room. She knew she wasn’t feeling up to scratch as she’d driven around the island in the morning, hoping to find some clarity of thought and was still reeling from the surprise of finding out Murray had been moved.
Anger had surged through her veins immediately, feeling excluded from the decision and on her return, no one was in the house. She picked up a text from Frederick telling her she was booked onto a flight but she didn’t care. Her feelings were confused. Looking around the house, she then got into her car and drove to the hotel intent on making things good with Murray once again and ignoring the getaway plane.
Jake locked up the house as Hatty got Barney’s things together and put his food in a box to take to the hotel.
‘Do they allow dogs?’ he asked, looking at her pile of items for the mutt.
‘It’s Murray Logan’s dog as well as mine and how are they going to say ‘no’?’ she said, grinning. ‘And he’s staying in the room with us.’
‘No way!’ he said and swore the little dog was smiling at him. ‘He’s not sleeping on the bed.’
‘He has his own sleeping place,’ she huffed and shook her head at him.
‘And what about going to the toilet?’
‘He can poo in the garden and I’ll scoop it up.’
‘When there’s a hurricane?’
‘Stop finding fault. The dog comes or I’ll stay,’ she said defiantly, as he took the things out of her arms and put them to the side.
Jake looked at the sky and could see the clouds coming over.
He glanced at Hatty, who was looking at the same thing, and momentarily seemed scared.
‘You’ll be fine,’ he said, seeing the fear on her face as she forced a smile.
‘You know the lightening burnt some houses down, so I saw on the net,’ she said quietly. ‘Better not touch my house.’
‘While you’re with me, you’re safe.’
‘I’ll cry,’ she said seriously. ‘It makes me cry and shake. I get so scared.’ She shuddered and forced a smile. ‘But Murray comes first and foremost.’
‘And the sea?’
‘I won’t look at it,’ Hatty said brightly. ‘I’ll stay in bed, under the covers and all will be well. When’s it coming?’
‘They say Thursday morning,’ he replied, picking up some of Barney’s belongings as Hatty stooped and put Barney’s lead on. ‘We’ve had enough time to prepare so we’ll be very safe.’
Jake felt secretly worried about it but simultaneously excited about the prospect of sitting through a hurricane. He knew it would make a fascinating report. As he opened the door, the pair of them were taken back for a moment by the strong wind. Jake picked up Barney as they got to the jeep and locked the doors.
‘It’s coming,’ she said, seriously nodding her head. ‘You know with weather like this brings mood changes.’
‘People get anxious?’ he asked, starting up the car.
‘Strange. I’ve seen it.’
‘How can you when you’re under the covers?’ he laughed, noticing Barney had settled down in the back seat as she smiled. ‘No more comments about dogs in the back of the car.’
‘Me lip sealed,’ she replied and patted his head, blowing a kiss to the dog. ‘It’s like a little adventure.’
‘Just a little.’
The hotel was full of cars as he parked and they got out. It started to rain and they rushed into the hotel, Hatty holding on to Barney, before stopping at reception. There were people all over the place as he quickly got their key and went up to the room. He noticed Hatty was waiting for someone to mention Barney as she sheepishly hid him in her arms.
‘They know he’s staying,’ Jake said, walking her to the lift.
‘They better not be charging for an extra person,’ she sniffed. ‘He brought his own food and bedding. Me know ‘ow ya fader likes to make money.’
Their room was large and he was surprised they could see the sea and directly to the part where Hatty lived. He saw her face stiffen as she looked down.
‘Do you want me to change room?’ he gently asked as she shook her head from side to side.
‘I’ve not been to this hotel before,’ she said. ‘Murray told me to keep away as they have a more sophisticated person coming here.’
‘He vets where you go?’
‘One of the perks of having Mister Murray as an employer. Can I go and see him?’
‘What are you going to do with Barney?’ he said, seeing the dog settle into his basket she’d put in the corner of the room. ‘You can’t lock him in?’
‘Do you think other people have animals in here?’ she asked seriously as he sat on the bed, overcome but a sudden wave of tiredness. ‘Do you want to lie down? I could take Barney for a walk?’
‘I’m fine,’ he said, feeling shattered. ‘I need to check if everyone is okay.’
He kissed her on the head and left her to unpack her bag but saw her sit on the bed with her satchel firmly flung across her, looking down at the sea.
Jake walked down to reception and spoke to the manager then went through the list of people who had booked in. The hotel had the capacity of 68 rooms and it seemed a lot of people were also camping out in the meeting and banqueting rooms then he noticed Ethel grimace.
‘Are you alright?’ he asked, seeing she was scowling at something.
‘Me not like it ‘ere,’ Ethel gruffly replied. ‘Me family tink it great but me want to go ‘ome.’
