Lost in Paradise

Chapter 5

It has been a long day for Nadia. She just arrived in Ivana, but she had experienced a lot of things already. From her encounter with Nikko who took her to the hospital and brought her car to repair shop where she met Ivan until she witnessed the ritual that she knew was one of the town’s traditions. 

To find a place where she can completely forget all her painful memories from a past relationship is Nadia's reason why she chose to leave her old life. And in just a short time of traveling, she found Ivana. Though her first arrival in the town was a mishap, her impression was regained by the beautiful and serene ambiance of the place which soothed her mind. Also, the presence of her ex-boyfriend Joshua is absent in the place, there is no heartache. She wanted to free herself from all of the agonies she's feeling inside. She wanted to heal herself and this town might help her. So she decided that she will stay here in the meantime.

The girl is still focused in the sky watching the sun go down. Shortly, she heard an old woman's voice coming from her side.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" said the old woman with her soft and husky voice.

Nadia turned and got surprised when she saw an old woman next to her. She didn't notice her since she was so focused on watching the sunset.

"Y-yes! It’s wonderful” Nadia replied politely.

“You’re new here, hija. When did you arrive here in Ivana ??” she’s still gazing at the sky while she speaks.

"H-how did you know?" Nadia's question with wonder.

“Ivana is a small town. Only a few people are living here so, I’m familiar with almost everyone... Tourist?”

“Aah... N-no”

“Visiting a relative? Who?”

“No… no” Nadia uttered shaking her head.

"What brought you here then?"

Nadia didn't answer right away, she hesitated. She was not comfortable talking about it with a person she just met.

“I'm Anita… They all call me Nay Nita” the old woman continued after not receiving an immediate reply from the girl.

"I'm Nadia ... This place is so nice" Nadia answered trying to change the topic.

"It's getting dark, Have you found a place to stay?"

Nadia suddenly noticed that the area was already dark. She decided to stay in Ivana but haven’t thought of the courses of action yet.

“There are only a few inns here in Ivana because only a few tourists are staying here. By this time, probably all the inns were full already” the old woman added as she noticed the girl thinking.

"Really?… gosh, what should I do now?” Nadia mumbled with concern.

Nadia realized that it will be hard for her to find a place where she can spend the night considering that it’s already evening, and she doesn’t know the place.

“Uhm hija, I know a place where you can stay… though the house is old and a bit dusty” the old woman suggested.

Nadia has no option but to trust the old woman, perhaps she’s positive that she will not deceive her because she has this tranquil feeling with the old lady.

Nadia accepted the lady’s suggestion. She offered the old lady a ride in her car but she refused saying that the house was just within a walking distance. Nadia who was confident that her car was parked in the right space, agreed to the lady and they started walking.

The woman led Nadia to an old house. By just looking from the outside, it is noticeable that the house has been left uninhabited for years now. As they entered, the old lady immediately turned on lights. The house’s oldness was made obvious by the dust around the house, but its furniture and accessories are properly arranged and seem unattached. The design in each corner of the house is also consistent. It's old but it looks new because of its cozy interior.

“The owner left this house alone for many years now… You can use it temporarily” said the old woman.

“Wow. Thank you very much” Nadia held the woman’s hand and was very grateful.

“If you’re not here, I would have spent the night outside looking for a place to stay. Thank you so much” Nadia added.

“No worries hija. We really do that to our guests”

The old lady soon left her. She insisted on accompanying her heading back because the road was quite dark but she objected and said her house was close and she was well-versed of the town. If Nadia accompanies her, she will probably go astray heading back to the house, the old woman pretested.

Nadia first checked the house from the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. The house has three bedrooms. While checking each, one of the bedrooms catches Nadia’s attention. One bedroom has a different interior, it is smaller than the others and has a playful and childish interior. The bed is also small and the little shelve beside it is full of children’s books and toys. It is very evident that the room was owned by a child.

The lady said that the owner left the house before going to the city and never came back since then. Nadia didn’t ask for more information since she was already very grateful for the help the lady gave her. She has received a lot of help from the people of Ivana, first was from Nikko and now from Nay Nita. She realized that Ivana is not just a beautiful place, it is also a place full of good people.