Summer vacation in California Montecito by Ann Wood part 1

The young writer Annabelle Woodland decided to go for a summer vacation in California, USA, where she would work on her new book. She rented a house on the oceanfront overlooking the beach. Annabelle picked up a ticket for her first flight to California on Monday morning and rented a car to make it easy to get around the big city. On Sunday, she packed her bags and shopped online food for the house. In the evening, she took a bath and went to bed early, set off her alarm for 4 a.m., and ordered a taxi to pick her up at 5 o'clock and drive her to the airport. Her flight is at 0625 in the morning from Perth, Australia, to Los Angeles, USA. She will travel with two large suitcases and a piece of small cabin luggage and a backpack, and her handbag. She took her laptop and camera, phone chargers and MP3 player, sunglasses and a hat. She made a few sandwiches and took a shower before leaving. Make sure she puts her tickets and passport in her purse and vacation money. She got dressed and took downstairs her suitcases, put her umbrella in one of the suitcases and the beach oil. The taxi arrived just before 5 o'clock, she loaded the suitcases in the car and locked her house. The taxi left for the airport, the way to get there is only half an hour, and there is no traffic. At the airport, she paid the driver, thanked him, picked up a luggage cart, and loaded her suitcases and bags. She went to check her luggage and get her boarding pass; from there, she went through the customs check and headed to the terminal from which she would fly. Before boarding the plane, she went through the bathroom and duty a free shop to get water and juice and something to read on the plane and a crossword puzzle. She grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the terminal. She lined up to board the plane. She was traveling in first class, sat by the window, put the bag in the trunk, took out a book she had bought, and started reading. The seatbelts light flashed, and the flight attendant began to show the safety instructions and wished a light flight. Annabelle leaned back in her seat and continued reading. The flight from Perth to Singapore is 5 hours and 20 minutes and has a stay of 8 hours and 10 minutes, and the flight from Singapore to Los Angeles is 15 hours and 55 minutes. A long flight awaits her, but she has loaded a book and several magazines to kill time.
During the flight, she fell into a short nap. When she woke up, there were 3 hours left until the end of the flight. She played music on the MP3 player and stared out the window. The flight attendant asked her if she wanted anything to eat and drink; she ordered a fruit salad and coffee and a piece of fruit pie, thanked her, and leaned back as she ate. When she finished, she went to the bathroom to freshen up, then returned to her seat and opened the book to read a little. She listened to soft melodic music as she read from the book. Traveling alone in first class, only one girl traveled alone to America, and she invited her to sit next to her. She introduced herself and asked the girl what her name was and how old she was. The girl introduced herself as Michelle Smith and that she was 12 years old. She went to California to take modern dance and painting classes during the summer. Her parents were renting a house by the ocean, and that there would be a young writer in the house, also from Perth, Australia. Annabelle smiled at Michelle and told her that she was the writer in question to live in the summer in California. Michelle also smiled and said she was pleased to meet her. Next, Annabelle asked her if she wanted anything to eat and drink. Michelle shyly said to her, yes, please, and they called the flight attendant and ordered a fruit salad and a piece of fruit pie, and a cup of tea for Michelle; Annabelle ordered another coffee and mineral water. When they finished breakfast, Michelle asked if they could play Uno or Makalo. Annabelle smiled and stayed sure that we could play.
They played cards until the end of the flight and talked lively on various topics. When the plane landed, they took their luggage and put on their outerwear. Outside, a young flight attendant greeted them and led them to the VIP lounge to wait for the next flight. They settled in the farthest corner of the room and talked quietly. It was hot, and they went to take a shower. When they returned, they brought them lobster soup, grilled seafood and fish salad and fries, and a large pancake with ice cream. They drank lemonade and iced tea. After lunch, they watched TV and a movie on YouTube. When it was time for their flight, a flight attendant came to pick them up and took them to the plane. Passports and hand luggage were checked. They were alone again in first class, sitting next to each other and talking lively. Michelle asked Annabelle what she was working on at the moment? Annabelle told Michelle that she planned to write a book about life in America. What she saw and visited while she was there. The flight attendant passed with soft drinks and a plate of fresh fruit. They thanked her and continued their conversation. They drank their drinks and ate the fruit. Then they listened to music and played cards. At one point, they were both asleep. They were awakened by the flight attendant who brought them dinner, roast beef and vegetables, green salad, and ice cream.
