'So what do you have in mind for this summer?' Muriel poured herself a glass of red wine, it was the newest blend of grape wine that wasn't yet on market and moved towards her dad who was seemed to enjoy the view at the balcony overlooking a fine pine wood collection, it was the same ever since she was a baby.
'I have a place in mind, actually I have had it years back but I kept brushing it off, I guess it's time' Charles replied as he studied her as though trying to read her puzzled face
'Where..?'
'Ascension islands ...in Brazil' he firmly replied. 'Haven't heard of it before' she said after a few seconds of thought.....or have i heard of it...she couldn't conclude
'Its abit remote,....but a beautiful place with beautiful memories....you could have gone there sooner but I guess I wanted memories buried' Charles wasn't found of speaking emotionally unless he was really awakening sad memories, she didn't know what surprised her more, either the emotional bit or having attachments to a remote island she didn't know. She sipped the wine in one gallop then placed the glass carefully on the thin rail and moved over to sit next to her dad, as if giving him motivation to tell her more, as though he read her mind
'Its where I met the only person that touched my heart and changed my whole life, taught me so many lessons life wouldn't have..,we were happy, we fell in love, had you, and we had found home' he took a sip of vodka, she was quiet as it wasn't her habit to interrupt him usually and she found herself silently begging him to continue.
'I thought we needed more, maybe we would be happier if we moved to a bigger city, you were just three and we moved here. We had never been happier than those years before we moved, we got busier I guess' he concluded as he looked at her watching eyes then moved his hand and slowly cuddled her cheek as though to brush off her emotionless expression.'its time to try facing memories we always avoided, your mum loved that place, maybe we could remember her that way' his palm was still on her cheek. 'Dad I can't...' her voice dropping to a whisper, he held her warm hand though not really surprised by her words. It had been hard for both of them to get over Mona's death, it had been so sudden, brutal and very painful. Right after the burial, he had pushed away everyone close to him, he didn't want pity and sympathy, he wanted to go through this silently with his daughter. He had lost himself to a lot of work and tequila silently locked in his room and he unintentionally shut off all happiness , even his daughter. Muriel had just made 5 and was silently tortured with no one to turn to except the house helps who didn't do much as Charles forbed them to involve themselves so much with her. She had cried day and night silently in her room, refused to meet anyone and her heart grew stone cold and she had actually ended up being admitted for a few weeks at the hospital. After one year of isolation and realising he was at the verge of losing his daughter too, Charles gradually pulled out of his devastation, decided to cling onto his daughter as his only hope, got so attached to her, learned to love her strongly and she accepted his love, she had always needed it. It was like they only had each other. Time seemed to heal the pain and people moved on gradually too. Charles started to let in people back in his life, slowly began to live, business began booming, though bitter memories still lingered on. Adams were back in business but unfortunately Muriel Adams wasn't. She hadn't opened up her heart to accept people easily, she had grown more reserved, emotionless and had almost successfully buried it deep down and concealed it further with her busy work schedules. Now it was echoing. He looked through her eyes and he could see her pain, he had always seen it and he knew how fragile she had always been. He pulled her slowly resting her head on his chest and slowly brushing his palms against her curls.
Charles was not going to force her, he never had and never had to.
Muriel took some time thinking things over, she wasn't going to let her emotions ruin her father's summer memories,she loved him, atleast. She finally just walked to her father one afternoon, he was in the winery 'dad let's go the island' as if hit by her words, Charles got up wordless 'you will?'
'Yeah, but only because it means a lot to you, nothing is gonna change for me'
'You'll love it' Charles hugged her with a loud laughter, feeling of so much relief. He had been worried how he was gonna force her into this because he had never forced her to do anything though at the back of his mind he thought she must go.
'But it's not and I repeat it's not gonna change anything, it's gonna be like any usual holiday' she said as managed to escape from the tight hug.
'Guess whose infront of you,' Charles was all big smiles with his arms wide spread as if feeling like superman
'Dad..!' Muriel was with a funny face waiting for another bragging moment
'The best summer vacay planner for the beautiful MURIEL ADAMS THE 1ST' he roared as she playfully made a slight bow, then they hugged 'oh dad, how i love you!!'
'I love you too baby'.....