The Backpacking Housewife Page 20

  She seems so adamant. So sure.

  And, when I see things through Summer’s eyes I can’t help but see things differently too.

  I suddenly have a horrible sinking feeling in my belly.

  I think I’ve had too much champagne.

  I wave Summer off at the train station. She’s giggling from champagne and bubbling with excitement to be seeing Nate again and to be heading off to Bali. Her parting words to me are a reminder to call Ethan and once her train pulls out, and I’m once again alone with my thoughts, I return to my suite and take a long hot bath.

  I often find relaxing in the bath is conducive to making important decisions or resolving complicated issues. I think about Summer taking a chance on Nate and how happy she seems. I look down at my wrist and see that my string bracelets are looking a bit ragged and grey. I’d been so determined to wear them until I’d found my place of happiness. Ethan had made me happy but now he’s making me miserable.

  I’d memorised every word the young monk had spoken to me in Chiang Mai.

  Am I missing something? What did he say about opening my heart?

  Rest assured, if you are willing to open your heart, then Lord Ganesh will guide you.

  Is opening my heart to Ethan the key to finding the sign?

  Will I always regret it if I don’t at least try?

  With my heart racing, I jump out of the bath and grab both my phone and my robe.

  I bring up Ethan’s number and hold my breath as it rings out.

  After just three rings I hear his deep Celtic-sounding voice.

  ‘Hey, Lori! Tell me you’re missing me already?’

  My heart soars. It’s so good to hear him say my name again.

  ‘Yes. I am missing you already, Ethan. I’m in KL. And I was thinking, well, as we’re both here in the same city, then maybe we should meet up again, after all?’

  My voice is an octave higher than usual and I sound like I’m blabbering.

  I take a deep breath and wait quietly for his response.

  ‘You’re in KL? Damn it. I arrived in KK an hour ago.’

  ‘KK? You’re where?’ I stammer.

  ‘Kota Kinabalu.’

  My heart drops. I’ve not even considered that he might not still be in KL.

  I’m achingly disappointed. Now he’s hundreds of miles away.

  ‘I’m in KK tonight and heading over to the island tomorrow,’ he explains.

  ‘Oh, I see. What a shame. It would have been good to see you and have a chat.’

  My heart is pounding against my ribs. Am I about to chicken out and say goodbye again?

  ‘Aye, it would. So, what did you want to chat about?’ he asks me directly.

  Men. They are so bloody direct. Straight to the point.

  ‘Erm, well, I was thinking…’

  ‘Hey, you wanna come to the island? Have you changed your mind, Lori?’

  Again. No messing about. I brace myself to answer him.

  ‘Yes. Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I want to come!’

  He starts laughing and then whooping. His enthusiasm is endearing.

  I am smiling like an idiot into my phone.

  ‘I’ll catch the first flight over to KK in the morning. Will you wait there for me?’

  ‘Aye, of course, I’ll wait for you. I’ll be here. I can’t wait to see you.’

  ‘Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Ethan. I’ll text you my flight arrival time.’

  ‘Great. See you tomorrow. Goodnight sweetheart!’

  Chapter 16

  Kota Kinabalu

  Two minutes after speaking with Ethan, I’ve managed to book a seat on an early flight out to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s northern Sabah state in Borneo and a city in the shadow of Malaysia’s highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu. The city is on the coast and partly surrounded by one of the world’s oldest rainforests. An apt place to be meeting up with my own real-life hero again.

  I throw all my stuff into my backpack, hang a white cotton shift dress on a hanger to wear to travel in and climb into bed with my alarm set for 4 a.m. My dreams are wonderful ones of islands and beaches and diving in warm seas and of being kissed by Ethan Indiana Jones. When my alarm goes off, I am up and out despite the early hour.

  I feel energised and ready for this new adventure.

  On arrival in KK, I immediately see Ethan waiting for me in the arrivals hall.

  He waves his panama hat in the air enthusiastically when he sees me and shouts my name.