After dinner, they watched a movie on the screen in front of them. Annabelle ordered a glass of white wine and nuts and for Michelle juice and fruit salad and popcorn. They watched the movie and talked quietly. When the movie ended, they decided to go to sleep, as the flight was quite long. Michelle fell asleep instantly, but Annabelle could not sleep for a long time because of the heat on the plane. She finally falls asleep, and when they wake up, they called the flight attendant and ordered tea for Michelle and coffee for Annabelle. They ordered sausages, bacon, a boiled egg, hashbrowns, mushrooms, and beans, toast, and a jug of fresh orange juice and tea in an hour to bring them breakfast. They were hungry from the long flight. Annabelle went to the bathroom to freshen up before breakfast, and then Michelle went to freshen up. After a while, their breakfast arrived, and they sat down to eat their breakfast. During breakfast, they talked casually. By the end of the flight, they talked and played cards, drank orange juice, and listened to music. They landed at noon at Los Angeles airport; the flight attendant was waiting for them at the plane's exit and took them to a passport check and picked up their suitcases. They went through a free shop to get some water and some juice for Michelle and a bottle of martini for Annabelle, some chocolate, a jar of instant coffee, and a box of English tea. The rented jeep was waiting for them outside. Annabelle put the suitcases in the trunk, and they headed for downtown Los Angeles.
They stop to buy materials for the drawing course, wanderers, pencils, tempera paints, colored pencils, pastels, palettes and a set of paintbrushes, and some water and oil paints—also two tripods and folders for drawings and a canvas. From there, they stopped at a hardware store and bought dance equips and shoes for the dance class, and Annabelle decided to enroll in a dance and painting course so that Michelle would not be alone among strangers. From there, they went through a clothing store and took a swimsuit, flip-flops, and beach and bath towels, swimming caps, and beach milk from the cosmetics stand. Then they went through the KFC and took takeaway food for home. Then they took the road to Montecito, where the house they rented for the summer is located. They traveled and looked at where they were going. They reached the house shortly after 2 pm. They unloaded their luggage and purchases and put them inside. They opened the windows to ventilate and surveyed the house. The purchases she ordered online arrived an hour later; they had started unpacking their luggage and putting the purchases in the cupboards and refrigerator. They had lunch on the porch and then went down to the beach to see it.
The house they rented has its own private beach with sunbeds, umbrellas, and a shower cabin, and in the backyard, there was a swimming pool and Jacuzzi. There was also a barbecue and a garden table with several chairs. They were happy with the house and the private beach, and the jeep they rented. They went back into the house to finish unpacking, then called Michelle's parents, and Annabelle called her parents. After they finished talking on the phone, they played a movie, and at eight, they made an omelet and a salad for dinner. After dinner, they decided to shower and then sat down to watch TV and make plans for the next day. First, they had to go and enroll in dance school and from there for an art class. Then they plan to walk around the city. They went to bed at ten o'clock in the evening, and each of them went to her own room. Before going to bed, Annabelle closed the windows, locked all the doors, and sounded the alarm and air conditioning in the house. She said good night to Michelle and went into her room.
The alarm on Annabelle's phone rang at 7 a.m., she turned it off and got up to wash and get dressed before waking Michelle. SHe ironed their clothes and woke Michelle, then went downstairs to prepare breakfast and make coffee and warm water for Michelle's tea. When breakfast was ready, she made pancakes and fruit salad, and fresh citrus fruits. She called for Michelle to come down for breakfast and sat down at the table to wait for her. They had breakfast and tea when the phone rang, and it was the landlords who were calling to see how they had settled in and if they needed anything to deliver. Annabelle asked him to take coal for the barbecue, a large bottle of mineral water for the water machine, and leave her a list of shops where they could shop for quality food, meat, and fish. And where is the nearest market for fresh fruits and vegetables? Then she wished him a good day and hung up. She washed the dishes and cutlery, then went up to her room to get her bag and jeep keys, and when she got downstairs, Michelle was ready and waiting for her at the door. Annabelle unlocked the door, turned off the alarm until they came out, and then turned it back on and locked the door. They got into the jeep and drove to the city center where the dance school and the art course are located. Annabelle turned on the car's navigation so she could find the school's address. The city center was a 20-minute drive from the house. She parked in front of the dance school, and they went inside; where did an old lady meet them with a smile and ask them who they were looking for? Annabelle introduced herself and said she wanted to enroll in a modern dance class that begins that evening. The woman invited them to sit down and handed them two forms to fill out, and she called the dance teacher. Annabelle filled out the two forms and handed them to the owner to review and sign. Then she paid for the course for 3 months for both of them and wished them a good day, and they headed for the exit. After that, they went to the art school and enrolled in the course that starts at 2 pm, and it was 2 hours each lesson. They will have 3 hours to walk and eat somewhere outside. The dancing was also 2 hours for each lesson. The dance class is three days a week and the art school, and the best thing is that they are on the same day every time, Monday, Wednesday and Friday night.
