CHAPTER RATING: PG-13
NOTES: Warning for some confrontation in this chapter
Chapter 48
Brazil
There's A Battle Ahead
Many Battles Are Lost
But You'll Never See The End Of The Road While You're Traveling With Me
“Immigration control is the worst.”
Willow dragged her tired feet the inch and a half the line moved forward.
“It’s like, how do we make the last twenty hours of traveling worse? Oh, hey, I know — a gigantic line full of the sweaty people traveling for those twenty hours now extra sweaty and nervous surrounded by police and dogs. That’s just a swell idea.”
Tara put her hand over Willow’s shoulder from behind her, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“It’ll be over soon. We’ll check into Ebba’s hostel and then spend the day at the Copacabana beach…”
Willow closed her eyes and leaned back into Tara.
“Will you wear the bikini I got you in Spain?”
Tara’s lips sloped up on one side.
“You’re utterly shameless.”
“Better than shameful,” Willow said with a tired sigh.
Tara continued to smile.
“Yes it is,” she said and discreetly linked their pinkies together by their sides, “So yes I will.”
They shuffled forward until finally, they were first in line for the immigration officer. Willow walked up to the agent and Tara waited behind the prescribed yellow line for her turn.
She shrugged her bag on her shoulder jadedly when it took more than the usual minute or so to move on but she didn’t think anything was wrong until Willow turned her head with wide eyes and a pained smile on her face.
Before Tara could even react, a security guard appeared and gripped her arm.
“Venha comigo, senhora.”
Tara stumbled out a few aborted words as she was marched out of the immigration area and to a private room in the back. She was told to sit, at least that was what she guessed to have been said by the accompanying strict point at the chair.
Her butt hadn’t even fully hit the plastic when Willow was brought in in the same way and was actually pushed into the chair.
Tara started to stand again to defend her but the guard stared her down and they both got into their seats quietly while he stood outside the door.
“Willow, what did you do?” Tara hissed as her heart began to hammer in her chest.
“I don’t know!” Willow replied in a similar fashion, “He said we didn’t pay some fee!”
“I thought we didn’t need visas?” Tara asked, her voice starting to tremble.
Willow threw her hands out in frustration.
“That’s what it said online!”
Tara’s jaw clenched.
“You mustn’t have read enough!”
“You weren’t exactly double-checking either!” Willow snapped back.
Before Tara could say something she’d regret, the door swung open and a tall, middle-aged Brazilian man with white hair and glasses walked in and moved behind the desk.
They both looked at him doe-eyed and he stared back before taking his seat and folding his hands together. He introduced himself but neither of them heard as the blood began to rush between their ears.
They only registered words were being spoken to them again when the hardback of his notebook suddenly hit against the desk.
“Can you tell me why you are traveling to Brazil?”
“Sightseeing—”
“Meeting a friend—”
They both stiffened and looked away in various directions.
“You have a host?” the officer asked, leaning forward.
Tara was quiet as a mouse this time so after a moment Willow realized she’d have to answer.
“Um, yes?”
The officer flicked open a new page on his notebook and plucked a pen from the holder.
“We have a few questions.”
Willow gulped.
“Questions, great.”
“Well, we can answer questions,” Tara added, trying her best not to sound nervous.
The officer started to write.
“Good. I need to know a little bit more about the host, and about the both of you. Your relationship, whatever you can tell me.”
Tara tensed.
“O-o-our relationship?”
“We're friends,” Willow cut in.
Tara nodded.
“Good friends.”
Willow glanced over to Tara and back at the officer.
“Girlfriends, actually.”
Tara couldn’t help the smallest of smiles despite the situation they were in; it was still a thrill to hear Willow call them that.
“Yes, we're girlfriends.”
Willow noticed the smile and it empowered her. Her chest puffed out a bit.
“We're in love. We're… lovers,” she reached out and put a hand on Tara’s knee, “We're lesbian, gay-type lovers.”
The officer looked at Willow’s hand on Tara’s knee and back up, bored.
“I meant your relationship with the host.”
Both Willow and Tara flushed with embarrassment. Willow removed her hand from Tara’s knee.
“Um, just good friends,” Tara answered finally, quietly, “We met her in Nepal. We volunteered together after the earthquake.”
“She is Brazilian?” the officer asked, “And what is her name?”
Tara shook her head.
“She’s Swedish. And, um, her name is Ebba. Ebba Lundgren.”
Tara frowned deeply and the officer wrote that down.
“And she is working here?”
Willow made a squeaking noise.
“Just volunteering again! Serial volunteer that woman. Very helpful. One time she had to help me when I staple-gunned myself to the wall of a house we just built and—” she gulped as the officer arched an eyebrow, “She’s helpful.”
The officer looked at them suspiciously.
“She is hosting you but she does not reside here?”
“Showing us around,” Willow replied quickly, “She’s seen the sights so she’ll help us…sightsee.”
The officer considered it.
“And you will stay with her?”
Tara’s hands curled under the chair, her knuckles white with tension.
“Nope,” Willow answered eventually, somehow making it sound blasé.
“Where will you be staying?” the officer inquired.
Willow’s eyes darted back and forth like her brain was conjuring something.
