Journey to Freedom

Going on a much-needed vacation excited her. The job had been stressing her but so had her relationship. So when he suggested that they go for a week to Tahiti, where she had never been, her heart could not help but race with anticipation.She hoped that he would not cancel at the last minute, as he had done before. The trip to London, canceled because she had not answered his phone messages in a timely enough fashion and he was having doubt. Then there was the trip to Arizona for a sport vacation… canceled because he was upset with her fondness over the new President of the United States. So many disappointments, yet she still had hope that this would go through and that it would be good time spent together.

About two weeks before their departure date, he called to tell her that there had been a change in plans and he hoped that she would not be upset. Here it was, she thought. The cancel call. He did not call to cancel, but to tell her that he invited two of his family members to travel with them. Relieved, she said “No problem!”At the airport, everyone was excited and ready to board the plane for the 9-hour trip. Boarding the plane after their traditional bloody Mary for her, and chardonnay for him, in the airport bar, all was good.

When they landed it was hot and gorgeous, and though fatigued from plane ride, she and his relatives were ready to hit the beach. He was ready to hit the bed for a nap. And so they did, and he did not rise until the next day. The plan was to do some sightseeing, have a nice lunch together and figure out some things to do during their visit. Beach time, museums on land and under water, waterfalls and nature preserves. At dinner on the second evening, the two of them were alone. He was quiet, so she started some conversation in which he reluctantly and sarcastically participated. Not new, she thought, but maybe she could break him out of it. Turning toward other diners, he gave a small scowl at a young woman and man with extensive tattoos. “That is so stupid and disgusting”, he said. “What is?” she replied as she was unsure of what he was referencing. “People with tattoos like that are stupid”. She responded that she thought it was quite intriguing and not stupid at all. Particularly in this part of the world where tattoos are intensely cultural and connected to spirituality. He looked at her with some disdain and told her that he could not even continue a conversation with her. That she was obviously so silly and stupid herself as to even think that. They finished their dinner in silence. And for the next few days, he did not speak to her unless absolutely necessary.

Since there was no conversation, there certainly was no sex between them or any other expressions of love and/or affection. Then one evening he called her into the bathroom. When she came in wondering what this could be about, he walked over and put his arm around her shoulder. He then walked her over to the toilet and opened it. Still not understanding what he wanted, he pointed to something inside the toilet. Literally a piece of shit is what his finger pointed towards as he asked her what it was and why it was there. When she said it looks like something that should be in the toilet and that she did not know where it came from. He told her it did not come from him, which he was quite sure about, so it must have come from her. He recommended that she clean it up, as it was quite disgusting for him. She did not clean it up and took her rest to the couch where she spent the rest of the trip in a beautiful place in a horrible situation.