Chapter 7

iSigodi Resort, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Melanie stood frozen, not a muscle in her body moving. The snake hissed a warning, the sound reverberating in the room, echoing off the walls, and sending chills down her spine. She knew that the green mamba would hiss its warning three times before it struck. Each hiss seemed to be a countdown to her doom.

She also realized that there was no place for her to move to before the snake would strike. The room felt like a prison, closing in on her, suffocating her. She closed her eyes; she did not want to see when the snake would strike her. There was no getting away from it.

But standing frozen, not moving, and closing her eyes is what saved her life. The mamba saw no movement or anything shiny that could threaten it. So it relaxed, closed the wings on the side of its head, and did what was imprinted on its DNA: to get away and hide.

Slowly, it sank back into the cosmetic drawer. The scent of the cosmetics in the drawer overpowered the mamba’s acute sense of smell. It tried to get away from the smell but could not find an opening to crawl into.

Melanie realized that the snake did not strike. A wave of relief washed over her but was quickly replaced by fear. The snake was still in the room, and she had no idea where it was hiding. She could feel its eyes on her, watching her every move. She had to get out of there! But she was paralysed with fear.

She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. She scanned the room, looking for any sign of the snake. Suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned her head and saw the snake slithering out of the room, its body disappearing through the half open window of her bathroom in its furious flight to get to safety.

She heaved a sigh of relief, she had narrowly escaped death, but she would never be able to forget the terror of that moment. Melanie stood shivering in the middle of the room and looked at the half open drawer of her dresser. Then a thought struck her: “Where did the snake come from? The apartment is supposed to be snake proof. With the anti-critters mesh and spikes!”

Again, the shivering set in. “Did someone plant the snake in the dresser drawer?”

She went over to the bed, retrieved her cell phone, and dialled Ty’s number.

It took six rings, but he answered.

“Mel?”

“There was a snake in my room.”

“Was? When?”

“Now. Just now. A green mamba.”

“Where’s it now?”

“Out the window.”

“Did it bite you?”

“No ... No ... I don’t know ... It might have ... Maybe not...”

“Hang in there, Mel! I’m on my way!”

“Guests are not allowed into the staff apartments.”

“To hell with that rule! I’m there in three minutes!”

At Ty’s words, she giggled nervously. The trauma was playing havoc with her emotions. She shivered with cold despite the warm air in the apartment. Maybe the air conditioner is set too cold. Then she realized she never set the air conditioner.

She also realized she was half dressed, and Ty was on the way over. She was still shaky, but she dropped the dress she had laid out on the bed over her head.

Dammit! This was close. Because of her small breasts, she never wore a bra during summer, and Ty would have found her in only powder blue panties! Another thrill went through, making her shiver again, but it wasn’t the cold.

I ran. The door of my suite behind me closed with a bang. I ran across the wooden deck and down the stairs, two steps at a time. What if the snake had bitten Melanie? Surely she would have known if it did, but she sounded shaken and disoriented.

This thought only made me run faster down the path towards the staff accommodation complex. Her apartment was the first on the right, a little apart from the rest, but also constructed like the rest of iSigodi Resort. The buildings, all in log-wood construction, were mounted on thick solid wooden pillars.

Solid wooden pillars! Pillars with diagonal spikes covered with mesh so that critters like snakes can’t climb up the pillars and enter the housing complex above! So, where did the snake come from?

My detective instinct kicked in. THE SNAKE WAS PLANTED!

For ducks fake! Someone placed the snake in her apartment. One of Africa’s most lethal snakes.

I reached the stairs to her apartment and raced up it, blowing like a steam engine on overdrive. I’m not used to this kind of exercise.

The door to her apartment was half open, but still I knocked on the door before opening it fully, then entered her domain.

In a single glance I took in the place that Melanie calls home. The log cabin feel of the apartment comes over as a cosy, rustic retreat nestled in the heart of the iSigodi resort.

The spacious open-plan living area is the heart of the apartment. The lounge area featuring two three-seater couches in medium-dark leather to blend in with the rest of the wooden furniture and leather easy chairs.

The rug on the floor was a local weave, made from natural fibres and dyed with traditional African patterns. It felt soft and luxurious underfoot, adding warmth and texture to the space.

Melanie was on the couch and jumped up as I came through the door, and I took in a vision.

I expected to see her in the casual clothes that she wears around the resort, but her appearance was a striking contrast to the rustic surroundings of the apartment, yet fresh and a playful casual nature. Her outfit was a perfect blend of comfort and style, reflecting her love for nature and the outdoors.

