The night was young, silent with the cold wind that blew and sent cold shivers to my body. The moon was at its full shape, shining as the stars were bright in the dark sky. The beach water was calm but cold, while the sands were so warm that I dipped my little feet inside it, as I sat close to my father, resting my head on his lap. That was the twelve old me with a wild curious mind and energetic body even till now. As I watched the stars with my father, I asked him a question. A question that reminded him of old memories.
"Dad…" I called out.
"Yes, my little butterfly." He replied as she tickled me.
I laughed so loud that it made me scream, then he stopped.
"Daddy, can I ask you a question?"
"Oh dear, do ask."
"Why do we have this weird dove marking on everything we own. I even have a birthmark of a little dove on my left lap. Why Daddy?" I stared at him with intense eyes.
"Okay butter, I'll tell you why? A long time ago. Long before the birth of your father and his father. Our ancestors were known as voyagers. They traveled around the world in search of good fertile land with productivity. They always travel with their doves, as it signifies peace and when they die, their sports turn into doves and journey into the spirit world."
"Oh, that's amazing, but what happens to the places they visited?"
"Our markings and good works are left there to help the people. But there's a secret place that has our fortune. A place we call to our inheritance. It's far away from human reach, across the seas, and surrounded by clouds. It's an Island with advanced people. People with excellent knowledge and the gift of longevity. And on this island lies a big mansion built with gold, it supplies the island electricity and purified water, and food. But its locker, only the person with the key, which is a coin to unlock the Mansion. And be worshipped as a God. But for all year, past generations believed it to be a fairy tale, some say that's where the dead spirit of our family stays, The Michealson. But I believe in its existence and when the time is right I'll find it." He smiled at me, then Carried me inside the Cabin.
Hearing those words of a secret island with great hidden resources made me want to journey the world with him in search of it. But the other part of me yelled for something different. To be a scientist
That was fifteen years ago. My name is Loraine Michealson, the only child of Marcus Michealson, founder of Isee foundation. A company that seeks to find cures for all diseases because we found a cure to HIV. Although I have not found a cure for cancer I am close.
Two weeks before my father died. He died naturally, slept, and didn't wake to see the next day. A mystery is yet to be uncovered. Before His death, he was researching the cloudy island. An ancient story he told me about when I was a kid. He spent so much time uncovering the truth and proving the reality of the island's existence. But too bad he couldn't finish it or did he?
It was on a Monday morning, by 8 am. When I got a call from my late father butler in our family house. He called to inform me that the family lawyer needs my attention. So I rushed over to the family mansion. It was a five-hour drive from the city.
The gate opened automatically, as usual, the garden was neat and blossom flowers were erected, as I drove in. The lawyer was waiting for me in the waiting room, as the butler walked me into the room.
"Hello, Mr. Clinton." I greeted
"Hello, Miss Lorraine, it's a pleasure seeing you. It's been probably three months now since we saw each other." He said
"Yes, why grace us with your presence now. Father died and you didn't show up at his burial. Why?"
"You won't understand. It was a promise I made to your father never to come to his burial, else his enemies might kill me." He replied with his head lowered in regrets.
"Oh, so why now?" I raised my eyebrows
"It's time Loraine."
"Time? Time for what?"
"You'll know. Walk with me " he said as he stretched his right hand towards me. Leaving the butler to watch the door of the waiting room. I walked with him to the hallway, watching as he placed his left hand on the wall moving it continuously up and down, like in search of something known to him alone. I watched closely, curious about what he's doing. Suddenly, I heard a click. Immediately the wall separated into two but had a door in between them.
He called me over to place my finger to unlock the door. "How did the door open with my fingerprint?" I said to myself, only to find my father's secret office of all his research. I walked in with the lawyer, then he went to one of the bookshelves, took a black leather cover book, and brought out a letter written my name on it by my late father. He gave me a box that had a puzzle to solve. A puzzle to test if I was the one that opened the door. A puzzle that requires me to think of my family history. It took me five minutes eight seconds to solve the puzzle.
Slowly, the green box opened as I put my right hand inside with fear to see what's in it. It was a map and a single coin. The map was written about the cloudy island and the coin had a dove marking on it. I couldn't believe it, "OMG!!! Dad found it." I shouted
"Yes, he did and he wanted to have it. So, Miss Lorraine, it's yours. Above all the inheritance your father left you. He said to me that he wants you to have this and guard it. What do you say?"
My eyes kept staring at the dove marking on the coin, as I remembered my father's stories of the cloudy island of our ancestors, then I heard my father's voice whispering in my ear, "My little butterfly, it's time to see why we have the dove marking. Let's find it."
"Miss Lorraine… Miss Lorraine…" the lawyer called me, as I snapped out of my deep thought. "What do you say?" He asked with a sweet smile on his face.
"Butler…"
He ran in the direction of my voice.
"Yes, Young Miss."
"Ready the chopper, it's time to claim my inheritance. " as I held the coin tightly.