Chapter 32: Surinamese Dishes
He opened the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room. "Rise and shine, Princess Aurora, the sleeping beauty!" he exclaimed. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and drag myself to the shower, knowing he wouldn't give up until I did. "Hurry up, chop chop!" he yelled from the bedroom. "Shut your fat mouth!" I retorted from the bathroom. I really wasn't in the mood to hit the streets just yet. What was all this excitement about? Was Aaron this thrilled to be in Jamaica?
The weather here was oddly similar to Suriname's. The only thing missing were the stunning beaches with their green and blue waters. Here, our water resembled coke—beautifully brown. We even had a resort named "Cola Kreek," meaning Coca-Cola Creek, where the water took on that hue due to fallen brown leaves. It was refreshingly cold, with soft white sand. The most unique aspect? The water wasn't salty, sparing our hair from any damage. It was as sweet as rainwater, though it definitely didn't taste like cola. I couldn't help but miss those waters. Perhaps I'd consider visiting there today.
I stepped out of the shower, and Aaron was already teasing me about taking so long. "What took you so long?" he asked. "Nothing, just valuing cleanliness," I replied with a smile. "Do you want a dirty wife?" He chuckled. "Fair point," he said. "What should I wear?" I asked. "No, let's not do this, Valencia. Just grab the first thing you see," he suggested. I sighed. "I'm not trying to be an ugly witch with mismatched accessories, so I'm sorry, but this will take time. Help me choose. This or this?" I asked, holding up two outfits. He pointed at the red dress. "No, I don't like it," I said. "Why are you even asking for my opinion if you know you'll still do whatever you want?" he teased. "It's fun to be annoying, just like you," I retorted.
"I'm hungry, can you grab something downstairs?" I asked. "No, we'll have iced coffee on our way. No drivers, I'll drive myself," Aaron said, surprising me. I furrowed my brows in confusion. I knew something was up. "Are you avoiding your mom?" I asked suspiciously. "No," Aaron insisted. "I know you're lying. That's childish," I said, growing frustrated. "I thought we talked about this already," I added. "I'm not touching a thing in this house," Aaron declared. "That's crazy, you're still sleeping here," I said, feeling exasperated. Aaron sighed. "Hurry up so we can leave, please. I'm not in the mood for this," he said.
"Well, good, don't drag me into your nonsense again, because I don't have any issues with your mom. Are we really doing this?" he asked.
"It seems like it," I answered.
"Please, baby. I don't want to fight with you now," he said, kissing me on my head. "I love you. Please understand that these things take time."
"Yes, okay, let's leave now," I said, and he grabbed my hand. We walked downstairs, and I saw Mrs. Smith.
"Good morning," I said to her.
"Good morning," she said back.
"Aaron? Can we talk?" she asked.
"Yeah, not now, I'm in a hurry," he said. I just sighed and walked to the car. I was tired of this drama. We didn't say a word in the car. As promised, he drove to a shop to get us iced coffee. He also brought me a snack, chicken pie. It tasted so good.
"So we'll just sit like this? Nothing to talk about?" he asked.
"No," I shook my head.
"Come on, please. Don't act all moody. I'm trying," he told me.
"I know," I said.
"So, what's the next spot?" he asked.
"I don't know. Are we going to the mall?"
"Yes, that's fine. Can we make a pit stop here first?" I asked.
We stopped at a warung, an Indonesian restaurant where you could buy baka bana, freshly fried plantain covered in flour with a delicious spicy peanut sauce on top. I also bought the dawet, a coconut milk drink cooked with lemongrass and pandan leaves with small tapioca pearls. It was similar to bubble tea but way better. I was already stuffed at this point. I had a feeling that I wouldn't fit into the clothes. Aaron also ordered some nice Indonesian noodles called bami in Suriname with some spicy pepper paste on the side, pickled lemon, and stewed chicken. He said it hits different when you drink Coca-Cola after. He was also stuffed, but we decided to go on anyway.
I picked out some outfits at the mall. Aaron seemed bored after he got his outfit right away, and two hours passed by as we moved from one store to another, with me still unable to choose my outfits. After the fifth store, I finally found some clothes. I still wasn't entirely satisfied, but I figured I'd try to find more in Jamaica. Aaron carried all my bags and brought them to the car.
"So, I'm hungry again. What will we do for the rest of the day?" I asked.
"Let's go to a hotel and sip on some cocktails already," he suggested.
"No way, we have an early flight to catch tomorrow," I said.
"So what?" he asked.
"Whatever you like, boss," I said.
We stopped at a beautiful hotel with the perfect view. I loved it. We entered the jacuzzi and playfully spat water on each other.
"No, stop it. You'll ruin my hair. I don't think you want to be late for our flight tomorrow morning," I teased.
"Of course, we can't be late. Let's have some roti," he said, referring to an Indian wrap with curry chicken and potatoes with long beans on the side, along with a spicy chili paste. The Surinamese roti was heavenly. It was so delicious. I opted for the roti with Surinamese Duck. Aaron was right. This combination was amazing, especially with a Coca-Cola. We also indulged in some more Surinamese snacks like loempia, an Indonesian spring roll, and a variety of other treats. I wasn't used to this food anymore after living abroad for so many years, but it still held a special place in my heart as the best food for me.