Island Sunflowers
Ivan stepped off the ramp sweating. The plane he had been riding on was cramped and had little air conditioning and he'd been on there for nearly nine hours to get to Victoria, Seychelles from his own capital. He may have taken off his coat but refused to remove his scarf. 'I wonder where Marianne is?' he thought.
"You've finally made it Ivan" a female voice called startling him of his thoughts. "Aha, I am" he said turning around to see the small island nation. She was an average height but compared to Ivan she was just over half of him.
"The plane was hot I'm assuming?" she questioned, taking notice of coatless body. "Da it was," he answered, "I'm not used to the heat" he added sheepishly. "That's understandable" Marianne said taking some of his lighter luggage as they left the small airport and headed for her fairly large private beach house.
At the beach
"Wow the water here is so clear and beautiful!" Ivan said with childlike wonder. "Yes the water here is some of the world's last standing paradises." She said softly but tiredly. Then she turned to face him, "Do you want to go swimming?"
"You're a really good swimmer Marianne." Ivan commented as she swam towards him from the ocean. She was incredibly fast so it didn't take her long to get back to him. "Thank you but", she started ringing out her shoulder length dark brown and maroon colored hair, "aren't you going to join me?"
"I don't know how to swim" he answered sadly until she grabbed his arm hauling him up then proceeded to drag him to the ocean, "I'll teach you."
Marianne then continued to teach him the basics, after convincing him to remove his scarf saying it could choke him while he swam. Soon he was able to get used to swimming, though it made it easier knowing Marianne was there to keep him from drowning.
"It's getting late already" Marianne said as she noticed the sky changing from orange to navy. "Thank you for teaching me!" Ivan exclaimed happily as they dried off a walked back towards her home. "It was no problem Ivan," she stated in a dull tone, "you did well for your first time." (That's what she said ;D)
Back Inside
"Can we swim some more tomorrow Marianne?" Ivan asked after he stepped from the shower and got dressed. "Of course but there are other things to do besides just swimming Ivan" Marianne said and to Ivan it looked like she was smiling slightly but it disappeared.
"I know but I had fun today" he smiled boyishly. "I'm glad to hear that" she whispered. "Good night Ivan." "Good night Marianne" and with that they retired to their rooms.
When Ivan looked in his room he found a bottle of vodka, a vase of sunflowers on the bedside drawer and a note. On the note it said:
'Dear Ivan,
I'm glad that you were able to come to my home.
And I thank you for being my friend as well.
Your comrade, Marianne.'
He smiled and blushed but it all disappeared when he heard a knock on the door and Marianne answered he heard a faint "Natalia? No I'm afraid I haven't seen your brother".