Improbable Places of Paradise

The Improbable Paradise of Places

Once upon a time, there was a man named Roger and a woman named Jacqueline or as her close friends called her, “JL” who lived on opposite sides of the world. They both lived very busy lives, working long hours, and never finding time for fun and adventure. They were two completely different people when it came to how they enjoyed and lived their lives.

Roger was a rugged, outdoorsy type who loved adventure and was always seeking his next thrill ride or expedition to far off unknown to him places. “JL”, on the other hand, was a sophisticated city girl and business owner dealing with high fashion and how to market it to the wealthy elite class of people. Secretly “JL” thought these people were just rude, snobby people that always wanted their way and didn’t want advice from anyone, yet Jacqueline had a knack for dealing with these people and they loved her for that, so they always came to see her first! “JL” when preparing for her relaxing vacation preferred the comforts of a five-star hotel to roughing it in the great outdoors. Often, she would be approached by these types of men who loved the outdoors way of life, while out in the city or on a date with her friends, and not even give these guys the time of day! Yes, Jacqueline had her own idiosyncrasies yet always maintained a positive attitude and outlook on life!

One day, Roger was looking at an online magazine about climbing the Matterhorn, when he received a notification from a travel website advertising a two-week all-inclusive vacation to a tropical island. He impulsively booked the trip, hoping for a change of pace and a chance to relax and unwind, yet you never know, there may be another exciting adventure there to jump on.

Jacqueline, on the other hand, was a workaholic and had never taken a real vacation in her life. However, as the boss of her own company she insisted on taking some time off for her own well-being, and her employees even gifted her with a trip to the same tropical island as Roger, unknowingly.

When Roger and Jacqueline arrived on the island, they were assigned to the same hotel room by mistake. Neither of them wanted to inconvenience the staff, so they decided to make the best of the situation and share the room together. At first, they didn't get along as “JL” was not interested in Rogers way of living life. Roger was loud and boisterous, while “JL” was reserved and quiet. Roger thought this is the perfect time for this quiet, highfalutin, edgy woman to get to know his quieter side for just a while, before being who his persona really is, so as they spent more time together, and discovered they had a lot in common. They both loved to read whether online and off, explore various avenues, and try new things.

One day, they decided to go on a jungle hike, led by a local guide. The hike was filled with obstacles and challenges, but Roger and Jacqueline worked together, helping each other through every obstacle and found they were laughing at each other many times. This was the first time “JL” had ever felt comfortable with a man the likes of Roger! On the other side of that same coin, Roger never imagined that the type of women he always ignored could be so fun and exciting to be with! They bonded over their shared experiences, hugs, and playful grabs as they continued to work together and by the end of the hike, they were laughing, joking, walking hand in hand like the dearest of an older couple would be after a few months of being together in less than a few days.

From that point on, Roger and Jacqueline became inseparable. They went on adventures, tried new foods, and even learned to dance together. They even developed a mutual respect for each other, despite their initial differences.

As their vacation was coming to an end, Roger and “JL” realized they didn't want to leave the island! They had formed a strong connection, and they didn't want to lose it! So as two consenting adults who had their own resources and oversaw their own destinies and time, they decided to stay a minimum of two more weeks and enjoy each other’s company. That night they decided to go down to the bar for Karaoke and have some more fun enjoying trying new things together while learning more about each other’s unknown secrets yet untold. Having learned to dance and being very good at it together, Roger asked “JL” to dance with him to the song of Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” being sang by a local performer. Jacqueline, sat and looked at Roger for about two seconds and sprang up into his arms, placing her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, tightly. Roger was somewhat taken back by this, yet held her close and firmly to give back in what he was feeling too, by now! That night turned into singing many duets together even though sometimes they were one or the other way off key, yet it was fun and enjoyable being together.