They decided to go home and go to the beach, the weather is nice and a long evening awaits them. They returned at ten in the morning, 4 hours before the rehearsal. Annabelle washed cherries, filled a thermos with tea, made sandwiches for lunch, changed into her swimsuit, and headed for the beach. They set a blanket for a picnic and put the towels as pillows, put the picnic basket they had bought from the city. Annabelle played music on the MP3 player and lay down to some sunbath, smeared herself with beach oil, and asked Michelle if she wanted to smear it on her as well. Michelle said please, and Annabelle anointed her and pulled out her book to read as she basked in the sun. Michelle pulled out a sketchbook and pencils and began drawing the ocean in front of them. At 12 noon, they took out their sandwiches and poured themselves a cup of tea, and ate quietly. At 1300 they returned to the house to change and refresh, and after 20 minutes, they left for the city. They arrived at 1340 hours in front of the art school and asked at the reception where the art lesson would be. The woman showed them the room where the group was waiting for them. Annabelle knocked on the classroom door and opened it after some said, please come in. They gated in and greeted and sat in the two vacant seats. The teacher introduced himself and his wife and asked everyone to introduce themselves to the class. The group was a large 30 students and two young family teachers. Today's lesson was to draw a bowl of fruit and a vase of red roses on a coffee table. They painted in silence. The teachers passed by and supervised everyone's work and quietly commented on each of the class members. At 4 pm, the lesson was over, and they put away their sketches and wished the class a good evening. They went to the car. Annabelle opened it, put the folders and their bags in the trunk, got into the car, and drove to the nearby mall. They walked around the mall, and at 6 pm, they entered a pizzeria and ordered pizza and salad, and grape juice. They had dinner and talked about the art lesson. By 1845, they were on their way to the dance school opposite the mall. They asked where the women's locker room was and went to change into the dance gear. The lesson began at exactly seven in the evening. Everyone introduced themselves, and then for half an hour, they had a warm-up before they started learning the first dance steps. The lesson was fun, and the two young girls had a lot of fun. They studied chachacha and tango; at nine, their lesson was over, and they went to change and left for the car. They traveled and listened to music and returned at 2130. They took a shower and then sat down to watch a movie. Annabelle checked her email and answered a few of them, and then they called Michelle's parents. They told them what they had done during the day and then asked them how they were. Annabelle told them that Michelle helped and listened a lot, then they wished them a good day and closed. At midnight, they went up to their rooms. Annabelle locked all the doors and windows, checked the alarm, took a bottle of water and one for Michelle. She wished her good night and wrapped her in a blanket, left the door slightly open and went to her room, left the door slightly open, and went to bed. The two fell asleep and were instantly tired from the long day.
The next morning they slept until late when they got up at nine mornings. Michelle got up first and went to Annabelle's room, and pushed her lightly on the shoulder. Are you sleeping? Good morning; Annabelle smiled in her sleep and reached out to hug her. Did you sleep well? I hope you slept well? Michelle smiled and said, yes, and how did you sleep, Annabelle? Thanks, come on, let's get dressed and go down for breakfast. The landlord said that there is a sports hall in the basement if you want to come with me while I do some sports. And can I use sports machines, of course, you may the home is and yours until the end of the summer? Annabelle made porridge and grilled some bacon and sausages, and made sandwiches out of them. Then, they had breakfast on the porch and enjoyed the excellent weather. Today, Annabelle planned to work on her book while she and Michelle basked in the sun on the beach. Michelle decided to paint and then swim. After breakfast, Annabelle washed the dishes and went down to the gym. They played sports for nearly two hours, then took a shower and headed for the beach. Annabelle picked up her laptop, stretched out her picnic blanket, and sat on it.
Each of them set to work on the tasks they had for the day. At noon they called for Indian food from the restaurant offered to them by the landlord. As the sun became quite strong, they returned to the house and sat on the porch waiting for their food to be delivered. Annabelle brought out berry juice and utensils for lunch. She was sitting down when there was a knock on the door, and she went to see who it was and opened it for the delivery man from the restaurant who had brought them lunch. She paid him and thanked him, and went back into the house. She served the food and poured a juice, and they began to eat. The food was delicious but a bit spicy for Michelle, so she put on yogurt. For dessert, they cut a ripe melon. When lunch was over, Annabelle washed the utensils and went up to her room to change, and she had decided to take Michelle for a ride in the car. Hey, little one, change, and I'll take you for a ride in the car. Michelle changed and went downstairs, taking a sketchbook and pencils in her backpack, a water bottle, sunglasses, and a hat she had bought at the airport.
Annabelle had prepared the picnic basket, badminton, and beach ball. There was a large park nearby where people went on a picnic. She decided to take a short drive and then stop at the park for a picnic and a badminton player. They got in the jeep and drove off. They drove aimlessly and enjoyed the views around them. They stopped at several places to take pictures. At 3 pm they stopped near the park and had a picnic. The two young girls had fun and got along very well. Annabelle cared for Michelle like an older sister. They played badminton and passed the beach ball, and they met a young family with 3-year-old twins. They did not realize when it was too late and that it was time to go home. They said good night to the young family and exchanged phone numbers. When they got home, it was 9 pm; they brought luggage from the car and put the rest of the food in the fridge, and then sat down to watch TV. At 11 o'clock, they went up to the bed; Annabelle locked the doors and sounded the alarm. She went upstairs to say good night to Michelle and went to bed.




Short story by Ann Wood The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2021-06-16 at 02:04

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