“Oh, um, I can find the name for you,” she said, reaching into her pocket and feeling around for her phone despite it being right there, “Got an email confirmation earlier. It’s a hostel. Near the beach. Reviews said it’s a beautiful little place and even though it’s so near the beach it’s quiet at night which is a real plus when you’re living with a bunch of people y’know because it’s bad enough with everyone coming and going and—”
The officer grew stern and held out his hand.
“Senhora please show me your telephone.”
“There you go,” Willow handed it over without suggestion of anything, “The first email at the top there.”
He opened the email and read it, wrote something down, then put the phone in his top drawer.
“Um momento,” he said before getting up and leaving.
Tara was about to open her mouth but Willow caught her eye and employed their years-long friendship and relationship to silently communicate that everything would be okay, but they both needed to shut the fuck up.
Sure enough a few tough minutes later, the officer returned, took the phone back out of the drawer and handed it to Willow.
“Our agent was mistaken about your paperwork. We are working on new system. You are free to leave.”
“Thank you, por favor!” Willow practically shrieked as she yanked Tara’s hand as hard as she ever had and ‘casually’ walked them back to get their passports stamped and go through customs.
When they finally broke out through to the welcome hall, not having said a single word to each other, Willow grabbed Tara’s hand again and dodged them through waiting families and porters trying to sell their services over to a private corner to take a breath.
“Oh my god, I hope we haven’t just gotten Ebba in huge trouble,” Tara exhaled quickly on that first breath before covering her face with her hands.
Willow waved a hand in front of them.
“I texted her told her to let someone else answer the phone if it rang.”
Tara’s head swung toward Willow, eyes wide.
“Are you crazy Willow?! We could have been arrested if he saw that! I’ve been arrested or nearly-arrested enough times for my entire life!”
“I deleted it and told her not to reply!” Willow protested, “What was I supposed to do?!”
Tara lifted her hand to her forehead to massage her temples.
“You took an insane risk.”
“It worked, didn’t it?” Willow shot back.
“It better have,” Tara replied, sighing, “How do we get out of here?”
She started to fan her face as she tried to ignore the adrenaline rushing through her body.
Willow wasn’t on top of things, for once.
“I think we go down here for the bus?” she said, looking left and doing her best to translate the signs.
The thought of being packed into a bus as they had been in the immigration line, but even more enclosed, made Tara want to hurl.
“Do they have ride-sharing here? Is it cheap? Can we just get a car?”
“I think so, yeah,” Willow nodded, “Do you have any water?”
Tara looked up at Willow’s pale face and her still-trembling hands and sighed softly.
“Come here.”
She gathered Willow in a hug.
Willow swung her arms over Tara’s neck and embraced her back.
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Tara soothed, “You heard him, their agent messed up. Everything is okay.”
Willow sniffled against Tara’s chest and eventually pulled away, smoothing her hand back over her head.
“You still want to get a car?”
“If it’s not too expensive,” Tara replied, “I don’t think the city is too far. Is that okay with you?”
Willow could only nod.
“I really would get arrested if I had to get on a bus right now. I just want to relax.”
Tara put her hand between Willow’s shoulders and rubbed gently.
Willow took her phone out and figured out where they needed to go. It helped; focusing her mind back on where they were and not what had happened.
She got them to the meeting point for the car and they didn’t, nor did they have to, exchange a single word with their driver as they got their bags in the trunk and took the back seat together.
As they drove out of the airport a big overhead sign welcomed them to Rio and they both looked at each other and smiled. They clasped hands and began to look forward to seeing this new place together.
Most of the journey was just road, the same kind of road they’d seen a hundred times before coming or going from a dozen different airports, but there were pretty mango trees and the sun was scattering light in every direction.
When they started to get into the city things really brightened up.
The first thing they spotted was the Sugarloaf mountain with speckled cloud behind it; mere blips in the otherwise ethereally blue sky.
They were holding onto each other excitedly as they cruised down the Copacabana with all of the tall hotels on its shores.
They turned down a side street and right on the corner with a diagonal beach view still on offer, they were dropped at the door of the hostel.
They walked into the upscale lobby; more upscale than they were used to but they were getting the friends and family rate thanks to Ebba.
Walking in, Willow laughed to herself for a moment that a year ago she wouldn’t have considered this place in the least bit fancy; in fact, she probably would have considered it cheap since it was a hostel.
Her parents would.
She was so glad she wasn’t that person anymore.
“What?” Tara asked with a smile as they headed toward the check-in desk.
Willow shrugged, grinning.
“Just glad to be who I am now.”
Tara’s nose scrunched adorably.
“Me too. You’re cute.”
Willow blushed lightly as they got to the desk and saw a familiar face behind it, glowing with happiness.
Ebba threw her hands up happily and scurried out from behind the desk.
“All on your feet again!” she exclaimed at Tara before giving her a warm hug and offering the same to Willow, “It is a joy to see you.”
“Did you get my message?” Willow asked nervously as they parted.
“Yes,” Ebba nodded easily, “All is okay. They are used here to calls sometimes. It was handled.”
Willow put her hand against her heart.
“We thought we’d gotten you deported!”
“No, no,” Ebba laughed, waving her hands, “I am fine. And in fact, as it has turned out I am leaving here early anyway.”
Willow and Tara glanced at each other in confusion and Ebba cradled her stomach shyly.