  I hurry over to him and it amuses me to see he’s wearing his usual style of baggy shorts and a brightly patterned shirt. This one has little green turtles all over it. He also wears a huge smile and when I reach him, instead of kissing me on both cheeks, he scoops me into his arms and twirls me around and kisses me passionately on the lips.

  Any doubts entering my mind this morning about what I was doing are instantly kissed away. ‘I’m so happy to see you again Lori. It’s fantastic you are here!’

  He helps me with my backpack, which is much bulkier now that I’ve steadily been acquiring things along the way. ‘Hey, something has come up and I think you’re going to like it,’ he tells me. ‘While I was waiting here for you, I happened to bump into an old friend and he’s offered us a lift across country to Sandakan in his private plane.’

  ‘Oh, wow. That’s great,’ I enthuse. This sounds very exciting indeed.

  I’ve never known anyone who owned their own plane.

  ‘Sam said to wait over in departures and he’ll come and see us through security in about fifteen minutes. So, let’s go get a cup of coffee.’

  Ethan leads the way to a café where he buys two coffees while I’m busy on my phone messaging my boys. The airport in KK is a new and modern building, but I’m prepared for the rest of our journey across Borneo and to the remote islands to not be as conducive to reliable digital communication. When Ethan comes back with our drinks, I am still on my phone. ‘I’m sorry, I really should have sent this message last night but with all the champagne and excitement, I forgot. I just need to let my boys know about my change of plan.’

  Ethan looks amused. ‘All the champagne and excitement?’ he repeats.

  ‘Does the island we are going to have a name?’ I ask, trying to type quickly.

  ‘Aye, it’s called Reef Island. It’s part of the Tun Mustapha Marine Park in the Sulu Sea.’

  Change of plan. I’m with a friend heading to an island called Reef Island off the coast of Borneo. I doubt there will be internet. I’ll message when I can. Don’t worry if I’m out of touch for a while. Merry Christmas and lots of love, Mum xx

  Then I put my phone down on the table top to show him that he now has my full attention.

  ‘So, I’ve been thinking. While we are here, I’ve a suggestion for you, but it’ll mean a wee detour,’ Ethan proposes.

  I listen, wondering if this is something I’ll also need to let my boys know about.

  ‘I remember you saying you wanted to check out the orangutan orphanage and, if you’d like to go there today, I can easily arrange it. We can go over to the island tomorrow, instead?’

  ‘Really? We can do that?’ I gasp. This will be absolutely amazing.

  ‘No problem. I know a few people there. I’ll give them a call.’

  I laugh. ‘You seem to know people everywhere!’

  ‘It’s my job…’ he says, with a boyish smirk.

  After making the call, he tells me a woman called Jenny is going to come out to the airport at Sandakan to meet us. I wonder if everything in Ethan’s life is so easily organised.

  I sip my coffee. ‘Thank you. I’m excited.’

  He looks at me curiously. ‘So, are you going to tell what made you change your mind?’

  I am just about to answer him when my phone pings.

  I blush at the embarrassment of having to put my reading glasses back on and pick it up again. ‘Sorry. This will be my boys getting back to me.’

  Ethan nods, indicatin
g that of course I should answer it as a priority.

  Mum – that part of the world is very remote - please reconsider!

  ‘Is everything okay?’ Ethan asks me, seeing my frown.

  ‘My eldest son is under the impression I need looking after.’

  ‘You want me to speak to him? I can assure him you have your bodyguard with you.’

  ‘Thank you. That’s very kind but won’t be necessary.’

  I can just imagine Josh’s reaction to another man saying he’s going to look after me.

  I text back, telling Josh I’ll be working on an important project and that I am travelling with a friend and not on my own. Then I switch my phone to silent to answer Ethan’s question about why I changed my mind, as it’s still hanging in the air unanswered.

  I’ve been preparing to answer this question all morning and want to answer him honestly.

  Ethan waits patiently and keeps unnerving me with his ecstatic gaze.

