The Vacation

"...just breathe in and look at the view."

It was much later than their usual when Sam came looking for her on the hotel beach. It was the starting of the holiday season and it was comparatively more crowded than they had seen in the last three days. He saw her from a distance, she was reading her Kindle. He knew it was one of the last times he would ever get to see her and it broke his heart. His life had recently become just a score card of all his losses and the last thing he wanted to lose right now was the way he felt during this vacation. He was glad he had come to Hawaii and glad for the first time that he had come alone, that Megan wasn't here with him. He continued looking at her, savouring the moment, not wanting to ruin it when she looked up from her story and spotted him. She waved at him, smiling ear to ear. He waved back and went to her.

Before he even sat down on the chair next to her, she burst out, "So, Sam, last night was..." and she knew his answer even before she had started the sentence.

"...awesome!"

Yeah, she knew the reply. She had really come to know every piece of this young man she was supposedly stalking from the first day of her vacation.

He continued, "What was your favourite part? For me, I think it was when you screamed..."

"I did not scream, young man!"

"You can young-man me all you like but you screamed when you thought the show was over and it came back up again. "

"Well, it wasn't helping that you came and almost fell down on me!"

"I saw you getting up, I thought the show was over. Then you sat back again, in the little light I didn't see that, I am sorry. I didn't mean to fall on you!"

"Its okay, Sam! You don't need to apologise. You made all the plans, it was a beautiful evening. Imiloa was gorgeous so was the show...what is it called? Maunakea Skies, right?"

"Maunakea Skies...my dad was kind of interested in stars, he always wanted to come to Imiloa Astronomy Centre. But like I said, he wasn't a travel buff."

"Well, he missed out. I thought it was beautiful. Oh! Just for the Kona sunset and the star gazing at night at Imiloa, I could just settle down here in Hawaii!"

"Yeah, I could do the same. Only I think I'd miss real life a little too much. This place is okay for a vacation. I couldn't live here. Living here would mean working here; and this place was not made to be lived in while working. Whilst here, you should just breathe in and look at the view."

"Wow! Someone here has gotten some change in attitude!"

"Well, I found an excellent friend who helped me a lot", he smiled at her gratefully, "Thank you, really, for getting me back from whatever spiteful place I was in for the past few days. Thank you for talking to me when I was hateful. It means a lot to me."

"Anytime...anytime, anywhere you need my help, you know how to reach me. And I promise I'll always be there. I maybe far away or upset myself but I promise I'll always try to help, Sam."

"Always is a strong word..."

"I know. And I say it because I mean it. All you need to do is take a little trouble and find me out...that is, find out the phone number of whatever hotel I am in at that moment!" she said jokingly.

However, he continued to look at her in the eye solemnly. She looked back at him before she lowered her gaze. She went back to her Kindle and he stretched out on the beach recliner. Even though she was engrossed in her story, he kept on glancing at her every now and then. Sometimes when their eyes met, she smiled politely but he was grave, he didn't return them. His mind was busy racing; thinking of things that he never even knew existed in his own head.

Soon her efforts wore her out. It had been almost three nights that she hadn't had a proper sleep, and also her daughters kept telling her that old people often did this: so she did it. She shut off the Kindle and fell asleep in the middle of the day in the middle of a beach in Hawaii. Sam looked at her again. She was now peacefully asleep on her recliner and for the first time he could hardly recognise her. The liveliness wore out of her face when she fell asleep and you could see how hard Derek's death had hit her. Her eyelids were drooped and the ghost of the smile that remained on her face did nothing to bring out how alive she was in person.

He tried to picture what Derek must have looked like, been like to lift her off her feet and managed to keep it that way for over four decades. Sam wanted to see them together with Angel and Shania when they were kids; see what kind of a family they made together. He looked at her and wondered how many years she had left in her. She was one of the youngest people he had ever met in his life and he hoped she had a long life in front of her still. He knew she was hurting because of Derek's death but surely, he thought, it would dull down to just a constant throbbing at the back of her mind, and she would continue to live on...exactly like she portrayed herself when awake: alive, happy, optimistic and most important of all, in love. And for the first time he wished she was younger in age too, so that they could be alive together, be happy together, be optimistic together and be in love...together.

When he woke up, he checked the time. He couldn't believe that he managed to fall asleep for almost an hour and half in the middle of the day. Half-heartedly he woke up from his reverie and looked over to his companion in the spot next to him. She was still asleep, Kindle in hand. He decided to go bring over a lunch for the both of them. She woke up the moment he got up from the chair and looked at him questioningly.

He said, "I was going to get some lunch. It's almost one o'clock."

"Oh? I slept for that long, huh?" she asked sheepishly.

"If it makes you feel any better I too slept for about an hour and half."

"Yeah? Thanks, it makes me feel a lot less guilty", she grinned at him.

He returned it this time and asked, "So what I can get you for lunch?"

"Anything you want. Like I said, I'd love some time not taking food decisions for people!"

"Okay...can I get you Spam Musubi? I heard its good here."

"Yes, that would be good. A friend recommended me to try it. I had forgotten about it totally. I swear my memory is decreasing by the minute!"

"Well then, you just wait a minute here, I'll go get it."

He had walked a few steps when she called him from behind and he turned.

"Hey Sam! Thank you...for...ummm...for lunch, I mean!"

"Anytime!"

He returned in a little while, bearing food. They had it while talking of how wonderful the vacation had been and how they would hate it when they'd have to leave the next morning. When they finished their lunch, Sam insisted that she go to her room for a small nap.

"Sam, I am not a kid, I don't need a nap for god's sake!"

"You are tired, as you should be, as anyone would be. You go get some rest, have a little nap. I have plans for the two of us again this evening. It wouldn't do if you fell asleep later on...no! Don't argue, you are tired; ergo you should get some rest. Go on! Go to your room, I'll see you in the evening. I'll come pick you up, at around, say, six-thirty. Okay?"

"Well, will be okay when you tell me what you have got planned."

"Nah! I am not telling you that."

"Oh Sam! Come on, tell me!"

"I didn't tell you last night, do you regret it?"

"Of course I don't...but still!"

"No! You'll come to know when you come to know. Now I am not gonna talk anymore and I'll let you rest. Bye. See you in the evening", he said with finality.



Hey, you guys! Another chapter out! There are only 3 more, one of them a flashback..I hope you guys are liking it! Continue to vote, comment and share.
Also, I'd like to thank  Anniemena for the beautiful comments and messages she's been sending me. They mean the world to me. Continue to do so. :)
abpaintlife Thanks so much for the cover. It's a late thank-you but much overdue.