The Price of Our Dreams

To Do Item #7: The First Day in the Life of a Vivianian

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” -Walt Disney

It took a little over two days to reach Viviana, and in that time we sorted out everything we had to.

 I was probably the only one awake on the yacht. I was on one of the decks watching the crystal blue water ripple as we passed over it, with a reflection of the early morning moon always there. When I was alone, I tended to think about all the things that could possibly go wrong in the world. What would happen if gravity suddenly stopped working and everyone went into the atmosphere, never to be seen again? Or what if a top secret lab in the middle of the US was broken into and some deadly serum was released into the world that cut the population in half? But what was really on my mind was what would happen if Viviana failed? That would not only be a waste of time and money, but it would put an incredible dent on our dreams and lives. After all, no college admissions dean or employer wants to hire the kids who were so bored and fed up with everyone they’d make their own place to live. At least I wouldn't want that, and I am one of those kids.

These thoughts were bouncing around on the surface of my mind, like ping pong balls that wouldn't stop being nuisances. So I couldn't sleep. At all.

I removed my socks from my feet and placed my legs around the railings of the deck with my head resting on the top one.  The cool water drops that would jump up and reached my feet tickled, but in a relaxing way. I was starting to calm down in my little wonderland until I heard footsteps behind me.

I backed from the edge of the boat and spun on my butt to see Nasira standing behind me, her long dark hair in some twist on her head that I knew would be physically impossible for me to do.“Hey Nasira. What are you doing up so late?”

She sat down crisscross besides me and sighed, although it didn't sound like a sad one. More like one of those sighs people do when they are in love. “I can’t sleep either,” she said, yawning in the middle.

I smiled at her. “Oh? And why would that be? Too busy thinking about how all those seemingly worthless math formulas apply to building a… well anything?”

Her eyes lit up as she nodded her head, which caused her glasses to fall off the tip of her nose. “Actually, yeah. While we were at the airport in Costa Rica two men …” She paused when she saw me shot her a look and my eyebrows touched my hairline. “No, they weren't pedophiles Jaslyn. Goodness I know better than that. If you would just let me finish.”

I couldn't help but smile at her annoyance that she thought that I assumed she had no common sense. Which I didn't. It was usually somewhere in her head after all those philosophical  thoughts, which was the part that had me worried.

“So Phillip introduced me to those two men and it turns out they were his two uncles, Joey and Nathan, who were architects. They said that they would be in Viviana to teach me and whoever else was interested how to design safe and never before seen buildings. They even had some plans thought up and let me tell you they were impressive. The plans show towering glass building winding through the trees and using them almost as beams, and solar panels for power.” She paused, lost in a daydream about what the future would bring.

"It’s all pretty spectacular Jaslyn. Let me go ahead and get some of the plans,” she said as she hopped to her feet, but I pulled her back down quickly.

“No, not happening at this hour lovely. The only thing keeping you awake is pure excitement, but that won’t come into use when you have to maneuver through a room of sleeping teenagers.”

She pouted her lips and sat back down beside me. I couldn't help but smile. I knew how much she loved architecture and interior design, how much she had fought to even convince those around her that she would pick the right path for her life. Now she could do it and after a few years, she could design skyscrapers and houses by herself. I knew she would be great at it. Once Nasira was trained and an idea popped into her head, she was just like me. Nothing would stop her until the plan was executed to be a success or a failure. I guess that’s why we were such close friends.