  ‘Well, last night, I realised, that not only was I missing you but I was also missing out on a great opportunity. I want to be honest with you, Ethan. I’d said no to you before, not because of bad timing, but simply because I was afraid. I was scared of it all going wrong between us once we left Koh Phi Tao.’

  He smiles. ‘So, you decided to live dangerously?’

  ‘No. I decided to live bravely. Like a lion,’ I tell him, laughing.

  And he reaches out and takes my hand. ‘You can trust me, Lori, and you can assure your sons that I’ll look after you. You have nothing to be afraid of … okay?’

  ‘What is it with you men? Why do you all think I need looking after?’ I protest, knowing that my eyes are getting all shiny and my chin is starting to wobble. His words touch my heart and I know I do trust him and I’m not afraid. I’m a lioness and he is my lion king.

  Just then, a rather untidy looking man approaches us wearing a tatty looking Bob Marley T-shirt and surfing shorts and old flip flops. He’s smiling and he holds out his hand to me.

  I immediately assume he’s begging for a few ringgits and look for my purse.

  Ethan gets to his feet and introduces the man. ‘Lori, this is Sam, our pilot. Sam, this is Lori.’

  Sam shakes my hand. To me, he doesn’t look anything like a pilot of any plane.

  ‘Please, Lori and Ethan, excuse me. I need five more minutes and then we will fly.’

  Sam is pointing outside while he speaks. I assume the five minutes will be enough time for him to change into smart dark trousers and a starched white shirt with epaulets on his shoulders and a cap on his head, just like a pilot. But no, instead, Sam is just going outside to light up a cigarette.

  My initial thrill at being told I’d be flying in a private plane starts to fade a little.

  Five minutes later, Sam leads us through security, where he and Ethan seem to know everyone really well. There’s lots of laughing and backslapping and appreciative male glances at me, but I’m not asked for my name or my passport and we’re ushered through the building and out onto the tarmac without so much as an X-ray, a scan, or a pat down, to where Sam has parked his small plane. When I say small, I mean tiny.

  It’s a Cessna with one engine and it looks like a relic from another age.

  Feeling speechless with nerves, I look to Ethan for reassurance.

  He gives me a big grin and holds open the flap of a door that accesses the back seat.

  ‘Ladies first,’ he tells me. I climb inside in a rather unladylike way, in my short dress, probably flashing my knickers, as I squeeze myself in between our two backpacks and Ethan’s guitar case. Ethan climbs into the co-pilot seat next to Sam and they both put radio headphones on. They’re chatting to each other using microphones as we taxi out onto the runway.

  I have no headphones to wear so can’t hear what they’re saying and spend the whole of that time trying to put my seatbelt on. It isn’t long enough to go across my lap. I can see the problem. It’s partway stuck in the seat. So, I give it a sharp tug, only for the whole thing to come away in my hand. Oh well, no point in complaining now, I decide. We’re already lined up for take-off, with wings waggling and the engine tuk-tuk-tuking.

  Oh wow – I’m in a tuk tuk with wings!

  And if we crash, seatbelts or no seatbelts, I’ve already decided we’d all die anyway.

  As we accelerate down the runway, I watch Sam operating the dials and turning knobs and putting our coordinates into what I guess is a GPS system, while he laughs and chats with Ethan. I really think, at this crucial moment, that he should be concentrating on steering the plane. I quickly decide that I’m better off looking out of the window than watching him and suddenly we’re up in the air. The engine is a vibrant bone-shaking constant drone.

  I stare down into the vast area of steaming jungle below us, mesmerised.

  It looks like a lost world down there. Suddenly, I’m so in awe of what I see that I start to feel privileged for such an incredible view of what is one of the oldest rainforests on earth.

  It’s suddenly so exhilarating to be part of the exciting world of Ethan Jones, and my body is filled with adrenalin and endorphins. Suddenly I don’t mind that I’m risking my life in this tiny precarious plane. In fact, I decide it’s worth it. I mean, people die in horrible accidents every day, but not all are so lucky that the last thing they see before they meet their end is a frothing blanket of verdant green virgin equatorial rainforest.

