Chapter 7: Chapter 6

Two hour later they woke up and got ready to go down.

"By the way Poppy, I have good news for you. I chose this hotel because they have separate tour groups, one for the adults and one just for teenagers. They cater exclusively to families. You'll be with kids your age, and you can make friends! You won't need to hang out with me during the entire trip!"

Poppy's face dropped; she slowly turned toward the window, gazing silently outside. After the loss of her parents, she had stayed close to only one friend, Chloe.

For some reasons she had never noticed how much conversations with her friends included the mention of parents. Every gathering felt like knives cutting in her heart at the mere mention of that subject.

Slowly but surely, she started to avoid them until eventually, she cut herself from them completely. Chloe was the only one who not only guessed the reason but understood.

Poppy started nervously fiddling with her fingers, trying to think of something to say to her uncle.

Not hearing an answer, Joe raised his head, frowned and asked, "Poppy, did you hear what I just said?"

She knew that her uncle always worried about her, and she didn't want him to think she was unhappy, so she took a big breath, turned around, smiled and gave her uncle two thumbs up.

Since her parents' passing, her uncle has been trying his best to take care of her.

She remembers the day he barged in her room and said, "Hello niece, you have standing in front of you the new university of Lancashire, archaeology department's lecturer."

Poppy frowned "I thought you wanted to be a relic hunter."

He sat on Poppy's bed "there is no jobs for relic hunters here but there are bills pilling up. We need me to take that job."

Poppy frowned "what about my allowance from the trust my parents opened for me? Can't you use that money?"

Joe gave her a sad smile "Your school tuition gobs it up every term. Besides, I still get plenty of time to look for artefacts, it allows me to bring out my inner Indiana Jones."

She didn't believe him but chose to remain quiet.

Joe kissed her forehead, and they made their way downstairs. As soon as they arrive, Hanane walked up to them, "I am sorry, the tour guides are going to be a little late. However, we have opened the buffet earlier so that you can have a few refreshments while you wait."

Joe stood silent with a grin on his face, and Poppy rolled her eyes.

"Thank you for letting us know," said Poppy with a weak smile.

She grabbed her uncle's hand, dragging him toward the buffet. She could hear Hanane and one of her colleagues giggling behind them.

The buffet displayed a variety of dishes, most being continental. Poppy and Joe looked at each other, wrinkled their noses and went straight for the hot drinks.

"I can see some kids over there. You can join them if you'd like, "said Joe. "I'll come and find you once the tour guides arrive."

Poppy glanced in their direction; at the end of a corridor, she saw a few silhouettes.

She grimaces, here we go.

She took a few steps toward them but stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"Maybe later," she whispered to herself, turned around, got back to the dining room and sat on a sofa hidden by one of the many large plants placed around the space to hide from her uncle.

She peeked out at her uncle from behind the plant and saw him across the dining room chatting to a red-headed couple. He looked relaxed and seemed to be enjoying his conversation.

Maybe I should make an effort for him

She looked around and spotted a blond teenager with rosy cheeks, she seems friendly enough and alone. What do I have to lose?

The girl was now standing next to the fresh juice section. Poppy got up and strolled in her direction.

"Excuse me! Hello!" she said as soon as she reached the table.

The girl turned toward her and smile, "do you know what that drink is?" asked Poppy in a friendly voice while pointing at the drink.

The girl's smile grew, and she replied with a soft voice, "It's a lotus flower drink. Try it! It's beyond delicious. I haven't been able to stop drinking it since I arrived."

Poppy poured herself a glass and took a sip, "Yum, you are right; it is delicious."

The teenager extended her hand and introduced herself, "I am Lucy."

Poppy shook her hand, "Nice to meet you; I am Poppy."

There was a loud noise, and Poppy jumped.

Lucy laughed, "Nothing to worry about; it is just our little group."

Poppy looked hesitant so Lucy grabbed her by the hand and said with a smile, "Come on, they are not going to eat you."

