The Secret Island
CHAPTER 27: Our Morning

This morning, Celine helped him cook breakfast. He taught her a simple recipe like pasta. She was hesitant at first, but she followed through anyway. He began with the simple steps; preparing the sauce, boiling the pasta, and the kitchen safety protocols. She was a smart girl; it didn't take her long to learn it. He could see she was very attentive.

"Martin, well, I have something to tell you." During the time we had our breakfast, Celine began a conversation.

He looked up to smile at her. "Yes?"

"Well, it will be my birthday in three days. I need a favor; can you go to this one place with me? I've picked a place to celebrate on that day. I will tell you the details later." In the next three days, the day before she left. He nodded, and she gave him a jovial smile. "Should I prepare something? What's your plan?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Since I was born, even at the age of one, my parents hosted huge parties for me every year. Papa loves his parties, and all the cousins show up. My friends were always hosting a surprise party with whatever struck their fancy. My birthday has always been a hectic fest. Actually, this year, if I never met you, I intended to just get drunk alone. You know, I need a change, some time to figure things out."

"What? Were you in such a stage of distress prior to coming to the island?" He was perplexed by this new information about her.

She was so outgoing that he didn't expect her to ever want to spend time alone on her birthday or be in complete isolation. She was like one of those girls who knows everyone at a party and promises fun, exciting conversation. The thought of her being all alone seemed out of place for him.

"Haha. Just some quarter-life crisis, I believe. I just want some changes to what I have been doing every year."

"Is there anything more than that you want to share? If you don't mind, I'm all ears. You know, I'm told I'm a good listener." In truth, he remembered the reason she chose to come to the island was a holiday away from her ex-boyfriend. This was some post-breakup trip. He didn't know of other potential reasons. Maybe there was something more. Something she hadn't told him.

"But that isn't because you rarely speak?" She quipped.

Celine stopped rolling the pasta on her plate and looked at him. She was deciding whether she should trust him.

"I don't know. Just a question. After your graduation, have you ever felt lost and overwhelmed? Like not knowing what the future holds, not knowing what to do, not sure what you are born to do? That kind of emptiness?"

"Hmm...." He started to get a picture of what she was going through. It had been years since he graduated. Recalling old memories since that time took some serious thought.

"I don't think you have this experience; you seem like someone on top of the games all the time. I bet you graduated at the top of your class and had no issue with life plans." She said her assumption and went back to eat pasta. Trying not to be condescending, he answered honestly.

"Confusion about life? Of course, I had that feeling of emptiness at one point. True that I graduated at the top of my class, but that didn't deter me from feeling lost." He thought about the past. Before he became this version of himself, there was a period of uncertainty. Although it was not as stressful and burdensome as the problems he was facing now, he remembered the stress right after graduation. He was young, and the future was in his hands, and he didn't know what to make of it. It was the blessing of responsibility and a curse.

"That's it. It's just my confusion that got to me. I don't have a dream. That concept is too abstract for me. I had no idea what I should do. I have my family business. And life has been kind in general. But it has been strangely empty." "You really don't have a dream?"

"Yes."

"But I remember your degree is highly specific."

"My papa said I seem to love fashion. And we have a business I should take over. My parents highly recommend I have good business acumen. And papa said studying fashion business shouldn't be difficult, so I just followed what I was told. The path after graduation is already laid out by my parents. If not, I can just live off the dividend of the business. It has been doing extremely well, I was told."

Martin was massaging his temple while she was telling him. He never met someone without a life plan, career plan, or passion for work. He understood that his view might be limited since he only hanged out with his own kind, but still, shouldn't she have more ambition? Following her parents was nothing wrong unless she fully understood what she was doing, which he sensed she didn't. Martin was as harsh on himself and everyone around him. He expected everyone to hold to the same standard of discipline. And so, he took sometimes understanding Celine's perspective.

Breakfast was spent in the time of contemplation, and at last, Martin decided he should do something for her.

"Celine, after the meal, can we talk more about this?" He stood up after she finished eating and put both of our plates on the sink. He quickly grabbed her hand to the sofa.

"Please sit here." She looked at him questioningly. He walked to the bookshelf and picked up a few books he liked, a few empty papers, and two pencils.

"So, today, I will help you find out your dream career."

He had nothing to offer her. He couldn't promise her anything. This was all he could do. Planning was what he did best.