Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (1)

STAYCATION

Challenge No.2

Imagine that a character did the old spin the globe and see where to take your next vacation trick. Write a story or scene describing where they went and how their trip panned out.

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Helen and Lucia were about to understand in very intimate terms why the cliché 'man proposes, God disposes.' was such a universal truth. The sisters usually took their annual vacation together with the destination left to fate. Choices were made by playing the old spin the globe to see where next they'd be off too. The random nature of the process had seen them in places as far as Beijing and as close as Martinique. This year they were scheduled for Ukraine when two things happened.

First, Russia invaded. The country was now a war zone facing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Any scenic or cultural site was about to become rubble. And civilian traffic was away from the county, not towards.

Second, the vacation fund was empty. Once one vacation was over and the next county chosen, plans went into high gear for the next one. Research was conducted, bookings made and money set aside.

"Where's the money?!" Lucia demanded.

"What're you looking at me for? Are you suggesting that I took it?!" Helen bristled.

"No. I was just being rhetorical." Lucy replied. "It's the first time this has happened to us."

"Well little sister, we used the money for your surgery." Helen reminded her.

"With the rest of it uses for my aftercare... I'm so sorry."

"Not a problem. 'Priorities' as mother would say. It just meant we couldn't save as we usually do and so now we adjust."

"I don't understand," Lucia admitted.

"Well, instead of 'spin the globe', we could 'spin the bottle' on a map of the Caribbean and visit a fellow island. You know the French language and I know Spanish so any island will be okay."

Lucia didn't seem that convinced.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think there's enough in the fund for that."

"Ooooo, that's bad." Helen read the bank statement that Lucia had now handed her.

"We could stay here." Lucia ventured.

"A staycation?"

"Why not? Saint Lucia is a destination for visitors, why not us? The Tourism people are forever pushing staycation packages on us locals... so, why not?" Lucia replied.

"None whatsoever."

"Then let's do it." Lucia grinned.

"We'll need that massive map of Saint Lucia."

Lucia knew exactly which map her sister meant. "This one? It covers the floor."

"That's the one."

They unfolded the map and laid it out.

"Now what?" Lucia studied the map.

"Now we spin the pencil."

Lucia busted out laughing. "From 'spin the globe', to 'spin the bottle' to 'spin the pencil'. Our world is shrinking fast!"

"Saint Lucia is a dot on the world map, but the best place is always home, from the Pitons to Hotel Chocolat, it's the best."

"Agreed. Ready?" Lucia had the pencil.

"Ready. Let it rip."

Lucia placed the pencil on the map and spun. She overestimated the force needed and the pencil spun wildly. Once it stopped the two heads convened over the spot where it lay.

"Is that?" Lucia started.

"Our house." Helen ended.

© 2 March 2022

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