The exercise proved futile as no one said or did anything to return to her kind gesture. To add to her amazement, the residents were seemingly all still outdoors blissfully roaming around in what looked like public parks, sports grounds, the shops and out in the very open where she had been driving at. What came to shock her and quite disturbingly were the little children that kept plunging and swimming by the road as naked as fingers in what also looked like a sully shallow pool of water.

The question in mind was that weren’t the water supposed to have been dead freezing by that time? Only the bare and sportive children knew. In the forefront of the groove was a bend that stretched to something that looked like a classic hotel or haven. Just a few feet from it was an enormous substation and a dome. Parking right at the lead of the main entrance, she soon came to realise it was a guesthouse. That too a grand and immodest guesthouse. Just fit for her suburban self. It looked exactly liked the ones back from the wineries. She went on to enter at reception.

Fiddling on her pocket was her, for her card of course. Saw it wise not to transact through it and to only use cash that time, as it would again cause unnecessary discourse had she done so. The young man had been the best lesson. Glad she was as it was still there. She let her catwalk to the receptionist’s desk do all the talking and introduction.

‘I’m staying for the night’.

Preesha exclaimed to the woman who had been behind the desk. The teller only focused on what looked like a scrumptious meal of steak. Inside crept in an odd silence. The clock could be heard tick-tocking from afar the walls.