Chapter 17
After I got some much-needed rest, Dr. Avila insisted on showing me the sights. As luck would have it, his little car wouldn’t start and the mechanic couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so while it was in the shop, I persuaded him to hire a local to do the driving the few days we’d be in Rio.
Dr. Avila took me to the beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema—in spite of his age, he looked very fit in his swimsuit, and he was approving of the suit I’d brought with me. He insisted on applying the suntan lotion he’d obtained in an effort to avoid another incident like the one in South Africa.
“Thank you, Carlos, but I’d prefer to use mine.” I wasn’t taking chances on an “accidental” mix-up again, not that I thought he’d do something like that to me. I felt badly when his face fell. “But
