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There was always something peaceful about flying. Maybe it was the being thousands of feet above the ground where the world felt like a distant memory. Or perhaps it was simply the first class accommodations and the little bag of nuts. Zahira was always someone who enjoyed the little things in life, since it proved to be so fleeting. She didn't bother herself with an inflight movie. Instead she was more than content watching the land roll by beneath her through the window or a little bit of light reading.
It wasn't a short flight and at one point or another she was certain she dozed off. But before she knew it, the tires hit the runway as the plane finally landed in Switzerland. Most of her work was focused in Asia, so stepping out into the airport was like landing in a different world. People travel all the time, but they never tell you how different it is going from one side of the world to the other. This was the first time she had ever stepped foot in Europe. Part of herself was saddened at the thought that she couldn't explore and be a tourist, if even for a moment.
Zahira was so in awe of her surroundings that she didn't even notice she missed a bus depart. She chuckled to herself with a shake of her head. She took her timing making her way over to the bench to wait for another bus. With a sigh, she took a seat on the bench, standing her suitcase up beside her. Zahira didn't mind waiting though, instead taking in the smell of the crisp air and the gorgeous view of the mountains.
Lorenzo lost a day in flight alone due to the time zones and the length of the flight. It wasn't the most comfortable journey, although that was his own doing. He couldn't justify using Los Guardianes de Xibalba's money to give him a nicer seat when it could be used for better means. So, he's knees were practically in the seat in front of him, while it was nearly impossible to not elbow the person to his left. But he managed.
When his flight arrived, jetlag hit him hard. Enzo could barely recall when he left, but it felt like it should have been time for him to go to bed, yet in Switzerland the world was just waking. Before heading out to the buses, he detoured to the nearest coffee shop and got him a large something or other to help wake him up. There was no time to sleep, not right now anyway.
As he stepped outside and quickly noticed a woman waiting on a bus who stuck out like a peacock in a flock of chickens. A dark haired beauty in standard clothing of someone from India, if he recalled correctly. Although Enzo couldn't remember the name of it. Seeing a woman like that, he couldn't help but wonder if she was there for the same reason as himself, and seeing her waiting on the same transportation as himself only made this curiosity grow.
"May I?" he asked, motioning the index finger of the hand that held his coffee at the bench beside the woman.
"Of course," Zahira replied. She quickly gathered the extra fabric of her saree and draped it over her lap to make room for the man. She gave him a warm smile, brushing her hair behind her ears as he took the seat beside her.
Enzo set his bag down beside him and took a sip of his coffee before he decided to speak up again. "Lorenzo Estrada," he introduced himself while offering her an extended hand.
She took his hand gently and gave it a small shake. "Zahira Varma."
"Nice to meet you, Zahira." He nodded his head toward the mountain. "Are you heading to the Dômes Resort?"
Before she could answer, another bus arrived. Zahira didn't answer, she simply smirked a bit before getting to her feet. She reached for her suitcase, but Enzo was there first, taking the handle in one hand. "Allow me," he offered as he took their bags to the driver. While she did that, she made her way onto the bus, taking a seat somewhere in the middle. It wasn't long before Lorenzo joined her and the bus began it's ascension up the mountain.
The drive was silent as they both watch the scenery change from a small town to mountainous greenery. Zahira found herself smiling at it. Peaceful. It took more time than she would have thought to reach the top, but she didn't mind the journey. She couldn't help but be slightly surprised at Lorenzo's chivalry. He was first to his feet and out of the bus, just so he could offer a hand in descending the stairs. And once again he grabbed her bag for her, along with his own.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Lorenzo followed Zahira into the resort and up to the secretary's desk. "Hello! And welcome to the Dômes Resort. May I have your invitation, please?"
Zahira reached into her purse and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. She then glanced over her shoulder toward Enzo, extending an open hand to him. With his hands full, he motions his head to toward the left pocket of his sports coat. She slowly stepped forward and took his invitation from the indicated pocket. She unfolded them both and handed them over to the secretary.
"Ok, Ms. Varma and Mr. Estrada, here are your identification cards. Ms. Varma, you shall be in room 309. Mr. Estrada, room 305." The woman then kindly pointed in the direction their rooms were in, ironically only a few rooms off from one another. "Let Gilbert over there know if you need help with your luggage."
"Thank you, but I think I have it."
"Very well. Breakfast is being served in the South Wing's dining hall. Here's a map of the resort with a list of our amenities and available services. And a schedule of the conference activities."
"I can help you to your room if you'd like. Since we'll practically be neighbors." Lorenzo smiled and motioned toward the elevators.
Zahira nodded her head, holding both of their badges in her hand. As she followed him, she took the moment to look over his. It wasn't until they were in the elevator that she finally decided to address it. "I've never been to Central America. Where are you from?"
"Guatemala. Los Guardianes de Xibalba is compromised of multiple nations since they are all quite smaller. Unlike India," he added with a slight nod of his head and a smile.
"I suppose I'm not quite as subtle," Zahira commented on her attire before handing Enzo his ID.
The elevator arrived to their floor and Zahira stopped just before stepping out, avoiding a collision with two others. "Sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Pardon us," Zahira said as she tried to get enough room for them to step out of the elevator before setting off the alarm. "Are you both ok?"