‘You can’t go home yet and you’ve got a large room for your family.’
‘Stuck ‘ere for tree days?’ she said, holding up four fingers. ‘Me can’t take it.’
‘This is one of the safest places on the island.’
‘Me old ‘ouse ‘ardly got damage de last time it come,’ she said uncon
vinced. ‘It all internet fault!’
‘You’re safe, that’s all that matters,’ he said, then looked up to see Gina and he knew this was going to cause trouble. ‘Can my life get any worse?’
‘Keep ‘er away from Hatty, ya ‘ear?’
‘Yes,’ he said and walked up to Gina who was smiling at him. He noticed a bruise on her face. ‘Before you say anything, keep away from Hatty.’
‘She de mad one,’ Gina said, still smiling. ‘Ya want to know me room number?’
‘No,’ he said, trying not to laugh at the woman’s gall. ‘Are you on your own?’
‘Me wid me moder,’ she said, looking at a woman who seemed lost, sitting in a chair. ‘She get panic when it like dis. Scare her when she tink of Simon.’
‘I see,’ he said and saw Hatty coming down the corridor with Barney.
She stopped when she saw him and Gina before turning around.
Jake walked away and looked into the packed bar to see his Aunt Caroline sitting in the corner, drinking coffee. He quickly strode towards her, giving her a hug and a kiss.
‘You should be flying out,’ he whispered.
‘As much as your father annoys me, I couldn’t leave you all on your own, it would be wrong,’ she said, holding onto his hands. ‘He’s here I believe.’
‘Down the corridor from me. I have to go and see him. Hatty’s around,’ he said, looking at his aunt earnestly. ‘Please don’t upset her, not now. She’s worried about Murray, the island and she hates thunder and lightning, scares her not to mention the sea.’ He noticed Caroline’s bored expression realising she didn’t care. ‘I better go.’
He headed off to see where Hatty had gone. Then he heard her loud laugh coming from a room and saw she was with some children. He recognised the little boy she’d saved months back playing with Barney.
‘He really ya dog?’ the little girl with glasses said as Hatty folded her arms and nodded.
‘Yes, I can’t look after children but I can certainly look after a dog,’ then she saw Jake. ‘And so can someone else I know.’ He let out a sigh. ‘Now you can play with Barney but don’t feed him anything as he’ll just want more. Can I trust you to do this?’
‘Miss Hatty ya can trust me,’ the little boy said and Hatty gave him a kiss on the cheek.
‘Bennett, you’re a good child. I apologise for telling you I saved your sorry arse,’ she laughed and Jake saw that the two children adored Hatty.
Then he heard the noise of more little people.
‘Miss Hatty, Miss Hatty!’ another little girl screamed rushing past Jake and stopping to look at him. ‘Dat ya white boyfriend!’
‘You can’t say that,’ Hatty said, giving the little girl a hug, as a troop of five girls followed.
‘Me see ya kissin’ ‘im up,’ another little girl giggled as Hatty shrugged.
‘He kissin’ me!’ said Hatty, pointing to him and then herself. ‘He a lucky boy!’
‘Me not like ‘im,’ mumbled Bennet as Hatty smiled.
‘Me know da feelin’,’ she laughed. ‘Now I’ll be back in an hour so don’t lose Barney.’
‘Yes Miss Hatty,’ they said cheerfully as she walked up to Jake, smiled and walked past him down the corridor.
‘Where are you going!’ he shouted out behind her.
‘To see Murray,’ she said and went to the lift, pressing a button and waiting as he stood in front of her and looked down. ‘Me not say a ting.’
‘I was just telling her to keep away from you. And she’s here with her mother,’ he said and Hatty looked startled for a moment. ‘You never mentioned she was still around.’
‘Poor woman,’ Hatty said quietly and shook her head, stepping into the lift filled with people carrying various bags and cases. They stood there squashed before stopping at their floor. ‘Which room?’
‘Down there,’ he said, walking to the door then knocked before entering.
Murray was sitting up in bed, looking out of the window as a woman stood nearby looking at his chart and monitor.
‘This is the life,’ said Hatty, looking around the large suite. ‘How comes you’ve got the biggest room?’
‘Because he owns the place?’ He walked to this father whose cheeks had more colour than the morning. ‘How you feeling?’
‘Better since getting out of the hospital,’ he said and Jake noticed he was watching Hatty. ‘Is everyone here?’
‘I’ve seen everyone except Delores but she’s around,’ Jake replied, relieved to see his father looking better.
‘Another couple of days and I won’t be strapped up to this contraption,’ he said cheerfully. ‘But they’re starting me on a low sodium, low fat, low taste diet. I could kill for a beer.’
