We were having a wonderful time at the beach. The sky was crystal clear, the breeze was cool and gentle, and the bright sun warmed our faces perfectly. It was exactly the kind of vacation we had always dreamed of. We were peacefully enjoying our sunbath when Dad suddenly had one of his "brilliant" ideas. Whenever he called something a brilliant idea, it usually meant someone else was about to suffer.
"Get up, kids! We have a very important mission to achieve!" Dad announced dramatically, as if he had just been assigned to save the world.
"Like what???" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.
"I think he's about to get us into trouble again," Farha sighed without even opening her eyes.
"We should play volleyball and see who wins!" Dad declared, pointing confidently at Mom.
"Don't disappoint yourself, dear," Mom replied with an amused smile. "You already know how this is going to end."
We split into two teams. Team One consisted of Mom and Farha, while Team Two had Dad and Adeeb. I became the referee because I was smart enough to avoid unnecessary danger.
The whole scene looked less like a volleyball match and more like the final battle of an action movie. Adeeb looked determined but had the confidence of someone who had already accepted defeat. Farha kept checking her nails every few seconds because she was more worried about breaking a nail than losing the match. Mom and Dad looked like two sworn enemies who had been waiting years for this exact moment to settle old scores. Meanwhile, I was completely relaxed. No matter who lost, I wasn't going to be the one getting scolded.
"Are you guys ready?" I shouted, blowing my imaginary referee whistle.
The match began.
Mom served the ball with so much force that it looked like she had launched a cannonball instead of a volleyball. The ball flew across the net and landed directly on Dad's face.
For a few seconds, Dad looked like he had seen his ancestors waving at him from heaven.
"I just saw my soul leave my body," he muttered while rubbing his face.
Ignoring his near-death experience, Dad quickly recovered and aimed the next shot toward Farha because she looked like the easiest target on the court.
As the ball flew toward her, Mom rushed in like a superhero saving the city and smashed it toward Adeeb.
Farha looked at Mom with sparkling eyes, as if a brave knight had just rescued a helpless princess.
On the other side of the net, Adeeb kept mumbling to himself, "I can do this... I can do this..."
"DON'T GIVE UP, ADEEB!" Dad shouted dramatically. "It's a matter of life and death!"
Those words struck Adeeb like lightning.
With a burst of confidence that came out of nowhere, he carefully hit the ball into the empty space between Mom and Farha.
"Point!"
Dad celebrated as if they had just won the World Cup.
Mom slowly turned toward Farha with fire practically shooting out of her eyes.
Farha immediately looked at the ground. "I suddenly don't feel safe anymore."
Dad hugged Adeeb proudly.
"If we win, I'll buy you your favorite sneakers!"
Adeeb's eyes lit up brighter than the sun itself.
The match wasn't over yet. We had decided to play only five points, so Mom's team still had four chances left.
Dad served again with so much energy that even the volleyball looked frightened. If the ball could talk, it would have probably begged for mercy.
Mom realized she couldn't afford another mistake and switched into full attack mode.
The ball headed toward Farha once again.
Poor Farha looked trapped between two terrifying possibilities. If she missed, Mom would scold her. If she hit it badly, Dad would laugh at her forever.
Gathering every bit of courage she had, she smashed the ball toward the empty side of the court.
But Dad suddenly dived sideways in slow motion like an action movie hero. For a brief moment, I could almost hear dramatic background music.
He somehow reached the ball and accidentally sent it flying straight toward Farha's face.
Panicking, she ducked instantly.
"My makeup!" she screamed.
The ball landed untouched.
"Point!"
Dad and Adeeb celebrated like they had just discovered a new continent.
Mom crossed her arms and stared at Farha.
"I protected my face," Farha defended herself.
"You also protected the other team's score," Mom replied.
I nearly fell over laughing.
The match became crazier with every point. Dad celebrated every successful hit with a victory dance that looked like a confused penguin trying to fly. Adeeb copied every move Dad made, making the whole thing even funnier.
Eventually, Mom's team was left with only one point.
She fought with everything she had, but luck simply wasn't on her side today.
Finally...
"Game over!" I announced.
Dad and Adeeb had won.
"Look, son! We actually did it!" Dad shouted before jumping at Adeeb for a celebratory hug.
"It was only because I have a headache today," Mom said confidently. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Of course," Dad replied with a grin. "We'll write that excuse on the trophy."
"Let it go, Mom. It was just a game," I said while calmly sipping my drink.
"Hmph. I'll show them what I can do next time," Mom muttered while giving Farha a look that silently said, We'll be having extra practice sessions.
Farha slowly took a few careful steps away from Mom.
It was almost sunset, so we all sat quietly facing the sea.
The view was breathtaking. The blue ocean slowly turned orange with beautiful shades of red, while the boats in the distance appeared as dark silhouettes against the glowing sky.
It was one of those rare moments when even our family became silent.
I quickly took dozens of pictures of the sunset and, of course, plenty of our wonderfully chaotic family.
After that, we returned to the hotel. Mom and Dad immediately went to their room for a nap, while the three of us decided to take a walk in the nearby park.
Farha spotted the swings.
"I'm claiming this one," she declared proudly before sitting down.
She peacefully swung back and forth, enjoying the breeze.
Naturally, Adeeb and I couldn't allow anyone to have a peaceful moment.
"I'm going to swing while standing," Adeeb announced.
"Challenge accepted," I replied.
Soon we were both standing on our swings, trying to go higher than the other.
Neither of us noticed when our little game turned into a full competition.
"Higher!" Adeeb shouted.
"I already am!" I yelled back.
A second later...
I slipped.
Gravity remembered I existed.
I landed directly on my butt.
"Ouchhh... that hurts!" I groaned.
Adeeb laughed so hard that he almost fell off his own swing before finally helping me up.
"You should never challenge a professional idiot like me," he said between laughs.
"I knew you two would never grow up," Farha sighed, looking at us as if we were two unpaid interns working under her.
Honestly, I don't even remember how many times I've fallen on my butt in my life.
Why is my butt always the one making sacrifices for my adventures?
Still laughing, we headed to the dining hall for dinner.
I ordered biryani with chili pepper sauce. Adeeb ordered steak as if he were the young master of some billionaire family. Farha ordered pancakes along with several desserts while praying she wouldn't get any cavities. Mom and Dad kept it simple with fried rice and soup.
The dining hall was peaceful, elegant, and almost completely silent...
...until we started eating.
Within minutes, we looked like five hungry people who had just been rescued from a deserted island after surviving on coconuts for three weeks.
The waiters kept glancing at our table, probably wondering whether to bring us dessert... or call for backup.