Us, Colliding

CHAPTER TWO

You could be forgiven for thinking that considering my Mum and Tony were jetting off on their holidays too, that we were all going together. Well, you'd be wrong.

While they're heading off to the forest on a hiking holiday in Granite Falls (which is about the exact opposite of what my mother loves to do) I'm being packed off to the tropical island of Sulani. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Well, actually, no.

My parents divorced when I was 5 years old, I don't remember a lot of that time except I used to cry a lot. I'd hear them yelling through the floorboards in our tiny house and it'd keep me awake well into the night.

One morning I woke up and Mum told me my Daddy had left.

I was pretty chill about it, I wasn't close to my dad and mum always described him as a lay about and a waste of space so it wasn't a big deal as such.

Dad has been absent for much of my growing up - Then he had a major health scare - stomach cancer- and since finishing his treatment 6 months ago he's decided he's been given a second chance to make things right. He wants to bond with his only daughter - AKA me.

There are worse places to spend my summer, that's for sure, but I'm really anxious about travelling to a foreign country to meet a man I don't remember, all by myself.

For 12 years it's just been me and Mum (and random men who come and go, seemingly a different one every month) we've never had any money and I've never had to do anything alone - Mum has always been there for me.

Not anymore I guess.

The blast of heat as I leave the airport is unexpected. Oasis Springs is pretty hot in the summer, but this heat? This is different.

The tarmac on the road is cracked and sticky looking, the sky the palest blue - not a cloud in sight, and the buzz of unseen insects is incessant. I feel sweat on my upper lip already, I feel gross.

'Dove?' A voice calls my surname and I see a broad shouldered man making his way towards me, his smile is huge and infectious - - exposing the most perfect, straight white teeth I've ever seen in my life, his dark hair is cropped close to his head and he strides over to me with an air of confidence and familiarity, despite that fact that I've never seen him before in my life.

'Haha! There you are!' He laughs, pulling me into an awkward hug and squeezing the breath out of my lungs, 'I'd recognise you anywhere!' He holds me at arms length, 'it's the ears!' He releases me and I self consciously touch my earlobe, what's he talking about?

'Let me grab this,' He smiles, ducking behind me and effortlessly lifting my suitcase, 'the car is this way-'

'Wait-' I manage, finally finding my voice, 'I'm sorry but, who are you?'

When he laughs, his whole body shakes with mirth, it rumbles right up from the depths of his belly and bursts out of his mouth like thunder.

'Oh, by the sea! I'm sorry!' He chuckles, 'the name's Loto, I'm your dad's neighbor!'

'I'm sorry,' I frown, 'his neighbor? He was supposed to collect me himself?'

'Ah, you know Pete- er, your dad - always some sort of emergency to tend to on the beach, he asked me to collect you.'

I'm so deeply uncomfortable, this man, Loto, he seems so lovely, so approachable and friendly, but I don't know him - now I'm just supposed to get in a car with him?

'Ah, I can see you're worried-' Loto frowns and places my suitcase back onto the tarmac, 'give me a minute, let me talk to your dad.'

I fold my arms protectively across my chest, glancing around nervously as Loto puts his phone to his ear.
He speaks briefly into his device before extending the phone to me, 'it's your pa, he'll explain-' Loto frowns at my reluctance to take the handset.

Slowly, I take it from his outstretched hand. I've never spoken to my dad before, at least not that I can remember.

'Myra?' A smooth deep voice reaches my ear, I can hear waves crashing in the background and the voices of other beach dwellers.

'Hi.' I manage.

'Honey, I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up like we arranged - something came up but Loto will take care of you and drop you at the house, ok?'

'Ok.'

'I'll be there as soon as I can, there's snacks in the cupboard and the WiFi password is on the fridge.'

'Ok,' I state again.

'See you soon.'

I hang up, handing the phone back to Loto, 'alright,' I shrug, 'I guess we should get going then?'