Road of the Heavenly Light

10-2: Tropical Retreat

After a quiet, relaxing cruise, the ship docked at the main island of the archipelago the next morning, and Abigail and her friends made their way towards the city of Lano, the capital of the islands. Even though they were part of Falmar, they enjoyed a rather high degree of autonomy, and a lot of affairs of the archipelago were run from Lano rather than Kolnovo. As they entered the streets of the vibrant city, Abigail really appreciated how lovely it was that the islands had tropical weather year-round, which allowed for an environment not seen anywhere else in Iola. She had taught about it many times in her geography classes, of course, but it was quite another thing to experience it firsthand. The palm trees, bright flowers, lush greenery, and unique wildlife could hardly be done justice by the drawings in the books the students read. With the sun shining brightly in the sky and the gentle tropical breeze touching her skin, Abigail really felt herself immersed in the atmosphere of the islands, even if the debutante ball matter lurked in the back of her mind.

"I'm glad we could go now, because the islands are becoming a more popular holiday destination every year since the taxation for foreign ships went down and the Sunset Island dispute tensions diffused," Bianca said, "if we'd have come here five years from now, the place would be filled with tourists, and they'd ruin the authentic feel of Lano."
"I think we're in luck if we want to experience the authentic city feeling, as there's a market today," Abigail responded, pointing to a nearby sign.
"That's lovely! I could buy some gifts for my wife and the little one!"
"Oh, that's a great idea, Samson! I could get something for my boyfriend too."
Abigail couldn't resist a smile. Even though she had not yet found the right person for her, it was nice to see her friends so happy with their significant others. She could always get something for herself, or perhaps even something for the school. The former geography teacher in her also felt the urge to look for some rocks native to the islands to bring back and display in the classroom.

As they traversed the many market stalls, Samson became absolutely obsessed with the tropical flowers, and he bought some necklaces and bouquets of them. What a newborn girl would do with that, Abigail had no idea, but she was amused nonetheless. Bianca settled on some seashell decorations, and Abigail made the adventurous choice to try coconut milk, which was extremely tasty. She also bought some untouched seashells and rocks, much to the amusement of her friends. After finishing their tour of the market, they enjoyed their lunch at an outdoor café that had a view over the whole city and its beautiful architecture. Besides the lighthouse towering above the city, Abigail was very impressed by the headquarters of the Amestou fleet, one half of Falmar's grand and renowned navy. The building was grand and imposing, no doubt to remind all who sailed by of Falmar's unparalleled naval strength. Abigail also figured it stood out more because there were no nearby palaces or estates to outdo its grandness.

After spending the afternoon looking at other shops, the three of them entered a tavern where there was a music performance going on, something they all enjoyed immensely. While Samson and Bianca went to the bar to get drinks, Abigail stayed at their table and took out her work things to hopefully solve the debutante ball question. While she had concluded that it would not interfere with the graduation date or the final exams, the budget was her main concern. The costs for the debutante ball would be way higher than those of the midsummer ball, with the great number of carriages needed for transport to Diamond Beach and the ferry ride from there to Caltara. That was only half of the problem, though, as there was also the dress code to consider. Unlike the midsummer ball, a debutante ball required the most formal of attire, something that she could not expect the students to pay for but was also not available in the school collection. Abigail already had doubts about whether the budget would be able to cover the expected expenses, and a quick calculation only confirmed this fear.

"Are you at this again, Abi?" Bianca asked. Abigail looked up at her two friends, who had returned with the drinks and concerned looks on their faces.
"I have no choice, I'm afraid," Abigail responded as she took her drink, "I have to settle this matter before the end of my vacation."
Samson sat down and looked at Abigail's messy calculations for the budget.
"Things were never this urgent when you were just a teacher..."
"Back then, the most difficult thing I had to do was make tests, which didn't need much preparation. Now I have a whole school depending on me, and my decisions impact everyone there," Abigail looked at her friends' concerned faces, "oh, I'm sorry. I'm ruining the whole vacation with this."
"Of course not," Samson reassured her, "we just need to get used to your change in position and the work that comes with that responsibility."
Bianca nodded, "I feel the same. How about Samson and I go to dance and give you some space for your work?"
"Would you? Thank you, both of you. That means a lot."

With her thoughts once again occupied by the budgeting for the debutante ball, Abigail tried to calculate if she could use some of her own income to cover the expenses. Her salary had increased significantly since becoming principal, and as she had always been a bit frugal since becoming a teacher, she had some comfortable savings set aside. After doing the calculations, however, she concluded that she would not be able to pay for everything herself either. The costs were simply too high. It really frustrated her that it had proven so difficult to arrange this trip, as it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the students to put all their lessons into practice and truly experience everything they had studied for. It would also be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the students, with similar events being so rare and exclusive, not to mention that it would be a wonderful treat for a group of students who had a more difficult year than any other group before them. Abigail was determined to find a way to make it work.