When the large elevator reached the fifteenth floor the bellboy opened the elevator doors and walked over to the two-booked rooms with the luggage. Melissa, noticing the bellboys’ good looks, pushed past her family to follow the bellboy to their rooms. The rooms were as nicely decorated as the lobby. There were large, comfortable beds. There was a large en suite with luxurious Jacuzzi. There was a television with a few English channels, there was also a minibar tucked away in one corner of the room.
Richard, spying the beds first immediately went and started jumping up and down on one before Gina could hold him back. Melissa ran to the balcony and looked over the edge. It was beautiful. There was a pool, tennis courts, a garden and a restaurant. It was perfect.
‘Melissa, you will have this room with your brother and your father and I will be next door,’ said Gina. The calm atmosphere vanished into thin air as Melissa turned round with her blood boiling. ‘What! You can’t expect me to share a room with…with…with HIM!’ screamed Melissa. After a sharp look from her father she remembered her promise before she left. She would be allowed to have her own television in her room if she behaved on the holiday. ‘That television better come with a DVD player and digital.’ Said Melissa as she went to start unpacking. Life wasn’t fair she thought.
Throughout the whole of the next day Gina and Melissa swam and sunbathed at the beach while Adam and Richard went to look around a football stadium.
Gina spent most of the day in the sea but Melissa just lay on the sun bed working on her tan and watching life fly past her. Later on, after lunch, a boy about the same age as Melissa introduced himself. ‘Hi, I’m Sean’ said the tall, dark- haired, tanned boy. Melissa introduced herself before grabbing her beach bag and walking of to the beach café with the boy.
The two started talking. They both began to feel like they had known each other forever. They made arrangements to meet up with each other the very next night.
Melissa felt like she was on cloud ten. That was until a downpour a bad luck unexpectedly soaked her.
‘Melissa, sweetheart,’ said Adam in a kind, caring, I’ve-got-bad-news-for-you sort of voice, ‘I’m afraid you have to take your brother with you tonight.’ Adam could see little puffs of smoke coming out of Melissa’s ears. He knew she was about to explode with anger. Adam quickly tried to explain, ‘your mother and I managed to get tickets for a Spanish dinner and dancing night. The hotel does not have a child care service and there is no other alternative. I’m really sorry sweetheart.’
‘No way on earth am I taking him with me tonight’, screamed Melissa, ‘Sean can’t make it any other night apart from tonight and you are forcing me to bring that horrible little child with me.’ Melissa ran out of the hotel screaming obscenities at her family. Gina tried to run after the upset child but then stopped as she thought Melissa would need time to calm down and that it would be better to leave her alone for a while.
Melissa was out walking past the beach and round through the streets of Barcelona. Melissa soon came across the cable cars. She knew she should only go on with an adult but she went on any way. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ she said to herself as she boarded a yellow cable car.
From up in the cable car she could see a lot of Barcelona. It was absolutely beautiful. Melissa leaned over to get a better look at the city. It was perfect. Suddenly, Melissa slipped over the edge. She only had one hand holding on to the car. Her feet were dangling above some trees. Melissa screamed for help, but no one could hear her. With her free hand Melissa tried to grip the door so she could pull herself up. Beads of perspiration were dripping down her frightened face and body. Melissa’s sweaty hands were slipping again. She rapidly tried to pull herself up but it was too late. She was falling, falling, falling. Then she could feel and hear nothing. Poor Melissa was lying unconscious by a tree.
Melissa woke several hours later with a numb feeling throughout her whole body. Her head was throbbing like her petrified heart. ‘What’s going on?’ asked Melissa as a nurse came over to check on Melissa in the hospital. The foreign nurse motioned to her parents to come over from sitting on some uncomfortable green chairs the other side of the ward.
‘You fell from the cable car’ sobbed Gina.
‘I’m sorry. I’ve been so selfish and horrible to all of you. Please forgive me.’ Said Melissa just before she was smothered with hugs and kisses from her adoring family. ‘You are lucky you are alive. Do you know how worried we have all been?’ said Adam before sighing with relief.
On the last night of their two-week holiday to Spain the family sat in the warm evening air at the beach, watching the beautiful sunset reflecting in the glimmering water. The lovely rays of pink, gold and orange were shining over the smiles of content from Adam, Gina, Melissa and Richard.
Gina looked around at her family and knew that this was a holiday that wouldn’t be forgotten in a hurry.