“I have learned in recent times that I am to have a baby.”
“Oh my god,” Willow said, eyes widening.
“Is that…good?” Tara prompted nervously before reacting.
Ebba laid her palms flat over her belly button with a wide smile.
“It is unexpected. Very unexpected,” she laughed, “But good.”
“Congratulations,” Willow wished.
“That’s amazing,” Tara added, holding Ebba again in a short hug, “You’re going back to Nepal?”
“Yes,” Ebba nodded definitively, “We may apply for marriage visa. It is soon yes, but…after earthquake…”
“We get it,” Willow replied, casting a long glance in Tara’s direction, “Totally.”
“Completely,” Tara confirmed, linking her pinky with Willow’s, “That’s wonderful. We’re so happy for you. How is everything back there?”
“As well as could hope,” Ebba nodded with a sad smile, “The people, they are strong. And I still see shirts you make on people.”
Willow rubbed Tara’s shoulder and smiled softly at her. Ebba folded her hands over her belly.
“It is still difficult but I am most happy to return. Maybe that is all that needs to be said.”
Tara smiled.
“You’re going home.”
Ebba smiled back and did a little happy sway from side to side.
“You should be putting your feet up!” Willow said, gesturing at Ebba’s stomach.
“You sound like Amir,” Ebba chuckled, leaning her hands down on the wooden desk, “I just work until I am replaced and then I return…”
She smiled dreamily.
“Then I go home.”
Willow and Tara shared the same look that originated that kind of smile. Ebba had her moment, then slapped her hands together.
“Now I check you in and later we go for dinner. I find restaurant. I have heard it called hidden gem. I think this means good, yes?”
Ebba moved about efficiently, handing them a key and a fold-out leaflet of the area.
They walked through the hostel and passed by the kitchen area, fully equipped with individual stands so multiple people could cook at once. It even had a menu option for people to order from the private kitchen in the back. They hadn't seen that in a hostel before. The best of places had only had a few bagels thrown out in the morning for people to fight over.
“If we have our own access to an oven and burner I could make tarragon chicken one night,” Tara offered as they got into an elevator — an actual elevator so they didn’t need to hike up the stairs, “I got a real taste for it when we went to that French restaurant in London.”
“I hate tarragon,” Willow replied, shaking her head.
“Oh, you do?” Tara asked with a frown.
Willow nodded solemnly and then bumped Tara’s shoulder with a grin.
“I like Tara right here beside me.”
Tara pursed her lips and gave Willow a look but the smile was fighting to break out.
Art adorned the walls of the corridor to their room and even inside it, there were fresh flowers. Two sets of bunk beds were built into the wall with a retractable, padded ladder.
“Score,” Willow said as she went to the empty set of beds and pulled the ladder down, “No sore feet.”
“My feet have developed permanent callouses at this stage,” Tara replied, running her fingers along the soft, fluffy padding, “But this does feel nice.”
“If it was pink it would be like handcuff padding,” Willow said off-the-cuff, then swallowed when Tara arched an eyebrow at her, “Um, I saw some in that store in Amsterdam. Looked…soft.”
She quickly looked away and threw her bag on the bottom bunk.
“Beach! We should get changed for the beach. It’s good checking in at this time, hmm? Other occupants are already out for the name. Get some…privacy.”
She cleared her throat and her eyes darted toward Tara who was quietly smirking as she unpacked from her bag.
They changed into their swimwear and Willow threw a tank top and shorts over hers but all of Tara’s tanks were in her bag to be washed so she just put shorts on and let the bikini act as her top, much to Willow’s delight. The bustier shape lent itself to a fuller covering to make it seem like a short top, albeit a revealing one.
“Almost as good,” Tara said, dipping a finger along the round neck of Willow’s tank and then letting her hand fall down to grip the back of Willow’s thigh where her tiny jean shorts cut off, “As what’s underneath.”
The door handle rustled and they sprang apart as two young, well-groomed gentlemen walked in, both just wearing towels around their waists. Neither man seemed too perturbed to see them or felt a need to cover themselves further.
One was dark-haired and one was light-haired but they both had the same quaffed cut with a goatee beard.
“Olá,” one of the men, the dark-haired one, greeted warmly if not a little jadedly while the other just waved but with a smile and similar tired eyes.
“Olá,” Willow and Tara both greeted with flushing cheeks and kept their heads down as they snuck out of the room.
The men shared an amused glance while Willow and Tara headed for the elevator with flushing cheeks.
Going through the lobby again, Ebba called out.
“Tara, I have not seen this before.”
Tara looked a little self-consciously down at her breasts, then realized Ebba’s eye line was a little lower.
“Oh, my tattoo?” she said, slapping her hand against her ribs before letting it fall away, “I guess I wasn’t wearing many bathing suits in Nepal.”
“It is new?” Ebba asked.
Tara glanced over at Willow with a smirk.
“No, I’m not the one who got a tattoo over there.”
“It says Dabba,” Willow cut in curtly before Ebba could process what she said.
Ebba looked lost.
“Excuse me?”
“D-A-B-B-A,” Willow spelled out, tapping each note on Tara’s ribs, who looked unamused, “It was my name when we were little.”
“Dabba, a nickname?” Ebba asked again, brow furrowing in confusion.
