Chapter 101

Chapter 101
"The Game of Finding Catherine"

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 1:45 p.m. And we arrived at 12:45 p.m. at the airport. As we drove to the airport, awkwardness engulfed us. Carlo, who hadn't returned to the house since our commotions hours before, was on my mind. He deserved an explanation, so I put a letter and the house key on the floor outside the door.
My adventure with Rafael had no set outcome because I didn't know how I could assist Rafael in his search. And returning to the island would simply jeopardize my masquerade. On the other hand, Dr. Rafael Morrow would not take no for an answer. He had me trapped once more in his intricately woven scheme to take me on a trip.
Rafael was still not talking to me as we entered the waiting room. He had been deafeningly quiet since we left the old house. He wore a modest shirt and trousers and carried a small backpack, giving the impression that he was a model. He was so beautiful that I couldn't stop thinking about how I could be in his arms again. And every time I recall the nights we spent in each other's arms, the longing was as strong as a rocket ship sent to the moon. I still had feelings for him. And Carlo was correct in his assessment that I could never love him if Rafael was still around. I couldn't blame him for being envious of Rafael.
Rafael dropped me off at the waiting area bench thirty minutes before check-in. He was on his cell phone, attending to something urgent. He was on the phone on and off, isolating himself from the crowd in order to hear the other end of the call. From a distance, I could tell he was interested in our journey.
There were only a few travelers in the waiting room. Summer was over, and everyone had gone home and back to work, except for us, who were up to something peculiar on our trip. I attempted to focus on how I would interact with the island's commoners once we arrived. Nobody recognized me with my new face, and that was the most important aspect of my journey.
Various scenarios were running through my head, all of them pointless.
I'm not sure where to begin. Then I remembered a beach resort on the island called Nico's. It wasn't too far away from Maria's residence. And I discovered the location on my first day of wandering around after many days of treatment.
Yes, it would be a good place to start, I reasoned.
And the next stage is to go to Maria's house on my own. And what would I tell her? My mind was spinning around like a rodeo with no clear direction.
Oh, how could I ask Maria to tell Rafael that I was her niece who assisted her with taking care of Catherine?
Every new notion that came to me had an opposing idea, which made my brain hurt. I had no clue what was going to happen. To promise Rafael that I would assist him in finding me was the most impossible thing that had ever happened in my life. But we're on our way to a location that will turn my world upside down.
I heard various voices in my head telling me to do this and that, but they were all pointless. I only have a few hours before getting on the island to organize a series of itineraries.
"You need this cup of coffee," Rafael said as he approached me with two cups of hot coffee. Before settling next to me, he handed me one.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." He was silent again. And his silence made me nervous.
But I couldn't bring up a topic to start a conversation.
"Did he call you?" he inquired.
"Who?"
"Is there another man who might call you?" he asked, a grin on his face.
It was late when I understood he was referring to Carlo. And it made me feel embarrassed. "No, he didn't."
He sipped his coffee between phrases. "He was angry with me for stopping him from doing what he was going to do to you."
"He was only drunk. That's why he acted that way, but Carlo is a decent man."
"He was a good man until he fell for you, Monica."
I sighed and wished to remain silent. I'm not sure why I don't want to talk about Carlo with him. It really didn't sum up what I wanted to talk about with him.
"Please, don't bring him up."
"And who do you want to discuss it with?" he asked, peering at me.
I silently begged him to quit bothering me. I need to consider what will happen on the island. I need to create a scene or a strategy to keep him away from the truth.
"I was nervous every time I flew."
"Are you telling me you're terrified of heights?" he grins once more.
"Yes, I am."
"Why didn't you tell me? We can travel by land if that's what it takes. "
"No, it's fine; I should face my fear."
"That's good. Fear can't be avoided; it always comes back to bother us when we're in trouble, doesn't it? "
"Are you insinuating something to me?" I inquired.
"No, I was just agreeing with your point about fear; does it worry you?" he inquired.
"I'm sorry for not being myself today."
Monica, it's clear that you haven't been feeling yourself the last few days.
"Are you still upset with me?"
"No, I was mostly upset at myself," he said, his face turning melancholy. "I made a lot of mistakes that I later regretted," he moaned, "for all those years I spent believing that the head was always right and the heart could always be wrong."
I wasn't sure what he was attempting to tell me with those hazy statements he made.