  The trees and vegetation below us look so dense and impenetrable that I can’t help but imagine all the wild animals that live there – endangered species and those not yet even discovered – and I do wonder (I’m still thinking about crashing) if our single engine failed and we went down, assuming the trees broke our fall and we survived the crash, if we’d ever find our way out again or if we’d be lost forever?

  I’m engrossed in visions of various crash scenarios and even a mini Tarzan and Jane type fantasy about living in the jungle with Ethan for the indeterminable amount of time it takes us to fly from KK to Sandakan on the opposite side of the country.

  As we begin our descent, once again I find I’m far more interested than I’m actually worried.

  Our decent is slow and our wings are waggling as the landing gear grinds down into position.

  Sam lines up the small plane with a tiny strip of faraway runway right ahead of us and in our last moments of flight, I’m gripping the edge of my plastic seat with one hand and holding onto the end of the flapping seatbelt strap with the other, as the wheels touch down.

  I have the urge to clap my hands in celebration.

  Hats off to Sam, our skilled pilot, for such a soft and graceful landing.

  Chapter 17

  Sandakan Borneo

  We bid our farewells and give our thanks to Sam and then we head over into the arrivals building where an attractive red-headed woman, whom I guess is around my age, wearing khaki shorts and a T-shirt with a cute picture of a baby orangutan on the front of it, is literally jumping up and down with excitement to see us – or at least to see Ethan.

  His reaction is to hug and kiss her on both cheeks and, for some strange reason, I feel a little bit jealous of their ecstatic reunion. I do my best to smile as I wait to be introduced.

  ‘Jenny, meet Lori!’ Ethan says, and Jenny takes my outstretched hand and we do the double side of the cheek kiss. ‘Lovely to meet you, Jenny,’ I say.

  ‘Jenny is a surrogate mummy to around eighty baby orangutans,’ Ethan says proudly.

  ‘Actually, we have ninety-two right now. Sadly, it has been a bumper year for orphans.’

  We follow Jenny outside into the bright sunshine and steamy heat to her big open back truck. I notice that in sharp contrast to all the other vehicles in the car park, it looks quite new.

  It’s one of those with big tyres for tough terrain driving and it has a logo on the side doors with Northern Borneo Orangutan Orphanage and the same cute picture of a baby orangutan that Jenny has on her T-shirt. As I open the passenger
door, I also notice a smaller sign with Goldman Global Foundation on it and I realise this is the same foundation that is funding the turtle sanctuary on Koh Phi Tao and the reef recovery programme we are assigned to on Reef Island and that Ethan’s association with Jenny is through the GGF.

  He throws our bags in the back of the truck and then climbs in along with them.

  ‘Lori, why don’t you ride shotgun with Jenny? I’m sure you’ll want to ask her all sorts of stuff about the orangutans. Jenny, be warned, Lori asks a lot of questions!’

  As we drive along, I explain to her how I’d been intending to apply to volunteer at the orphanage, until I accepted Ethan’s offer to work as a diver on the reef project instead.

  ‘Ah, I expect he’ll have made you an offer you couldn’t refuse, right?’

  I look at her and wondered what she means by that exactly?

  She throws me a genuine smile. ‘Our programme is closed right now, but on Ethan’s recommendation, I would’ve made a space for you without hesitation. So maybe next time?’

  ‘Oh, that’s so generous. Thank you. I guess Ethan is a great asset to the GGF?’

  ‘Oh yes. Around here what Ethan wants Ethan gets!’ she laughs.

  I give her a look of surprise.

  ‘Oh, we all love him here. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse too,’ Jenny tells me.

  ‘Is that why you came to Borneo?’ I ask her.

  ‘Yes. Before here, I was working in a zoo looking after primates. It was pretty ghastly. Conditions were bad and funding was tight and I only stayed because I couldn’t leave my animals. Then a miracle happened. Ethan closed it down.’

  ‘Really? He closed down a whole zoo?’