“Kind of like an alter ego, stage name kinda th…” Willow started to explain, then just nodded quickly, “Yeah, a nickname.”
Ebba laughed.
“Only thing more permanent is baby,” she said, holding her stomach for a moment before smiling again, “It is very pretty.”
“Thank you,” Tara replied, shooting Willow a look, “We’ll see you later?”
“Yes!” Ebba agreed, “I made reservation for 6 o’clock.”
“See you then,” Willow said, catching up in step with Tara, “No fair! She knows the language of my ichthyologic themed bad decision! If she saw it she could guess what it means.”
Tara held her hands up.
“I said nothing.”
Willow just looked at her sideways but it was broken when Tara gently slapped right over where the mark in question lay. She giggled and reached back to rub the spot herself.
Their walk to the beach was about 90 seconds from street to soft sand.
The view was spectacular; deep blue water with green hues picked up the surrounding vegetation-rich mountains and a shore full of people enjoying themselves in the sun. Some were sunbathing, some were playing volleyball, some were strolling the promenade and some were in the water swimming or even out on jet skis.
It was busy but not overcrowded and they found a comfortable spot to lay their towels on. Willow spotted a stall selling freshly cracked coconuts with straws and brought them back one to share.
“This is heavenly,” Tara said as she stretched her legs out in front of her and applied sunscreen, “The temperature is great. Not too hot.”
“Proving yet again that all of your binder research was spot on,” Willow complimented, “And that I wouldn’t be here without you.”
She smiled at Tara to emphasize the layered meaning and Tara offered a quick cheek kiss to relay that she understood.
Tara spent the rest of the morning sunbathing and Willow spent it watching her and the other people milling about. If she’d learned anything in their travels it was that she needn’t even try to tan and just hope if she emptied bottle after bottle of sunscreen on her skin that she wouldn’t burn — what was another few freckles?
She watched people jump off the pier and play various other games they had set up and one thing, in particular, caught her eye.
“Hey,” she said, nodding in that direction when Tara lifted her head, “You wanna do that?”
“What?” Tara asked, sitting up to get a better view.
Willow pointed specifically at the people running around in the water in giant transparent balls.
“I think it’s called zorbing.”
“Looks like fun,” Tara agreed.
“Yeah?” Willow asked, a smile blooming.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Tara answered her smile and together they stood and gathered their stuff.
They walked down to the pier to where the activity was happening and the organizer had enough English for them to understand each other. An area of the ocean had been cordoned off like a little pool and when it was their turn they each climbed inside a giant see-through ball and were pushed out to roll around on the water together.
They both shrieked and laughed as they purposefully ran into each and were thrown about. Watching each other trying to run on the water kept cracking each other up and they ended up just trying to do somersaults and the like just to make each other laugh.
They both emerged rosy-faced and grinning when it was over and were practically falling into each other as they collected their stuff and got steady on their feet.
“That was so much fun,” Tara gushed, dropping her head for a moment to catch her breath.
Willow was in much the same predicament.
“Oh my god, I’m so thirsty.”
Tara offered her water bottle to Willow.
“Let’s go get some lunch,” she said and lightly tugged Willow’s hand onto the path before dropping it again.
They stopped at the first place they found and ordered two acai berry bowls that they could eat while walking along the prom.
As they ate they discussed whether to stay at the beach or venture out a bit further and finally decided they would go to see the Christ the Redeemer statue since it was such a nice day.
Tara figured she might need to cover up for that visit so bought a novelty t-shirt with an 80’s style sunset and Copacabana written on it from a seller on the prom, impressing Willow with her ability to communicate and lack of self-conscious haggling.
Hell, Tara wouldn’t have even answered the front door in that kind of bikini top before. Even her Honkerburger uniform had a lot more coverage.
It was nice to see how Tara had grown as she reflected on her own growth and how they’d grown together.
Plus the blue hue of the shirt really made her eyes sparkle.
They talked about figuring out the public transport system but ride-sharing apps were so cheap it wasn’t much of a discussion when there was a time constraint and very little cost difference. They did like to get a local feel for the public transport in cities they visited but they decided to leave that experience for another day at an off-peak time where they had time to explore, so Willow called up a car for them.
In the backseat, Tara grasped Willow’s hand between their seats.
“I’m glad you’ve taught me it’s okay to splash out sometimes.”
“I’m glad too,” Willow smiled sincerely, “But it’s honestly not. I just did the math, it’s like 2 dollars extra each way to get a ride instead of a bus. The rate is strong for us right now so we get to take advantage.”
“I love that little math brain,” Tara smiled back, “I know you’re no good with the real coins but you’re great at working out the digital stuff for us.”
“Some of them don’t even put the number on the coin! It’s so confusing!” Willow protested her ineptitude, “I’ll be glad to get back to nickels and dimes.”
Tara smirked.
“You mean the ones that don’t put the number on the coin?”
Willow made a face.
“Oh I’m one of those Americans, aren’t I?”
Tara just chuckled and squeezed Willow’s hand reassuringly.
They arrived at their location and stood back to admire the street they were on.
There were colorful buildings with backdrops of hills that seemed never-ending. The neighborhood was full of vibrant, square-shaped buildings that were indistinguishable whether they were houses or cafés or stores. One even looked like a small church. Everywhere just seemed bustling with people and activity.