Poppy's heart started to beat faster, and she could feel herself growing pale as they were approaching the group. Four boys were playing a game on an old football table, two other teenagers were sitting on a rattan sofa, and a larger group made of five teenagers was standing together, chatting and laughing.

Lucy walked up to the big group and said, "Hey guys, this is Poppy; she just arrived at the hotel."

Three girls and two boys turned toward them and smiled. They all seemed to be around fifteen years old. Please let them be friendly.

She waved nervously at them and said, "Hi!"

"Hi!" responded the group simultaneously while waving back at her.

Twenty minutes into the conversation and Poppy knew she was in trouble.

How long are they going to talk about Fashion and celebrities? Or maybe it is just me, I have lived locked in my room for too long.

Eventually her eyes started wandering, so she said "Excuse me, I think my uncle is looking for me. It was nice meeting all of you", she waved and quickly moved away from them.

Since I have some time to kill, I may as well explore the rest of the hotel.

She found herself in the terrace and her eyes locked on some beautiful cast iron chairs in the shape of lotus flowers.

"Wow, I love it, it's so beautiful" she whispered.

She closed her eyes and sat then screamed in pain and jumped "what on earth?"

The chairs were sweltering and felt like they were on fire; "I think I better sit somewhere else" she murmured.

She checked her legs and let out a sigh of relief, I didn't burn myself, thank God, the last thing I need is a trip to the hotel nurse's office.

"Oh, palm trees, great that shade under them will do just fine" said Poppy and she sat under them resting her back on the trunk.

Hold on what are those? She thought when she noticed some steps slightly covered by the grass.

"Well Dorothy, time to follow the yellow brick road"

They lead to the right, and before long, she ended up in one of the garden corners protected by the shades of a big tent.

After a few more steps, she stopped "Oh my God, so that what they have been hiding. I was wrong this hotel is perfect" she said happily while gazing at a secret garden with dazzling whites to deep red flowers with full, dark green leaves planted all around.

The burst of colours gave it an enchanting feel. Hanane was right, the garden is the best part of the hotel.

She then heard "drop,drop,drop...." and frowned, is that water dripping I hear?

Following the sound, she ended up in another part of the garden; ok now we are getting close to magic, how big is that garden?

There was a large pond filled with white and blue lotus flowers. Her face lighted up, and her jolly walk turned into a run. That is when she realised that she was not alone. A boy was stone skipping on the side. He seemed to be about her age.

She wanted to walk up to him and introduce herself but lacked the courage to do so. She made a move to turn back when she heard him say, "Hello."

She turned around and smiled; the boy took a seat on a bench close to the pond. She walked uncertainly up to him.

"Do you mind? " She asked, pointing at the space next to him.

He extended his hand toward the spot "of course not."

She sat next to him, "Hi, I'm Poppy, Poppy Southill!"

"Ile Ulagan, but you can call me Ius. Nice to meet you. So how old are you?"

"Thirteen. You?"

"Me too,"

"Seems like we are the youngest of our team," Poppy added.

Ius raised a brow, "not really. I saw a bunch of really young children with their parents earlier."

"Are you sure they are part of the tour? "

He frowned, "hum, no, I'm not; it was just an assumption."

An awkward silence came between them. They glanced at each other a few times, but no one had anything else to say.

Ius finally broke the silence by asking, "So, where are you from?"

"I'm from Lancashire. You?"

Ius was about to answer when she said "no, don't tell me, let me guess. London."

"What makes you think that I am a Londoner?" said Ius with a grimace

Poppy smiled "may be because I am a brit too..."

Ius giggled "Well, you are way off, I am from east asia"

"Oh really? What country? And where did you pick up your London accent?"

Ius' expression changed, and he asked, "Does it matter?"

"No. But it will be nice to know, "she answered, a slight grin crossing her face.

He looked up to the sky, thinking then smirked, "Okay, we are known for our grasslands, fishing lakes and a desert with immense dunes. What country am I?"

Poppy stood up visibly annoyed "I don't like riddles, either tell or forget it. I'm hungry so I'm going back inside. See you later"

She left, leaving Ius behind with a shocked look on his face.