‘And no alcohol,’ said the woman glaring at him. ‘We have to sort you out so you live to one hundred.’
‘Not long to go!’ Hatty said, still staring out of the window. She went to open the door and then she froze for a second. Suddenly she walked towards the doors. ‘I have to do something.’
For the first time Jake felt scared at what would happen next and noticed his father was probably thinking the same thing too.
Hatty took a walk around the hotel and went on every floor, visiting every room so she knew where everything was. When she got to the kitchen she was stopped for the first time.
‘You can’t go in there,’ the tall white woman with a thick American accent told her.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s not for guests.’
‘I’m not a guest,’ Hatty replied. Then her eyes flickered for a moment. ‘I’m Murray Logan’s housekeeper.’
‘Really?’ the woman said, unconvinced.
‘Call him and ask,’ she said, staring up at the woman. ‘You know he’s very sick in room 307, I just went to see him. He asked me to make sure there was enough food for the next few days, he worries like that.’
‘I see,’ the woman said scowling.
‘Fine I’ll tell him you stopped me,’ Hatty said, turning around.
‘No, come in but be quick, they’re cooking.’
Hatty smiled then turned around to look at the woman with a serious expression.
She walked quickly through and noticed the chaos in the kitchen as people cooked for the surge of guests. Hatty walked around the sides and glanced down the corridor with the food storage, amazed to see so much rice. There was a fire escape door which she quickly opened to be met with a hefty wind. It slammed it back in her face so she walked out towards the lobby.
Turning around she saw Gina chatting up a man, then Caroline sitting with a fellow group of Americans and Delores talking to Frederick. Hatty walked towards the area leading to the indoor pool to find it empty and a glass wall overlooking the greenery and coast. That’s when she noticed how dark the clouds were and the trees and bushes being pressed by the wind. She prised open the door and stood outside, as the wind struck her body. Something smelt so wonderful in the air and then she figured out what it was.
Fear.
Hatty went back in and shut the door, locking it tightly as she sat down in silence wondering what would happen next.
It was eight before Jake realised Hatty hadn’t returned to the room as he started to feel hungry. He’d been working furiously, doing research and writing articles for the paper’s web as well as emailing his friends. He saw a message from Serena asking if he was okay, then opened up his social network site, which he hadn’t done in a long time, to tell people where he was. Murray had eaten and was resting so he went downstairs and saw the place brimming with life.
The mood was buoyant as the noise level was quite high then he saw Hatty picking up plates and cups, putting them in a basket before taking them into the kitchen. He watched her smiling and chatting as she walked around. Jake felt guilty for leaving her then went to the dining room to get some food.
Frederick, Delores and Caroline were sitting at the same table then he saw Philip with a small group of people. He got something
to eat, waved to the older table before sitting with Philip.
‘Hatty being good,’ Philip smiled, glancing at her as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. ‘How’s Murray?’
‘Sleeping and moaning about not being able to eat and drink what he wants.’ Jake tucked in, all the time looking at Hatty then glancing at Delores and his aunt. ‘Do you think Hatty’s avoiding sitting down?’
‘Probably,’ he laughed, leaning closer. ‘You do know some of the people she really dislikes are staying here? Dem people who make her cry.’
‘Everything makes her cry.’
‘No it doesn’t,’ said Philip and Jake realised he was being protective. ‘She only gets upset when she’s hurt or afraid and Hatty’s had a lot of that. So wid all dis thunder an’ lightenin’, Murray bein’ sick, ya aunt an’ Delores up to cause trouble, she damn house close to gettin’ covered in water, ya blame da gal for cryin’?’
An hour later he went back to the room to find Hatty watching television lying on her front while Barney slept quietly in the corner of the room. She was drinking a bottle of wine and eating crisps at the end of the bed and didn’t acknowledge him as he went straight into the shower.
When he got back, she hadn’t moved.
‘You were very good to help out this evening,’ he gently said.
‘It’s my civil duty,’ she said, not looking at him. ‘Your Aunt Caroline ignored me when I said ‘hello’ this evening and Delores seems so caught up in her own thoughts. I let Uncle Freddie get on with it.’
‘Made any friends?’ he asked tentatively, as she glared at him.
‘Same people who live in the island that gossip and bitch about me are in here, so what’s there to say? I’ll see what happens over the next coming days but if it bothers me, I’ll stay in this room until the hurricane goes.’
The pair of them were suddenly startled as a flash of lightening came from the sky. Hatty jumped up to her knees in shock. Barney hadn’t moved a muscle.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked as she tried to control her breathing. ‘Where did that come from?’
‘The sky,’ she said and quickly crawled under the covers as he watched her turn her back to the glass.