They bought their tickets for the train that would bring them to the top of the Corcovado mountain and then just had to walk to the end of the block to where the little station where they would board the train was.
It was like an old-fashioned tram; red and linked together in different carts. They got seats in the front cart and sat together by the window to look out.
The tram creaked into movement and almost immediately they were slowly jaunting through forestland. It crept upward on the tall hill and there was a bit of falling about and holding onto things to stay on their seats but they got the best views of the forest, even if the clattering and steepness was a bit nerve-wracking at times.
They kept checking in with each other with eye contact and both stumbled out close together when they got to the top.
“That was like a rollercoaster,” Willow said, pressing down hard in her sneakers to orient herself back on solid ground, “I kept waiting for the drop.”
They had to take a short van ride because the tram terminated in the parking lot but it wasn’t that cramped, a lot less so than when they actually got to the stairs up to the statue and people were clambering and shoving with their requisite selfie sticks trying to get a good photo.
“Want to admire from afar?” Tara suggested.
“I think so,” Willow smiled in agreement, “Not in the mood for a stampede.”
They both walked off to the side of the crowds near a little café that was set up and also had a mile-long line. They found the sweet spot between both where they could look up at the statue and get a full view.
“It’s big,” Tara commented.
“Very,” Willow agreed.
They lapsed into silence as they stared up at the brooding figure and the multiple camera flashes reflecting off of it.
“Maybe it means more if you’re Christian,” Willow speculated, “What with being a giant Jesus and all.”
“Maybe,” Tara replied, frowning on one side of her mouth, “It is an amazing feat of art.”
“Oh, definitely,” Willow said with a resolute nod of her head that slowed very quickly.
They stood a bit awkwardly in their spot until Willow glanced over at the steps which had cleared a bit since the rush of people off the van.
“Crowd is waning a bit. Wanna sneak up?”
Tara nodded.
“Sure.”
They began climbing the flights of stairs that would bring them to the base of the statue. As they ascended, it became more clear as to why people were fighting for photographs because they had an entire 360 degree view of the entire city.
Beaches, hills, houses; each unique neighborhood stood out.
“Okay, these views?” Willow asked as she did a full turn, “I am definitely here for these views.”
Tara caught a picture of the awe on Willow’s face as she looked on, which happened to look like she was looking up at the statue of Jesus with the angle Tara got. Tara showed Willow, who laughed.
“How to kill my father with one picture.”
They stayed for a while enjoying the views until the next hoard of visitors started fighting their way up for their turn and they decided to let them at it.
The returning tram wasn’t so nail-biting with its downward trajectory but Willow found herself still waiting for the rollercoaster effect and was a bit dizzy stepping off.
It was a bit too far to walk all the way back to their hostel, so they got a car to drop them at the start of the beach and decided to walk their way back from there.
On their way, they came across a self-proclaimed Hippie Market with a bunch of stalls which sold all kinds of leather bags, hand-carved wooden furniture, jewelry, clothes, ornaments, food, and paintings. Willow picked up a couple of small souvenirs and found Tara in the middle of purchasing a new blue and white floaty dress, a burgundy gypsy tee and leather stiletto boots.
“Whoa! You got a haul!”
“It’s all so cheap,” Tara said quietly, “I almost feel bad.”
“Don’t, it’s great,” Willow smiled, curling her fingers over Tara’s shoulders, “You’ll look amazing.”
They got back to the hostel to change for dinner and found their room empty again with the other bunk beds neatly made, which made a welcome change to the state the beds would be left in when they had roomed with guys before.
“Hey, Tara, look,” Willow said as she opened a door across the room and found a private en suite with two showers, “How did we not notice this earlier? Those guys must have come out from here.”
Tara came over to have a look.
“You know what this means.”
Willow grinned.
“Long, hot showers!”
They both claimed a shower and luxuriated under its spray; spending considerably longer than the four minutes or so they usually gifted in communal showers.
“Can you believe the hot water hasn’t shut off yet?” Willow called over the partition as she happily rubbed her shampoo into her sudsy hair.
“Enjoy it while it lasts, we won’t have an ‘in’ at the next place,” Tara called back.
“Stop ruining it,” Willow replied in a sing-song voice.
Tara finished up first and walked back into the room to lotion up. Willow came out a few minutes later and stared a little bit.
“You could live in a towel, you know,” she said graciously, “I’d be fine with it.”
Tara lifted her bag of new purchases.
“Don’t you wanna see these clothes on me?”
“I’d rather see them off you,” Willow admitted and walked further in to bump Tara’s shoulder playfully.
Tara decided to wear her new dress since they were going out to a restaurant and teamed it with her new boots. She zipped up the sides and lifted one leg up onto the bottom bunk where Willow was sitting, moisturizing her face.
“What do you think?”
And that was the moment Willow realized she had a thing for stilettos.
Or Tara in stilettos, at least.
“I…mm…I…gummbb…woop…what?”
Tara smirked and twirled her ankle a bit.
“Do you like them?”
Willow gulped.
“They’re…very nice.”
“Don’t you know, Willow,” Tara replied, putting her foot down on floor loudly, “A girl's just as hot as the shoes she choose.”
Willow took in a sharp breath.
