CHAPTER TWO—HUM:ILATION IN PARADISE
Azure Sands Resort is a true paradise—it has floating villas, marble walkways, and warm unobstructed ocean breezes.
At check-in, we were greeted by the reception staff. When I looked at Julian, the resort manager, he looked back at me and gave me a knowing shake of his head.
Julian and I both knew what was going on.Mr. Vance was welcomed in a very smooth way by the Smooth Guy.
As soon as Mr. Vance entered the villa, he straightened his posture, prepared to make requests of the staff. He stated how gorgeous it was and told them to place his luggage into the best villa, and to provide a drink for his father.
The three of us were left to our own devices while the three others were relaxing.
For a two-day period, my responsibilities included running errands for the entire villa. Beatrice often sent me to purchase magazines for her. Frank was often complaining about anything and everything. Mark was making snap shots of him posing like a model.
He yelled, “Higher angle! Higher angle, Clara!” whenever I had my camera aimed at him.
On the third night, we had dinner at an underwater restaurant and watched a variety of fish swim around the glass walls that surrounded the restaurant.
After we were finished eating, Beatrice laughed and said, “Are you still creating little sketches?”
I replied, “I’m an illustrator, that’s what I do.”
“That’s not so different,” Beatrice replied.
Then Frank added, “Mark needs someone with bigger ambitions than someone who’s just a peasant.”
The term “peasant” seemed to weigh heavily in the air.
And then Beatrice slammed her wine glass down on the table and yelled, “This wine is terrible!”
I tasted the wine, and it was absolutely fine.
“It is absolutely fine,” I told her with dismay.
“Bring me back another,” she instructed as she snapped her fingers at me.
I stood there waiting for Mark to speak up for me, but he never even looked my way and said, “Just go get another.”
So, with the entire dining room watching me, I turned around and left the dining area to retrieve her a new bottle of wine.
By the time I returned with a new bottle, Beatrice had already taken a sip from the bottle and immediately poured half of it onto the linen tablecloth.
“Better,” Beatrice said as she pushed her plate towards me and said, “Clean that up.”
Chapter 3: The Breaking Point
The following morning, my life would drastically change forever.
Toby was playing with his floaties in the shallow end of the pool when Frank approached him.
Frank said, “Take those floaties off.”
“But, I can’t swim yet!” Toby protested.
“That’s nonsense!” Frank said, and before I could get to him, Frank had ripped Toby’s floaties off, threw Toby into the deep end of the pool and told him to kick.
Toby began to panic and started struggling and of course started sinking to the bottom of the deep end.
Frank laughed and said, “Kick, kick.”
Mark was watching the entire scene with an enjoyment that I could not comprehend, while Beatrice was filming the whole experience.
My son was drowning.
I jumped right in, pulled him right out, and he just wrapped his little body around me and began to cough up water.
And Frank screamed out, “You just ruined my fun!””He was suffocating!”
“He’s okay,” Mark replied.
I became enraged. Mentally. In my mind.
Soaked, I rose with Toby’s hand in my.