Chumba cha 304 Kina Mandhari

Ilikuwa imepita saa tano usiku wakati Marcos alipofika hotelini. Ndege yake ilikuwa imechelewa masaa mawili na dereva wa teksi alikuwa amepita njia ndefu kupitia mjini. Aliweka sanduku lake chini ya sakafu ya ukumbi na kumtazama mwanamke aliyekuwa nyuma ya dawati.

It was past eleven when Marcos finally reached the hotel. His flight had landed two hours late and the taxi driver had taken the long way through the city. He set his suitcase down on the lobby floor and looked at the woman behind the desk.

"Hifadhi kwa jina la Marcos Soto," alisema. Alikuwa amejizoeza sentensi hiyo ndani ya ndege. Mwanamke alichapa kitufe kwa muda, kisha akafanya uso mdogo ambao hakuweza kuuelewa.

"Reservation under Marcos Soto," he said. He had practiced the sentence on the plane. The woman typed for a moment, then made a small face he could not read.

"Samahani," alisema. "Chumba chako hakijapatikana tena. Tulikuwa na tatizo na mfumo wa kuhifadhi. Lakini tuna chumba kimoja kilichobaki, ghorofa ya tatu." Akasimama. "Kina baraza. Bei ile ile."

"I am sorry," she said. "Your room is no longer available. We had a problem with the booking system. But we have one room left, on the third floor." She paused. "It has a balcony. Same price."

Marcos akachukua ufunguo bila kubishana. Lifti ilikuwa ya zamani kuliko yeye. Ikaomboleza ilipopanda. Alipofungua mlango wa 304 na kusonga mapazia, jiji likaenea chini yake — mapaa, madirisha yaliyowashwa, uwanja mdogo na chemchemi bado ikimwagika.

Marcos took the key without arguing. The elevator was older than he was. It groaned as it climbed. When he opened the door of 304 and pushed back the curtains, the city spread out below him — rooftops, lit windows, a small square with a fountain still running.

Akaingia barazani akiwa amevaa koti lake na kuwaangalia watu wawili wakishiriki sigara karibu na chemchemi. Upepo ulikuwa wa baridi. Hakusonga kwa muda mrefu.

He stepped onto the balcony in his coat and watched two people share a cigarette by the fountain. The wind was cold. He did not move for a long time.