“Then you are the moment gold particles smash together in the Large Hadron Collider,” she replied with a slight pant, “That’s hotter than a supernova explosion by the way. Which is…”
She looked down at Tara’s feet.
“Hot.”
Tara smiled at Willow sweetly.
“I just wanna keep up with you.”
Willow smiled back tenderly.
“That is a bald-faced lie, but you're sweet.”
They both finished getting ready and headed down to the lobby to wait for Ebba.
A few minutes ticked past the hour and then both of their phones beeped at the same time with a new message.
“Ebba has morning sickness,” Willow read first, “I guess her belly is still on Nepal time.”
Tara checked her phone and brought up the message to reply with her sympathies.
“Poor thing. It can hit at any time.”
“Do you still want to go for dinner?” Willow asked, holding her phone up to flash the screen, “She sent directions.”
Tara smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, let’s do it. We got all dressed up.”
The sky was all oranges and blush pinks as they rode to the other side of the city and they got a much better look at the neighborhoods as they zigzagged through the streets.
“There’s a really obvious wealth disparity,” Tara commented softly when they passed right through a shanty town and out to the other side with expensive hotels lining the street.
“It’s like India…but without the caste system,” Willow replied, frowning, “I guess it’s like everywhere really…just more obvious.”
They were dropped on the corner of a street that was obviously the heart of one of the city’s favelas. All of the houses were short buildings of brick built over wood, all on top of each other in a sprawling mass. It was dirty and people were selling things on street corners or out of their homes.
As two white ladies walking down the street all dressed up, they stood out noticeably.
“It says we walk to the end of this street,” Willow said, reading off her phone without noticing the stares.
Tara gently put her hand over Willow’s phone and lowered it to their sides. Willow looked at her sidelong in confusion but didn’t question it as they arrived at an entrance to a park that sat on a hill. It was so vibrantly green next to the grubby make-up of the surrounding area. It was just another stark contrast that seemed to trouble this city.
They started to walk the path up the hill, following Ebba’s instructions up several steep steps and round a large stretch of land.
“This is like a treasure hunt,” Willow said excitedly.
“I wore the wrong shoes,” Tara replied jadedly.
“I think we’re almost there,” Willow said, consulting the map alongside the instructions, “I don’t know how considering we’re on the side of a hill but it says so here.”
It was another five minutes when they were on the verge of turning back when they rounded a corner and saw an all-glass building built into the side of the hill.
“Wow,” they said simultaneously, stopped in their tracks for a moment.
They followed a little dirt road, which felt a bit precarious in Tara’s heels, right into the restaurant. It was single level, all-glass as they’d noted before, with an open sliding door that led to a fenced-in patio overlooking the water.
For such a tucked-away place it was buzzing with people and atmosphere with nearly every table full.
They gave Ebba’s name as she had made the booking and were led to a corner table inside. It felt like they were suspended between hill and water and gave them a great cross-section view out into the ocean.
“Ebba said to order a couple of Caipirinhas and enjoy them since she can’t,” Willow said, waving her screen about again.
“Put your phone away honey,” Tara advised softly.
“Oh, sorry,” Willow replied, misinterpreting the reasoning as she shoved it into her jeans pocket, “I am fully yours.”
Tara smiled and Willow returned it. The waitress came to take their drinks order and provide a menu, which they could see was dated daily.
“Looks like it’s all seafood,” Willow read through quickly, “Is that okay?”
Tara nodded.
“As long as I stay away from shrimp.”
“Maybe one of the few things you and my dad have in common,” Willow replied with a laugh.
“We both love you,” Tara said, squeezing Willow’s hand on top of the table.
Willow smiled and squeezed back.
“You know, the Portuguese for ‘I love you’ is the same as Spanish — te amo,” she said with a fond look in her eye, “So now we’re in South America, I’m going to have to get creative.”
She bumped Tara’s foot under the table affectionately and they both hid a smile behind their menus, which thankfully had English descriptions opposite the Portuguese.
The waitress returned with their drinks and got her writing pad out, the universal sign that she could take their order.
“Moqueca, por favor,” Tara said, lifting her glass up to take a drink.
“Casquinha de siri,” Willow read carefully off the menu, “With, I mean, um, com… bolinhos de bacalhau?”
The waitress nodded kindly and took their menus again.
“I hope I ordered that right,” Willow said nervously, “I don’t want to end up with a whole fish looking up its beady little eyes at me.”
“It sounded fine,” Tara reassured and held her glass out, “Saúde.”
“Oh, you prepared,” Willow grinned and lifted her glass to clink and repeated the greeting, “Saúde.”
Samba music played in the background as they enjoyed their drink and waited on the food. When it arrived, beady eyes completely absent, they both eyed it hungrily haven eaten nothing since their noon acai bowls.
“This is so good,” Tara said as they started to eat, sharing bites from each other’s plates, “I think this fish was swimming this morning.”
“Poor little fishy,” Willow replied, frowning, “But poor little fishy tastes really good-y.”
Tara giggled, her nose scrunching up in the process and Willow smiled softly, appreciating that sound and that she was the one to produce it.
“The seafood is amazing here,” Tara agreed, “And that fresh guava we had earlier was to die for.”
The sun set fully as they ate, offering a shimmering reflection of the full moon on the prussian blue sea below.
