Sitting on the soft sand of the beach, I waited for my brother, Will to halt so I could play “pass the ball” with our pet dolphin Riku.

“Children!” cried a voice behind our backs.

I turned to look and sighed unhappily knowing that this game was all over. Still, I ignored Ron’s call. Will on the other hand seemed not to hear Ron as he was too lost in this game.

“Children listen!” cried Ron and finally had to run closer to us.

Will finally awoke when he threw the ball at Riku who rocketed the ball back at a flashing speed towards Ron.

“Ow!” cried Ron.

“It’s just a beach ball, Ron” I said lazily.

Ron glared like a tsunami and showed Riku his fist in the air.

“Get lost, squid head!” he shouted angrily. “Play time is over!”

“Your grandfather is looking for you two.”, said Ron running towards us and breathing heavily.

“Is it about our lessons that we skipped?” asked Will carelessly.

“Hey”, I cried at Will for his foolishness.

“I utterly hope so!”, said Ron with a wicked smile.

As the water clear glass doors slid open, we entered the office of our grand-father.

My grand-father is currently the head of the UCD, which stands for; Underwater City Development. The company’s aim is to build cities under the sea which so far has built over three in the Maldives. My grand-father personally felt that this notion was vital in the wake of the rising sea level that so far savored away many islands here in the Maldives.

Anyway, when we entered the aqua-aquarium like office of my grand-father, I noticed him holding some kind of a locket that was twinkling softly in his hand.

“Sit down dears,” he said when he saw us.

“I’m telling you grand-pa”, said Will bluntly. “it won’t happen again I swear!”

“I couldn’t care less about your lessons” said grand-pa calmly. “because it will be your loss in the end. Anyhow, I called you two here to give you two this”

There, before us, he placed on the table two blue lockets that were shaped in like a tear.

“Heh!”, shrugged Will. “Girls stuff. I’m not wearing that if that’s what you want”.

“Then you can compensate your missed lessons with me!”

Will and I instantly snatched the lockets and adorned our necks with the glitteringg jewel.

“Now”, said grand-father seriously. “You will never take off this jewel no matter what. These jewels are a symbol and proof that one day you two will run this company.”

When the time comes, you will stamp these jewel  on those who will come after you and be sure to notify them to do the same.

“Remember, this company only serves to build a home for those when there shall be no land on this planet.”

“I have worn these jewels for the last forty years. One day, you both will have to shoulder the responsibility of this company that your great grand-father and I did”

“Why are you telling this now?”, I asked feeling mystified. “I mean we have no spec of clue on running UCD at our age”

“That’s why you must never miss your lessons”, said grandfather. “The future will rely on you when the earth’s ocean gobbles down every solid surface.”

“Take this map” said grand-father, placing an aged looking map that was a copy from his real sister.

“I want you two to start out from today. I’m sure you will enjoy your first taste of exploring the south side but be sure to search for…this”

We stretched our necks to look and we then, knew what kind of places he wanted us to examine……

We had no difficulty in reaching our wanted location. The rainbow forest of the corals made this adventure awfully enjoyable. We felt that our task must be unquestionably easy as fish pie.

However, while swimming underwater with our breathing masks on, we saw someone else who had raced here before us.

There was a shirtless man in a military pair of pants, probably isn’t in his thirties.

He too saw us and curiously swam and floated before us. He then stared at us surprisingly at both of us. We too stared at him with fright.

At once, I knew why he looked surprised….because he wore the same locket we wore.