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Walking back inside, she smiled, I actually love riddles, I don't know why I said I didn't like them.

For some reasons, that encounter with Ius felt familiar, like she had bumped into an acquaintance.

Why did I get annoyed so easily? She shrugged and thought maybe I was just hungry.

That little burst of fire inside her had awakened something she had thought she had lost, courage.

While still thinking about her running with Ius, she bumped into her uncle, and she let out a yelp

"Oh! Here you are! " Jo said "The tour guides are here. Come on!"

She smiled at her uncle and followed him inside.

It didn't take long for all the guests to gather in the dining room. Two women were putting down brochures and clipboards on a table. They introduced themselves as Selma and Naima and announced they would be their tour guides.

Selma, the tallest of the two, started explaining with a forced smile, "We will divide the parents and the children into two groups. Unlike the last time, we have no under-10s, so everything should go according to plan."

Pointing at the table, Naima explained, "Both groups have different activities but do not worry. I have placed a couple of sheets on this table. If you are interested in something else, you can sign up for those as well. Please register under the activities you wish to join."

The guests all started to walk toward the table to choose their activities. I may as well put my name everywhere since I failed to make any friends so far

She glanced at the other teenagers; Maybe I will try again at dinner. What is the worst that can happen?

She picked up the snacks she had gathered then made her way upstairs to her room.

Dinner time arrived quickly, and Poppy was excited. She loved Maghreb cuisine and had been dying to try the famous Khoshari, an Egyptian dish made of pasta, rice, lentils, a spicy tomato sauce topping and a garnish of fried onions, all enhanced by garlic vinegar or chillli.

In the dining room, the atmosphere was joyful. All the guests were amazed by the spread of food displayed on the buffet table.

Poppy, pumped by her newfound self-confidence, decided to give it another go with the group of teenagers.

She courageously marched toward them and said, "Hi!"

They all smiled at her.

Peter, one of the boys she met earlier asked, "Poppy, right?"

She smiled and nodded.

He then pointed with his chin at the signing sheets and said with a mocking tone, "Did you sign up for the camel ride? My uncle told me that he almost lost his lunch the first time when the camel stood up and then got thrown in the air when it suddenly got spooked by something" and he let out a deep laugh.

"Oh! I wish I was there to capture everything on my phone. But maybe one of you will give me that pleasure" he added.

Poppy furrowed her brows, "Your uncle was just unlucky. Camels are gentle and friendly. I had ridden more than one when I was in Morocco, and I loved it."

"You were in Morocco before coming here?" asked Lucy.

"Oh wow! Lucky you!" said another girl

Poppy shook her head, "no, I went to Morocco back in Easter, but it was a great trip."

The group giggled.

''Doesn't matter, who can complaint about two trips under the sun in the same year?'' added another boy

Lucy then threw her arms around Peter's neck, ''I think I'm brave enough to try the camel ride.''

Peter made a face, "me, I am way too pale to attempt a camel ride. My skin won't survive that sun!" He said quickly passing his fingers through his curly red hair.

Another teenager added, "Me too. And they stink!"

A girl with piggy tails grimaced, "You can wait under the shade if you want while surfing on your phone. No! Scrap that plan! There is no internet access where we are going. Those pyramids are dead spots!"

"Yeah! Mumbled a girl standing next to her.

" Thank you, Mum and Dad, for the fantastic trip! " said someone else, rolling his eyes while looking in the direction of his parents who were passing near him with food on their plates.

They heard his comment, raised their shoulders and sat on a table away from the teenagers.

Poppy was silently listening to them complaining about everything. She was disappointed. Most of them did not want to be there, and they were showing their dissatisfaction by being rude.

After a while, she decided that she would rather be on her own, but she kept a smile on her face to not alarm her uncle, who was watching her from afar.

She swiftly excused herself and was walking to the buffet table when she felt a chill again. She turned toward the reception desk and saw the man in the brown suit, just standing there looking at her.

She took a few steps toward his direction, but he turned around quickly and left the hotel. Oh my God, what on earth was I thinking? Why was I going in his direction? He looks suspicious, maybe he is a psychopath. I have to stop doing things without thinking.

