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Why did my impulse tour booking this morning feel like I was running away?
My phone pinged again just before we turned off for the visitor centre.
Jet:you sure? Nothing else? Tom said I owe you an apology, and to make sure you’re okay
Jet:Fuck, Ari. I’m so sorry if I said anything that was out of line
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the bus driver announced. “We have arrived at Kakadu National Park and will be parking shortly to meet your tour guide.”
A pre-recorded message played in Japanese over the speakers as I stared at my phone.
We disembarked the coach and headed for the visitor centre. Such natural beauty around me—palm trees, gums, red dirt and twisted rocky outcrops—and yet I kept staring at a text from a guy.
I had one bar of mobile reception. The booking agent had warned me that mobile reception was patchy at best here. I began a draft message.
Me: you said something last night about us. About your feelings for me. And I want to know more. I want you to tell me everything about what you meant.
Someone bumped me from behind, making me accidentally hit send, and I swore my heart stopped.
“Everything okay?” the bus driver asked.
“Y-yeah,” I managed to stammer.
The blue line went across the screen, slowly and surely.
I huffed a cry upon seeing the ‘message failed’ alert come up in red.
“Okay, everyone!” The bus driver clapped and began giving instructions.
I hit delete and connected to the free wi-fi at the visitor’s centre, which was worse than one bar of mobile reception, and tried another message.
Me:Nothing was out of line.
This time, after thirty seconds, the message was delivered and then read.
Jet:okay. Good. Have fun. And I’ll be safe. Promise.
Four days later,for Christmas Eve, I sat in the air-conditioning of the Darwin RSL with some of the other tour guests having a drink together when Jet texted a photo of the shell I posted to him.
Jet:Fuck, Ari!
Jet: you sent me the fucking ocean! the shell is amazing!
Me:glad you liked it.
Jet:you had your ear against this shell, didn’t you?
I shivered. He’d put the shell against his ear, too.
Ari: I did.
Ari: had to check it was working LOL
Jet:Ari, I love this present
Jet:thank you
More goosebumps. For two whole seconds, I thought about sending my original text demanding to know more about his declaration.
