She lie awake in bed that morning. The sun came pouring through the open
window and a salty breeze blew the curtains. It was just like it had been
every other morning.
"Such a beautiful place," she thought, "but without someone to share it with, it means nothing."
Turning over, she looked at the small clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a little after nine a.m. She sighed and gazed up at the white ceiling, then let her eyes close as her body drifted back into sleep.
A little later, feeling the hot sun on her bare back, she sat up in bed and thought about the day ahead of her. Although she was refreshed from sleeping peacefully, her mind was tired. She had no idea why she had run. She felt just as alone there as she did back in New York.
"New York," she thought. "Is it better now that I'm not there?"
She got out of bed, then, and walked in to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she noticed how she had changed. Her eyes were no longer puffy, her skin had a slightly tan tone to it now, and her hair had grown longer. She liked the changes she saw, and smiled. Coming out of the bathroom, she heard a knock at the door.
"It's open," she called, knowing who it was.
"Are you coming to breakfast?" the familiar voice asked. It was only ten thirty.
"Just let me change clothes. You can wait up here if you want. I won't be a second."
When she came out of the bathroom again, she was wearing a light blue top, tan Capri-like pants, and sandals.
"C'mon, Rosie, let's go to breakfast," she said, offering a smile to her companion. The smile was returned and the pair walked downstairs.
Over breakfast, the two women talked casually. Karen had brought Rosario with her when she ran away, intending to keep her as her maid. But when they had been away for a few weeks, Karen decided to let Rosario enjoy herself without the responsibilities.
*flashback*
"Rosie, come here a minute," Karen called out from her seat on the balcony. Rosario, dressed in her maid's uniform and donning her signature sunglasses, went out to where Karen was.
"What do you think about not having to be my maid anymore?" Karen asked when Rosario appeared at her side.
"I think I would be out of a job," she replied. Karen gave a small laugh. "No, honey, I would take care of you financially still, but you wouldn't have to take care of me...at least not while we are here."
"But this job is all I have known for the past 18 years!" Rosario exclaimed, clearly confused by Karen's action.
"You can take it easy now, though, Rosie," Karen told her, leaning back into her chair and looking out at the view.
"Whatever you say, Miss Karen," Rosario replied warily, turning to go inside.
"And drop the "Miss". Karen said after her, "Makes me feel old. Ick."
Rosario went back inside, thinking about the conversation she had just had, and how much had changed since they had run away. Karen had become easier to work with, though at first she noticed that it was a strain to not yell at everyone. Rosario had admired Karen's effort, but wondered how long it would last. If this had happened back in New York, Rosario would have blamed it on the alcohol and went back to her dusting, but since they had been here, she had not seen Karen with anything alcoholic. No martini glass, no bottle of Bourbon in her purse, not even wine with dinner. But Rosario kept her mouth shut, even when she saw a waste can full of empty pill bottles in the bathroom. Upon further investigation, she found residue in the sink of the once-colorful pills.
"Such a beautiful place," she thought, "but without someone to share it with, it means nothing."
Turning over, she looked at the small clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a little after nine a.m. She sighed and gazed up at the white ceiling, then let her eyes close as her body drifted back into sleep.
A little later, feeling the hot sun on her bare back, she sat up in bed and thought about the day ahead of her. Although she was refreshed from sleeping peacefully, her mind was tired. She had no idea why she had run. She felt just as alone there as she did back in New York.
"New York," she thought. "Is it better now that I'm not there?"
She got out of bed, then, and walked in to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she noticed how she had changed. Her eyes were no longer puffy, her skin had a slightly tan tone to it now, and her hair had grown longer. She liked the changes she saw, and smiled. Coming out of the bathroom, she heard a knock at the door.
"It's open," she called, knowing who it was.
"Are you coming to breakfast?" the familiar voice asked. It was only ten thirty.
"Just let me change clothes. You can wait up here if you want. I won't be a second."
When she came out of the bathroom again, she was wearing a light blue top, tan Capri-like pants, and sandals.
"C'mon, Rosie, let's go to breakfast," she said, offering a smile to her companion. The smile was returned and the pair walked downstairs.
Over breakfast, the two women talked casually. Karen had brought Rosario with her when she ran away, intending to keep her as her maid. But when they had been away for a few weeks, Karen decided to let Rosario enjoy herself without the responsibilities.
*flashback*
"Rosie, come here a minute," Karen called out from her seat on the balcony. Rosario, dressed in her maid's uniform and donning her signature sunglasses, went out to where Karen was.
"What do you think about not having to be my maid anymore?" Karen asked when Rosario appeared at her side.
"I think I would be out of a job," she replied. Karen gave a small laugh. "No, honey, I would take care of you financially still, but you wouldn't have to take care of me...at least not while we are here."
"But this job is all I have known for the past 18 years!" Rosario exclaimed, clearly confused by Karen's action.
"You can take it easy now, though, Rosie," Karen told her, leaning back into her chair and looking out at the view.
"Whatever you say, Miss Karen," Rosario replied warily, turning to go inside.
"And drop the "Miss". Karen said after her, "Makes me feel old. Ick."
Rosario went back inside, thinking about the conversation she had just had, and how much had changed since they had run away. Karen had become easier to work with, though at first she noticed that it was a strain to not yell at everyone. Rosario had admired Karen's effort, but wondered how long it would last. If this had happened back in New York, Rosario would have blamed it on the alcohol and went back to her dusting, but since they had been here, she had not seen Karen with anything alcoholic. No martini glass, no bottle of Bourbon in her purse, not even wine with dinner. But Rosario kept her mouth shut, even when she saw a waste can full of empty pill bottles in the bathroom. Upon further investigation, she found residue in the sink of the once-colorful pills.