“It’s a shame Ebba missed this,” Tara said after their plates were cleared, resting her chin on her overlapping hands, “But it was nice to have a little date.”
“You wanna get some gelato on the way home?” Willow asked, brushing the back of her finger against Tara’s arm.
Tara nodded and smiled.
“Yeah, that sounds really nice.”
They paid their check, about the same they would pay for a plate of mediocre orange chicken with an egg roll on the side at home, and started the more careful descent back down the hill. Tara wasn’t comfortable taking her shoes off so she had to hold onto Willow’s shoulder the whole way down.
They exited at a different place to where they had entered the first time and got a little disorientated figuring out where they were. Willow started marching down a small alley that was a thoroughfare to a street on the other side she was sure they’d been dropped off at.
“We go down here.”
“Are you sure?” Tara asked in confusion, following close behind and looking around her as she did so.
“Well, I can double-check,” Willow replied and started to lift her phone up from her side when suddenly a man wearing a red bandana around his face pounced on them from nowhere.
“Telefone,” he rasped, his eyes boring in on them threateningly.
The alley suddenly felt incredibly long and incredibly deserted.
“W-W-W-What?” Willow asked, her hand just clenching her phone tighter in her palm.
She took a step back.
“Give me phone,” he repeated, then got up close in Willow’s face when he thought he saw her mouth open slightly, “You scream, I kill. Compreendo?”
Tara snapped to attention after being stuck in shock for a moment and put her arm out in front of Willow.
“The brave one,” he said, his grin obvious despite his whole mouth being covered, “Will not help you here.”
He glanced down and spotted that their others hands had clasped together and his eyes danced with deviant mirth as he dragged his gaze back up their bodies.
“Caminhoneirao.”
He spat the word and yanked down his bandana to reveal his seedy and toothless grin.
“Dykes,” he said in the same tone, indicating it was the same message, and angled his head up close to them, “Kiss kiss lésbicas.”
He made kissing sounds and took another step forward, making them both gasp, their only movement in what felt like an age. He laughed loudly and then seemed to get exceptionally angry in a microsecond and tore a knife from his inner pocket, holding it above them.
“You kiss kiss or you get hurt hurt, yah?”
He leaned in close enough for both of them to smell his rancid breath.
“Kiss.”
Willow and Tara shared a terrified glance of eyes but before they could even begin to try and communicate there was a sound of a loud revving and then a bright light rounded the corner, blinding enough to make them all spring back.
A motorcycle came into view, speeding down the alley and aiming right for their now unmasked attacker. He tried to act the hard man but it didn’t stop and sped forward like it would plow right into him, making him fall on his ass and then scamper to get away, yelling.
“Dykes!”
Tara was the one to take the first breath and then turned to Willow to check on her while the motorcycle swung back around to them. The rider opened the visor on the helmet.
“Estás bem?” a male voice asked, then continued in accented English, “Are you okay?”
“Thank you,” Willow blurted, the first words she’d uttered since they’d been at knifepoint.
“De nada,” the rider replied coolly, “You should—”
Suddenly a mosquito flew right into his open visor and he started shrieking, in stark contrast to his cool demeanor before. He hopped off his bike and tore his helmet off to get it out, dodging it until it flew away without incident. He shook out his hair and Willow realized she recognized him.
“Hey, we know you! You were in the room earlier! We’re… roomies.”
The man stopped, looked over at them and considered them for a moment.
“So we are,” he said finally, then swung his leg back over his bike, “You should leave here. It is not safe. Can we give you a ride?”
“W-We?” Tara asked, her knuckles still white from how tight hers and Willow’s hands were clasped together.
“Me and him,” the rider replied easily, nodding ahead where they noticed another man waiting on another bike, presumably the other man from this morning, “We will take you back to the room.”
Willow and Tara glanced at each other unsurely.
“We don’t even know your names,” Willow said, her heart still hammering in her chest.
The rider was silent for a second before fixing his helmet back on his head.
“Gabriel,” he said finally, then gestured at the other bike, “Lucas. You do not need to take ride but you must get out of here.”
“We’ll take the ride,” Willow answered quickly.
Spending another moment in that alley was enough to make her want to rip her own skin off.
Gabriel retrieved a helmet from some netting on the side and handed it out to them. Tara gave it to Willow and Lucas drove down on the other bike to collect Tara.
It was a little awkward getting themselves fixed up and hanging on the back of the bike but once they were ready the boys sped away and brought them back quickly and safely to the hostel.
Once they’d gotten off and handed back the helmets, Tara moved to stand behind Willow, gently massaging her shoulders.
“Thank you so much,” Willow said, fighting back tears, “We were so scared. I was so scared.”
The boys both popped their helmets off and they saw for the first time that Lucas was indeed the other man from this morning.
“It is what we do,” Gabriel answered, holding his hand around the bar handle on the bike, “We come to the city on weekends to watch out for people like us in places we know there to be bad people.”
Willow raised an eyebrow softly.
“People like us?”
Gabriel popped the collar on his shirt open and revealed a rainbow pin stuck to it. Willow’s second eyebrow joined the first.
“Are you part of an organization?”
“That I cannot say,” Gabriel replied with some reticence, “There are bad people who would like to hurt us and those like us. So it is wise to stay close to here at night. It is a big city.”
