Chapter 2

(Unabridged)

“Good day miss,” a white gloved steward spoke. His short chopped hair was bright orange in the sunlight. He was barely five years her senior. “May I get you something?”

“Yeah,” Aspen grinned, “A rum and coke.”

They both smiled. Her green eyes sparkled as bright in the sun.

“Very well miss, anything else?”

“Na, that’s it.” She shifted her stance to keep her balance.

She turned back to the railing to stare out again at the endless sea. This time she saw porpoises jumping in and out of the water and rainbows on the spray. She smiled.

After a few moments the steward returned with her drink. Aspen sipped it and turned to watch the sea again.

“There you are,” her mother Trona shouted across the deck. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Aspen turned and sighed, then turned back to stare at the waters and quickly downed her drink and tossed the glass into the waters below carefully watching to make sure her mother didn’t see her. Sea gulls glided overhead and occasionally cried.

Trona strode across the deck toward her as if she owned the ship; her blonde shoulder length hair danced on the winds of the sea and glistened like spun gold in the sunlight. She wore navy blue shorts and a loose fitting red tropical flowered print blouse, like the kind you find at the upscale stores for a hundred bucks or more.

Trona wore a light blue pair of deck shoes without socks.
She wore a pair of red designer sunglasses with crystals that sparkled in the sunlight. On her head was a wide brimmed straw hat with a red lace ribbon around it, also from the upscale stores that she patronized.

She carried a margarita with a blue and pink umbrella in her right hand and a neatly wrapped gift box in the other. When Aspen saw it she smiled in spite of herself.

“Mom, what is it, what do you want?” Aspen turned looking rather annoyed.

“Here,” Trona said handing her the box with long delicate fingers.

“Happy Birthday dear.”

Aspen turned and smiled. The gulls cried overhead.

The box was wrapped in bright colorful paper with a large pink bow on top. Aspen made short work at opening it and looking inside. Aspen loved getting presents. Not necessarily because she liked getting material things, it was the suspense and the surprise that she savored, and well she did like getting things after all.

She tore the pink sparkling tissue paper aside and saw an emerald green book. Her name, Aspen S. Siltstone, was embossed in gold on the leather book in the lower right corner. Just above her name was a silver dolphin. The edges of the pages were gilded.

“Mom,” she said. “You shouldn’t have.” She looked from the book to her mom without lifting her head. The paper and ribbon flew from her hands as wind gusted chasing them across the ship’s deck and into the water. A gull dove in the water after them and came up with it in its mouth.

“Honey,” Trona said grabbing her hat against the breeze. “I can’t believe you’ll soon be going to the university already. Your father and I are proud of you and how well you’ve done in school, so I wanted to give something special. I’m giving you this book because it represents everything we believe in and stand for. It will not only teach you faith, but how to use it and how to put it in action.”

Aspen hugged her mom and as she did she rolled her eyes.

“Thanks mom,” She said flipping through the pages hoping to find some money or a gift card. “It’s my favorite color too, emerald green, and I noticed the dolphin, its perfect, thank you.”

“I know it’s not what you expected, but you’d be surprised at how hard it was to find an emerald green holy book.” Trona shrugged taking a sip of her drink. “They have black, mahogany, white, and even pink, but no emerald green. I had to special order it for you.”

“Well I love it all the same,” she reassured her mom with a flash of her lips and another quick flip through the pages. “Thank you! Where’s dad?”

“You know your father,” Trona said as she looked around. “He’s either eating or fishing, or watching a game.”

Aspen laughed thinking of her father doing all three at once. She thought that he probably could too. Eating, fishing, and watching sports were his passion when he wasn’t working.

“Let’s go find him,” Aspen suggested as she quickly grabbed the railing with her free hand. More swells and spray from the waves shot into the air like a geyser.

“Wait!” Trona said. “Look at the bottom of the box under the tissue paper.”

Aspen looked under the paper and saw a credit card. “What’s this?” she asked excitedly.

“I’m giving you this credit card as a gift for finishing school early. You’re a straight “A” student and have already completed your college prep courses and have been accepted at MIT. Your father and I couldn’t be more proud.”

“That’s where you got your two Phd’s. I wanted to work with you at Lockheed Martin in Sarasota making rockets and equipment for NASA.”

“I have no doubt someday you will. I know some people there who are following you progress in all of this closely. But remember, hard work, dedication and discipline are key factors in getting there.”

“As for the card, it has a five thousand dollar limit on it. I control your spending limit. It is to be used exclusively for you education. I will be watching your expenses and will add more money and increase limits as needs dictate. I can also lower limits and even lock the card should I see expenses not in line with the university.”

“I know you’re a responsible girl, excuse me, young woman. The last thing I want to understand, is that you are privileged and come from a family of means.”

“Listen to me, this is important, no matter how well educated you are, if you are arrogant and self absorbed, people will hate you and make your life miserable and difficult. You must be humble, have a good attitude and be able to laugh at yourself. Being able to laugh at yourself if make a mistake, or if someone jokes with you, will go along way in people liking you. It’s how they test and judge you. If you can do that, I can guarantee people with think more highly of you and you will win friends and adoration.”

“I know how you have treated some of the kids at school, but held back about saying anything to you about it. I wanted to see what the outcome would be and waited to see the effect on you. I can see you’re still spoiled. Consider my words carefully! Education is fifty percent and social interaction is fifty percent of success.”

“Thank you mom. I love you!” and with that she hugged her mother and kissed her cheek.

“Now let’s go find your father. He has something special for you too.”