Mystic in a Minivan by Kristen White

Author:Kristen White [White, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504333900
Publisher: Balboa Press
Published: 2016-11-29T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 43

“Allow me, Madam.” Our cabin steward effortlessly relieved me of my luggage as he led the way to our cabin. His name was Naseem and he was from India. I’ve learned that most of the employees on the cruise lines are from countries other than the United States. Places like Jamaica, Portugal, India and Russia, to name a few. Many leave their families behind for months at a time to work in this floating “office”. It’s more money than they can make at home, but it comes at a price: cramped quarters below deck, long hours with little relief, and severe homesickness. Regardless, Naseem has a warm, delightful smile for us.

“We have arrived.” Naseem unlocks the door at the end of the long hallway to reveal a beautiful two bedroom suite with a sitting room and a sweeping balcony that spans the back of the ship.

“Amazing! I had no idea.” I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of our accommodations. When we were assigned a location on the ship, at the last minute, I assumed it would be something we could tolerate, since we didn’t plan on being in our rooms that much. Instead what I’m seeing is something in which we can luxuriate. I walked out to the balcony and sat in one of the chairs.

The unique location of our suite afforded us a privacy that is not commonly found on a cruise ship. Thank you, God! I felt like gratitude was in order; everything up to this point of the trip had been a pile of shit, in my opinion. I was also thankful that Libby and Don were not on the boat yet. There is no doubt in my mind they would have made us trade rooms. Maybe this is part of the divine plan Faith was talking about? That people get what they deserve? Ok, maybe those were not her exact words, but for now, they work for me.

“Let’s go Mommy, let’s go see the ship!” Lucy was doing a little jig around my feet.

“Yeah! Yeah! This is so cool,” Cole pulled my arm so hard I thought it would dislocate from its socket. All three kids were bouncing up and down in spasms of excitement, and it was contagious. Even Steve seemed a little better. Fresh clothes that don’t reek of vomit and a hot shower have a redeeming quality.

“Good work on the room, wife!” Steve offered me a high five. It was clear that we shared the same unspoken thoughts.

“Maybe this trip won’t be so bad after all.” I was cautiously optimistic.

Our tour of the ship revealed its amusement park qualities: a rock-climbing wall, a simulated wave riding pool, an ice-skating rink, 24-hour cafes, a spa, two pools, a basketball court, miniature golf, and ice sculptures galore. The ship also hosted a kid’s adventure club where they could hang out supervised, and meet other kids their age, while the adults enjoyed dinner and drinks. Next, we visited the excursion desk, where we signed up for activities and tours at each of the European ports.

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