"Did you get what I was saying?"
"It was far too complex and complicated to comprehend."
"Where's the complex part of it?" He snorted, "I was just talking about brain over heart, that most of the time, I made a decision after studying the subject via my brain and not my heart, and you know what? I had never listened to my heart before. Not until I saw my son. "
I didn't try to cut his speech to avoid any further questions or comments from him. It was enough for me to just listen to him.
"Perhaps I should listen to my heart more often," he sighed.
Then the airport's speaker filled the air, summoning us to check in for our flight. And he silently moved to allow me to walk ahead of him.
My seat number was near the window; where I could view the clouds we were passing over and then look down to see a map of the world. Flying high reminded me of flying with my dreams. It was a lovely pleasure to have the man next to me. But my daydreaming was cut short by the reality of what would happen once we arrived on the island. My stomach twisted once more with nervousness. But I had already planned the first move, which was to urge Rafael to check in first at Nico's beach resort.
"Is that Nico's beach resort?" he inquired.
"Yes, it was the only location we could rent a room for the day."
"If there are any available, we can rent a house."
"You want to rent a house?"
He looked at me as though he was actually considering renting a property for a few days.
"Are we remaining on that island for a long time?"
"It depends on when we can find Catherine, and I believe that seeking a person takes a lot longer than hunting for an item or an animal."
He was correct, but I couldn't see why he would want to rent a house when there were cottages available.
"But I didn't know if there were any houses for rent on the island; as far as I recall, there were beach resorts but no houses for rent, hotels, or even pension houses; it's a small island."
"Let's see what money can do on that island, Monica," he groaned.
"Are you bragging about your fortune, Dr. Morrow?" I was irritated by what he said about money. He sounded like Madam Mea.
"It depends on how you interpret what I said; it's a straightforward statement about how money works; did it offend you?"
"I really don't like folks bragging about their affluence to people who have nothing."
"Do you have nothing, Monica?"
His inquiry astounded me. I'd gotten myself ensnared in his web once more.
"Yes, when it comes to money, I am nothing compared to you, doctor."
"Does it burn your throat to call me my name? I previously requested that you call me "Rafael."
"All right, Rafael, let's keep our discourse civil, and please don't use an unpleasant tone in your speaking."
He grinned, "If that's what you're looking for, Monica. However, our chat assisted you in overcoming your phobia of heights. Didn't you see that? "
"Well, thank you," I murmured and closed my eyes.
After a few moments, he spoke again, saying, "How I wish I could see her soon."
When I opened my eyes, I noticed him closing his eyelids as he sat next to me, completely calm.
"Oh, Catherine, don't keep us waiting so long," he whispered.
I closed my eyes again. I tried to ignore his murmuring and wishing until I was out of there.
When I opened my eyes again, the plane was nearly devoid of passengers. And Rafael was staring at me, saying, "At long last, you're awake."
I was embarrassed to see the stewardess smiling as she watched me.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Sleeping is essential for everyone since it allows your body and mind to replenish," he explained to the lovely hostess. "Isn't it, Miss?"
Rafael received a smile from the girl.
"Can we get out of here now?"
"I was waiting for you to check out," he said, smiling.
When I got to my feet, I almost tripped. Rafael was going to catch me from falling on the plane's floor.
"No, thank you," I said, slipping out of his clutches.
I was ready to tell him as we stepped off the plane that we needed to rent a boat to get to the island.
But he told me flatly, "We arrived on time, and our boat is waiting for us in the port."
"How did you find out about renting a boat to the island?"
"That's what goggle is all about: telling you what to do and guiding you," he explained.
"Did you goggle at the island?"
"Yes, and I reserved a room at Beta Beach Resort rather than Nico's."
He made all of the arrangements and made all of the reservations without telling me. That upset me.
"How come you didn't tell me about it?"
"It doesn't matter"
Knowing how resourceful Rafael was in all he did made me question him. As far as I could tell, he had his own strategy. And it upsets me much more to realize that he was the one who orchestrated everything in getting to the island, rather than me, his so-called guide.
"I suppose I'm not needed on this trip anymore," I said as we walked to the exit gate.
"And why did you say that?"
"You did everything I should have done."
"Don't get me wrong: you are more important to me than you think, and I only want you to focus on one thing."
"And what exactly is that?"
"Just think about bringing Catherine back to me."
And the game is about to begin. I thought.