“How did you know we needed help?” Tara asked quietly, timid.
“We didn’t,” Gabriel replied pointedly, “It was luck to see you. So stay close, yes?”
“We will,” Willow promised, “Will we see you later?”
Gabriel grinned as he popped his helmet back on.
“We ride all night.”
He started the bike but Willow suddenly waved her hands.
“Wait!”
Gabriel seemed startled but lifted the visor on his helmet so he could see her. Willow moved further beside him and then conversed closely for a moment before he shut the visor, hiding a mirthful grin.
He started his bike again and Lucas pushed up behind him. Before he put his helmet back on he smiled softly at Tara and uttered the first words they’d heard him speak. His voice was as soft as his smile.
“Nice shoes.”
He covered his head with his helmet and lined up beside Gabriel; both of them riding away together and out of view.
Willow and Tara watched them until a car with drunk girls screeching sped by and they realized they were standing out in the cold.
They silently made their way back up to the room and both of them stood motionless there for another minute as the shock weaved its way out of their bodies.
Finally, Willow went to splash her face and Tara sat on Willow’s bottom bunk to take her shoes off.
There was a message from Ebba asking if they had a nice meal and she texted back something friendly but brief so she wouldn’t have to worry about maintaining a conversation.
Willow returned from the bathroom, having also taken her shoes off and sat beside Tara. They had another quiet minute, then looked at each other at the exact same time.
“Are you okay?” Tara asked softly.
“Yeah…yeah, I am,” Willow answered, happy to realize her stomach wasn’t swirling with anxiety like it had been just a few minutes ago and her heart had calmed, “Are you?”
“Worried about you,” Tara admitted, her eyes wide with concern, “I would hate…I would hate to see you have a setback.”
Willow's eyes were tender in return.
“You mean like in Dubai?”
Tara nodded slowly and Willow looked ahead, thoughtful for a few moments.
“Y’know, I've been called dork in my life way more than I've been called… that other word and I haven't let it stop me geeking out. What just happened was terrifying but it just…it just makes me want to be louder about who I am. It makes me want to fight for the… people here and in Dubai and other places where it’s not as accepted. And those guys, how they fight for the people here. They speak in actions.”
She stopped to nod and Tara smiled, reaching behind Willow to squeeze her shoulders again, relieved with everything she was hearing coming from Willow’s mouth.
Willow turned to Tara and took Tara’s hand in her lap.
“I remember you joking that ‘we’re everywhere’ but yeah…we are. The gay guy scared off the gang guy. Maybe now he’ll think twice before hassling someone again,” she said, feeling a blooming feeling of peace mingled with the will to fight, “What he did back there, our attacker… it wasn't about me or you or us. It was about him. You don't stop that by hiding. You stop that by being seen.”
Tara could see the clarity in Willow’s eyes, as clear as she’d ever seen them before. She cupped Willow’s cheek and placed a soft kiss on Willow’s lips.
“You're so wonderful.”
Willow held Tara’s hand to her cheek.
“I wish I'd seen years ago that being yours was what I needed to finally feel whole,” she said, her voice starting to tremble, ”I thought I needed the world to see me but I just needed
me to see me through your eyes.”
“If only you could see yourself in my eyes, you'd see you shine,” Tara replied emphatically, closing her eyes and opening them glassy, “You shine.”
“I do,” Willow said resolutely, swallowing a lump, “I hope you see that reflected back.”
“I do,” Tara repeated softly.
They both fell back together so their heads landed on the pillow. Their bodies naturally gravitated toward each other so they ended up in a small heart shape.
Willow followed the neck of Tara’s dress with her finger up onto her shoulder and met Tara’s eyes with a soft breath.
“We never got dessert.”
Tara followed Willow’s playful finger, finding the motion soothing.
“My appetite for ice-cream waned.”
Willow smiled softly.
“I’d kill for a slice of your mom’s peach cobbler.”
They both exhaled at the same time and after a moment Willow looked up vulnerably.
“I’m still reeling a little bit.”
“I know,” Tara breathed, placing her hand gently on Willow’s neck, “Me too.”
“Hey, Gabriel helped me out with my creativity,” Willow whispered and rested her forehead on Tara’s, “Você é o mundo para mim.”
She pressed a gentle kiss on Tara’s lips.
“You are my whole world.”
They breathed together and then Willow closed her eyes for a moment.
“Those guys are amazing. They must be in real danger if they can’t even talk about what they do but they still go out and do it,” she said, starting to grin in awe, “And he was just… not stopping. He would have run into that guy if he had to.”
She laughed.
“That was the most badass ‘move, I’m gay’ moment ever.”
Tara started to smile and nod, but then her brow began to furrow.
“Wait, what do you mean?”
Willow gestured with her hand.
“You know, ‘move, I’m—”
She suddenly stopped and slowly looked up.
“Tara…”
She stared for a moment, her whole face gradually erupting in elation.
“…do you not know about gay twitter?”
“Um…” Tara stopped, swallowing uncomfortably, “No?”
Willow started laughing, throwing her hands up in the air.
“Hah!”
She reached her hand deep into her pocket to take out her phone, touching it for the first time since the alleyway but without thinking of that at all.
She turned it over, barely able to keep it in hand with all of the excitement.
“Now it’s my turn to teach you!”