Lost But Found [Fiction]

“You can't miss it. Just ask anyone around for Miracle Creek.”

She was a stranger, a passerby actually, and the way she gave directions with a kind smile and a straight face didn't make me question it. Miracle Creek?

I whispered my thanks with a slight smile and continued my walk around Munduk, a mountain village nestled in the heart of Bali.

Yes, Bali.

At first, Victor thought it was one of my usual and weird pranks. He loved my spontaneity but not this time around. When I showed him my e-visa and plane tickets, he realised it wasn't a joke. Married for twelve years, we'd never been apart before.

He didn't speak to me for days. Even when I explained that I needed to do this for us, so our marriage could survive, he hummed in reply like he understood perfectly. And that was it.

The years had been challenging for me rather than him. He said he'd made peace with our situation and if God wanted to bless us with children, He would when the time was right. Easy for him to say. I lived with my doubt, fear and tears for years.

My world, once bright and merry because I'd married my soulmate, turned turbulent. I was in the eye of a storm and it was not calming down anytime soon.

Then the ad pinged on my computer. At first I assumed it was one of those spams or phishing scams. Curiosity got the better of me and after a lot of due diligence, I packed to fly to Munduk. Alone.

Victor felt betrayed. I was tired of explaining myself. He muttered to himself as he drove me to the airport.

He couldn't understand the itch I felt to leave. It sat like a heavy weight on my chest, stealing every breath. I needed to get out—to save myself, and us.

“I have to do this for us,” I said again, my eyes fixed on my packed bags. If I looked at him, I might change my mind. I felt him nod his head. He was always so understanding that it pissed me off sometimes. But I wouldn't change a thing about him. I loved him that way.

I closed my eyes with a deep sigh, putting a halt to that part of my life. It was time to experience something new and different. The serenity and beauty of nature around me is a plus.

Ahead, there was a small gathering of people under a giant leaf tree, its leaves wide and spreading out to shade them. A few colourful tricycles were parked nearby.

The travel brochure was right—this village was never in a hurry. People lived simply. The air was clean and cool, and the lush vegetation and beautiful people made the island feel like heaven. The village was welcoming in ways I didn't expect. I was almost euphoric.

The tricycle ride to Red Coral waterfall was for about twenty minutes through untarred, winding roads.

When I stepped down, I watched in awe as a few ladies dressed in traditional clothes that wrapped around their busts and hips, leaving their shoulders, bellies and thighs bare. They appeared…free. And moved with ease and sensuality.

I was taking in this tranquil sight when I heard, “Welcome, miss. Would you like a place to stay?”

A tall, blue-eyed, young man with beautiful, glowy skin like polished mahogany, and long hair pulled into a ponytail stood beside me. He wore only a pair of shorts. He smiled, displaying a dimple on his left cheek.

And then, I gasped quietly. Something I'd not felt in a while.

Butterflies?

[TO BE CONTINUED....]

^{_{Image credit: Engin Akyurt}}