"Inner Mongolia! "whispered someone into her ear while she was making herself a plate.

She jumped, turned around and saw Ius standing next to her with a smile on his face.

"What?" she said, confused.

He quickly glanced around him and repeated, "You wanted to know what country I was from, if I remembered correctly. I come from a region of China called Inner Mongolia!"

Poppy let out a chuckle, tilted her head slightly to the side and asked, "Why didn't you just say it when we were in the garden instead of playing that ridiculous riddle?"

Ius replied, "I talk in riddle when I am nervous. It's a curse."

Poppy giggled, "That is weird!"

"Yes, but it keeps the brain active!" said Ius, tapping at his temple.

She laughed "I'm sorry I walked out on you. I, too, do stupid things when I am nervous."

"It's okay," said Ius, then he jutted at the group of teenagers nearby who were now making their way to a table "do you think we should join them?"

Poppy wrinkled her nose and said, "They are nice, but they are not too happy to be here. So, I'll leave the decision to you."

Ius looked at the teenagers again, deep into a conversation, frowned, looked back at Poppy, and both burst out laughing.

"Maybe another day. For tonight, we are better off being on our own."

Poppy nodded, "All right then. So, have you signed up for any of the activities?"

"What do they have?" he asked.

"A lot!" answered Poppy excitedly. "I'll show you."

She then started walking toward the table, where the signing sheets were left. No one was there. Most of the guests had made their choice and were having their dinner.

"There are camel, felucca and kayak rides, a visit to the pharaonic village, a papyrus workshop and a few more I can't remember."

"Sounds fun. Which ones did you join?" He asked.

She blushed and responded while fiddling with her fingers, "All of them?"

And he burst out laughing. "Ok! Let me have a look."

He quickly went through the list, and after registering for all Poppy's activities, he asked, "Would you like to eat outside with me?"

"Yes, sure."

They returned to the buffet table and helped themselves.

Ius looked at Poppy as she was glancing at the arrays of starter plates. He came close to her and said softly, "Want to know something interesting? "

Poppy raised an eyebrow, "There is internet access around the pyramids. You just need to know where to stand. The bad news is that you will have to get a sunburn to get it!"

Poppy smiled, shook her head and raised her chin, "I'm half-African; I don't get sunburned. And how on earth do you know that we talked about the lack of connection around the pyramid?"

Ius threw his head back, and gave her a cheeky smile, "don't be a fool! Black skin not getting sunburn is a fairy tale; Dark skin, regardless of how dark it is, do get sunburns, especially under a sun like this one. So please tell me that you have packed some sun cream."

"Yes, I did; I am not a complete moron! But you still haven't answered my question about the connection"

He smirked again "I must have overheard them"

She raised a brow, I very much doubt that, I am pretty sure he wasn't even in the room. To be continued....

"Yum! They have garlic shrimp couscous!" said a lady next to them in an exciting tone bringing Poppy back from her reverie.

She smiled and excitedly put a spoonful on her plate.

"What about you? You have blue eyes. Are you mixed race as well?" She asked inquisitively.

Ius looked around before answering.

Is it me or he is trying to make sure no one can hear us? thought Poppy with a frown.

Some of the guests had returned to the buffet table for a second helping.

"Something like that," Ius answered vaguely.

What on earth does that mean? I guess I now have a second to be continued...

She looked at him and noticed that he only had vegetables and salad on his plate, "Don't you want to try the koftas or the beef couscous?"

He shook his head, "I am a vegan. I'll be fine with the grilled vegetables and the cucumber and chickpea salad."

"Okay! Looks delicious too," said poppy with a smile.

"So, are you finally going to tell me how you knew we talked about a lack of connection? And before you make up a story, you need to know that I am %100 sure you were not anywhere near us at the time. Actually, you weren't even in the dining room!"

"Shhhh! A magician never reveals his secrets!" Whispered Ius

"Let's go and eat. Maybe one day, I'll tell you, my secret!"

"Ok then" said Poppy and they made their way toward the terrace.

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