Chapter 8

My host man-handled a bamboo chair, slid it from the corner to the side of the bed, and sat down. He coached, “Thatta boy. Drink and eat up. You have some energy to replenish.”

I felt dizzy and confused, exhausted and undernourished. The orange juice tasted soothing, just right for my body. I downed the remaining drops, eventually lifted the china plate off the tray, and helped myself to the eggs and toast. Between the delicious bites, I inquired, “What happened to my clothes?”

He chuckled, blushing. “You looked uncomfortable with them on, so I decided to take them off.”

“What else did you do to me while I was asleep?”

“Nothing that you should be concerned about. I was a complete gentleman.” He leaned over and took a slice of the toast from the china plate, nibbled at a corner, and placed it back to its original place. After chewing up the corner and swallowing it down, he asked, “How’s the ankle feel?”

“The good one, or the one that your snake tried to remove?”