She was dressed in a light, full length halter-neck dress, the fabric adorned with vibrant green palm tree leaves on a white background. The dress flowed gracefully around her, accentuating her slender figure. The halter-neck style showcased her shoulders and back, adding a touch of elegance to her.

Melanie was barefoot. Her brown-auburn hair cascaded loosely over her bare shoulders, framing her face in a soft, natural way. Her hair was slightly in disarray, as if she just stepped out of the shower and hadn’t yet had time to dry or brush it. And she was in a state of shock.

She rushed over and just melted in my arms, dropping her head on my chest and holding on to me. I felt her trembling body.

“Ty! Thank you for coming. I ... I was so scared! I was overwhelmed by thoughts that it was my last day on earth. I don’t think I would have reached the antivenom in the clinic.” She said all in one breath.

“Calm down, Mel. The snake is gone,” I soothed. “Are you sure you did not get bitten?”

“Positive,” She replied a little calmer now. “I just froze and then closed my eyes, expecting it to strike.”

“From what I know about green mambas, that would have put the pea-brain of the little shit at ease. They go for movement and anything shiny, like your eyes.”

“When nothing happened, I opened my eyes and saw a movement at the window in the ensuite bathroom. It went out the window. It was very fast!” Mel was still shivering and just clung to me.

“Hmm ... Its third habit ... getting away as soon as possible. It was more scared of you, than you was of it,” I soothed, as I gently stroked her hair.

“Come to think of it ... Yes, it only hissed once at me. It will hiss three times before it strikes.”

“Did you open the bathroom window?”

“No ... Household might have done it.

“Household?”

“The cleaning service. Besides all the rooms and suites in the resort, they also clean my apartment for me.”

“Hmm...”

“What is it, Ty?”

“Who else has access to your apartment?”

“Only ... only Household. Why?”

“How does a snake even get to your bathroom window, unless...”

“Unless what?”

“Unless It was dropped inside.”

“But it was in the drawer and the drawer was closed.”

“Still, my question; how did it get inside a closed drawer? It had to have had help.” I speculated.

She withdrew to arm’s length, still holding on to me but staring up into my eyes.

“You ... you suspect ... it was planted?”

“Yes...” I sighed.

She went pale. If she was pale before, she went paler.

“Come, let me go get you some sugar water or...”

“A brandy. There is some brandy I keep in the kitchen cupboard.”

“Okay, a brandy. Diluted?”

“No. Neat.”

“Jeez, Girl!” I replied but inwardly I felt okay. Neat brandy was just the thing to get her settled. “And I suppose you won’t be opening any cupboards and drawers soon?”

“I have to! But I’ll use a broom...” She replied as I steered her towards the kitchen. “The top cupboard on the right...” She said and let go of me.

Opening the cupboard, I saw the half bottle of Wellington VO brandy on the shelf.

“Okay. Glass?” I asked.

Melanie retrieved a water glass from the dry rack on the sink. Eyeing the measure, I poured more or less a single shot into the glass. It could have been more than a single shot. She drained it in one gulp and grimaced as the brandy taste hit her mouth.

“Brrrr...” and she shivered with a screwed-up face.

“I thought you liked brandy, seeing you had it here.”

“It’s medicine! For toothache and stuff. Helps for colds and flu and upset tummies too...”

“Oh, okay. I knew that”, I chuckled. “It also soothes the nerves, so it’s a sedative and antidepressant too.”

“Like Valium?”

“Yeah, just cheaper! And you don’t need a prescription,” I teased and then added; “Doctor.”

Some colour was returning to Mel, and she asked: “Can we go get some fresh air?”

“Yes, we can. Come on.” And I took her hand without any objection from her and led her out of the apartment.

“Are we just going to sit here on the deck or are we going down to the restaurant?” she asked.

“If you want to go to the restaurant, we can, or we could just walk the paths until we get to the jetty, then come back to the pool area,” I suggested.

“Then I better go put on some shoes...” She replied and I looked down. She was still seductively barefoot.

“I think that would be wise,” I chuckled.

“Wait here, I’ll be back...” And she went back inside to get her shoes.

While she was inside getting her shoes, I stood by the wooden railing next to the stairs leading away from her apartment.

The exterior of the apartment was made from sturdy logs, giving it a traditional and earthy feel. The high thatched roof adds to the rustic charm, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings of the tropical forest and savannah, so typical here next to Lake St Lucia.

