Gabriel (Book 1)

Around the World

June, 2013

Our plan is to travel the world and celebrate holidays in their origins. Johanna and I started our honeymoon in Finland to celebrate midsummer, the day with the longest light there, we spent about a week there before heading to Greece. We rented a Villa on one of the Greek Islands and took part in their customs immediately. We ate traditional food and danced traditional dances. Johanna borrowed an easel and purchased some paints and painted scenary all around the island. I took us camping in the forest, we went swimming at night and found a little airpocket underneath the island. It was insanely small, with just enough space for our heads while our feet battled for space underneath the water.

"Gabriel!" Johanna screamed at me as I walked up onto the beach, she was floating around in the water, "Where did u throw my bikini?!"

I shrugged, smiled teasingly, and said, "I don't know."

"Gabriel!"

"I tore it off somewhere out there," I signal to the ocean.

"Well, what I am supposed to do then?"

I shrug with my goofy grin still across my face, "Come out without it."

She smiles deviously back, "Is that an invitation?"

"A demand," I say before walking back into the water and pulling her into my arms.

We spent Thanksgiving Day in Pennsylvania with Richard and Susan.

And we were in Austria for All Saints Day. I won't bore you with each and every detail of the places we visited, all you have to know is that Johanna and I had the time of our lives traveling and we loved every second of it.

We spent Christmas in Norway and Halloween in Mexico. For Mardi Gras Johanna and I were in New Orleans. We had rented a little apartment over a store on Main Street. It was a studio apartment with white walls and large windows, the balcony railing was black wrought iron and there were flowers planted in the window boxes. That particular morning Johanna and I woke up to beautiful sunshine and clean air flowing through the windows. The covers were tangled all around us as the sounds of a parade wafted up from the street. Johanna bolted from the bed wearing only one of my shirts, and onto the balcony to look down below. I appeared at her side and the child like smile she showed me was infectious. Johanna threw her hair into a clip and slipped on a pair of jeans while I did the same and then we were running down the apartment stairs and out the door. A band was leading the parade, their were so many different floats and then there were all of the people standing on top: the mayor, the prom king and queen, etc. Bright colored bead necklaes littered the streets along with confetti. Johanna stopped and picked up two necklaces, a pink one and a purple one, she slipped the purple one over my head and then the pink one over hers. We ran into the street and started dancing to the music until one of the people on the float invited us up with them. Johanna and I ended up on the 'Belle of the Ball' float. Women danced, perfectly rehearsed, in big hoop skirt dresses with men wearing perfectly tailored suits. Johanna and I joined in the dance, both of us wearing jeans, and twirled around. This was an intimate dance, our bodies were never allowed to touch and we weren't allowed to smile, nor were we allowed to flirt with each other by voice, instead we used our eyes to flirt, showing each other how much the other meant to us. It was a very intimate and romantic dance which we ended up being invited to the Kings ball for.

The Belles of the Ball changed Johanna into a rose colored hoop skirt with straps that go off the shoulder while I was given a suit to wear. The men lined at the bottom of the marble staircase waiting until their partner descended at which point we would then lead them into the ballroom. In the ballroom it was just about us, the dancers. Celebrators lined the dance floor to gaze at our elegance and intimacy as the string quartet strung out a soft but sensual song. The women curtsyed, the men bowed, we flirted with our eyes as we circled around each other and then held our hands apart, palm facing palm.

After the main dance the rest of the party resumed. Let's just say it was magical without the side effects.

Somehow we ended up in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia, in a tent, in the midst of a sand storm.

"Oh, oh! Gabriel, come here quickly!"

I shove myself off the soft ground and scrambled over to the technology cluttered corner.

Johanna had the laptop set up with a small camera on top of the screen. The blue nothingness is fuzzy and spewing out static sounds.

Johanna presses a few keys and then our family is on screen.

"AHHHH!!!!" Johanna screams excitedly.

The sound of static as well as all of us trying to talk to each other fills the air.

"Oh my god! Sophia, you've gotten so grown up!"

She really did! It was obvious that she had gotten taller, her face had thinned out, she looked about the age of 14 though.

"Happy 4th Birthday, Hunny!" I tell her.

"Thanks, Uncle Gabriel!" Sophia smiles widely.

"I'm sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate with you," I smile sadly.

"Its okay. You and Aunt Johanna are at least having a good time on your honeymoon right?"

"Definitely, sweetheart." Johanna replies.

"Oh yes! Do tell us about your honeymoon!" Jordan exclaims giddily.

"Oh my gosh, Jordan, its AH-MAZING! We've been to so many wonderful places, tasted exotic things-"

"I bet they've done exotic things," We hear from someone off screen.

It only takes me one second to figure out who would say that...

Rhoan walks into the view of the camera and sits down next to the girls.

"You would say that," Johanna sticks her tongue out at him.

He laughs, "Hey, Gabriel."

"Hey, Rhoan. How long after we left did you get back?"

"Mmm two weeks? Sorry I missed you, bro. But hey, thanks for the cool necklace you and Jo sent me."

He fingers the round coin with a square cut out of the center that hangs by a black chord around his neck. I saw it when we were in Norway, it signified strength and family and I thought I would send it to him.

"Glad ya like it."

"Oh! Thank you for the pretty saphire and diamond ring that you and Johanna bought me," Sophia chirps from between Rhoan and Jordan.

"Your very welcome, darling."

The screen goes blank and then flashes back on.

"Oh the storm, we gotta go everyone but we'll see you really soon!" Johanna promises just before the storm cuts off our connection to the outside world.

This wasn't the end...as a matter of fact this was just the beginning...

-Gabriel