Chita almost passed out when she touched his hand. She giggled. Jack ignored it because Augusta was sitting next to him.

“I can’t believe you are here!” Jack gushed, forgetting completely that Danny would be waiting for him at the pension house. Augusta blushed but smiled.

“I had stopped by your stall and your mother said you were painting.” He told her. “You mother said you painted in your head, this is pretty amazing.” He teased her.

She looked you at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry?” She didn’t understand.

“You don’t look like you are painting.” He said smiling at her and gesturing to the table, Chita and the café.

“Oh no.” Augusta warmed to the topic. “I have it inside.” She tapped her head.

Suddenly Jack’s stomach made a low but noticeable rumbling noise. Augusta pulled her chin under in surprise as Chita giggled.

“Have you ladies eaten yet?” It was closing in on 2 o’clock and he was hungry. Augusta demurred, but Chita could eat a horse then ask for seconds. So Jack invited both girls to accompany him to the pension house to eat lunch. Chita felt a little bit of hesitation, not really knowing this stranger, but Augusta agreed quickly. Chita couldn't leave Augusta alone.

Danny was pacing in the front courtyard when Jack and the girls turned the corner. He shouted out in relief.

“Jack!” He waved. “I thought I had misunderstood and you had left me.”

Jack slapped him on the back, introduced the two girls and they went to the side where they could sit in the veranda of his room. Cyrus, the concierge was familiar with Jack’s penchant for taking his meals outdoors. Jack even sat under a large umbrella watching the rain one afternoon. Cyrus explained everything to Jack being a foreigner. They just did things differently.

Jacked gushed about Augusta’s paintings and how he had commissioned another work. He did all the talking for Augusta who just smiled demurely, yet a joy bubbled in her heart to hear Jack’s compliments.

The foursome ate lunch on the veranda as Chita sat wide eyed, mispronouncing English and mixing up her pronouns. Danny thought she was an idiot. Jack thought she was Augusta’s chaperone and thought it wouldn’t be hard to separate them.

Chita was duly impressed with the linen and china service. Jack noticed her slip the little salt and pepper shakers into a pocket. Bribery, she’d be absolutely open to bribery and she’d be cheap.

After the food was taken away and they were waiting for the coffee service, Augusta stood up and strolled towards the sea wall. Silay sits below water level, so the city had erected seawalls to keep the water at bay. The bay is curved like a half-finished OK hand signal, there was a small isthmus that protected the city from more aggressive sea currents. Unless there was excessive rains during a season, Silay rarely had problems with the water overcoming the sea wall. One could stand atop the seawall and walk almost all the way across the city and never had to get off. It naturally stopped at the pier.

What had led Augusta to the sea wall was the possibility of what the view would look like at sunset. Bougainvilleas lined most of the seawall, climbing on the ancient stones. The property was littered with tall stately coconut trees. What had caught Augusta’s eyes was the way the ocean view was partially blocked by the bougainvillea and coconut trees. She knew there would naturally be a play of light and shadow at sunset.

Jack joined her by the sea wall. Together they just stood not touching, but standing comfortably so still as to be paintings themselves.

to be continued....