The deck in front of her apartment went around to the sides of the building and gave the impression that the apartment was meant to be for a family living permanently on the resort. Therefore, her apartment had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study. The sort of living accommodation meant for either the owner or full-time manager.

Being this high off the ground, the deck offered stunning views of the resort and the surrounding landscape. There was also a barbecue area on the side of the wooden deck, perfect for al fresco dining under the African sky.

Overall, Melanie’s apartment was a beautiful and welcoming space, perfect for a relaxing getaway in the heart of Africa.

“Shall we go?” she spoke from the door as she pulled the handle closed and locked it.

“Let’s go!” I replied and waited for her to go down the stairs.

“Okay, where to?”

“Go show me your clinic, or your hangar.”

“Why the clinic? It’s just a clinic, with no funny or expensive equipment.”

“Say you. Come, go show me.”

“Okay. This way...” She replied and turned left away from the main building and the resort area.

After fifty or so metres, we came to the hangar with its doors now closed.

“Do you want to peek inside?”

“Why not? Show me,” I encouraged, and Melanie opened the side door of the hangar. Her hand went automatically to the left and she pressed three buttons. Each time she pressed a button it was followed by a dull clank sound and a set of overhead lights flashed on. Each button was connected to three overhead lights that blasted clear surgical bright light down on us. All nine floodlights certainly were bright.

“Damn! I should have brought my sunglasses!” I remarked and she chuckled.

“One must be able to see what’s around and inside the aircraft.”

I took in the space inside the hangar and noticed that the Cessna was looking a little lost in the huge space of the hangar.

“You do have a large hangar. Bibi looks lost.”

“My dad had the hangar built and wanted to purchase a DC-3 on floats. But he could not find one. He thought that there would have been some around, but apparently only one was ever produced.”

“Yeah, I know about that one. Dick Folsom converted it to a float plane in 1976. It was certified in 1990 and the first flight took place at Greenville Airport. She was also seen at the Maine fly-in, but I believe she is not flying any more, although she was seen at an air show recently.”

“Such a shame! A DC-3 on floats could have been good for iSigodi, especially if we could convert her to the Basler or Braddick systems.”

“Would you have flown her, Mel?”

“I do hold a Beech King Air 350i certification! The same engines are used in the Braddick conversion for the South African Air Force. The Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-65R turboprops are used so that they would be compatible with their Beech King air aircraft for a no-nonsense engine swap between the DC-3 TP, the King Air, the Pilatus PC-6, PC-7 Astra and PC-12s they use.”

“Five different aircraft, same engine,” I chuckled. “So, how current are you on the King Air 350i?”

“Not current. I flew one longer than ninety days ago. So, proficiency test with an instructor is on the cards.”

“That could be arranged...”

“I don’t need to spend money on it, for I don’t foresee flying that bird any time soon.”

“Yeah, you’re right. If you don’t need to fly the bird, why spend the money on a flight test. Although...”

“Although, what?”

“You could save the instructors fee, the aircraft rental, and maybe some fuel cost...”

“How?”

“There is one standing around, gathering dust in a hangar I know of, and ... I’m a certified instructor on them.”

“TYRON VAN ASWEGEN! Don’t tempt me.”

“Just saying ... As you said, you don’t need it. But, if you require it and don’t have it, come knock on my door. We could arrange something...” Chuckle.

Melanie did something that you can only understand if you know Czech girls. She reached up on tiptoes and pecked me on the cheek. “I will pen it down in my notebook. For further reference if need be. Thank you, Ty.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And you won’t hand me a bill?”

“Nope! What are friends for?”

She turned half away from me and looked around the inside of the hangar. She was much more relaxed than a half hour ago. I figured I’d accomplished my objective. She has forgotten about the snake incident; maybe not forgotten, but it was not in her mind right now.

Mel switched off the hangar lights, but just before the last bank of lights went off, my eye caught a flicker of reflected light from the workbench near Bibi.

“Hold! Don’t switch off the light. What’s that under your workbench?” I asked.

“Where?”

“Just there were the left leg is touching the front wall.”

“Let’s go see ... This place was supposed to be cleaned yesterday,” she responded, and we walked over to the workbench. She reached the workbench just before me and as she stooped over to inspect the object, I stopped her.

“Mel! Don’t touch it!”

“What? Why? It looks like a man’s signet ring.”

“Yes! But let me handle it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t feel happy about it,” I said and took a pair of pliers from the tool rack over the work bench. I bent down and retrieved the signet ring with the pliers, dropping it on the workbench.