The next day, “JL” woke up late after a long night of fun and a few too many drinks. She looked all around the room and didn’t see Roger anywhere, not beside the bed, under the bed, in the chair, or on the couch by the gas fireplace. She got out of bed and went to check the bathroom. Nope he was not in the room anywhere! “JL” looked at the clock and it was after ten AM. She was hungry and wanted to go get some breakfast and coffee, a glass of orange juice with a little tomato juice and a small shot of Worcestershire and hot sauce, to clear her mind! Yes, even for this highfalutin sophisticated gal, she knew what worked on rare occasions after celebrity parties back in the city. As she was getting out of the shower “JL” could hear the door being opened and a couple of male voices talking. One of them was Roger, yet the other was unfamiliar. It turned out to be room service, as Roger had gone down and ordered a surprise breakfast for “JL” to include some of the local floral to brighten up the table for Jacqueline. After a delightful breakfast spent together Roger said he had found something exciting for them to do and try that day. “JL” knew he had something up his sleeveless shirt yet trusted him and went along with it.

They decided to go on a hike together to see the island's famous waterfall. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing. They were having a great time until they reached a fork in the trail. Here “JL” thought it would be interesting if they split up to see whether they could find their way back to each other. Roger was in agreement and thought this will be a simple task that will only take a couple of minutes before she’d be calling out his name, so he went along with it too! About half an hour went by and he had not heard anything just as he stumbled upon a hidden beach. As he was admiring the crystal-clear water, he heard a faint cry for help. He followed the sound up the hill off the edge of the beach and came across “JL”, who had gotten herself stuck in a tree trying to retrieve her hat. Roger felt he had to have some fun with this situation, so even though he was a very skillful climber and strong as an ox, he pretended to have trouble getting her down, until she said: “Roger, I know you better than this, so either hurry up and get me down out of here from being stuck in this tree, or the next thing to come down will be very wet!” With this in mind it took Roger less than a couple minutes to reach her and he had her out of the tree in less time that it took to get to her! She excused herself and ran for the bushes!

After relieving herself of all that coffee and juice from breakfast she came back and playfully slapped him, then walked away! Roger stood there somewhat dumbfounded, shook his head, shrugged his shoulders and walked back towards the way he came from back down to the beach, which was not the way “JL” was going, to be playful. After a short amount of time, he was back by the beach and he ducked behind a tree to see what she did next. Since he was near the beach and didn't know she had seen him, "JL" figured she was going to get the last laugh out of this one! The beach was very loose sand so you couldn’t hear if someone was walking. All of the sudden Roger was startled as “JL” was wise to what he had done and snuck up behind him, then yelled his name at the top of her lungs! As Roger was collecting himself, “JL” asked: Which way is the beach you were telling me about while pretending to try and get me out of the tree? Roger hadn’t had a startle like this in a while and said playfully: That way over there dear! “JL” looked back at him with one of those looks and shook her finger at him, as if to say be very careful with your words, and then giggled. Next, she leaned in and kissed him, then thanked him for getting her out of that tree as she really had to pee!

Now they walked to the beach together and as it was getting later in the day, decided to sit and watch the sunset before heading back to the hotel. Roger found some drift wood and built a little fire for her to be warm after the sun had gone down. As the fire was almost out, he kicked sand over the coals and remaining embers, before taking her by the hand, pulling her close and giving “JL” one of those kisses that let her know just how special she was to him! Then they made their way back to the hotel for a quick meal and a nightcap. On the way back to the hotel they both talked about the tree incident earlier in the day, where he was pretending to use all of his skills and strength to rescue her, and in the process, they both had a good laugh at her expense! As the next two weeks went on they became very close, yet knew they both had very different lives to live and things to do. On the last day they had together while on the island they made a pact to stay in touch and visit each other whenever they could, to not lose what they’ve created as they had fallen in love. Upon returning to the states that's exactly what they did. They continued to explore the world and have adventures together, but they always made time for each other. They continued to have a strong and adventurous relationship, proving that you never know what can happen when you take a chance and step outside of your comfort zone. From there, in the end, Roger and Jacqueline lived happily ever after, always seeking new adventures and laughs together. They were the unlikeliest of pairs, but they proved that true love knows no boundaries. They helped their friends to see that even the unlikeliest of friends can sometimes find the best things in life, in the most uncommon, and unexpected, improbable paradise of places.

The End.

By Daryl Z Wade

2-1-2023 / 11:14PM