My Royal Best Friend

See you soon, Solandia

Nathalia POV

After nine years…

“Thank you for stopping by, Nurse Nathalia.” The Chief Nursing Officer called me in for a short meeting. “ Please have a seat.”

I went to the chair in front of her desk and sat their confused.

“I was informed of your consistent great performance by your supervisor. And I want to thank you for your service.”

“Thank you, too, Chief.”

“Let me be straightforward with you, as you may be confused as to why I called you in. A dear friend of mine is looking for a dedicated nurse for a high regarded place in their country. She’s a doctor and she’s the head of a hospital there. She got my help for a recommendation. I would not like to recommend you as you are the best in this hospital, but I could not also just give a mediocre recommendation to her. I don’t want to be embarrassed.”

“It’s a yearly contract. It pays better salary, of course, better than what this hospital provides you. Free accommodation. Free meals. Free life and medical insurance. And a big bonus once you complete the year. Sundays will be the only day off, but that wouldn’t be a problem, because you won’t be working hard like what you do here. It will be like working for at private home where no one is sick. You will also be entitled to twenty days of vacation. The catch is you won’t be able to go home within the year. They will evaluate your position before the contract ends, then if everything is well, you may extend with the contract. There will be a bond of Fifty Thousand USD. Should you terminate your contract, you would have to pay fifty grand.”

She gave me a piece of paper where all the compensation package was written, as well as the condition.

“But then, if I extend, I cannot go home for another year?” I asked Chief.

“Yes, that’s correct.” She nodded at me.

So, if I extend for five years, I won’t be able to see my parents that long.

“Don’t worry, Nathalia, it doesn’t say there that you cannot have your family or your boyfriend visit you.” She then smiled at me, which I returned. “You can have them spend holidays there.”

“That’s nice. But does that mean I cannot visit neighboring places, too?”

“Well, that one I cannot answer. I was only given this information. If you like, I could ask my friend about it.”

“Oh, no need, Chief. That’s okay.”

“Anyway, you do not have to decide now. You can have that paper. But I need your answer in two days, so if you do not want the job, I could offer it to someone else. Contemplate on it, Nathalia.”

“Got it, Chief. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, dear. Okay, keep up the good work, Nathalia. And please do not share this to anyone. This is a confidential matter.” She again smiled.

“Yes, Chief. I understand.” I stood up and went out of the office. I stopped by the door and looked again at the paper.

Where the hell is The Royal Kingdom of Solandia?

After my shift, I went back to my apartment immediately and started to research on Solandia. But I only came up with a short description of the place and a few photos. I could not come up with more, even just a small map of it. I, then, looked up for the meaning of Solandia.

Maybe it is somewhere near Italy or Spain. Sole means sun in Italian. Sol in Spanish.

Land of the Sun. Where are you?

The few photos of Solandia that were posted are of a very beautiful place. It must be the country-side as there is a big flower field. The houses were of beautifully designed. I am sure it could only be of Spanish or Italian designs.

I wish I could have asked the Chief if she was able to go to this place. Maybe tomorrow, before my shift starts, I could ask her.

I searched for more clues, even just a small mention of Solandia, but I still come up with the same description. Are they hiding the place or something? Maybe they do not have much visitors in that country. But the place looks very beautiful… and mysterious.

Maybe I should go. The compensation is double of what I earn as a nurse. Then as per my understanding, the workload is not that heavy. Free accommodation and free food. What more can I ask for? With the money I will be earning in a year, I could own a business or invest it somewhere profitable. And I could also take my parents on a holiday.

I looked out of the window and sighed deeply. This might be the sign to let go. It has already been nine years and I’ve never had a boyfriend after Jerry. I dated a lot of times, but none of them had come to be at par with my best friend. I don’t know but he still appears in my dreams. I have dreamed of him being sad, lonely, and hurting. I have dreamed of him moving on and having a new girl. Then recently, I have dreamed of meeting him again.

But I do not want to hold on anymore. The pain of losing him is no longer there. But at times, I still longed for him. I have moved to another state, where I had attended college and found work, just so I could be far away from where our love had blossomed. I didn’t want to wake up every day and see the house beside ours, where Jerry had lived for two years.

After Jerry went away, Mama Mila also underwent depression. I would visit her at times when I visit home, which is rare. She would only smile at me, then would utter ‘he’s okay’.

It was good that he’s okay. But didn’t Jerry wonder if I was?

I took a deep breath and made a promise to myself.

I will move on from my past. I will move on to a better place.

I called up my parents and told them of the offer. They were hesitant for me to go because of the lack of information about the place. However, when I have explained that the Chief Nursing Officer will put any harm on me and that I needed this to finally move on, they have reconsidered.

“I will go home before I go there, Mom. Just to say good bye and also to Mama Mila.”

The following day, I went to the Chief’s office.

“Good morning, Nathalia. Is there anything I could do for you?”

“Chief, I would like to ask if you have been to Solandia.”

“No, I haven’t. But I heard a lot about it from my friend. She’s from that place.” She leaned back to her chair and seemed to be reminiscing. “She said that it’s an old-fashioned place. You will not see skyscrapers or glass buildings there. If you have watched the movie ‘The Princess Diaries’, then the country in there would be the best description for it.”

“Yes, I have watched it. Do you know where you can find the place? I have actually searched for it in the internet, but I could not find any clue.”

“It’s somewhere between France and Italy. Maybe you should check again. If you have searched only Solandia, you will indeed come up with a lot of links. Try to be more specific, type in ‘The Royal Kingdom of Solandia’. May be you will come up with more information.”

“Right. But even then, I have already made my decision. I will take the offer. But I have to go home first to say my good byes to my parents. I don’t know when I will see them next.”

“That’s great news, Nathalia! I think that could be arranged. I will call me friend later and inform you of the next step. I’m excited for you, dear, but at the same time I’m already feeling sad about it. We already have to find a replacement for you.” I have taken to like our Chief Nurse. She’s talks like my Mom.

“Chief?”

“Yes, Nathalia?”

“Should I come back, am I still welcome to work here?”

“I’m sure we can arrange that, dear, should there be a vacancy. But know that you will always be at the top of our list. I believe I have a call to make. Let me get back to you within the day, Nathalia.”

“Thank you, Chief.” With that I left the room and start with my work with a smile on my face.

I’m ready to face the world.

“Are you sure about this, Nathalia?”

“Yes, Mom. One hundred percent sure.”

“You take care, okay?”

“Yes, Dad. Thanks. You take care, too. Take care of each other.”

The day of my departure had come and both my parents drove me to the airport. After saying our good-byes, I went inside and was just in time for boarding.

Here’s to my new beginning. See you soon, Solandia.