An Excerpt from: "The Other Side of Ali"

By Red Centeno

 

The small black and yellow checkered sedan scuttled away, leaving a trail of dust on the sand-covered road. As Maya stood there, she could feel an overwhelming heat roast her scalp, even while wearing a thick and wide brimmed sun hat to combat just that. Taking out her phone, she discovers the stark brilliance of the sky overhead makes trying to use the screen practically impossible. She sighs. They don't call it the ‘Sunshine State’ for nothing, she noted. She looks around for any sort of overhang that could save her from the overbearing and toasty light when she spots the hotel the taxi was supposed to drop her off on the opposite side of the street.
She quickly shuffles across the road. Although there are no cars in sight, she knows better than to take her time crossing the poorly maintained street. Her thin shoes barely withstand the massive wave of heat emanated by the asphalt, making her quicken her pace even more. When she finally enters the safety of the hotel's parking lot, she scans the building. The bright green awnings are sunbleached and in tatters, with spots of mold where the rainwater pooled during the stormy season. The whole building looked as if it was supposed to be white, but was coated in a thin grey layer of dust, especially near the base of the building and the window sills. Carved into the concrete in large letters above the door was "The Day Haven Hotel", and in smaller letters below the name of the hotel was the name of its location: “Pinemoor, Florida”.
Arriving at her destination, she grabs the doorknob and pushes, which gives way easily, signaling the door was on it's final legs. Stepping inside, a small copper bell tinkles a greeting as she enters the small and musty lobby. She felt as if she had stepped into a 1950's historical site and that if she would touch a single thing it would collapse, including the sour looking woman behind the counter. Although small, she fiercely stared at the young woman who stepped into the hotel. Maya was only able to squeak out a meek "hello" out of intimidation, before clearing her throat and expressing she had a reservation.
The woman grunts, clicking through the tan computer. The dated piece of technology reminded Maya of photographs that her father posed for in the 80's, a few years before she was born. She noted there was a tag on the older woman’s blazer. Surrounded by a frame of rozes was the name Barbara. The crone growled the command "state your name" as she continued to stare intensely at the screen.
"Maya G-Gimenez..."
The loud and rapid clicking quickly halted, and she squinted at Maya. The young woman looked tired and sad with heavy circles below her eyes. Her almond skin glistened with sweat and her thick black wavy hair stuck to her face. Although her eyes were failing her, the old receptionist knew exactly who this girl before her was, and Maya could sense it.
The old woman's glare softened for only a moment before looking back to the screen. "Maya?" her voice rasped. Maya confirmed her identity and the old woman stood up and reached for the key from the rack on the wall by the check in counter. She led the young woman behind her, explaining where the laundromat was and a few key places she should go if she needed anything around town. “There’s the gas station, the grocery store, a cute little restaurant near the park, and a small thrift store on the edge of town. If you need anything else, you’ll probably have to hail a cab.” Before handing her the key, she hesitates. In a surprisingly soft tone, the old woman whispers "I am so sorry about Ali. She was such an amazing girl."
Maya's eyes stung as she stared in shock at the small woman before her. Before she could say anything, the old woman continued. "Maya set me up with Facebook before she moved, promising to post a lot and to keep in touch with me so I could see her happy in Seattle. Did you know she used to work here? Probably not, she was always dying to leave this town. I wouldn't recommend staying here for too long, not many people here were very happy with Ali marrying another woman..."  The old woman stopped herself, realizing she was blabbing for too long. She placed the keys in Maya's hand, and gripped her old boney hands tight around the hands of the young woman. The once sour old woman’s face had turned into a softened mass of wrinkles as she relaxed her face and began blinking the imminent tears away. "Please, if you need anything while you're here don't be afraid to come and talk."
With that she quickly left, not wanting to idle for too long on such heavy emotions. Maya’s hand trembled as she struggled to open the hotel door and entered an even mustier room. She couldn't see the room at all as the tears welled up, blocking her vision. She dropped her bags and pitifully flopped onto the bed. Her throat was tight and she finally gave in, silently sobbing into the bedding. Although the building was practically decrepit, the bedding was perfectly cleaned and smelled strongly of roses. As she laid there, she imagined a younger version of Ali she had never met, washing the sheets and making the bed she was now laying in, her final thoughts before losing herself to sleep was wondering if this was why Ali used to always buy rose scented detergent.
                                 

                                                                                ***
 
            A thin canyon of light soon enough made its way over to Maya’s eyes, crusted with dried tears and mucus from the surprise earlier in the afternoon. Picking away the nasty gunk that made residence on her face, she slowly sat up, and noticed she was feeling quite ill at the moment. She was obviously very dehydrated, having traveled through the intense Florida sun and crying away all the little hydration she had left a few hours ago. She groped and grabbed her way through her purse before she found her nearly empty water bottle from her flight.
She downed the last of her bottle, and recalled the interaction she had prior to her fitful nap. Her chest painfully squeezed as a response to recalling what had occurred just outside her hotel room. Her head swirled, and she considered staying in her bed for the rest of the night, grabbing the first cab and returning home as soon as possible. 
She took a breath and frowned sternly. “Enough of that. You’ve had two months to wallow in sadness, we need to take care of ourselves now”. With that, Maya aggressively bounced off the rose scented mattress and stomped towards the bathroom.
Realizing that she hadn’t even seen the room she was staying in, she finally looked around. The room was coated in yellowing wallpaper of pink roses and yellow warblers, perched and swooping between the branches of the pattern. Some of the birds disappeared into the yellowing decay of the paper. A cabinet was placed against the wall in front of the bed. A chunky television was placed on top of the piece of antique furniture, and mounted on top of the television was a pair of antennas, its plastic base sloppily taped down to the TV with clear packaging tape. Maya stood up and peered into the cabinetry: in it was a minifridge with a microwave stacked on top, which definitely seemed like a fire hazard, but Maya shrugged it off and finally sauntered into the bathroom.
Just like the bedroom, although it was old as all hell, it was surprisingly clean. Any of the stains in the bathroom she discovered were just discoloration from age, and not anything unhygienic. The sink was small and the handles had a slight patina, giving it a coarse feel. The mirror was spotless besides the hairline crack that encircled one of the screws that held the reflective glass in place. She ignored the reflection that was patiently waiting to be observed and washed her slimy face. She took a sip from the faucet absentmindedly before recoiling in fear, realizing she had no clue how clean the water was here. Drying her face on the surprisingly plush towel, she grabbed her purse and ventured out of the hotel room in hopes of food and water before night came to PineMoor.
Stepping out of Day Haven Hotel, Pinemoor looked completely different than it did when she first arrived. An intense breeze swept through the barren street; all the palms stationed haphazardly by the sidewalks aggressively sway and rattle against the force that arrived with the afternoon, creating a haunting percussion of sound. Maya once more sped across the street, hurrying no longer because of the heat, but for the severe change in weather. The sky, once a hot and bright blue, is now drowned out by a sea of grey which is even darker to the east- the source of the wind. 
Recalling Barbara’s directions, Maya headed towards the grocery store. Staring at the random assortment of debris and sand speeding past her down the road, Maya’s chest pounded. Placing a hand on her chest, she painfully sighed. Although it has been two months since Ali’s disappearance, it had only felt like a week. Frowning, Ali tried to focus her attention on her surroundings, but her mind was doomed. She would slowly drift back to Ali’s smile after they kissed, or imagining turning the corner just to see Ali there, waiting for her and running into her arms again, asking her where she had been. She looked up to find she had made her way to the entrance of the grocery store, and reality set in once more- painfully pulling Maya away from Ali’s arms. She was alone again.