Lex just want to have a break, she wants to have a vacation. Most of the time there are routinary works to be done that could drain and needs to be rejuvenated. Many times they only had staycation, no need to go to distant places, just go to a near hotel and check in for two days and one night or three days and two nights. Adna thought that Lex might be used to it already because everytime there is celebration near the house and with so much noise, the nearest hotel is already a second home for the family of Adna. It is now an idea for Adna also to prepare to see new places not necessarily outside the country but just within the country. Azia just follow what her mom would decide where to go. She just enjoy it together with her younger brother Al the second. Lex has on her bucket list where she would want to go but Adna would always tell her if you go on your own or with Azia, who will prepare your foods, who will drive when you go somewhere else. Adna seems to be overprotective to both Lex and Azia even though they are already grown ups but Adna really make sure that her children are always safe, and she and Al are always within their reach when they need anything. Al the second always stick to his mom so Adna don’t worry about him.

Last January, Lex best friend came with her cousin. They arrived midnight and all the family of Adna had to go to the airport to pick them both because they are all girls. Adna felt the responsibility of the friend of Lex for their safety while they were in the country. When they arrived, they went straight to the hotel in the next city where Adna lived and after the hotel staff had brought them to their hotel room and their luggage, the driver was waiting outside to send Adna’s family back home. After few hours, Lex had to go to the hotel to check if they already had breakfast provided by the hotel. To make sure, Adna had asked Lex to bring pack lunch for her best friend and her cousin. Almost lunchtime, all the family, Adna, Al, Azia and Al the second went to the hotel in order to have lunch with Lex and the two other ladies. They went to a restaurant at the mall just across the hotel. After having lunch, few hours later, the driver was already waiting outside of the mall as they would check in to a resort hotel at the city where the airport was located. A very nice resort hotel with a beautiful swimming pool. Al and Adna had to stay at the pool side while Azia, Lex and Al the second had to go up to the rooms in that resort hotel. One room for Lex bestfriend and her cousin while the other room was for Lex and Azia. When they finished arranging their brought luggage, they all went down to Adna and Al as they would go to a restaurant located on the sea waters. The skies at night can be directly seen with all the glittering stars like diamonds in the sky and also the moon which according to the poem of Aunt Felip shapes like an ‘’O’’. The wind from the see is so refreshing and the foods are delicious but quite expensive. The driver also joined having dinner with them and they were always having laughter as the cousin of Lex bestfriend is very talkative and funny. After they had dinner they went back at the resort hotel but this time the persons in every room limits only to two persons and it was a very expensive room compared to the hotel near Adna’s place and also the hotel in the next city near the mall where Adna, Al , Lex, Azia, Lex bestfriend and her cousin had lunch. Al, Adna and Al the second had asked the driver to drive them home. In one room Lex and Azia, in the other room Lex bestfriend and her cousin. It was the first time that Lex and Azia were on their own without Adna, Al, and Al the second sleeping with them. Adna just instructed Lex, to communicate through telephone every now and then as the place was far from their house. In the morning, Azia and Lex enjoyed the free breakfast at the resort hotel. Azia told her mom through telephone that Lex ate a lot of hot dogs. Adna would not like them to eat a lot of hot dogs because it has preservatives. Azia then said, ‘’the foods are just ordinary breakfast like hot dog, sunny side up eggs, and hot chocolate with garlic rice or plain rice.’’ Adna prepared food that she would bring going to the hotel but Azia told her not to bring because the corkage is very expensive for each food. Adna still brought foods, she just placed the foods inside the car and did not bring it to the resort hotel room to avoid paying expensive corkage. The driver could eat too and would not go hungry. Adna asked the driver that they would go to the mall as on the next day, Lex best friend would celebrate her birthday. Adna bought a red blouse for her, bought a nice birthday card where Adna, Al, Lex, Azia, Al the second would write their birthday messages and Adna also asked the driver to write. Adna also bought plenty of dried mangoes, few chocolate dried mangoes, crispy banana chips for Lex best friend to bring home to her mother and father, husband, and her sister and her sister’s husband. Lex best friend was so amazed, she did not expect Adna was that thoughtful for her birthday and for her family back to her home as well. Her cousin was just staring at Lex best friend and said to Adna, ‘’mom, she is really your favorite.’’ Adna took off her ring, and told the cousin of Lex best friend, ‘’I am giving this ring to you.’’ She was so happy and embraced Adna and said, ‘’this is so nice mom, thank you.’’ Then they all went to a foreign restaurant, most were Thai foods and all of them including the driver enjoyed the food. Then they went to the airport as early in the afternoon they would fly back home. The cousin of Lex best friend told to Adna, ‘’mom, I don’t wanna go home. I want to stay.’’ Adna told her, ‘’just save money and then come back, if you don’t have enough savings, you can stay in my house.’’ Then Lex best friend, embraced Adna, so her cousin who could not embrace Adna first, embraced Al instead and said, ‘’thank you dad’’ Then embraced, Lex, Azia, and Al the second. They were taking pictures, and again the cousin of Lex best friend told Adna while embracing, ‘’mom I want to stay, I don’t want to go home’’ Adna just smiled and embraced again Lex best fried and greeted her, ‘’advance happy birthday! You must wear the red blouse on your birthday. Every time my children celebrates their birthday, the first thing I do is buy them a red blouse or red dress. That is for good luck.’’ She answered, ‘’Sure mom, and thank you so much.’’ Her eyes were teary, so Adna said, ‘’no crying, just call anytime you come back here. We will always pick you up at the airport no matter what time it is, and keep you safe while you are here until we send you back home. Her cousin mispronounced airport with airput, so Adna just joking said, ‘’airput’’’ and then everybody laughed. Lex had her loudest laughter. Saying bye bye with big smiles to each other. Then Adna, Al, Lex, Azia, and Al the second went back to the car and told the driver, ‘’we will go to the mall near our place.’’ Adna did not want to go home right away, she knew that Lex and Azia would feel empty that their friends who are considered family members had just left back to their country. They stayed long at the mall, enjoy window shopping and ate snacks. Right in time when they went home after conversing about their experience at the resort hotel the bestfriend of Lex sent a message that they already arrived at the airport in their country. Adna thanked God for the privilege of spending time with Lex friends who consider her a mother. They call Adna ‘’mom’’ and call Al ‘’dad’.’’ Azia had great time, as well as Al the second.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.