There was always something peaceful about flying. Maybe it was the being thousands of feet above the ground where the world felt like a distant memory. Or perhaps it was simply the first class accommodations and the little bag of nuts. Zahira was always someone who enjoyed the little things in life, since it proved to be so fleeting. She didn't bother herself with an inflight movie. Instead she was more than content watching the land roll by beneath her through the window or a little bit of light reading.
It wasn't a short flight and at one point or another she was certain she dozed off. But before she knew it, the tires hit the runway as the plane finally landed in Switzerland. Most of her work was focused in Asia, so stepping out into the airport was like landing in a different world. People travel all the time, but they never tell you how different it is going from one side of the world to the other. This was the first time she had ever stepped foot in Europe. Part of herself was saddened at the thought that she couldn't explore and be a tourist, if even for a moment.
Zahira was so in awe of her surroundings that she didn't even notice she missed a bus depart. She chuckled to herself with a shake of her head. She took her timing making her way over to the bench to wait for another bus. With a sigh, she took a seat on the bench, standing her suitcase up beside her. Zahira didn't mind waiting though, instead taking in the smell of the crisp air and the gorgeous view of the mountains.
Lorenzo lost a day in flight alone due to the time zones and the length of the flight. It wasn't the most comfortable journey, although that was his own doing. He couldn't justify using Los Guardianes de Xibalba's money to give him a nicer seat when it could be used for better means. So, he's knees were practically in the seat in front of him, while it was nearly impossible to not elbow the person to his left. But he managed.
When his flight arrived, jetlag hit him hard. Enzo could barely recall when he left, but it felt like it should have been time for him to go to bed, yet in Switzerland the world was just waking. Before heading out to the buses, he detoured to the nearest coffee shop and got him a large something or other to help wake him up. There was no time to sleep, not right now anyway.
As he stepped outside and quickly noticed a woman waiting on a bus who stuck out like a peacock in a flock of chickens. A dark haired beauty in standard clothing of someone from India, if he recalled correctly. Although Enzo couldn't remember the name of it. Seeing a woman like that, he couldn't help but wonder if she was there for the same reason as himself, and seeing her waiting on the same transportation as himself only made this curiosity grow.
"May I?" he asked, motioning the index finger of the hand that held his coffee at the bench beside the woman.
"Of course," Zahira replied. She quickly gathered the extra fabric of her saree and draped it over her lap to make room for the man. She gave him a warm smile, brushing her hair behind her ears as he took the seat beside her.
Enzo set his bag down beside him and took a sip of his coffee before he decided to speak up again. "Lorenzo Estrada," he introduced himself while offering her an extended hand.
She took his hand gently and gave it a small shake. "Zahira Varma."
"Nice to meet you, Zahira." He nodded his head toward the mountain. "Are you heading to the Dômes Resort?"
Before she could answer, another bus arrived. Zahira didn't answer, she simply smirked a bit before getting to her feet. She reached for her suitcase, but Enzo was there first, taking the handle in one hand. "Allow me," he offered as he took their bags to the driver. While she did that, she made her way onto the bus, taking a seat somewhere in the middle. It wasn't long before Lorenzo joined her and the bus began it's ascension up the mountain.
The drive was silent as they both watch the scenery change from a small town to mountainous greenery. Zahira found herself smiling at it. Peaceful. It took more time than she would have thought to reach the top, but she didn't mind the journey. She couldn't help but be slightly surprised at Lorenzo's chivalry. He was first to his feet and out of the bus, just so he could offer a hand in descending the stairs. And once again he grabbed her bag for her, along with his own.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Lorenzo followed Zahira into the resort and up to the secretary's desk. "Hello! And welcome to the Dômes Resort. May I have your invitation, please?"
Zahira reached into her purse and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. She then glanced over her shoulder toward Enzo, extending an open hand to him. With his hands full, he motions his head to toward the left pocket of his sports coat. She slowly stepped forward and took his invitation from the indicated pocket. She unfolded them both and handed them over to the secretary.
"Ok, Ms. Varma and Mr. Estrada, here are your identification cards. Ms. Varma, you shall be in room 309. Mr. Estrada, room 305." The woman then kindly pointed in the direction their rooms were in, ironically only a few rooms off from one another. "Let Gilbert over there know if you need help with your luggage."
"Thank you, but I think I have it."
"Very well. Breakfast is being served in the South Wing's dining hall. Here's a map of the resort with a list of our amenities and available services. And a schedule of the conference activities."
"I can help you to your room if you'd like. Since we'll practically be neighbors." Lorenzo smiled and motioned toward the elevators.
Zahira nodded her head, holding both of their badges in her hand. As she followed him, she took the moment to look over his. It wasn't until they were in the elevator that she finally decided to address it. "I've never been to Central America. Where are you from?"
"Guatemala. Los Guardianes de Xibalba is compromised of multiple nations since they are all quite smaller. Unlike India," he added with a slight nod of his head and a smile.
"I suppose I'm not quite as subtle," Zahira commented on her attire before handing Enzo his ID.
The elevator arrived to their floor and Zahira stopped just before stepping out, avoiding a collision with two others. "Sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Pardon us," Zahira said as she tried to get enough room for them to step out of the elevator before setting off the alarm. "Are you both ok?"