Filip Jurić graduated recently and spent the day with his family. They were visited by relatives at their home in Split, Croatia's coastal city. As one chapter ended and another began, the day was filled with emotions and joy. Filip planned to study technology in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, after the summer, something he had wanted to do since he was a child.
His mother had baked a delicious cake that everyone praised, and his father had purchased an abundance of appetizers and food. The family and relatives gathered, drank and ate while laughing and singing to Filip while half drunk.
While the wonderful atmosphere was going on in the house, Filip sat alone on the sofa and thought. After all, he was very different from his friends and other boys his age. Filip grew up in a very religious Catholic household with conservative and strict values. His father, Marco, was a tough man who demanded a lot and expected even more. But it all had to do with one single factor, and that was his mother, Ivana.
Ivana Jurić is and has always been a stunningly beautiful, voluptuous, and attractive woman. At 41 years old, she continues to turn the heads of men of all ages, colors, creeds, and ethnicities.
This should come as no surprise given that she is a former beauty queen who won the pageant when she was 18 years old. She stunned Croatia with her incredible and rare beauty. She was, without a doubt, the most talked about and noticed competitor in the competition. Her sexiness and fancy appearance elicited strong feelings among Croatians, as well as widespread international interest and attention.
Several big and famous fashion magazines wanted to collaborate with her in the weeks after she was crowned, including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Playboy, and others. She was completely overwhelmed by all of the attention.
Filip's parents had been romantically engaged since high school and married only after the beauty pageant was over, due to the fact that a girl wasn't allowed to be married while competing. They married young and had Filip at a young age.
That's when Filip's father, Marco, changed his mind and became obsessively protective of his wife, raising Filip to be a warrior who would also protect his mother. Filip was raised in a strange, military-like environment.
Marco's hard lifestyle served as a symbol and motif throughout Filip's life, from childhood to the present. Overprotectiveness became his motto; it was what defined him--always keeping an eye on his mother and protecting her from young guys and men who stared, flirted, and tried to hit on her. There was always trouble waiting for him if he didn't meet his father's expectations and demands.
When young men have tried to approach Ivana or ogle her, Marco has always beaten the crap out of them. The problem is that Filip is not like his father; he lacks the strength, courage, and aggressiveness. He never had and probably will never have those qualities. He's a shy, smart, and tech-savvy young man, but nothing more.
Ivana has only gone outside a few times on her own, and it is extremely rare. When she goes out with friends, she can't stay for too long; when she goes to the mall to shop or does some major Christmas shopping, she's always accompanied by someone. If the mailman stares for too long, Marco gets angry, and if the young men in the neighborhood gather outside their house, Ivana isn't allowed to sit on the porch or stay near the front door. Marco introduced and pushed unusual and extreme protective measures on the family.
The bottom line is that Ivana is simply too beautiful to be seen. Seeing her causes the human brain and libido to skyrocket. Her sexy, shapely hourglass body with a perfect blend of thickness is one thing, but her magnificent height of 5'11" is quite another. Her long, glossy black hair and olive skin with a natural tan are too good to be true. There is so much in Ivana; she is a successful creation of the Almighty.
The fame and attention she got from the news outlets and global media after winning the beauty pageant became too much for her, and it became a curse for her and the life the family was forced to live as a result of Marco's paranoia. That's why Filip and his father, Marco, are so protective of her.
*****
Filip felt a tug around his shoulders as he sat calmly enjoying a glass of champagne and reflecting on life.
"Hey, honey, don't you want to join me and your father as we open your gifts?" Ivana said, smiling innocently.
"What? Has everyone left already? I didn't notice," Filip admitted as he looked around.
"You coming, son?" Let's open these presents and see what you got from your relatives," Marco said sternly, his voice hoarse.
While Filip began unwrapping the presents one by one, his parents argued over whose family had bought the more expensive gifts. Marco claimed that his family had purchased the more expensive and better gifts, whereas Ivana claimed that her family had done so.
It was a funny and entertaining moment, and Filip had received so many gifts, including watches, clothes, and cologne. There was only one envelope left, which he had gotten from his aunt, his father's oldest sister. He opened it, and three tickets popped up in front of him. It was three all-inclusive tickets to a four-star hotel in Las Vegas.
The mood in the room abruptly died as Filip realized that these tickets were worthless; his father would never go on this trip anyway. Since Filip was in junior high, the family hasn't traveled outside of the country. They've only traveled abroad a few times, and it has always been in Europe and only for a couple of days.
In this case, the trip was paid for up to a week in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It's a completely different trip on the other side of the world.
"I think we should sell the tickets, or I'll have to ask my sister to cancel the trip," Marco stated strongly.
"My dear, I think you should consider it. I mean, we haven't done anything together in ages. I believe that this trip will be beneficial to the family, providing a fresh and rejuvenating feeling. We'll go there, take it easy, enjoy it, and have fun together," Ivana said invitingly.
"Mom is completely right, and I believe we should go on this trip to change our environment. You're well aware that I've wanted to travel to the United States since I was a child," Filip stated with firmness in his voice.
Marco drew his hand under his chin and gazed down at the gleaming oak floor. He looked up at Ivana and Filip after a few seconds and said, "Alright, sure, let's do it. But I don't want the two of you to be running around everywhere. We'll go, but I call the shots. Is that understood?"
Filip and Ivana nodded, and it was settled: the Jurić family would finally travel again, and for the first time, it would be outside of Europe.
*****
Three days later, early on Monday morning, the family drove to Split airport, where the plane accelerated and they were in the sky before they even knew it. They had a long journey ahead of them and expected to arrive late at night.
And, as expected, they arrived late in the evening, as Monday came to an end. The plane landed safely and smoothly at Las Vegas' largest airport, Harry Reid International Airport, which was formerly known as McCarran International Airport. The airport was renamed after Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who served for 30 years.
