VACATION IS RUMORED – PART 11

 VACATION IS RUMORED – PART 11

The cast schedule is hand-written on the dry erase board, and for the second time since we started, I have the afternoon off. I’m thrilled because a friend of mine has flown in from New York to visit, and I plan on showing her the best the Bahamas has to offer.

I plan for a big adventure: first stop, the dolphin lagoon. Since the vans are busy transporting the cast to and from rehearsal, I do a little research to figure out how to get around the island. At this point, the easiest and quickest way is to take the bus—the kind the locals use. Essentially, they’re converted vans that run the length of the island. To catch one, all you need to do is stand by the road, wave it down, and hand the driver a dollar.

Four of us decide to take the bus to the dolphin lagoon. We stand out on the road and flag down a bus, which then takes us downtown. The bus is really just a cargo van with seats that flip down.

As soon as we climb aboard, everyone on the bus stops and stares at us. I smile and nod as I walk down the aisle and squeeze into a seat next to a very large woman. There’s barely enough room for me, and I’m hanging half into the aisle. I smile again, but she just grunts and turns away, looking out the window. This woman is so large that the bus leans to one side as we drive. Once we pick up speed, we hear a grinding sound as the tires scrape against the metal frame.

As we pass vendors selling hand-painted company merchandise, I can’t help but smile. Their handmade version of "The Mouse" is hilarious and adorably tacky, appearing on everything from handbags to straw hats. I make a mental note to get one before the company finds out.

Finally, we reach downtown and hop onto a water taxi. The boat bounces over the waves, spraying water into our eyes and mouths. There’s a slight chill in the air, but the sun is high and warm in the sky.

When we arrive at the Dolphin Encounter, we see it’s a series of floating wooden decks tied together to form a corral with one side open to the sea. The trainer in charge is around 18 years old and sports a whistle around his neck. Every time he speaks, he lifts the whistle and blows it, but I’m not sure why since we don’t see any dolphins yet.

We’re asked to form a line, and each of us is given a life jacket. No one is allowed in without one, even though the water is only about three feet deep. Slowly, everyone creeps down a ramp that leads us into the water.

The trainer blows the whistle, and two dolphins swim into the corral. One, named "Jake," immediately approaches us, while the second, "The Fatman," stays a good 20 feet away. The trainer blows the whistle again, and Jake starts performing tricks—jumping, splashing, and doing… well, let’s just say "humping" my friend. I’m not sure if that was part of the show, but the audience found it entertaining.

The trainer blows the whistle again, and "The Fatman" finally swims up to me. He balances on his tail, looking like he’s standing upright. The trainer blows another round of whistles, and "The Fatman" starts splashing and spitting water in my face. For this trick, he gets a few fish as rewards. We’re told that the dolphins aren’t captive but are free to come and go as they please.

We wrap up the day by throwing fish to a baby dolphin that giggles and spits at us.

When I return home, I find a message on the phone: another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. I climb into bed early, but even as my bedroom shakes, I drift off to sleep.

The next morning, I rise early, before the sun comes up. I go downstairs and spend 45 minutes warming up with a ballet barre. Since I don’t have an actual barre, I use the sliding glass door to balance myself. After a quick breakfast, I shower, get dressed, and mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.

The cast has started holding secret meetings to discuss the meetings we’ve had before. Then, we have meetings to plan future meetings. At these meetings, nothing gets done except that we all agree to meet again. Today, we’re meeting to plan another meeting to discuss upcoming meetings. It’s the same cycle—everyone complains about the conditions, but when it comes time to meet in front of the producers, the room falls silent. Everyone is too afraid to speak up, terrified of losing their jobs.

After today’s cast meeting, we have another one with the producers and staff. The casting director steps up to the microphone.

“Hi, everyone,” he says. He’s met with silence. “How is everyone?” he asks, hoping for some response. The cast mumbles a few words of feigned happiness.

“What I want to tell everyone is that, due to the delays with the product, we all feel that everyone should have a nice break and be able to spend time with their families for the holidays,” he continues.

The cast looks around at each other in stunned silence.

“Then, we’ll all meet in Italy,” the casting director adds, almost too cheerfully. “You all mean so much to us, and we think a break would be great.”

The room falls silent again. Someone shouts from the back, “When?”

“We aren’t sure yet, but we’ll let you know,” the casting director replies.

“Why?” another person asks, and the director raises his hand to shield his eyes from the lights.

“As soon as we find out,” he responds.

Now, visibly agitated, another voice yells out, “When will that be?”

“I said, as soon as we find out!” he snaps, growing slightly impatient.

The cast agrees to have another meeting soon to discuss this one.

The casting director taps the microphone. “Oh, and one more thing,” he says. “I have new contracts for you to sign before you leave.”