英語故事短文76. A Hot Day and a Cool Pool

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It was their first vacation together in years. Meg and Oscar had been running
their own jewelry business for years. They made a nice income, but they were
busy all the time. They went to one trade show after another, flying throughout
the US and often to China and other countries. Their last vacation was at least
ten years ago. Recently, Oscar’s doctor said that Oscar’s high blood pressure
was going to be the death of him. After questioning Oscar about his eating and
exercise habits, he concluded that Oscar was stressing himself out at work. He
told Oscar that he needed to stop and smell the roses more often.

“In short,” he said, “I’m writing you a prescription for two weeks of
R&R—rest and relaxation, immediately. In fact, I want you to take off four
weeks a year, and these must be nonworking vacations. No cell phone, no laptop.
Do you understand me? In case you don’t, I’m telling Meg, too. You might not
listen to me, but you will listen to her.”

Meg canceled all their activities for the two weeks at the end of July.
Fortunately, they did not have any flights scheduled. She booked them a nice
hotel near Palm Springs. “We’ll catch up on our magazines, newspapers, and TV
reruns,” she told Oscar. “We won’t even TALK about work for two weeks, okay?
We’ll relax in the pool, get massages, and treat ourselves like royalty. Got
it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Oscar said, smiling as he saluted her.

The hotel had failed to tell them that it was undergoing renovations. But
when it offered everything at half price, Meg and Oscar stayed. The second
morning, about 10, Oscar told Meg he was going to take a swim. She told him not
to forget his sun block. She went back to sleep. When she woke up at noon, she
put on her swim suit and went outside.

She couldn’t stop screaming when she saw Oscar submerged beneath the water.
His foot had gotten caught in a suction vent that workers had not covered
properly. He had been under water for ten minutes.

A month after the funeral, back home, Meg was going through her mail. The
hotel, apparently worried about a lawsuit, had sent her an offer to stay there
free for a month. The congenial letter suggested that she “Bring a friend!”