SUMMARY
Oceana is the "place" that all of us, young and old, are looking for.
The tale that plays out is essentially about Athena, a little girl that is trying to fulfill her dream.
In her journey she will come across many, some will encourage her to continue, and others will try to be her obstacle.
But in the end, having perseverance, patience, kindness and courage as allies, she will win her dreams and live a unique experience that will change her as a human.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
"There are countries known to be found imprinted on the globe, but there are also magical and secret countries that only those who believe in the magic of fairy tales know about, and their maps are kept as a sealed secret.
One such country is the island of Oceana. This country is a tiny little fairy-tale island, five nautical miles southeast of the island of happiness, six islets north of the island of wisdom, three strokes far from the island of truth. It is a country that looks like paradise has landed on Earth and where all its inhabitants, the famous Oceanites, wake up laughing and fall asleep with a smile on their face. The island of Oceana is made by a magical but simple recipe. It is a place so clean and so nice-smelling, full of unknown delicious sugary fruit, unknown to the rest of the world, colorful houses shimmering under the sun's rays, crystal clear waters that you never have to wear a mask to look farther, trees with green strong boughs where you can slide, seesaw, swing and whatever else your soul desires. On this magical island, no one gets sick, there is no dust, polluted waters or bacteria. Life on the island flows like a clock, perfectly synchronized for everyone.
Animals and humans live in full harmony. You can meet all kinds of animals on the island. Deer, squirrels, sheep, cows all of them moving freely in the lush green meadows and gardens of Oceana. In the blue lake there are except many colorful fish, swans, ducks and seagulls resting from their long trips to the oceans of the planet. Parrots, sparrows, bees and other exotic birds, small and big, add their own color with their melodies on this beautiful painting. Plants, dense green bushes, pink, purple, and yellow flowers are part of the palette that paints on the island's immense beauty.
Oceana is this idyllic island that you might not find on the map, but Athena, our heroine, after everything she has read in the books about this country will accomplish something amazing; To discovere the route to there through the waves of the sea and eventually fulfil the great dream she had always had, to travel and visit this island.
One sunny day of June, the day that the inhabitants of Oceana were celebrating Oceania, the birthday of the island that was born many millions of years ago, Athena thought was the best opportunity to visit her.
She took her favorite waterproof backpack on her shoulder and after carefully placing her pink flippers, swimsuit, fruit for the trip in it, she prepared to dive into the sea to swim up to Oceana.
Fortunately, however, her mother-in-law, Aliciana, a well-known mermaid, was near the sea at the time and caught her by the time she was ready to dive into the water and caught her in the air before she could get into the sea.
"Athena!! Where are you going loaded with so many stuff? Were you coming to see me? " she asked smiling.
"My sweet godmother! I have longed for you, but ... the truth is that I was getting ready to go somewhere else... "
"Where to?" Aliciana asked in amazement.
"To Oceana!! They are having a celebration today! The famous Oceania! The birthday of the island, the only island in the world that has remained crystal clear and the only place that has pure natural beauty.”
"Ah! You are right! It is a great celebration... Only thing is... "
"What is it? Tell me, what is going on? " asked Athena anxiously.
"First of all, no one has ever managed to get to Oceana because she is not pictured in any map," Aliciana said.
"I have read so many books that I have managed to decrypt the route I have to take to get to the island. You know how much I like Geography and Mathematics. To make the route, I linked the distances between the islands from my country to Oceana, and with the right calculations I designed my own map, ”Athena replied, showing Aliciana the map she had designed.
Her godmother was looking at the map that was full of calculations, lines, and flags of various neighboring countries. She always admired Athena for her perseverance and for the solutions she found when she wanted something so much.
"Good, Athena," she said with great joy.
"But this is very far and only deep sea creatures, like mermaids and fish, can reach to this place. My dear, you will not be able to travel that far! Unless..."
"Unless what?" Athena exclaimed and looked at her in wonder. Deep inside she knew how right her godmother was and how wisely she was talking. The distance was indeed too long for a human, let alone for a little girl like her.
"Unless if you were a mermaid like me!!" said the mermaid Aliciana excitedly.
"Yes, but unfortunately I am not!" Athena clapped her hands loudly!
Then her godmother, with a magical move, gave her the greatest gift a mermaid could give to a human. With a gentle touch she transformed her into a mermaid. With a tight hug she gave her all the magical properties of a true mermaid.
Athena was looking at herself and could not believe her eyes. She no longer had legs but a glossy, colorful and long tail. She was so happy that she began to dive out of joy.
Before embarking on a journey that would completely transform her as a human, literally and metaphorically, she gave her a very important piece of advice.
"The sea besides beauties also hides many dangers, be careful!" she said and hugged her.
CHAPTER 2: THE CASTLE OF OCEANA
The castle of Oceana was one of the most significant places in the country.
It was located at the most strategic point, next to the country's lighthouse. From far away one could distinguish the two flags fluttering between the two northwest towers. One flag was the flag of Oceana; blue with a big green circle in the middle. The green symbolises Oceana's pure paradise, while the blue symbolises the sea that surrounds it. The other flag was the flag of the world, which contained a miniature of the world and symbolised Oceana's friendship, hospitality and invitation to the world to follow her example.
The lighthouse was located at the most edgy part of the country, on a huge rock by the sea. It warned ships traveling to watch the huge rock and also worked as a sign that as soon as they passed this dangerous spot they would be charmed by what they would encounter, the magical land of OCEANA.
The locals adored this place and traveled there often to gaze over the horizon, the beautiful sea and the endless blue, to watch the ships approach the port, the travelers waiting impatiently and with joy to reach their destination and meet their beloved friends and relatives again. They greeted the captains and travelers from afar. They were breathing as much oxygen they could, filling their lungs with the sea breeze and salt from the seawater, and as the wave burst into the rock it gave them positive energy and valuable vitamins.
The Kingdom of Oceana on one side bordered with the point where the lighthouse was located, and on the opposite side it was protected by the high mountains of the area. The lush trees provided plenty of oxygen for all the inhabitants of the country and protected the city from the heavy rains, floods and winds during the winter. The forest was also a refuge for the rare animals that grew up in this idyllic environment.
A little further on, the city clock stood stunning, timing the beautiful moments that everyone spent on the island. Just next to it, there was the iconic temple, where all the residents gathered for reflection.
The endless game, the smiles, the happiness and the everyday dances fully described the living conditions of this country and characterised its inhabitants.
The castle was a place of joy where all the inhabitants of the island would meet.
The King and Queen of Oceana were so welcoming and their castle was always open to everyone.
They often organised celebrations with music and dance and all the residents were always invited.
They kept on saying:
"Without you all, Oceana wouldn't be so beautiful, the dances wouldn't be so enjoyable and life wouldn't be so nice."
The King and Queen had two children, Alkmene and Alexander.
Alkmene, the youngest, was only 12 years old while Alexander was a 20-year old student. Alongside his studies, he was assisting his father in the matters of the palace. Both children were remarkable and their parents were very proud of both of them. They were children that shared the values of family, friendship, communit and of the environment. They loved reading, sports and traveling.
Alexander had traveled a lot. He had found himself in neighbouring countries but also countries far from Oceana. He had seen the beauty of the planet, but it saddened him that there was so much sadness, distress, and destruction along with this beauty.
