Spring Break Special

Author's note: I decided to do this not as a specific chapter but a special section in itself. I apologize for the delay in getting this out, but I got a new job, I bought a new computer, and I had to completely rebuild my game.

A few days later the van arrived in front of Aldrich Dormitory to pick up Melody and Marla. Edwin, and Chester were already in the van, along with two other students. “Ok, I don’t know about this,” Melody whispered.
“Relax, we all NEED this vacation,” Marla said. “After all, Chester’s graduating in a couple days.” Upon arrival at the tranquil Flaming Dragon hotel in Takemizu Village, Melody felt at home, comforted.... calm.... it was.... well words really couldn't describe how she felt at that precise moment. Maybe she did need this vacation after all. Take her away from the stresses and strains of college life and the fact that she STILL had to run Tinker Toys too. At least the dark cloud that was Malcolm Landgraab, had lifted for now.
Marla walked up to the check-in counter and put down the names of their college group. After she did, the group followed their concierge to their assigned hotel rooms.
A stunned bunch gazed in awe at Melody’s carefully crafted vacation itinerary. She had drawn a map of Takemizu and pointed out every nook and cranny in the village. She had planned every moment of the trip, even down to the times they would go to bed at night so they would go exploring the next day.
Chester, fed up with watching the sci-fi marathon in his hotel room, went in search of Melody. She'd been gone a while and he was getting more than concerned. He'd just turned the corner when he saw her, raking the Zen garden, her face a picture of concentration and contentment.
In the fading sunlight, where the rays caught the lines and contours of her face, he thought she looked radiant too. But in his eyes, she'd always been radiant. That was part of her charm. "Uh, Mel?"
He didn't want to disturb her, but he knew she hadn't eaten much all day.
"Want to join the rest of us for sushi? Marla's looking green at the thoughts of it, it'll be fun to see what she does."
Melody managed a slight chuckle at this. “It’d be fun to watch the expression on her face. That alone is worth the price of admission.”
After dinner, she joined them and a townie whose name they’d forgotten for a game of mahjong. He walked them through how the game was played and they assembled the pieces in companionable silence.
Chester kept looking up into Melody’s eyes, the laser focus so evident in her work showing up here at the mahjong table.

"Mel?" It was totally random and unexpected. Especially coming from Chester.
"Mhm?"
"Have you considered corrective eye surgery.... or contacts?"

"What on earth for? My eyes are fine."
"It's just that you have really pretty eyes, and they shouldn't be covered by those spectacles you keep wearing."
"I don't like anything touching my face.... besides, the surgery could go badly wrong and then what? I'd be blinded either partially or fully."
"You're just stalling and you know it."

"No I'm not."
"Then give it some thought, will you?"
Melody groaned. She was an independent person. She didn't need anybody to tell her what to do. However, Chester HAD hit a nerve.... as she HAD been considering doing something like this for a while herself.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, before everyone else had even awakened, Melody set out on her own to explore the picturesque Far East tourist village. Her friends had been watching in wonderment as all her cares seemed to melt away in the steaming hot springs. She'd been able to enjoy herself, to truly let herself go. They knew how much Melody savored her solitude, so they spent the majority of the rest of the trip simply staying out of her way.

She found herself actually savoring the environment and the ambience, determined to immerse herself in the culture. Unlike her friends, who looked at this trip as simply a way to unwind from the pressures of college, Melody seemed resolved to soak in as much knowledge as she could.
Unfortunately, her early-morning rush to take in the sights led to her stepping into a hive full of ravenous bees, the sight of her seeming to them an oasis in a desert. Still before anyone awakened, she disappeared into a soaking shower and set off again.

Despite being in pain from the multiple bee-stings she took, she emanated a feeling of complete calm and tranquility, comfortable in her treasured solitude and content, finally, in her own skin. Her identity secure, Melody inhaled the sights and sounds of the Asian tourist village.

And her natural curiosity took over from here. She ate chirashi, an Eastern delicacy made from fish, learned the acupressure massage, learned to bow, and learned the Tai Chi, in addition to yoga. However, she had one disappointment on her first full day of exploring. When she sought the ninja, to learn how to teleport from place to place instead of merely walking, she was unable to find him. Perhaps she took it as a metaphor for her inability to solve some of the mysteries of being.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, the two lovebirds Edwin and Marla remained blissfully in bed. When Melody returned, she teased, "Are you two going to sleep your vacation away?"

Edwin groggily turned over. "Haven't we been through this?"

"C'mon, you guys, there's SO much to do here! You haven't tried the chirashi yet, have you? It's delightful. And you haven't learned the Tai Chi or the acupressure."

"C'mon, Mel," Marla pleaded, "we just got here. After getting up at 6 am for morning classes, we deserve this sleep."

"Suit yourselves, then," Melody said. "But I'm going to make the most of this."