Henry stared at the darkening sky for a while marveling the speed at which the last remnants of the golden hues were slowly licked up by the approaching darkness ,the moon was already out , a small silvery orb growing brighter with every passing moment, illuminating the star speckled night sky dimly , the next time he would be witnessing dusk would be aboard the luxury cruise ship Oceanic Palace.
Sighing he pulled out his smart phone and dialed his best friend Zander Gillian.
“Hey dude….. of course I packed…….yeah yeah it’s at 8:30 tommorrow the embarkment …. I got my ticket don’t fret! ……….. don’t worry I know this is your first time …..alright Zander …… okay sure ……… how many times do I have to tell you , you will be staying in my room for free its on the VIP section and anyway it is more than you can afford.. no offence ……………..yep …… okay then good night and don’t get late , see you!” the phone was returned to the pocket of his denims as he strode downstairs thrilled about the day that lay before.
A sudden gush of sizzling morning breeze shrouded Henry as he drove off with his uncle and his only surviving relative, Mr.Harris Andrews, the world’s greatest programmer and software engineer, towards the port and cruise terminal in a Mercedes-Benz.
After Henry’s documentation , check in and the security scanning of his luggage was complete , Sir Harris who managed to brush off his fans faced his now adapted son.
“Henry stay safe and keep in touch , you’ll be landing at a couple of destinations and make sure to send me a postcard to confirm that you are safe, but don’t worry Renolds our trusty body guard will be coming with you to keep an eye on you and ensure that you will be protected from any harm”
Henry’s eyes widened in horror , “No please sir –”, he began protesting at the prospect of having his freedom curtailed by his uncle’s will, couldn’t he even have a bit of independence and fun for at least once in his life?
“Sorry Henry but after all the ordeals you encountered, I am left with no choice .Your safety is my priority and I do think that Zander’s parents would surely be pleased to have their son being protected as well.”, he grinned.
“ I’m tired of it uncle , and being in someones surveillance takes the, you know, essesnse out of a trip and this is meant to be a vacation where I ought to be happy but how can I be happy when you send some guy to poke his fingers into my business , and anyways the ship is secure enough”
“Remember what happened last summer? and besides ”, his voice morphed more serious as it dropped a notch lower , “I get a whiff of ominousness coming in the proceeding months ” he shook his head firmly solidifying his decision .
“I beg your pardon uncle.”
“Oh don’t be so apprehensive and you know how keen people are on you , your wealth and family standing and all ”, he glanced over his nephews head ,” the bus to take you to the ship has arrived , here’s your suitcase and Renolds and Zander have already boarded the ship” , he paused , “Well then-” , his voice had lost its aridity and there was something humane in his voice as he struggled with his words as expressing emotions wasn’t his strong suit .
“I guess Id better leave now uncle … “ , he paused .
“Yeah, go now Henry I haven’t got all day to say farewell to you I should get back to my company.”
“Oh okay , see you in a couple of months”
Mr Harris turned around and slid the key into ignition trying to force words of goodbye out of his tongue.
Suddenly Henry hugged his uncle , “good bye uncle , love you.”
Mr Harris gently patted his head “hmm”, he tried to sound casual , “I guess the house is going to be lonely without you and don’t think I am trying to force you to comply with my rules , this is all for your good , you are the only living descend I have and my dream child , you have no idea of what you mean to me.”
“Oh … ” , Henry broke off and he waved as he headed slowly towards the parked bus his voice quivering with emotion and his arms burdened with his suitcase.
The bus rumbled along for a kilometer or two and there was a yell of excited chatter from the front that rolled back like a wave and as the bus rounded a corner and headed out of the trees a massive superstructure of a ship rose to the sky
“No way” , an awestruck gasp escaped his lips, as he stared upwards unable to believe his eyes, as above him towered the largest, most luxurious and most technologically advanced cruise ship ever built engulfing the bus in a solid shadow.
Henry stared in awe as the ship rose fully to view , a massive superstructure adorned with over 20 decks gleaming with expansive glass windows and elegant balconies ,dwarfing all the other vessels .At the top deck , over a cluster of trees , huge spirals of water slides licked the pale morning sky and Henrys heart beat quickened.
The bus made way towards a series of massive gangways ,which jutted out of the ships side , already swarming with vehicles .
“Come on in.” men is luminous vests directed the bus into a car park of enormous proportions expanding over 2 floors.
As Henry stepped out of the lift and entered a opulent atrium with grand staircases ,high ceilings and glittering chandeliers that cascaded light across the space he was greeted by the crew and just as he exited the atrium blinking to get accustomed to the bright sunlight that cast a warm glow over the deck, a loud pattering set of footsteps rose into earshot and a strong hand fell on his shoulder, paranoid the boy wheeled around almost striking his best friend to the floor.
A handsome boy with blonde hair and a white t-shirt ducked , laughed and gestured around him.
Henry scrutinized the huge spacious deck which seemed not at all cramped despite the exhiliarating bustling of activity as hundreds of people rushed around . Crew members in crisp uniforms made final preparations for the deperature , children darted between water play areas and interactive games , while adults relaxed in lounge chairs , enjoying drinks in poolside bars or snapped photographs near the railings and a live band played music over the sound of chattering and laughing.
“THIS PLACE IS FROM NEXT LEVEL ”, Zander mouthed loudly almost screaming in hysterical thrill.
Henry nodded and eventhough grandeur was a common element of his billionaire life , he was truly impressed by the magnificence and enormity of “Oceanic Palace”.
“Master Henry” , a heavy hand ruffled his neatly combed dark brown hair and a familiar voice penetrated into his reverie , “ I’ll take your luggage up and your room is room G in the 15TH floor :the VIP Haven ”
Henry shook the man’s strong hand , “Thank you Renolds , but I am certain that you’d be even more thankful when I allow you to have a break from your security job to enjoy the vacation , after all this is once in a lifetime opportunity , you may go now and hopefully I see you swimming in pool or something rather than being hot on our heels ”
Zander grinned from ear to ear and Renolds with a confused frown registered on his face departed.