Lost in Paradise

Chapter 6

Nadia slept comfortably in the house. She did not even notice the time and just woke up when she heard a noise from the kitchen. From the bedroom, Nadia immediately went out and got surprised when she saw a girl in the kitchen.

"Oh you're awake!" she said as she saw Nadia.

"Good morning. I’m Maliya. Nay Nita's granddaughter" she added.

"G-good morning. I'm Nadia" Nadia said in baffle.

"Nay Nita sent me to bring you breakfast" said the girl while preparing the food.

"W-what? breakfast?! but why?" replied Nadia who was clearly shocked at what she just heard.

"Well, grandma knows you are new here, so you probably have nothing to eat yet. She said it will be more hassle if you look for food outside, you’re not familiar with the place yet" Maliya explained politely.

"Even so!... I mean, you shouldn't have bothered yourself... it's unnecessary" Nadia mouthed, still unable to believe the kindness these people are showing her.

"No worries… We're really like this to our tourists especially Nay Nita"

"Thank you so much Maliya! Thank you!" cried Nadia while holding Maliya's hand.

Nadia gladly invited Maliya to join her in the dinning but Maliya refused saying she had to return quickly because she had something else to do. Before letting her go, Nadia asked her for their house direction so she can visit and thank Nay Nita personally. She just met the old lady yesterday but she already gave her a lot of favors.

Nadia cleaned the house first before heading to Nay Nita. Luckily, she immediately found the house because it is only a few steps from where she is staying. When she arrived, Nay Nita immediately welcomed her. Nay Nita offered her some tea which she did not decline. Nadia first thanked Nay Nita for letting her stay in the house and later gave her enough money as a payment for her stay. Nay Nita refused the money but Nadia insisted. When Nadia mentioned that she wanted to stay in Ivana for a while and she is planning to look for a place to rent, Nay Nita told her that she can actually stay in the house. It has been decades since the owner left it and is just getting old, the elder added. Nay Nita further insisted that Nadia does not have to pay for her stay but Nadia opposed it and said, she was not comfortable with such set-up, she is a tenant so she has to pay for it. She asserted so the elder eventually accepted it. Again, Nadia's gratitude is overwhelming.

Throughout the conversation, Nadia did not notice that she already finished the cup of tea given by Nay Nita. Because of its savory and unique flavor, Nadia could not help but ask for more. She timidly asked for another cup that Nay Nita gave gladly. The elder explained that it is a Job’s Tears tea, the favorite of every local in their town. It is a combination of Job’s Tears, a grain plant, nuts, and black beans and is very high in protein. Nadia who was not a tea lover genuinely enjoyed the tea. It was her first time tasting such tea that matched her preference.

Nadia returned to the house with so much gratitude. She then decided to clean the entire house because she noticed that some corners of the house are full of dust and stains, maybe because it was unoccupied for a very long time. While cleaning, she received a call from Rebecca.

“At last Nadia, At last!” Rebecca cried as soon as Nadia answered the call.

“Why you didn’t answer my calls?” she added.

“Did I?” Nadia answered jokingly.

“Yeah, you did… for a countless times. So what now?... How are you?”

“I’m doing fine now. I found a good place and I’m planning to stay here for the meantime” Nadia explained

“How long?” Rebecca asked full of curiosity

“I don’t know…”

“Where is that place... tell me.”

“I will tell you next time. I’m just sorting things out.”  Nadia answered discreetly.

Rebecca kept on insisting to know her whereabouts and started to become paranoid again, so Nadia dropped the call and continue the cleanup.

~~~

The town of Ivana is just a simple and secluded place, it is a site of natural wonders and eye-catching scenery. Although the scenery here is beautiful and spectacular, only a few tourists are visiting the town because it is difficult to find. Some locals believe that Ivana hides itself to outsiders and only shows up to a few chosen people. Tourists who have been to the town also often declared that they arrived in the town only by chance.

Since the town is secluded and rarely visited by tourists, only limited information about Ivana is available on the internet. Due to the slow progress of civilization in the town, people in Ivana live a very simple lifestyle and most of them don’t rely on modern technology. That’s why the natural resources here are well maintained by the locals. Ivana is primarily an agricultural town. Although the industry has progressed in other sides of the county, most of the farmers in Ivana kept the traditional way of planting and harvesting which resulted in their natural and organic products.

Ivana is a melting pot of numerous traditions refined within centuries and shaped by indigenous people handed down from generation to generation. People are united with one belief that is why the old traditions are present still alive and practiced up to this day. The town is relatively small and has only a small population so almost everyone here knows each other.  Hospitality is very visible and is a common trait shared by the people of Ivana due to the fact that they rarely have guests or tourists, so they want to leave a good impression. Aside from that, people of Ivana are very resourceful, respectful, family oriented, industrious. These characteristics gave them their own identity and made their town a real paradise.