Meeting Egypt: The Echidna Trilogy

Chapter 1:

"Do I really have to be here?" I asked, my face getting hot with the head dress my father stated I had to wear. The hump of the camel also making me uncomfortable, but something I had to get used to because of our countless trips to all over the freaking world. Now we were back in Egypt, for the first time in years. Why couldn't I be born in a normal family, enjoying my spring break with my normal friends at our normal home in New York City? I sighed and my dad smiled at me, his glasses falling from his nose due to the sweat and heat of this God-awful place. I wiped my face and smiled back, my dad knew exactly how to cheer me up. Ever since my mother and his wife died, he brought me along everywhere, enjoying our vacations with what he did as a job. Yes, my dad was a scientist, or archaeologist, I wasn't into those big fancy words he used, I just knew he was a geek who loved history. Well at least he was my geek.

Pushing his huge glasses up his nose, he licked his lips and sighed, "Isn't it beautiful, honey?" he asked and I looked around. "No, dad we have been in this desert for almost two hours, where is this stupid tour guide, I'm hot and sweating," I complained, trying to ignore my damp clothes. They told me this would be better to wear, big and heavy clothing, but I felt like an idiot with an oversize black shirt and white leggings, my dad's winter coat covering the rest of my body. "Come on Camille, at least try to admire this, who can say they travel all over the world with their father?" he asked and I rolled my eyes. "Sorry dad, I'll try," I lied, checking my phone again, a bad habit. It was pointless anyway, I had absolutely zero bars and not a single amount of reception, and I know these two weeks were going to kill me. Looking at my dad, I sighed, remembering I did this so it would make him happy, which I absolutely regretted now. I wanted to be back home, especially now I missed the cold weather, and cuddled under Quinton, the potential beau.

My dad's curly hair was trying to escape his hat and it made me think, right now my mom would try to tame it. It had been only five months since she died from brain cancer. Her last trip was here and it was cancelled when she collapsed upon landing, so for her my dad wanted to complete the trip. I knew it meant a lot to her and him, so I knew I couldn't say no. I watched as my dad cleaned his glasses again, his big brown eyes squinting against the magnificent sun. He was a very handsome nerd, with wild curly brown hair and big brown eyes, which were again hidden behind goofy Steve Urkel's glasses. I told him countless times he would look so hot with contacts, but my mom loved his dorky glasses, so he kept them.

I had also wild, now blonde, hair too, but it was much longer, falling to my lower back and right now I had it pinned to my neck. I had my mother's green eyes and light brown complexion; she being black and Egyptian and my father being Italian. Like my dad, we were both short, I standing at five feet and almost one inch and my dad at five feet and four inches, my mom was a goddess, with long black flowing hair and a petite frame, standing at five feet eight inches. How they managed to find one another still baffles me. My mom was a popular college graduate, a cheerleader and then a news reporter where she interviewed my very successful father, a very smart scientist and they agreed it was love at first sight. Vincent and Zana, what weird names for very weird people, I thought.

I had my dad's frame, very skinny and frail like, but I didn't mind, I liked my look, even though sometimes I wished I had my mom's genetics. When my parents began dating and eventually married, their promise to each other was that they would ensure they would put me in college and secondly travel the world, hopefully with me. Unfortunately, homeschool with my father was an epic fail, so I decided to go to public school, meaning they traveled mostly without me. It wasn't that I minded, I had a semi-normal life, with friends, and boys. When they left I usually visited my grandmother, who was freaking awesome. Grammie Nellie, she would want me to call her, I was her only grandchild, since my mother was her only daughter and I was an only child. I guess it was a family curse or something, cause Grammie Nellie was an only child as well; my great-grandfather, Michaelson dying due to cancer as well. It was a scary coincidence, but I didn't let it hinder my view on life.

"Sorry about that guys, I had complications with my camel," the tour guide rode toward us, his camel moving slow. "What?" my dad asked," a flat hump?" he joked and I hit my forehead. See, he was a complete goof, and right now my mom would be crying of laughter. Smiling I moved my camel toward him, good at least he was a cutie, I guess I could forgive him for making me a sweaty mess. "Hi, I'm Camille Romano, this is my father Vincent," I said and he smiled at me. "Hey, I'm Adio Marcos," he shook my hand and I blushed. "Adio?" my dad questioned," meaning righteous, nice name kid," he said, pulling my hand from the cute stranger and looking at him. "Yes sir," he smiled, looking nervous. My dad was a little man, but he was very overprotective of his kid.

The ride to the town was very short, and I was very agitated, we could have done this ourselves. "Well this is the inn for you, I will be back around five so that you can be well rested and taken care of, I again apologize about the wait," he looked at me," just let them know Adio is your supplier and everything is on my tab." "Yeah we got it Romeo," my dad rolled his eyes. As soon as he left, I almost tore off the jacket and head dress, freeing my curly hair. "This heat is unbearable dad," I sighed, throwing myself on the couch. Although it looked old fashioned, this inn was amazing and nice. It looked rich.

"Well honey it is Egypt," he said, scratching his head. "Well I'm going to shower and take a nap, I advise you to do the same, we are going to have a long night," he smiled and leaned over, kissing my forehead. "Thanks for coming kiddo," he said and I shrugged. "It's for mom," I smiled and he nodded. "She would be so happy to see how you've turned out," he smiled at me and I blinked away the tears. "I know, dad," I hugged him and he started to cry.
"Aw crap, I promised I wouldn't cry," he said and I tried not to laugh. My dad was such a goof. He excused himself and I was left alone. Running to my room, I threw myself on my huge Egyptian themed bed and sighed. My room was amazing, as always. I unpacked and pulled out my yellow sundress, with my white sandals, a matching yellow head dress. Taking a quick shower, I washed my hair and let it air dry, getting dressed and sat at my dresser, considering the mirror. There was complimentary old fashioned make-up, supposedly the same as the original Egyptians used. After I was done, I smiled and was proud of my work. "Wow, you look just like her," my dad peeped through and I smiled. "Mom?" I asked and he nodded. "You know she was prouder of being Egyptian than any other race she was, and I told her with her complexion at that time she would have been royalty," he said and I smiled. "So, I could have been like a princess or something?" I asked and he nodded. "Although I'm not sure, if it was the brighter or the darker being the top or the bottom, but your unique beauty would have had everyone falling to their knees." "Wow," I said, combing my hair, "thanks, Dad."

I pinned the sides of my hair so that it wouldn't fall in my face, ruining my make-up. Wrapping my scarf delicately around my neck and head, I smiled at myself. I did look somewhat like an Egyptian version of her, and I knew my mother was smiling down from heaven at me at this moment.

"Can I go out in town?" I asked and my dad gave me a look. "No honey, you can't you are a single woman, it is too dangerous," he stood," I'll come with you." "Dad you're tired," I said and at that moment he yawned. "I know, but you're not," he stretched and I rolled my eyes. "I can call Adio, he can come," I said, well whispered. "Camille, do you honestly expect me to leave my seventeen-year-old daughter alone with a man I just met?" he asked and I nodded. "Dad if something happened you'd know who I was with," I said and he rolled his eyes. "Honey, no, either you can wait or we can go now?" he asked and I rolled my eyes. "Fine I'll wait," I sat down on my bed and folded my arms. "Thank you, wake me up in thirty minutes, please," he kissed my forehead and left.

In five minutes, I walked in his room and saw that he was out, snoring his life away. Sneaking out was my specialty.