Two Princes In Panama

Chapter 9: Myles

 Like always, I felt both rested and groggy upon waking up. The reason for my rise was the sound of water hitting the sink basin in the bathroom. I opened my eyes and saw Bernardo getting ready for the day. Looking over at the clock, I realized how late I was. It was six in the morning, meaning I was thirty minutes late in getting ready.

Pressed for time I raised my upper body from the bed and cleared the gunk from my eyes. I then proceeded to get out of the bad and make my way into the bathroom wearing cream cotton shorts and a cropped shirt.

"Morning," Bernardo said. From the mirror I could see how his hands worked at scrubbing his skin with a damp washcloth. His arm muscles, as always, captured my attention. I watched as beads of water rolled down his torso and turned my head when I saw the direction the water headed.

"Good morning," I replied, as naughty thoughts threatened to cloud my better judgement. We had settled into a cordial relationship in the week that had passed since our public introduction.

"You okay?" I nodded, gaining composure, and made my way to the sink. Returning my attention to getting ready in my truncated time table, I noticed how messy my hair had gotten throughout the night. I worked on that first, then moved on to the rest. I finished slipping on my black shoes that matched my jeans and shirt just as Bernardo walked to the door.

Mileta and Alejandro stood outside waiting on us. I made my way to the female guard and Bernardo met Alejandro before we parted ways with our guards close behind.

"Sir, are you sure you want to go to the favelas? There are many unsavory people there that might wish to do you harm," Mileta asked as we made it down the stairs.

"I do not fear them. We must embrace every aspect of the country if we want to make it better." She nodded, not happy with my answer but still escorted me out the door where an armored jeep waited. A motorcade comprising black sedans surrounded the jeep. I got in the opened door and waited for Mileta to drive off.

"How long will you and Alejandro be our personal detail," I asked.

"They slate us with this assignment for four months. After that we will learn if we get a reassignment." She kept her eyes on the winding road.

"You are from Panama, correct?"

"Yes. I grew up in the very favela I'm taking you to," she said.

"Wow! How did you end up becoming a royal guard?" I wanted a sense of familiarity with our guards.

"When you grow up where I did you find a skill fast or get stuck. My parents were soldiers who fell on hard times. We come from a long line of soldiers, starting at the beginning of the North and South monarchies. My father wanted me to get out so when he found out I had the same talent for velocity magic as him, he trained me hard. I joined the military as soon as I was old enough and made the right connections."

She continued driving at the same speed until we hit pothole littered roads surrounded by less pristine views. The smell was the first thing I noticed. The scent of trash and thousands of people living on top of one another.

How could a modern society have places so underdeveloped?

Even before the rolling hills packed with apartment towers. The roads became rougher as black tar gave way to washed out gray pavement. Every time we hit a pothole, we threatened to take flight.

There were no lush trees to gawk at, instead there were withering plants, concrete, and rusted steel. Every window I could see was open. It must have been hot for the people voluntarily to allow the miasmic air inside their dwellings.