The Resort

Reginald Rolle sat in a chair along the furthest wall. From a distance, he watched as people moved about with hurried anticipation. Reginald could not help but wonder what or who they were rushing to. As he began to reflect on what it was that brought him to this place, he heard the announcement. “This is a general boarding call for Tropical Air flight 221 with service to Exuma, Bahamas.” Reginald picked-up his travel bag and walked slowly to the gate. He handed his boarding pass to the agent for inspection and made his way to the aircraft sitting on the ramp.

As Reginald settled into his seat, he listened to the fellow passengers around him. They appeared to be excited about their vacations, but the purpose of Reginald’s trip was not so joyous. It had been three days since he received the call that his father had passed. His cousin, Melvin was the one who made the notification. Melvin had worked with Reginald’s father at his resort ever since Reginald left Exuma to attend school in Boston. Reginald had long since graduated and opened a boutique law firm in Massachusetts. His father had always wanted him to return home to help operate the family’s resort, but Reginald had other aspirations. This caused a strain on the relationship with his father. Reginald’s thoughts were suddenly broken by the sound of the airplane’s engine coming to life.

As the plane flew south, Reginald looked out of the window. He watched as the ocean transformed into a palette of vibrant blues and greens. This meant that he was officially back in the Bahamas. He marveled as the rays from the sun glistened on the waters below. This brought back many fond memories of fishing trips with his father as a child. Moments later, the aircraft began descending and the flight attendant notified the passengers to prepare for arrival.

As the plane taxied-in, Reginald could see a group of people waiting behind the fence. He immediately spotted his cousin Melvin among the crowd as he was tall in stature.

“Welcome home, Reggie!” Melvin ran to his cousin and gave him a big hug after Reginald had deplaned. Melvin grabbed Reginald’s bag and said, “the truck is parked over here.”

As they drove along the shoreline, the warm tropical air wafted across Reginald’s face. The smell of the salt air and sounds of the waves crashing on the sand made him feel nostalgic. Moments later, they arrived at the resort and as they parked, Reginald was taken aback.

The white building that housed the registration office was not as Reginald had remembered it. The paint was flaking, and the structure showed heavy weathering. It had been several years since he last visited Exuma but he did not anticipate this. He followed Melvin to bungalow #1. This is where his dad had resided on the property. Reginald also noted how deserted the resort seemed.

They entered the residence and Melvin placed Reginald’s bag in the bedroom. As he returned to the living room, Reginald was walking into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and exclaimed, “always fully stocked”. “Want a beer?” he asked Melvin. “Sure”, he replied. Reginald removed two Kaliks and opened both. The cousins made their way to the patio where Melvin took a seat, but Reginald remained standing and stared out at the ocean. After taking a sip of his beer, Reginald looked at Melvin and remarked, “things look slow around here.” Melvin returned a glance toward his cousin and responded, “things have been difficult for a while.” Melvin continued, “bookings slowed tremendously after several guests reported seeing a shark offshore. That and the recent pandemic literally brought everything to a standstill.” Reginald looked down with sadness and said, “why didn’t dad tell me?” Melvin responded, “your dad did not want to burden you. He also made me promise not to say anything to you about it”. “He had always hoped that you would return and take over this place.” The two finished their beers in silence as the sun began to set on the horizon.

Early the next morning, Reginald walked down to the pier. He decided to take one of the boats out for a ride so that he could enjoy the morning air. As he cruised along the coast, something caught his eye. As he focused on the object, he saw that it was the distinct dorsal fin of a shark. Reginald knew that he had to do something about it. He turned the boat around and sped back to shore. As he did, he called Melvin from his cellphone and asked him to meet him at the pier.

“How often do you have these shark sightings?” he asked as Melvin walked down the pier. “A few times every season.” Melvin replied. “I think that I just spotted it,” Reginald responded. “Several of the local fishermen tried to catch it in the past with no luck,” Melvin replied. “So, I am inheriting an empty resort that comes with its own shark?!” Reginald said exhaustedly. “You also get me”, said Melvin, trying to lighten the mood.

Later that afternoon, several family members visited the resort to see Reginald. They gave their condolences and welcomed Reginald home. “We missed you so much,” said his aunt Bertha. “Have you given any thought about what you will do with the place?” “Her husband gave her a stern look”. “No, I have not,” said Reginald. Aunt Bertha, ignoring the stare of her husband continued, “It would be such a shame to see it go to waste. Your father worked so hard to keep it going. This place put you through college, kept many people in the community employed and attracted visitors from all over the world.” Reginald felt a wave of pride and embarrassment at the same time.

That night, Reginald had a restless sleep. He continued hearing the words of his aunt. She was right. The resort had meant so much to so many people. It did indeed pay for his schooling. There was no way he could let his family and the community down. At approximately 4:30am, he had an idea.

Reginald had a friend who studied marine biology in college. They both grew up in the same town, but she now worked at a marine park in Nassau. After the sun rose, Reginald walked the two blocks to her parents’ house. He knocked on the door of the home and it was answered by a tall man with thinning hair. “Good morning, Mr. Smith”. “Good morning, Reggie,” the man said with a smile. “Come in,” he continued. Mr. Smith motioned Reginald to the kitchen where they found Mrs. Smith preparing breakfast. “Reggie!” Mrs. Smith beamed as she gave him a hug. “So sorry about your dad,” she added. She offered Reginald a cup of coffee and they all sat at the breakfast nook. “How can we help you?” Mr. Smith asked. “I need to find Donna,” Reggie explained. “She’s actually due home tomorrow,” said Mrs. Smith. “She visits at least once per month.” Reginald really felt embarrassed after hearing this. “Do you still want her number?” Mr. Smith asked. “No need, I’ll wait until she arrives tomorrow”. The Smiths invited Reginald to stay for breakfast and he happily did so. After he left, he returned to the resort to tell Melvin of his plans.

The following day, Donna Smith came to the resort and found Reginald and Melvin in the office. “Well, the prodigal son has returned,” she said as she gave him a hug. “Hello, Melvin,” she added. “Mom and dad said you requested my presence so here I am.” Reginald offered her a seat and the three sat at a small conference table in an adjoining room. Reginald began, “I have an idea to save the resort. Swimming with the pigs has become popular and so I would like to begin a swimming with the sharks attraction.” Donna replied, “That is great, but what do you need from me?” Reginald replied, “I would like for you to train the staff and help me get the program off the ground.” He added, “I know that you already have a job, but I will compensate you for whatever time you can offer.” Donna paused for a moment and replied, “anything to help the community. I do have a few weeks of vacation time owed to me,” she said. “Thank you!” Reginald screamed before adding, “the shark sightings have frightened some guests away, but I want to educate them.” “Shark cage diving is an excellent idea,” Melvin said.

“I have a long list of things to do.” Reginald said. “I have to renovate this place, start an advertising campaign and hire more staff.” “You have an entire community willing to help,” said Donna. Melvin said, “I guess that means you’ll be staying around here for a while.” “It seems that way,” Reginald replied.

Six months later, the resort had its “Grand re-opening”. Captain Reginald guided the boat away from the pier as he took the first group of hotel guests to the dive location. As he looked to the stern, he saw Donna, the shark dive manager overseeing her team as they prepared the dive cage. He then looked over at his first mate, Melvin as he chatted with the passengers.

Reginald felt a sense of pride and knew his father would be proud of him. He then reflected on the fact that a shark that drove tourists away, was now bringing them back in droves.