AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My phone rang and it was MaKayla. “Good morning, how did you sleep?” I asked.
“Better than I thought. But my mother is itching to get on the road. She’s been sitting on the bed dressed and glaring at me for twenty minutes.”
I could almost feel her pain. “Did you two want to go for breakfast?”
“She already did that at five this morning. Also went for a walk, and she said she’s done all the sightseeing she needs to,” she stated. “I, on the other hand, haven’t. It was so late when we got back. I really was hoping to spend the day seeing Niagara Falls. I know it’s crazy, but I’ve never been. It’s a shame to be here now and not explore it. You think you can help me convince my mother that we should stay another night?”
No faith that I was going to come up with an excuse of my own?
“I thought I was the only person who hasn’t seen it in person. I agree. There’s no better time. And I watched the weather. It’s going to be warm and sunny. Now there is only one last thing to decide,” I said.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Explore the US side or Canadian side?”
“Hmm. I took the entire week off. We have two choices,” she said.
“What are they?” I asked.
“We could spend the day enjoying the US side and then cross the border before dark, get a hotel, and tomorrow, spend the day enjoying the Canadian side,” she said.
“Or?”
“Or we drive to Halifax and drop my mother off, and I come back with you,” she suggested.
“Absolutely not!” Venus barked in the background.
I bit back my laughter and said, “I agree with your mother. That is such a waste of time. I like your first suggestion. And then after Niagara Falls, we can see if there is anyplace else you would like to stop at.”
This was perfect. It was going to give me the time I needed with Venus and yet I’d still be free in time for my departure to Tabiq.
“I think my mother will be ready to be home by then, but we might be able to squeeze in one more stop along the way. I mean sixteen hours in a car will be more than I can handle,” MaKayla said.
I could hear Venus. She was not happy about any of this. “Sounds like we will be checking out at eleven. I’ll come by and help you ladies with your luggage.”
“Thank you. You’re a sweetheart,” she said in a tone where I could almost hear her smiling.
In less than an hour, we had checked out and were off to see the falls. Venus sat in the back, which was nice, but it limited the chance for us to chat. No problem because I was about to make up for it, and I knew exactly what to say to get a response. Or at least a reaction.
As we stood against the rail, watching the water rush over the falls, I said, “This is beautiful.”
“It’s nice,” Venus replied.
“Do they have things like this where you're from?” I asked.
“No. Halifax doesn’t have anything like this,” she replied.
I could see MaKayla pretending to be so enthralled with the view that she didn’t even engage in our conversation. But I knew she was listening intently.
“I mean your home. Where you grew up. The place you lived before you moved to Canada,” I said.
She looked tense and white-knuckled the railing in front of us. “It was nothing like this. Nothing like Halifax. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk and just enjoy the view.”
What she meant was to avoid answering my questions. I wasn’t done. “You look like someone who would rather be on a tropical island by the beach, than here.”
No words, but she nodded.
That went along with what I’d researched. Tabiq was a tropical island. MaKayla heard the deafening silence and said, “My mother wanted to go on vacation to a tropical island, but I insisted on New York.”
