The man had a buzz cut, sharp, chiseled features, and a cold, stern expression. His skin was a deep, sun-kissed caramel. He looked rugged, tough, and a little intimidating.
The men I’d been around were all fair-skinned, well-groomed types in shirts and ties, wearing suits and coats. But this man looked like he’d just stepped out of a rough neighborhood.
I instinctively gripped my bag tighter, remembering the pepper spray and self-defense knife Jasmine had slipped into it before I left.
But before I could even reach for them, the man started the car without a word. I thought, ‘What does that look mean, though?’
I didn’t quite understand, but my heart, which had only just begun to settle in this new city, started racing again, thrown off bnce.
Out of caution, I didn’t even take the time to admire the city’s sights. It wasn’t until the car finally stopped and I paid the fare, stepping out, that I exhaled, watching the cab drive away.
It was already 10 p.m. I knew it was a little reckless toe here at this hour. I could have waited until morning to check out the ce where my parents used to live.
But now that I was here, there was no point in second-guessing myself.
The area around me was truly run-down. The walls were crumbling, the ground uneven and full of potholes, and there was even standing water on the street. My suitcase wouldn’t roll properly, so I had to drag it by hand.
The address Eliseo had left me was No. 42 in Coral Lane. I scanned the doortes on each building and finally found it.
The door even had a “For Rent” sign on it. I wondered, ‘Could a ce like this really be rented out? Only a fool would want to rent a ce like this.
I muttered to myself, but still walked in. The courtyard was small, with buildings on all sides.
In the center stood a tree, but since it was dark, I couldn’t make out what kind of tree it was. I knew, though it was a ginkgo tree, the one Eliseo had watched grow.
“Are you looking for someone or just renting?” A voice called out from behind me.
I turned to see an elderly woman, Holly Brown, her hair a mix of gray and white, leaning on a thin walking stick. She gave me an assessing look from head to toe.
“I—I’d like to rent,” I said, pointing to the room at the far end of the yard. “I’d like to stay in that
one.”
Eliseo had told me that when we lived here, the courtyard had three rooms. The middle one was the living room where they entertained guests, watched TV, and ate. The kitchen was to the west,
and the far east room was the bedroom.
When my parents left, they sold the ce. Now it had been renovated, and all the old traces were gone. But I still wanted to stay in the room where they had lived, even if everything else had changed.
“That room’s already taken,” Holly said, pointing to the room next door. “Why don’t you stay in this one instead?”
I didn’t answer right away because I still wanted the other room.
Holly noticed and added, “That room is a bit old. This one is newer. It’s much better for a young girl like you. Let me show you.”
She opened the door, revealing a neat, clean room with freshly painted walls and a well-made bed.
“It looks fine,” I said, “but I still prefer the other one.” Sometimes, I could be stubborn.
Holly eyed me for a moment before saying, “Well, how about this? You wait until the person in the other roomes back. Maybe you can talk to him and see if he’s willing to swap?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
Whether I could stay in that room or not, I was determined to stay here, even if it was just for that ginkgo tree that still stood in the yard.
I paid Holly and took the kettle of water she had prepared for me. Just as I was settling into the room, my phone rang.
I assumed it was Jasmine, checking in on my amodation. But when I saw the caller ID, I froze.
It was someone I hadn’t heard from in years-someone who hadn’t called me in over a decade- calling my secondary number, the one that hadn’t rung once in all that time.