Tropicana Redefined

Chapter 1

T is for talent, hidden or not

R is for romp, you know how to have fun

O is for orderly, a lifelong passion.

P is for passion, your fire!

I is for independent, a balance between being overly reliant and alone

C is for calm, a pleasant trait.

A is for angelic, a truly pure heart

N is for name, a pleasant one indeed.

A is for affirm, the certainty of knowledge

Chapter 1

The LAX/Nan flight was full.

Cana had booked late. She wanted an aisle seat with her long legs, but had to make do with a window seat. Everyone had the same brilliant idea to return home at the last minute. Especially families with school aged children. The plane was overflowing.

She had to start work tomorrow. It being a Sunday. She had not been looking forward to it at all. Two weeks leave with pay wasn't too long. Now to compound everything that had to have gone wrong, her luggage was not on this flight.

The next flight from LAX was on Monday. She was definitely not going back to the Coral Coast until she had her luggage.

She had spent a lot of money on a ton of shopping at LA; electronic items, makeup, clothes, shoes and handbags, were in those three large suitcases.

She had gained a day returning from the US, choosing to fly back on a US Saturday. It would have turned out okay if everything had gone smoothly. But no, it wasn't her lucky day.

Her list of woes started when she arrived late at the airport at LA. She had missed the shuttle bus, because her alarm clock hadn't gone off. She had only minutes to spare to catsch her flight. They had delayed for lagging passengers.

Frazzled as she was at almost missing her plane, she found at the Nadi end of her luggage mishap. It was ironic, because she dealt with this type of situation in her job as a Tour Consultant on the Coral Coast.

She was good at her job, gaining no complaints from guests at the hotel who booked all their transport part of the journey through the company she worked for. Efficient and punctual, passengers were always on time, luggage was never lost from airport to hotel, and vice versa. Her personal life was a different story. She was a shambles as she was always rushing from one place to another. She didn't plan in advance, jut left things up to fate.

It was early morning when she arrived at Nadi. She had to find a place to stay at for two nights while waiting for her luggage which would be on a morning flight from LAX on Monday.

She called her boss to appraise him of the situation. He wasn't too happy with her.

"You have to make up with overtime."

He told her in no uncertain terms.

She didn't quibble.

"I know. I will. I can't come back to collect my luggage later, you know that."

"Yes." His voice was softer.

It was the country's busiest time of the year. Tourism was one of Fiji's top money maker.

She finally booked a room at the Regent Hotel after the call to her boss. She had been lucky there had been a last minute cancellation. Her credentials as a Consultant snagged her a complimentary room. She grabbed a cab from the airport with her only luggage being her carry-on and handbag. She was in time for breakfast. She planned to make use of the breakfast bar after she had checked in.